Kazakhstan — Overview
Unexplored by many, Kazakhstan is an intriguing and little-known land of vast plains, mountainous horizons and beautiful culture.
South Kazakhstan is a focus of Central Asian history, featuring many famous monuments. It is a scenically diverse region where the snow-capped peaks, lakes and glaciers of the Tian Shan range give way to steppe and desert. The desert is home to the Singing Barkhan - a sand dune 3.2km (2 miles) long, which, as it crumbles, produces a peculiar singing sound.
Almaty was until very recently the former capital of Kazakhstan and it enjoys a beautiful setting between mountains and plains; it is a city of modern architecture, cool fountains, parks and spectacular mountain views.
Geography
Five times the size of France and half the size of the USA, Kazakhstan is the second largest state in the Commonwealth of Independent States, and is bordered by the Russian Federation to the north and west, the Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to the southwest, Kyrgyzstan to the south and China to the southeast. 90% of the country is made up of steppe, the sand massives of the Kara Kum and the vast desert of Kizilkum, while in the southeast of the country the mountains of the Tian Shan and the Altai form a great natural frontier with tens of thousands of lakes and rivers. The Aral Sea and Lake Balkhash are the country’s largest expanses of water.
Featured Tours to Kazakhstan
iExplore Central Asia: The Silk Road
The region known loosely as Central Asia is a vast arena of desert, steppe and knotted mountain ranges. For more than 2000 years, this area has…
Route of the Caravans
The routes the caravans took through Central Asia have had an indelible effect on the history and cultures of Asia and the whole world. They…
The Ancient Silk Road
Journey with us on this adventurous expedition along the Great Silk Road. Begin in Beijing with a private rickshaw ride through the old quarters…
