Winter is right around the corner, and so is the right time for a holiday get-away. Not wanting to spend time at your mother-in-law’s for Christmas, or with lots of screaming children running around on New Years? You may want to consider a trip to what is a budding and safe global tourist destination. Forget the over-priced ski resorts in the Swiss Alps and head further east, to Kazakhstan!
Kazakhstan is teaming with historic sites, nature parks, and the best-value-for-your-money holiday experience. Get ready for wintery futuristic landscapes – from frozen waterfalls and lakes, to the boundless Central Asian steppes and high mountains covered with snow.
Interested, but not sure about visa requirements? That easy. Check this list to see if you need a visa. (If you’re an American, Australian, Canadian or EU citizen, you don’t need one!)
To tempt you further, Caspian News has put together a list of “must see” destinations in what is one of the most diverse and fascinating countries in the Caspian and Central Asia regions.
Turgen Gorge Waterfalls
The descending power of water is always a spectacular sight of Mother Nature that is worth seeing with your own eyes. Turgen Gorge Waterfalls is located near Kazakhstan’s former capital city of Almaty and on the northern slope of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountain range. Turgen Gorge is actually home to seven separate waterfalls. At a height of 55 m (180 ft), the Kairak Waterfall is considered the highest and consists of three cascades.
The second highest waterfall in the gorge is Medvezhiy, which means “the bear” in Russian. When the Medvezhiy and Kairak waterfalls freeze, they become a favorite for ice climbers and extreme sports lovers.
Lake Balkhash
Located in southeastern Kazakhstan, this lake is covered with ice between November and April. As the world’s second largest non-drying saline lake after the Caspian Sea, Balkhash is home to about 120 kinds of birds, including those specified in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
In addition, almost 20 species of fish – Balkhash marinka, spotted thicklip loach, carp, eastern bream, catfish, and others – have a home in Balkhash. When winter is over, fishing fans pass time casting their lines from the shore, while in the winter they set up their tents right on the thick ice!
Chundzha Hot Springs
The small village of Chundzha is located just 250 km (155 mi) east of Almaty and would not be famous without its hot springs. Heated to 50 °C (122 °F) due to active volcanic forces, the water contains radon – a radioactive chemical element that, when dissolved in water, has healing properties for humans, as it enters the body through the skin.
Another reason for visiting Chundzha is Charyn Canyon, also known as the “younger brother” of the world famous Grand Canyon in the United States. Stretching for 155 km (96 mi) along the river of the same name, Charyn has managed to preserve a large ash grove, where some of the trees growing there are almost 700 years old.
East Kazakhstan
Bordering China and Russia, this entire region of Kazakhstan provides visitors with a great opportunity to enjoy uniquely Central Asian landscapes, from desert zones and steppes, to clay canyons, highlands, forests, taiga or coniferous forests, alpine meadows and mountain peaks.
Belukha Mountain – the highest peak of the Altai mountain range – is a sight to behold. With a height of 4,506 m (14,784 ft), this mountain is a climber’s dream and is home to nearly 170 glaciers. Native Central Asia nomads – the ancestors to modern-day Kazakhstanis – can be found roaming the lands. The Siberian stag breeding farm is also well worth a visit, as are Markakol and Alakol lakes.
Borovoe Ski Resort
Shymbulak and Medeo ski resorts are located high in the mountains of the Ili-Alatau range, but Borovoe is probably the least mountainous yet no less beautiful. Instead of the mountains, the trail runs along pretty hills, covered with coniferous forests. Below you can get a glimpse of the emerald green lakes of Borovoe, Maloe and Bolshoe Chebachye.
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