Barskoon Valley From the small town of Barskoon on the southern shore of lake Issyk-Kul, a road leads away from the lake and into the mountains, following the river through the beautiful valley. Barskoon was once an important trading post on the Silk Road. Crossing several mountain passes, the route connected the region with China….
Tag: travelling
Issyk-Kul: The Big Mountain Lake Kyrgyzstan: Karakol & Issyk-Kul Region
The Karkara border crossing between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan is only open during the summer months. This is not surprising considering its remote location in the mountains. There are no facilities, shops, or money changers, and the road on both sides of the border is unpaved and at times in bad shape. Thanks to this place’s…
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…