KAZAKHSTAN
A giant at the heart of the Central Asia

Introduction - History - Geography - Cities and Oblasts - Culture and Tradition - Food and drinks - Population - What to do/Where to go - Did you know


What to do/Where to go

I. SIGHTSEEING IN ALMATY:

Republic Square

One of the largest city's squares accommodates an ensemble of modern buildings. It was the site of the December riots in 1986. On its southern side, is found the President's Residence and the former building of the Government and the National television. The western side of the square is decorated with the five-star Ankara Hotel. Two high-rise dwelling-houses and adjoining buildings with stained-glass windows in Oriental complete it's ensemble on the square's northern part. The Monument of Independence created by the well-known architect Shota Valikhanov stands decorating the center of the Republic Square. This monument is topped by the figure of a Sak warrior with a winged leopard running nearby.

National Museum of Kazakhstan

Buildings are silent keepers of cities' history. For its short life, Almaty has survived ravaging invasions, earthquakes, mudslides, the revolution, Civil War and the forfeit of its status of a capital. The building containing witnesses of all events that have influenced the local history is the Central Museum of Kazakhstan (open daily except Tuesdays, 10.00 a.m. - 06.00 p.m.) Most visitors to Almaty start their acquaintance with Almaty there.

The three-story square building with nine domes on Furmanov Street, right opposite the President's Palace, is visible from far. The blue domes, biggest in the middle and the rest along the perimeter, coupled with white stone walls look impressive and magnificent. The Museum is even more beautiful at nights when illuminated with blue floodlights. People like to spend time in a small park with ponds, stone bridges, rock compositions and weeping willows in front of the Museum. The Museum's biggest collection in Kazakhstan consists of 120,000 exhibits displayed in its four huge halls and 200,000 in reserves. Especially popular stands hold Kazakh traditional clothes, household articles, jewellery and other pieces of art. There are also real pictures taken during 2 severe earthquakes that almost completely wiped out the city in 1887 and 1910.

Svyato-Voznesensky Cathedral



Russian Orthodox Christian Cathedral (Svyato-Voznesenski Cathedral) in the Panfilov Park is an Almaty landmark. The 56-meter high building is the largest wooden building by cubic capacity and the second tallest wooden building in the world. Built from 1904 to 1907 by the famous architect Paul Zenkov, it is one of the few buildings in Almaty that withstood the devastating earthquakes of 1910 - 1911. In 1927, the Bolsheviks turned the Cathedral into a State National Museum. According to local legend, the Museum's staff suffered from rare, hard-to-cure diseases, and some even died strange deaths before the building's Cathedral-status was reinstated in 1995. Services are held daily and last for about 2 hours. Service hours: Mon - Sat 8 am and 5 pm; Sun 7 am, 9:30 am and 5 pm. Friday or Saturday morning services, when newborn babies are baptized and marriages sanctified at the Cathedral, are not to be missed. Tel. 33-05-39.

Mosque



At a short distance from the Green Bazaar, the biggest mosque in Kazakhstan is located. It was built with public donations and consecrated on 5 July 1999. The mosque replaced an old one that had been functioning since 1890 and finally was not able to hold all the believers. The new building's size and beauty (white marble walls decorated with glazed tiles contrasting with a blue 20m x 36 m dome) make it unrivalled among other Almaty mosques. A muezzin praying from the minaret, a mandatory attribute of every mosque is heard from afar.

TV tower



Every visitor to Almaty cannot but notice a big TV tower in the foothills. The tallest construction (372 meters) in earthquake prone Almaty, it rests on a three story concrete and cement foundation dug deeply into the Kocktobe (Kazakh for Green Hill) hill. It has 18 meters in diameter on the ground and narrows to 13 and 9 meters at 146 and 252 meter levels respectively where technical service rooms are located. The Tower was constructed to resist 10 point Richter scale earthquakes. But you are unlikely to check it because inside excursions are not allowed.

Academic Russian Drama Theatre



Every day but Mondays, the theatre runs Russian language plays on its major and minor stages. The Tengri-Umai gallery occupies the foyer of the theatre. Every Monday the gallery holds presentations of modern local artists' works. The gallery's collection of a little more than 300 items is a small but representative sample of today's local art including paintings, graphics and sculpture. A theatre museum and a souvenir shop also make the theatre worth visiting.

