Kazakhstan Off The Beaten Path

  Charin gorge
by mirko77
 
  • Charin gorge
      Charin gorge
    by mirko77
  • Our drivers
      Our drivers "Marat" & "Akim"
    by mirko77
  • Going down
      Going down
    by TheWanderingCamel
  • Auezov House Museum
      Auezov House Museum
    by marsistanbul
  • Circus
      Circus
    by Strannik
 
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Charyn Red Canyon

by traveldave

Charyn Red Canyon was carved over the millennia by the Charyn River. Commonly referred to as Dolina Zamkov ("Valley of the Castles"), the 50-mile (80-kilometer) canyon is one of the most impressive geological attractions in Kazakhstan. The black rock at the bottom of the canyon is basalt, and is the oldest rock in the area. The red rock that gives the canyon its name was formed when layers of reddish gravel were laid down and compressed into rock over thousands of years. Many people visit the canyon for the famous rapids of the Charyn River, which offer some of the best white-water rafting in Asia. Others, like myself, visit to see birds that are difficult to see outside of Central Asia.Charyn Red Canyon is very close to the geographical center of Asia, making it the one spot on the globe the farthest from any ocean.

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Turanga Forests

by traveldave

Turanga is a species of poplar tree that is endemic to the steppes of Kazakhstan, meaning that it grows nowhere else in the world. The trees grow in groves, or turanga forests, along the rivers and inland deltas in the steppe region. Many of these forests are endangered from local people cutting them for firewood or from overgrazing. The turanga forests provide oases of green in the semi-arid, treeless steppes, and are home to many species of reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and insects. More importantly to me, several species of birds that are hard to find outside of Kazakhstan are relatively common and easy to find. I visited the turanga forest near the Ili Delta, where the Ili River flows into Lake Balkhash, and found the birds I was looking for.

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The Tien Shan Mountains

by traveldave

The Tien Shan Mountains are a 1,000-mile-long (1,600-kilometer-long) spine of towering ridges that are a northern extension of the Himalayas. They extend along Kazakhstan's southern and eastern borders, forming a buffer between it and China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.Many of the peaks in Kazakhstan rise to over 15,000 feet (4,572 meters), and Mount Kan Tengri, Kazakhstan's tallest mountain, rises to 22,950 feet (6,995 meters).The areas below timberline in the Tien Shan Mountains are beautiful. Flower-filled alpine meadows are surrounded by lush forests of Tien Shan spruce, and clear rocky streams flow from blue alpine lakes.

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Visit the old Gulag from Karaganda

by Kentishlad

When in Karaganda a thought provoking trip is to visit the Karlug (Karaganda Gulag). A few km away are the villages that gre out of the old Soviet prison camps. We were given a tour by the local Akim (chief administrator) who is getting a museum together and said that he is very keen for visitors. Such a trip will provoke much reflection, so do be in the right frame of mind.

Big Almaty Lake

by TheWanderingCamel

The gorge leading up to Big Almaty (Bolshoe Almatinskoe) Lake is a beautiful, green wild area starting just 15km outside Almaty. A bus will take you to the a village (Kok-shoky) near the entrance to the gorge and from there it is a long hike up to the lake - a good 5-6 hours. The gorge rises to a large bowl in the mountains where the lake sits at 2500m.We set out to drive up there in early June - the lake is still frozen at that time of year - but the road defeated us and we turned back after about 10km. We should have checked the road conditions by calling the number given below.

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Artisan's village and craft workers

by TheWanderingCamel

Cheber Aul is a village outside Almaty , created for artisans by the government some 20 years ago. It's set in the beautiful Bolshaya Almatinka Gorge - right next to a hydroelectric powere station! Tourism not being exactly big in Kazakhstan (it is a long way from anywhere remember) the village never really got going and it's a rather hit and miss affair with not a lot happening, but if you are heading up the gorge it's worth a look. Some craftsmen still work out there aand you can buy directly from them.We were interviewed by a television team from Russia while we were there. They were making a documentary about tourism in the old Soviet states - maybe our comments will have sparked some response and things will have picked up a bit !The entrance to the gorge is about 15km from Almaty and a bus does goes out there. Ask for Kok-shoky village.The website contains a lot of information...

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Up and up

by TheWanderingCamel

Chimbulak is the popular ski base above Medeo. With a chairlift rising in 3 stages to over 3000m even in the height of summer you can go beyond the snowline.The skiing season is a long one - November to May, but by early June the weather is warm enough for the lift to be carrying you over green mountain meadows spangled with wildflowers - deep purple violets and tiny wild tulips - at the lower levels. As you rise the terrain becomes starker until, at the top, you are above the tree-line, standing on bare brown earth surrounded by rocky snow-covered peaks.The lift is slow, but this gives you plenty of time to enjoy the absolute peace and stillness of the mountains.The only public transport up to Chimbulak is the occasional bus at weekends in the ski season. If you can't arrange private transport, it's a good 3-4 hour hike up from Medeo

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Step out on the steppe

by TheWanderingCamel

Driving across the steppe south and west of Almaty in early summer was fantastic - not really what I expected at all. It was all very green, and the smell coming up from the ground was wonderful as the car drove over the plants, crushing them and releasing a pungent, herby scent. The bird life was amazing - flocks of little brown ground-nesting birds flew up in front of us as we drove along and there were other bigger birds, some with incredibly blue underwings.The Ili River was fast-flowing and tree-lined.Really interesting was our drivers unerring sense of where they were going in the trackless emptiness - most impressive.

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The West. West Kazakhstan is...

by Pennyrama

The West. West Kazakhstan is the meeting point of Europe and Asia in the basin of the Caspian Sea. The region's Karagie Depression, 132,9433 ft below the sea level, is the lowest point in the world after the Dead Sea in Sinai. There are many architectural heritage sites in this region, including the subterranean cross-shaped Shakpak-Ata Mosque (12th - 14th century) which is hewn out of rock, memorial complex Eset-batyr (Eset warrior), and natural reserves in Turgay and Irgiz, with settlements of flamingo, wild boar, saiga, and other species of rare animals. A number rivers flow across the region: Irgiz, Torgay, Khobda, Yil, which open a lot of opportunities for fishing, underwater hunting and water sports. The North. This region is the industrial, high-populated part of the country. The Ishim River runs through the territory and proposes many beautiful sand beaches, scattered with...

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In the midst of desolate...

by AndreasK

In the midst of desolate steppes of Western Kazakstan just south of the Aral Sea lays the biggest Russian space launch center: the Baikonur cosmodrome. Except for a brief gasp of spring, when steppes flood with wild colors of tulips and fresh grass, the landscape stays burned and dry most of the summer and frozen dead in the winter.

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Unique Places in Kazakhstan

Top 3 Hotels in Kazakhstan

Intercontinental Almaty  Almaty

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Renaissance Atyrau Hotel  Atyrau

 4 Reviews and 21 Opinions  Best and most expensive business Hotel to stay in Atyrau. However this is not saying much. This... 

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Reviews and photos of Kazakhstan attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Kazakhstan sightseeing.

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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in Kazakhstan
  1. Almaty Off The Beaten Path
  2. Astana Off The Beaten Path
  3. Atyrau Off The Beaten Path

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  Hi Everybody, I will be in Kazakhstan in September 2012. I will arrive in Almaty but need to get to Astana. I would prefer not to... 

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A: As you might expect, Kazakhstan is not an "on-line" friendly place. It is difficult to book anything online. Sites like... 

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