Where in Kazakhstan you can relax in the fall?
In half a month, summer bows out to applause, and autumn will enter into its legal rights. But this does not mean that the travel season is over - for those whose vacation falls between September and November, there are many beautiful places. This is not the last selection from Muse of Nomad. Follow our Travel section!
Lake Issyk
Let's start with a place that is located near a large city, in this case - from Almaty. Residents of the southern capital and those who visit it regularly know this marvelous natural monument very well. Guests of Kazakhstan sometimes confuse it with Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, but let's leave it to their conscience. Issyk is especially beautiful at the time of the change of seasons - the transition from summer to autumn: you can take many picturesque photos in the fields that surround the lake. The lake is located at an altitude of 1760 meters above sea level, in the Issyk gorge of the Zailiysky Alatau, approximately 70 km east of Almaty. Want to touch history? You can visit the Issyk burial mound of the 4th-5th centuries. BC. and the place where one of the symbols of Kazakhstan was found - a Saka warrior dressed in armor and golden clothes.
Tamgaly Tas
The tract near the Ili River, 120 kilometers from Almaty, has preserved many petroglyphs: drawings with mysterious deities and late Buddhist inscriptions. But that's not all - a stone with ancient Turkic runic inscriptions of the 8th - 9th centuries was found in the tract. This object has already been included in the UNESCO heritage list as unique for human civilization. Tamgaly Tas is rich not only in history and antiquity: climbing the rocks, you can admire the panorama of the river and the city of nomads and how, under the autumn sun, the green colors of the area turn yellow.
Burabay
A visit to the natural park Burabay (and the village of the same name, which until 2005 was called Borovoe) can be a pleasant bonus for residents of Nur-Sultan or for those who travel to the capital for the weekend. This resort is a real pearl of the country, which is called Kazakhstan Switzerland. An ideal place for those who want to gather medicinal herbs in peace and quiet, take long walks in the forest and improve their health: local resorts practice a special method of healing with the help of koumiss. Steppes, lakes with cool water, low but picturesque mountains (Okzhetpes rock - a separate must see) - everything for peace of mind and inspiration.
Katon-Karagai Nature Reserve
The largest natural national park of Kazakhstan is located in the East Kazakhstan region. The park was founded in July 2001, and in 2014 the park entered the UNESCO World Heritage List due to its sights, landscape, diversity of flora and fauna. The Katon-Karagai nature reserve is heterogeneous and therefore beautiful. Austrian road - a route of 150 km with valleys, passes, rivers and lakes. The Kokkol waterfall is the largest waterfall in Altai. Rakhmanovskie thermal springs with healing water. All this is only a small part of what can be seen in the Katon-Karagai Reserve, which is spread over a huge area.
Valley of Airakty Castles
Airakty is a system of shale mountains in the Mangistau region. The Airakty Mountains became the “Valley of Castles” with the light hand of the main Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, who visited there in 1851. The area really looks like a deserted fairy-tale city. The weathered remnants resemble medieval castles with spiers and towers, and the best view is from the top of Mount Forked. In addition to the castles of the Airakty valley, there are panoramic views of the Aktau mountains. Sometimes on the trail there are not only steppe horses, but also mountain sheep - mouflons. Truly Tolkien landscape!
Author: Igor Toporkov
Photo: from the archive of the press service