Kasteyev Museum of Fine Arts

This museum was named after the prominent Kazakh artist A. Kasteyev (1904-1973). Funds of the A.Kasteyev State Museum of Fine Arts number are over 20,000 storage units: they are paintings, graphics, sculptures, folk arts and crafts and scene paintings. Incidentally, the Museum is a member to the ICOM, International Union of Museums. It can afford displaying 14 halls intended for permanent expositions, periodic or mobile exhibitions. It collected and saved works of artists whose works were banned during Soviet times. Museum also has a rich collection of slides showing the world's masterpieces of architecture and painting. Acquisition of museum exhibits started in 1935-36 when The Russian Museum and The A. S. Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts presented Kazakhstan with nearly 200 works of Russian and West European artists. Museum collections are a fine evidence of arts history of both the East and the West from ancient times to our day.

The Abay State Academic Opera and Ballet House



Kazakh State Musical Theatre, now the Abay Academic Opera and Ballet House, was inaugurated in 1934. Essentially it ushered to Kazakhstani arts hitherto unknown genres -opera and choreographic ones. Painstaking efforts were made for the formation of the theatre by its first manager Eugeny Brusilovsky, the very one who created eight national operas and a ballet "Kyz-Zhibek", "Yer-Targhyn", "Aiman-Sholpan", "Birzhan and Sara", "Kamar-sulu" and others. A veritable landmark in the theatre's creative life has become staging of opera "Abay" written by A.Zhubanov and L.Khamidi (libretto by M.Auezov).

Arasan Baths

If you want to get away from the busy city life and at the same time feel cleaner than ever, spend a relaxing two hours at the Arasan Baths! Sessions begin every two hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. You could choose between the Turkish sauna or the Russian and Finnish sauna. No bathing suits are necessary. You can buy a sponge, flip-flops, and even soap and shampoo at the entrance, if you forget to bring your own. Sheets to sit on in the sauna can be rented for 100 Tenge. Everything is very clean and nice. There is a hot and dry Finnish sauna, a hot and wet Russian sauna (in which you can also beat yourself with birch tree branches that are sold outside on the street), and a beautiful cold pool underneath a dome, where you can cool down after the sauna. If you still need to relax more, you can get a really great whole body massage for half an hour for 2000 Tenge.

Green Bazar

You should not lose the chance to see Almaty's main bazaar, experience its eastern atmosphere, colours, smells and crowds. Of course, beware of thieves and watch your wallet. You will hardly be able to resist the temptation to buy dried apricots or raisins, Korean salads or honey from the Altay Mountains. Bazaars are one of the few places that expose ethnic diversities in the contemporary world going for uniformity.

Nature Museum

The nature museum is a section of the Zoology Research Institute of the Academy of Science. It offers two displays: paleontology and zoology. The paleontology section features some very interesting exhibitions with fossilized skeletons of animals and petrified wood found in the territory of Kazakhstan dating back to early geological epochs. The collections include the original the original fossilized skeletons to dinosaurs, giant rhinoceroses, various species of proboscideans: mastodon, mammoth, elephant; ancient giant pigs; fossils of tortoise and others and will leave the visitor feeling as if he found a Jurassic park. The display on zoology includes a great variety of birds, mammals, butterflies and other insects, snakes and reptiles inhabiting the Kazakh land. Visitors can discover the wonders of the mountain lake, Central Asia Steppe with herds of saiga and tugai thickets (steppe grove) through landscape dioramas. The museum is a delightful place for exploring the natural beauty of Kazakhstan.

Archeological Museum of the National Academy of Science of Kazakhstan

Founded in 1973, the museum has four exposition sections. The expositions show the evolution of civilization in Kazakhstan's territory from the ancient times till the later Middle Ages. Of special interest is the display of the cave site of Karakungur - a memorial of the Andropov and Begazy-Dandybaevo cultures. The well-represented is the Zhetysu culture: with a model of a funeral chamber from the Bes Shatyr burial mound. The gem of the collection is certainly the "Gold Warrior." It is a figure of a distinguished Scythian warrior dressed in a funeral clothes of gold reconstructed on the basis of fragments found during the excavations of the Issyk burial mound site. It is made of over 4000 gold pieces, many finely decorated with animal motifs, in the so called "Animal Style." The exhibitions show the continuity of Kazakh material culture and traditions. The museum is located on Dostyk Avenue which, architecturally, is one of the most beautiful streets in the city.



