A country · 87 places · 11 regions
Kazakhstan, all of it.
87 curated places across 11 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.
The 4 biggest regions — Almaty, Almaty Region, Mangystau Region and East Kazakhstan Region — read below as chapters, with 7 more waiting past them.
Chapter I · Almaty · 19 places
Almaty
Big Almaty Lake is a glacially fed reservoir sitting at 2510 metres in the Zailiysky Alatau range directly south of Almaty, within the Ile-Alatau National Park. Its colour shifts between deep turquoise and vivid jade depending on season and sediment load, and the surrounding peaks — some exceeding 4000 metres — reflect in its surface on calm mornings. A paved road leads close to the lake's shore, making it one of the more accessible alpine lakes in the region.
via Wikimedia CommonsChapter II · Almaty Region · 19 places
Almaty Region
Charyn Canyon is a series of deep gorges carved by the Charyn River through red and orange sedimentary rock in southeastern Kazakhstan, roughly 200 kilometres east of Almaty. The most-visited section, known as the Valley of Castles, presents a dense cluster of sculpted spires and columns reaching up to 300 metres. Early morning and late afternoon light intensify the warm tones of the cliffs, making this one of the most photographed natural sites in Central Asia.
✦ April to June, September to October · $
Chapter III · Mangystau Region · 6 places
Mangystau Region
A remote desert region on the Caspian shore filled with chalk canyons, underground mosques and eroded rock formations. Its otherworldly landscapes draw travellers seeking solitude far from any town.
via Wikimedia CommonsChapter IV · East Kazakhstan Region · 3 places
East Kazakhstan Region
A large protected area in the Altai Mountains near the borders of Russia, China and Mongolia. Alpine meadows, cedar forests and glacier-fed rivers make it one of Kazakhstan's wildest reserves.
✦ June to September
Regions of Kazakhstan
Every place in Kazakhstan
