Mountains and Deserts of Kazakhs

Mountains and Deserts of Kazakhs Overview

Trek through diverse landscapes and experience the cultural highlights of South-east Kazakhstan

On this exciting 2 week trekking holiday we’ll discover the south-eastern corner of Kazakhstan, through exploration of four of the region’s most wild, remote and diverse national parks. This itinerary is crammed full of distinct landscapes and contrasting cultural experiences, from the icy Tien Shan Mountains to the red stone Charyn Canyon, and from the bustling café culture of old-town Almaty  to the yurt dwelling nomads of the Assy plateau.  We begin in the Ile-Altau National Park, south of Almaty city. Here, we’ll trek across the Kok-Zhailau plateau and hike alongside the magnificent Bogdanovich Glacier, for sweeping views of the northern Tien Shan. Moving east we spend 2 days trekking on shepherd’s trails across the wild Assy Plateau;  we’ll pass scattered yurt camps belonging to nomadic Kazakh shepherds, busy tending their sheep and horses, and may even be invited to try some kumiss (fermented mare’s milk). There'll be some great wildlife spotting opportunities as we descend from the plateau through the wild flower filled meadows of the Zhenishke Valley. Next, we spend 2 days in the Kolsay Koldari National Park learning why its collection of alpine mountain lakes are known as the ‘Pearls of the Tien Shan’. Crossing into the desert regions we’ll explore the spectacular red rock formations of the Charyn Canyon. The grand finale of our Kazakh showcase will be a visit to the multi coloured Aktau Mountains and a chance to experience the mysterious ‘singing sand-dune’ of the Altyn-Emel National Park. With sightseeing in Almaty, a chance to see the magnificent ‘Golden Man’ and the opportunity to watch an exciting horseback display also on offer, this holiday will give you a real taste Central Asia.