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Discover Kazakhstan Beyond the Beaten Path

19 May 2025

When most travelers think of Kazakhstan, places like Almaty, Burabay (Borovoe), or the Charyn Canyon usually come to mind. These destinations, while stunning in their own right, are just the tip of the iceberg. Kazakhstan is home to far more mysterious, untouched, and lesser-known corners that can captivate even the most seasoned explorer.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports invites you to see Kazakhstan through a new lens. Here are five incredible destinations that promise to surprise and inspire.

1. Tarbagatai Mountains: A Dialogue with the Ancients

Nestled along the border between the East Kazakhstan and Abai regions lies the Tarbagatai range — a secluded and majestic chain of mountains. This region is not just a natural sanctuary filled with lush pastures and rich flora; it is a place of profound cultural heritage. Scattered across its ridges are ancient petroglyphs, silent witnesses to a bygone era. Here, travelers can feel the living spirit of nomadic traditions that have endured through the centuries. For those passionate about trekking and ethnographic exploration, the Tarbagatai Mountains are a true hidden gem.

2. A Pink Miracle in the Steppe: Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve

Just a couple of hours’ drive from Astana lies one of Kazakhstan’s most awe-inspiring natural wonders — the Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve. This pristine habitat, part of the UNESCO World Heritage list, boasts a rare spectacle each spring and summer: the graceful flamingos of the northernmost colony on Earth. Surrounded by wetlands and steppe, the reserve’s unique ecosystems create a serene sanctuary for countless bird species and nature lovers alike.

3. Hidden Mangystau: Otherworldly Landscapes in the North

While Mangystau is often associated with the vast Ustyurt Plateau, its northern route holds an equally mesmerizing allure. This path reveals some of the most surreal landscapes in Kazakhstan: the mysterious Valley of Stone Balls (Torysh), the wind-carved Kapamsay Canyon, the dramatic Zhygylgan Sinkhole, and ancient underground mosques carved into rock. Begin your journey at the Sartas Visitor Center, where you can pick up a map, get expert advice, and even arrange guided tours to navigate this alien-like terrain.

4. Southern Caves and Canyons: Hidden Gateways to Earth’s Depths

The Turkistan Region is famed for its natural marvels, and among its crown jewels is Aqmeshit Cave — a vast karst cavern featuring a natural skylight that bathes its interior in ethereal daylight. Nearby lies Sairam-Su Gorge, a wonderland of crystal-clear mountain streams, forests, cliffs, and panoramic viewpoints. This is a destination where you can truly feel like an explorer stepping into a pristine world carved by nature.

5. Turgen Waterfalls: An Underrated Alpine Escape Near the City

In the Almaty Region, far from the crowds of Charyn, lies the Turgen Gorge, a spectacular destination of alpine meadows, juniper groves, deer pastures, and thundering waterfalls. Among the most famous is the Bear Waterfall (Medvezhiy), a cascading beauty surrounded by lush wilderness. Easily accessible — just a 90-minute drive from Almaty — Turgen offers the perfect one-day escape into nature’s embrace, making it a must-see for any traveler seeking beauty without the bustle.

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Did you know?

Uzbekistan is one of only two countries in the world to be ‘double landlocked’ (landlocked and totally surrounded by other landlocked countries). Liechtenstein is double landlocked by 2 countries whilst Uzbekistan is surrounded by 5!

Did you know that Uzbekistan lies in the very heart of Eurasia, the coordinates for Uzbekistan are 41.0000° N, 69.0000°

Uzbekistan is home to the Muruntan gold mine, one of the largest open pit gold mines in the world! The country has 4th largest reserves of gold in the world after South Africa, USA and Russia

Uzbekistan is the world capital of melons. They have in excess of 150 different varieties, which form a staple part of the local diet, served fresh in the summer and eaten dried through the winter.

It is Uzbek tradition that the most respected guest be seated farthest from the house’s entrance.

Tashkent’s metro features chandeliers, marble pillars and ceilings, granite, and engraved metal. It has been called one of the most beautiful train stations in the world.

The Uzbek master chef is able to cook in just one caldron enough plov to serve a thousand men.

When you are a host to someone, it is your duty to fill their cups with for the whole time they are with you. What you must not do, however, is to fill their cup more than half-full. If you do that as a mistake, say it is a mistake immediately. Doing it means you want them to leave. Wow! Amazing, right?

To Uzbeks, respect means a whole lot. For this reason they love it if, even as foreigners, you endeavour to add the respectful suffix opa after a woman's name; and aka after a man's. Example: Linda-opa and David-aka. You could also use hon and jon respectively.

Having been an historic crossroads for centuries as part of various ancient empires, Uzbekistan’s food is very eclectic. It has its roots in Iranian, Arab, Indian, Russian and Chinese cuisine.

Though identified with the Persia, the Zoroastrism probably originated in Bactria or Sogdiana. Many distinguished scholars share an opinion that Zoroastrianism had originated in the ancient Khorezm. Indeed, today in the world there were found 63 Zoroastrian monuments, including those in Iran, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Thirty-eight of them are in Uzbekistan, whereas 17 of these monuments are located in Khorezm.

One of Islam's most sacred relics - the world's oldest Koran that was compiled in Medina by Othman, the third caliph or Muslim leader, is kept in Tashkent. It was completed in the year 651, only 19 years after Muhammad's death.

Tashkent is the only megapolis in the world where public transport is totally comprised of Mercedes buses. And due to low urban air polution it is one of the few cities where one can still see the stars in the sky.

You would be surprised to know that modern TV was born in Tashkent. No joke! The picture of moving objects was transmitted by radio first time in the world in Tashkent on 26 of July 1928 by inventors B.P. Grabovsky and I.F. Belansky.

Uzbekistan is the only country in the world all of whose neighbours have their names ending in STAN. This is also the only country in Central Asia that borders all of the countries of this region

Uzbeks are the third populous Turkik ethnicity in the world after Turks and Azeris (leaving both in Azerbaijan and Iran)

Did you know that there was silk money in Khiva? Super interesting right? Of course, but the best part of having silk money was that it could be sewn into your clothing.

Famous Islamic physician Ibn Sina (Avicenna in the Latin world) who was born near Bukhara was the one of the first people to advocate using women’s hair as suture material – about 1400 years ago.

Uzbekistan has a long and bloody history. The most notorious leader of Uzbekistan was Timur (or Tamerlane) who claimed descent from Genghis Khan. His military campaigns have been credited for wiping out some 5% of the world’s population at the time.

If you have thought that some of the Islamic architecture in Uzbekistan resembles that from Northern India, then that is because Timur’s great great great Grandson, Babur Beg, was the founder of the Moghul Empire that ruled much of India for almost four centuries! Babur’s great great Grandson was Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal.

Uzbekistan was once a rum producig country. There is still a real arboretum in Denau (city near Termez on the border with Afghanistan), grown from a selection station that studied the prospects of plant growing in the unusual for the Soviet Union subtropical climate of Surkhandarya region: only here in the whole of the USSR sugar cane was grown and even rum was produced!

Uzbekistan has been ranked one of the safest countries in the world, according to a new global poll. The annual Gallup Global Law and Order asked if people felt safe walking at night and whether they had been victims of crime. The survey placed Uzbekistan 5th out of 135 countries, while the UK was 21st and the US 35th. Top five safest countries:

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Uzbekistan

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