Kazakhstan: Land of Landscapes & Lakes Kolsay, Kaindy & Tuzkol Lakes

We left the Charyn Canyon when the sun was already setting over the orange-red cliffs of the canyon, intensifying the colors even more. That night, we planned to stay in Saty, a small village close to Kolsai Lakes National Park. The drive there took us through a steppe plain of rare beauty. In the distance,…

Aktau Mountains & Charyn Canyon: Kazakhstan Rocks Altyn-Emel National Park & Charyn Canyon, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan

How to get to Altyn-Emel National Park On a map, Altyn-Emel National Park doesn’t seem to be far away from Almaty. It’s about 260 km – a 4 hours drive – from the city. It’s possible to go with a tour operator but having your own wheels is always great. A 4×4 is not essential…

Almaty: The Big Apple Almaty, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is the largest Central Asian country as well as the world’s largest landlocked country – it’s the size of western Europe. It’s also Central Asia’s richest nation, generating 60% of the region’s GDP, thanks to its oil and gas reserves. The country’s official language is Kazakh, a Turkic language currently written in Cyrillic script…