Five unexpected reasons to visit Kazakhstan

Most likely it will come as a surprise to you that Kazakhstan, and not the Netherlands, is the birthplace of tulips! Moreover, unlike the Netherlands, a country that attracts thousands of tourists to the annual flowering show of these most delicate representatives of the flora, in Kazakhstan tulips grow and bloom in the wild, without human intervention, and occupy much larger spaces! Here you will find about forty of the 65 wild flower species existing in Central Asia, and 18 of them are listed in the Red Book. And among them will be the famous tulips of Schrenk and Greig.

During the period from April to May, the endless fields and foothills of Zhambyl, Turkestan and Almaty regions flash with scarlet-orange-yellow flowers. Moreover, you can contemplate this beauty while moving from the south from Shymkent to Almaty along intercity highways. But there are also hard-to-reach places where experienced guides can accompany you in search of rare specimens. For example, types of tulips such as Dasystemon Tarda and variegated tulip grow in the mountains and at the very upper limit of life, on alpine lawns. And the endemic Kaufman tulip grows in the green meadows of the Western Tien Shan among the juniper forest. You can’t pick tulips in our country, but you can admire nature’s extraordinary and fragrant display endlessly!

Many pilgrims and tourists know and visit with interest the city of Turkestan, where one of the most majestic medieval buildings is located - the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. But for many it will also be a surprise that very close to Turkestan, on the way to it, if you drive from Shymkent, you can discover an absolutely stunning place - the ancient settlement of Otrar.
Otrar is still studied by scientists and explored by archaeologists. Today, most of the buildings of the ancient city have been restored and preserved. This is one of the few historical places in the country where you can literally walk along the ancient streets of the ancient settlement and, accordingly, take spectacular photo sessions and selfies.

To get acquainted with this object, it is advisable to prepare in advance - read information on the Internet, watch the film “The Death of Otrar”, or book an excursion on the spot with a professional guide.

If you have already become accustomed to golden sandy beaches, then it’s time to get acquainted with the coast of black silicon pebbles! Lake Alakol in southeast Kazakhstan has not only an unusual coastline, but also healing properties. The black beach attracts people with colds and skin diseases, nervous disorders, and all those who love meditation in nature. What can I say if even cosmonauts undergo rehabilitation courses here after their flights! In these places, the Alakol Nature Reserve was created to protect rare birds, and the famous silver perch lives in the waters of the lake.

If you come to the lake in early May, you can join the bird watchers who come to the Wings of Alakol festival. This event attracts not only birdwatchers to the silicon shores, but also journalists, people of creative professions, yoga practitioners, and musicians. This is how the season begins on Alakol. Next comes summer, a time of sun, swimming, water activities, and in the fall, on the first weekend of September, another festival - “Okunkol”, where amateur fishermen catch the famous silver perch of the lake.

You may be surprised that the world's first and largest cosmodrome, Baikonur, is located in the Kyzylorda region of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Until 2050, the cosmodrome is leased by the Russian Federation, but legally it and all its infrastructure belong to Kazakhstan and, accordingly, Kazakh travel agencies can organize a tour for you to launch rockets and satellites. Isn't it interesting to visit the place where the first flight into space took place? Yes, immersing yourself in the atmosphere of a space town is worth being there!

And, of course, one cannot ignore the gastronomic delights of Kazakhstan’s cuisine. For many, they can be both unexpectedly pleasant to taste and filled with new information about what we eat. And for the Kazakhs it’s healthy food, natural products, a lot of dairy products.

Today, gastronomic tourism is rapidly developing in the country. And nowhere else in the world will you find such a variety of national cuisines and the most diverse taste preferences. This is explained by the fact that people of more than 135 nationalities live on the territory of Kazakhstan. But the main “highlight” will always remain the dishes of Kazakh cuisine, based on the traditions of the nomads of the Great Steppe. Tasty, healthy, smart food of nomads is becoming very popular among guests of the country and tourists.
Such famous Kazakh dishes as beshbarmak, bauyrsaki, kazy, irimshik can be tasted in many city cafes and restaurants. But it will be much more interesting to taste national cuisine in ethno-auls. Here, specially invited specialists using recipes restored by ethnographers will not only treat you to exquisite Kazakh dishes that are unlike any other in the world, but will also demonstrate how they are prepared, tell legends and the most extraordinary stories about them.
Welcome to beautiful and hospitable Kazakhstan, a modern country that has preserved its ancient traditions!