Travel inspiration

  1. Kolsai Lakes National park

    Located around 12km by paved (from 2018) road from Saty village, these three spruce-and-mountain-hemmed lakes are Alpine-esque beauty at its best and a Kazakhstan highlight. As you hike between the lakes, graze on wild strawberries and raspberries in summer and take frigid dips in the clear waters. The hiking trails between the lakes are steep in places and can get very muddy. You need your own wheels to reach the lakes, or go as part of a tour from Almaty.

  2. Aksu-Zhabagly

    This beautiful 1319-sq-km patch of green valleys, rushing rivers, snowcapped peaks and high-level glaciers is the oldest (1926) and one of the most enjoyable of Kazakhstan's nature reserves. Sitting at the west end of the Talassky Alatau (the most northwesterly spur of the Tian Shan), it stretches from the steppe at about 1200m up to 4239m at Pik Sayram. The main access point is Zhabagly village, 70km east of Shymkent as the crow flies.

  3. Aral sea

    A trip to the slowly replenishing Aral Sea is the main-the only!-reason to come to Aral. Near its northern shore rise the sculpted rock formations of a magnificent canyon, in shades of ochre and yellow, reminiscent of Utah or Arizona. Four Soviet shipwrecks still lie on the seashore amidst dense growth of samphire, and the medicinal hot spring near a fishing village draws visitors from afar. Other attractions include the dam and overnighting in a fishing village.

  4. Tian Shan

    The region from Almaty to Lake Balkhash is known as Zhetisu (Russian: Semirechie), meaning Land of Seven Rivers. There are actually more than 800 rivers, many fed by glaciers in the mountains along the Kyrgyz and Chinese borders. It's also known as the 'Golden Triangle' for its trio of major natural attractions: Kolsai Lakes, Charyn Canyon and Altyn-Emel National Park. The three are located near one another and it's easy to organise a multiday tour of the 'Golden Triangle' from Almaty. This is one of Kazakhstan's most varied regions: landscapes vary from Utah-like rock formations and arid moonscapes to lush greenery, waterfalls, lakes fed by glacial meltwater and dense forest. The forbidding, snow-peaked Tian Shan range straddles the border with Kyrgyzstan, offering Kazakhstan's most challenging hiking.

  5. Borovoe

    Borovoe (Burabai on Kazakh language) is a year-round climatic resort opened in Akmola region in 1910. The resort is situated 250 km north of Astana. This beautiful place attracts a lot of locals and tourists. The resort is located at an altitude of about 480 meters, in a pine forest. Burabai is called "the pearl of Kazakhstan" and "Kazakhstan's Switzerland". Borovoe location on Google Maps. Photos by Petr Ushanov