Kazakhstan

By Sheeba Muskaan

Kazakhstan being the ninth largest country has a lot to offer in times of historic locations, exciting towns and much more. A large portion of the land is covered with steppe landscape. Its biggest city is the Almaty which includes attractive sites like Altyn Emel National Park, Charyn Canyon and Kolsai Lakes. Skiing and ice skating are very popular here as the one can see the Tian Shan Mountains.

Nur Sultan is the capital of Kazakhstan, River Esil homes this place. There are many popular architectural sites here hence it is praised for its historic foreground. The most significant and beautiful location is the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan.

The wildlife here is definitely a must-see as it includes snow leopards, wolves, brown bears and ibex. The best place to see the wildlife would be at the foothills of Tian Shan Mountains. The best time here is in autumn during seasonal migration and is a sight to cherish. One can visit the Aksu Jabagly too for their incredible tulips and wild apples.

It can get very hot in summer here and extremely cold in winters. Best time to visit this place would be at the beginning of June or end of August when the climate is mild. It is best to visit Almaty in spring or fall seasons. If one is interested in fun activities then it is apt to visit Tian Shan between June and September. It is the hottest in July.

Food here means a lot of meat. The most popular drink here is fermented horse or camel milk and is loved by a lot of tourists. Kazakhstan offers various cuisines because of the neighboring countries. Its most famous dish is the Besh Barmak. After a good meal, shopping is a must here. Ornaments here are outstanding and very decorative. Apart from which, one can purchase felt rugs, felt figures and bags.

Other places to visit in Kazakhstan are Baikonur Cosmodrome where spaceships were launched, Semipalatinsk Polygon where Soviet atomic tests were done, if this seems interesting, the Museums of this place are very exciting as well. Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve has very pretty flamingos too to complete your trip. Various other UNESCO sites are Saryarka, Silk Roads, Petroglyphs and many more that one could consider in their itinerary.