Hotels in Almaty

Ankara
Regent Ankara Hotel & Towers
181 Zheltoksan str.
Tel: (3272) 50-37-10 (18)
Fax: (3272) 581 11 00
Reservation ph.: (3272) 63 69 81, fax: (3272) 50 37 19
E-mail: sales@Regent_hotels.kz
business1@regent-almaty.kz
http://www.regenthotels.com
Large & impressively modern five-star hotel opposite the Presidential Palace. Built in 1996, the Ankara is a slick, glass-fronted, business traveller's paradise with 290 rooms spread over 12 floors, also encompassing a state-of-the-art business centre. Guest rooms are well equipped & elegant, with luxurious Kazakh silk furnishings & lavish marble bathrooms. Has 2 restaurants, Asian cafe, casino, conference facilities, business centre, pool, fitness centre. All major credit cards are accepted. Average rates: single room $275, double - $300 (includes breakfast, fitness club, VAT 20%, airport transfer service).

Rahat Palace

Hyatt Regency Almaty
29/6 Satpaev Ave
Tel: (3272) 581 1620
Fax: (3272) 581 1635
mailbox@hyatt.almaty.kz
http://www.almaty.hyatt.com
http://www.hyatt.com
One of the two main business hotels in Almaty. This comfortable, modern five star hotel is located right in the centre of town, conveniently surrounded by some of the country's most prominent offices - the National Bank of Kazakhstan & the International Monetary Fund, for example - & its spacious atrium design & light airy guest rooms provide a welcome flash of contemporary style. The Dshambul restaurant is a good bet for entertaining clients who need to be wined & dined, but for a more relaxed evening, the Iponema Club parties on into the night. Most rooms have fabulous views of the Alatau Mountains. Conference facilities for up to 200, business centre, secretarial service. Extensive health & fitness facilities, pool. All major credit cards are accepted. Average rates: single room - $275, double - $325 (includes VAT 20%, breakfast, health club, airport transfer VIP service).

Dostyk
36 Kurmangazy str.
Tel: (3272) 63-65-55, 63-63-33
Fax: (3272) 63-09-94
dostyk@nursat.kz
bcdostyk@nursat.kz
http://www.dostyk.kz
One of the Soviet-era hotels, originally a government hotel, where only those with official presidential invitations could stay. Has 2 restaurants, 2 bars, business centre. All major credit cards are accepted (except American Express). Average rates: single $142, double - $215 (includes VAT 20%)

Kazakhstan
52 Dostyk Ave.
corner Abay Ave.
Tel: (3272) 91-99-06, 91-99-87, 91-95-41, 91-95-83
This old Soviet-style hotel is the tallest building in the city & was constructed around 20 years ago. Has an excellent Korean restaurant, a sushi restaurant, a rooftop restaurant, a casino & two bars.



Restaurants

Belvedere Grill
Regent Ankara Hotel
181 Zheltoksan Str.,
Tel: (3272) 50 37 10
A wonderful French restaurant, which enjoys one of the most spectacular settings in the city. From the rooftop of the Regent you are free to enjoy splendid views and accomplished cooking. Excellent service, superb wine list & tantalizingly delicious menu.

Dzhambul Restaurant
Hyatt Regency Hotel
29/6 Satpaev Ave.,
Tel: (3272) 581 1234
It is the classiest restaurant in the city benefiting from a spanking new blond wood interior. The most original feature, however, is the menu, which embarks on an extravagant tour of the world each week, plundering the national dishes of Turkey, China, Japan, Italy, France & Mexico, while faithfully reserving Sundays for Kazakh & Russian specialties - not to mention a fabulous brunch.

Planeta Sushi
43, Dostyk Ave,
Tel. 3272 505033, 509927
Sushi@nursat.kz
Fresh and tasty sushi is served at Planeta restaurant. Expensive but excellent service and food.

