Kazakhstan ranks sixth in the world by area and stretches from Altai to the Caspian Sea. The southern border, approximately 900 km long, borders Kyrgyzstan. It is the southern regions of Kazakhstan: Almaty, Shymkent, and Zhambyl that represent significant interest for joint programs and tours.
Most travels in Kyrgyzstan begin and end in the city of Almaty. This is due to the fact that the international airport in Almaty receives a large number of flights from European countries. Airlines operating regular flights to Almaty include the Dutch KLM, German Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and several others that do not fly to Bishkek.
Almaty and its surroundings. Almaty sprawls at the foot of the Zailiysky Alatau mountain range. Historically, the territory of modern Almaty was home to the settlement of Almaly. In Kazakh, it means "apple." The ancient city of Almaly was an oasis on the Great Silk Road.
In 1854, construction of a Russian fort began at this location. It was one of four customs forts built by Russia during the colonization of Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, the buildings of the fort Verney have not survived. Today, Almaty is the southern capital of Kazakhstan, with a population of 1.5 million residents.
Main attractions of the city: Republic Square, the Presidential Residence, Old Square, the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan, the Art Museum, the Archaeological Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan, the Television Tower on Kok-Tobe Hill, the Central Park of Recreation, the Zoo, the Ascension Cathedral, the Botanical Garden, the Atakent Exhibition Center, and more.
Just a few steps from the Central International Bus Station lies the artificial Lake Sairan. The western and southern shores of the lake are lush with trees cascading down to the water's edge. Sairan features good sandy beaches and a catamaran park.
The location of Almaty at the foot of the Zailiysky Alatau mountains adds a special charm to the city. These mountains are home to the world-famous high-altitude skating rink Medeo, the ski resort Shymbulak, Big Almaty Lake, and several other attractions.
Kel-Sai Lakes. In addition to nearby natural attractions, 80 km southeast, on the northern slopes of the Kungey Alatau, lie the breathtakingly beautiful Kelsai Lakes. The slopes of the river valley connecting all three lakes are covered with dense spruce forests, alpine meadows, and flowering shrubs. The middle lake is particularly magnificent, where rainbow trout can be easily caught. The Kelsai Valley leads to the pass of the Kungey Alatau range, from which Issyk-Kul is visible.
Charyn Canyon. The Charyn River cuts through Paleozoic deposits that make up the Kuluktau Mountain, forming a deep canyon - a protected corner at the foothills of the Zaalai Alatau. The extreme dissection of the relief is striking: numerous ravines and gullies create steep banks of a narrow valley. The slopes of the canyon are home to numerous remains of fossil fauna. The water flow is swift, and the floodplain areas are occupied by thickets of willow, poplar, barberry, and tamarisk. The most interesting are the thickets of relict ash trees.
Singing Dune. Another unique natural wonder is the large "singing" dune, which produces sounds resembling the horns of river vessels, located on the right bank of the Ili River, 180 km northeast of Almaty. The height of the dune is 300 meters. Curving, it stretches almost 3 km from northwest to southeast. Its rumble and vibration occur from the barely noticeable sliding of sand down the slope. The friction caused by the movement of sand grains, combined with dry air, electrifies them, causing vibration. The resonance of the sound waves, reflecting off the dense surface of the dune, causes trembling. The sound travels for several kilometers. Interestingly, the dune does not "sing" in wet weather.
Tamgaly Petroglyphs. 160 km northwest of Almaty, near the road to Bishkek, lies the Tamgaly Gorge. The Tamgaly Gorge is truly an ancient art gallery. On the low slate outcrops on both sides of the valley and in the adjacent gorges, tourists can see single and group images of argali, goats, horses, aurochs, saigas, as well as domestic animals: camels, horses, bulls, and dogs. On one of the stones is a whole narrative scene: three people dressed in animal skins with drums in their hands. Among the petroglyphs are images of disks, chariots, and prayer inscriptions. Archaeologists date the drawings to the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. The Tamgaly petroglyph gallery is a treasure of global significance and is protected by UNESCO.
Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve is located at the western end of the Talas Alatau range in the Western Tien Shan. The reserve occupies elevations from 1300 m to 4200 m above sea level. Its length is about 40 km, and its width is about 25 km. After the completion of territorial formation, which was finalized in 1948, the area of the reserve reached almost one thousand square kilometers. The territory of the reserve is part of the southwestern part of the Shymkent region of Kazakhstan, bordering the Zhambyl region to the north, Kyrgyzstan to the east, and Uzbekistan to the south. In addition to the western part of the Talas Alatau, it also occupies a section of the neighboring Ugam range located to the south. The reserve is in an easily accessible area - just fifty kilometers away runs the Almaty-Tashkent highway, from which asphalt roads lead almost to the borders of the reserve.
From east to west, the reserve is crossed by the swift mountain rivers Jabagly and Aksu. They carry their waters into the Arys River, a right tributary of the mighty Syr Darya.
The landscapes of the reserve are remarkably beautiful and change depending on the altitude. The steppe foothills gradually give way to juniper forests, and higher up - to alpine meadows and rocky peaks of high mountains. The main attractions of the reserve are rare plants and animals, caves, and numerous rock paintings.
The reserve has developed twelve routes, mainly for hiking excursions. There is a small comfortable hotel on the territory of the reserve.
The joint use of available resources for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan is of particular importance. Even during the Soviet era, a very popular mountain hiking route was established from Almaty through the Kungey Alatau to Issyk-Kul.
Today, a circular route is in demand: Almaty - Charyn - Kegen - Karakol - Issyk-Kul (Cholpon-Ata) - Burana complex - Bishkek - Tamgaly - Almaty.
For Kazakhs, especially for residents of Almaty, recreation at Issyk-Kul is very popular. Today, a number of well-known resorts and boarding houses at Issyk-Kul belong to Kazakhstan. These include famous complexes: "CT Almaty," "Kazakhstan," "Old Castle," and several others.
The liberalization of tourism activities, visa-free regime, and other conditions allow Kazakh tour operators to operate freely in Kyrgyzstan. Being a legal entity registered in Kazakhstan, a tour operator, using the resource base of Kyrgyzstan, finds itself in a more advantageous position than domestic companies. This is particularly evident in organizing high-altitude treks in the area of the Inylchek glaciers, Lake Merzbacher, and climbing expeditions to Khan Tengri Peak, where client transportation (most often by helicopter) occurs from the Kazakh side.
