Travelogues Kazakhstan
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Vacation in Kazakhstan : Highlights & Travel Tips
Kazakhstan is a vast and often under-the-radar destination that appeals to travelers looking for wide-open landscapes, Silk Road history, and a mix of modern cities and nomadic culture. As the world’s largest landlocked country, it offers remarkable geographic variety, from the futuristic skyline of Astana and the leafy, mountain-backed streets of Almaty to endless степpe, canyons, lakes, and snow-capped ranges. What makes Kazakhstan especially memorable is the sense of scale and contrast: you can explore contemporary architecture, Soviet-era heritage, traditional hospitality, and dramatic natural scenery all within one trip.
Key highlights include hiking and day trips from Almaty to places like Big Almaty Lake, Charyn Canyon, and the Kolsai and Kaindy Lakes, known for their striking colors and alpine scenery. Travelers interested in culture can experience Kazakh cuisine, local markets, yurt traditions, and historical sites connected to Silk Road routes in the south, including Turkistan. Practical tips: distances are large, so domestic flights and trains can save time; learning a few words of Russian or Kazakh can be helpful outside major tourist areas; and packing layers is important because temperatures can vary sharply by region and season. Kazakhstan is generally best for travelers who enjoy independent travel, nature, and destinations that still feel relatively uncrowded.
Best travel reports from Kazakhstan
Kleines aber feines Valparaiso
A port city to love.
52. Stage 'Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan'
Last night it rained heavily. It only stopped gradually when I got up. I realized that I am hardly prepared for rain anymore and actually do not want any just yet. The rain can...
Etappe 123: From Kerbulak to Shengeldy
Of course, Ruslan had to go to work the next day as well. He would have liked to keep both of us longer, but we were a bit annoyed by the wasted day and saw no prospect of...
Stage 122: From Kyzyltu to Kerbulak
Aman and I had decided the night before to visit the Altyn Emel National Park together. We had read on the internet that a permit is required to enter and that there are two...
14. Etappe "Ustyurt National Reserve"
Today was departure day again. Adam had to go to Uzbekistan and I wanted to go to Ustyurt National Park. My plan was to at least get close and find out on site whether and how...
Stage 118: From Santash to Kegen
Today, it should finally go to Kazakhstan. After all, it was only 25 kilometers to the border. This time, however, I was struggling with an extremely strong headwind, so I only...
55. Stage 'Taraz, Kazakhstan'
Today was another very interesting day. The weather was good, the roads were good, and the landscape around me was wonderful. These must have been the reasons why I managed to...
53. Stage 'Konaev, Kazakhstan'
On my way to Almaty, I made a stop in Konaev. I will stay here for two nights. Konaev is located by the Kapshagay Reservoir. After settling into my accommodation, I went to the...
Stage 119: From Kegen to Shelek
The next day started just like the previous one ended. It kept raining and I struggled to push my bike through the muddy field. At times, it almost got stuck like in Greece, but...
Fishing Harbor Race in Bremerhaven
Short trip to Bremerhaven
People
This is Gulnar, the head of the facility. The birth of a disabled grandchild motivated her to establish the center. Together with her daughter-in-law and son, they now ru
54th Stage 'Almaty'
As planned, I drove back to Almaty today. Since the weather report had announced rain there, I attached the rain layer to my motorcycle suit last night. Just before Almaty, it...
Stage 125: From Almaty to Kenen
It was more difficult than expected to organize an affordable day tour in Almaty. That's why on June 10th I headed towards Bishkek to try my luck there. It should be my longest...
62. Stage 'Orly, Kazakhstan'
It was already 10 AM when I finally set off. Since today's stage was about 260 km, it wasn't too long of a journey, so it wasn't a problem. As has been the case lately, the...
58. Stage 'Aral, Kazakhstan'
The plan was actually to drive to Ayteke Bi and spend the night there. Since the route was manageable and I arrived very early, I decided to drive straight to Aral. Another...
51. Stage 'Zharkent, Kazakhstan'
Since my spontaneous idea of taking a bus to China didn't materialize, I returned to my original plan of heading east and set off towards Khorgas. On the way there, I visited...
Stage 124: From Shengeldy back to Almaty
On our preliminary last day together, Aman and I went to the main road and separated there in a very clichéd way, one going north, the other going south. For me, the route was...
Stage 59 'Uli Dala, Kazakhstan'
Today I wanted to cover half the distance, about 300km, back to Aktobe. According to OSM, there should be accommodation somewhere around km 300. At 9:30 AM, I set out for the...
56. Stage 'Turkestan'
After breakfast, I set off for Turkistan. Today's stage was manageable at about 330 km and, thanks to the well-developed roads, also quite comfortable to tackle. By 2 PM, I had...
13th stage "Aqtau, Kazakhstan"
While completing customs formalities in the port of Kyryk yesterday, we also met two young motorcyclists from Switzerland. They have already completed what I have planned and...
Stage 121: From Almaty to Kyzyltu
I didn't leave Almaty to my host until the evening because he still had to work and it was only 30 kilometers. I was looking forward to seeing Aman again! The family also...
Baikonur Kazakhstan
In Baikonur we only stopped briefly, because access to the spaceport, the Buran and the huge Soyuz rockets is only possible with a long pre-booking and four-digit prices. But we...
Aral former Aral Sea
We visited the ships in the desert. However, we reached the limit and returned to the next village with the non-all-wheel-drive Benz. There we stopped at the first...
19th stage "Beyneu, Kazakhstan"
Beyneu is my last stop in Kazakhstan for the time being and for many overlanders it is the stepping stone to Uzbekistan. The road conditions from the border to around Nukus are...
18. Stage "Shetpe"
Today I left the Satar Visitor Center and headed towards Shetpe. Because I was running low on petrol, Farhad gave me a few litres of his supply (free of charge). After I had...
Like - Day one
My friend Andrea said she would love it if there was an Italy blog in addition to her Australia blog, and my brother wants pictures! The blog is for you two and for those who...
Shymkent in southern Kazakhstan
displayed by me on the granite monument. The cities here are embellished with all sorts of splendor. No expense is spared on marble and granite. But you just have to look 90° to...
57. Stage 'Kyzylorda'
The journey here was smooth once again. The landscape shifted from farmland to steppe and back again. I didn't get to see much of the city. What I did see did not seem...
Kazakhstan's North
The first 300km were hilly and partly forested, and the landscape changed to steppe. It is impressive to have the same landscape for 700km. There was no variety even during the...