Inara
Toliby / 8 Marta
The most popular shashlyk restaurant in Almaty. It has a friendly service, a busy atmosphere and big, cheap plates of barbecued meat with onion and cucumber trimmings. A dancing floor and a life band plays an important role in the restaurant. You will for sure enjoy a very nice evening.

Bear
Abaya - Matie Zalki
Tel 3272 217 216
A cosy wood house host an excellent Russian cuisine and atmosphere. Waiters are dressed with typical Russian customs.

American Bar & Grill
Tole Bi 41 - 480091
Tel 3272 505013
rosinter@nursat.kz
If you are looking for a big American burger and chicken wings, this is the place to go.

Gran Cafe
Furmanova
Elegant and relax atmosphere at this café where you could either have a nice cappuccino or a delicious meal. Some evenings, a pianist delights Gran Café 's clients with classic songs.

Bars & pubs

AB
Pub and restaurant. Nice terrace overlooking small reservoir; woodsy atmosphere.

Dublin Pub
Dublin has cheap local Derbes and real Irish Guinness stout on tap. Bottled beers as well. Live blues and R&B on some Fridays. Popular at dinner time any evening of the week. Recommended on Friday.

Jazz Club
Pool and billiards in the front and a main room with a small bar, tables and stage in the back connected by a long narrow hallway. We wandered in around 10pm on a recent Wednesday, however, to find the place empty except for a couple of girls playing billiards in the front, some friendly staff, and the jazz band warming up for an evening.

Mad Murphy's
Murphy's is a classic Irish pub catering to the expat community and locals who want to be seen. The spacious and well-designed interior provides plenty of room to rub elbows with the mates or just have an intimate conversation over a meal. For those who need their sports fix, Murphy's has always got something showing on one of the two TV's downstairs. They've also got a pool table upstairs and a massive TV. for viewing any one of their 900 videos, which are also available for rent.

Soho
Nice food and life music make this bar one of the most popular in Almaty. Recommended on Thursday and Saturday.

Night Life

Admiral Nelson
71 Kabanbai batyr and Kunaev. Tel 913374, 918067 Disco: Tue - Thu and Sun: 12 AM - 5 AM; Fri and Sat: 11 PM - 6 AM. Closed Mon. Billiards: Everyday except Mon: 6 PM - 5 AM. Disco: Tue - Thu and Sun 1,000 tenge for men/500 tenge for women (one gets drinks at the bar for the amount of the entrance charge). Wed: Ladies' Night (men are not allowed to enter until 1:00 AM), free glass of rum for ladies

Pyramid
152 Vinogradova and Nurmakova, to the left from Kardinal bowling and carting centre. Tel: 50-94-90. Open Mon, Thu - Sun 10 PM - 6 AM. Closed Tue and Wed. Disco - 1,000 tenge for men/500 tenge for women.

Tequila
73 Gogol corner Kunaev, rear of Otrar Hotel. Tel: 73-70-46, 73-98-63. Daily, 9 pm - 5 am; shows start after 12 am. Free entrance for expats if you flash your passport. Normal entrance is 500 tenge for men/free for women on weekdays. On weekends, men pay 1,000 tenge, women 200 tenge. Full dinner menu available all night. The chilliest, and most international club in town, situated underneath Otrar hotel, which is run by Pakistanis. If you arrive late enough, the place is always jumping, with especially large crowds on weekends. In short, Tequila is a good place to have a good time.

Spartacus
115 Michurin St. Every day except Mon. The club opens at 10 pm. Expect to hear only quiet music until 12 am, when the disco starts. On Fri and Sat before 12 am, guys pay 400t, girls 800t. After 12 am, guys pay 600t, girls pay 1,200t. On other days, entrance is free for both sexes before 12 am or 300t after 12 am. Located off Abaya and without signage, one may never even stumble across this underground institution. A part of the gay scene in Almaty for over three years, Spartacus serves up a good night's fun to Almaty's quiet but thriving gay community.

Bowling and Karting



Kardinal Amusement Center
A bowling alley, carting and billiards. Lanes are rented by hour (1,200 tenge). Open 12 AM - until the last client. 152 Karasay batyr (Vinogradova) corner Aitiev Street. Telephone 50-96-28. For carting center Tel.: 43-66-81.

Metro Amusement Center.
The newest and largest indoor amusement center in Almaty, opened in December 2001. Located on Dzhandosov up from Abai Street (adjacent on the east side to the circus and Erke amusement park). Tel 47-07-00. Open daily 12:00 - 05:00. Bowling, carting, billiards and discos. Bowling lanes are rented by the hour: 1,500 tenge (12:00 - 17:00); 2,500 tenge (17:00 - 20:30); 3,000 tenge (20:30 - 22:30), and 3,500 tenge (22:30 - 05:00).

Olymp Sports and Games Center.
This Center has a bowling alley with 8 lanes, billiards, and a game room. Bowling costs: 350 tenge (until 5 PM), 450 tenge (evenings), 200 (children), 250 (students). 15 Republic Square. Tel 632877, 631866. Open daily 3 PM - until the last client.



Horseback riding

Republican Horseback Riding School (near the Hippodrome).
Contact Alexander Tishkov in Russian at mobile 8 300 328 5807 or telephone #35-03-86. Riding hall and open-air rink $10 per session. Directions from the city center: go down Seifullina to two streets below Tashkentskaya, turn on Belinskogo and follow it until you see the 4 km long concrete fence of the hippodrome on your left. The school is located behind a bazaar at the end of the hippodrome.

School of Equestrian Sports.
Yana Komenskaya, a certified instructor for horse riding lessons for beginning and advanced riders. $10 per session; $50 for 8 sessions a month. For directions at the Almaty Hippodrome in Russian call 24 25 14, 8 300 0232 (Yana) or 8 2908 0039 (Vitalie).



II. AROUND ALMATY

Medeu & Shymbulaq



The weekend playgrounds of Medeu and Shymbulaq are in the foothills of the Zailiysky Alatau, 15km (9.3mi) from Almaty. Situated at an altitude of 1700m (5576ft), Medeu consists of a smattering of buildings built around one of the world's largest speed skating rink. Between October and May, half of Almaty seems to spend its weekend leisure time whizzing round the rink in various states of dizziness and undress. Shymbulaq, a further 500m (1640ft) closer to God, is one of Central Asia's top skiing spots. The ski season lasts from November to April, though it's usually best in January and February. Get here early on weekends because ski hire shops tend to run out of gear. Further into the foothills is the picturesque, turquoise Bolshoe Almatinskoe Lake. All three spots are good places to begin treks into the Zailiysky Alatau and the Küngey Alatau mountains. Regular buses run from Almaty to Medeu. The only way up from Medeu to Shymbulaq is on foot (an hour) or by taxi or hitching.





Canyon of the Charyn River
It is popularly said that the Charyn Canyon is a smaller version of the famous Grand Colorado Canyon in the US but really it has a unique charm of its own. The Charyn River cuts through Carboniferous sedimentation and intrusive rocks which form the Kuluktau Mountains and form the canyon's valley. It is the left tributary of the Ili River flowing 193 km eastwards of Almaty. This picturesque area has a very diverse relief. The steep canyon slopes, columns and arches rise to heights of 150 to 300 meters. Numerous ravines form a dense and disorderly net called "Badlands". On its slope are found fossilized remnants of fauna from the Lower Carboniferous period. The Charyn River's bed is full of rapids (popular with river runners but technical); its banks are covered with the thickets of a willow, poplar, barberry and other plants. Of special interest are the thickets of relic ash-tree and a turanga (Asiatic poplar) groove. Day hikes as well as longer trips can be planned along its edge.

Kapchagai
During 1965 to 1980, in the region Kapchagai, a dam and power station were built creating a reservoir. The Kapchagai reservoir is also called "The Kapchagai Sea". It was designed to control the Ili River's flow. The maximum width of 22 km, maximum depth of 45 meters and an area of 1847 sq. km, it is not an accident that people call it a sea. Sanatoriums, resorts, and beaches, fishing and fish-processing farms are along its coasts. The Kapchagai waters are rich with a pike-perch, bream, wild card, and chub. Altyn Emel National Park is located on the eastern coast of Kapchagai. A small aqua park is located in the city of Kapchagai.

Koktyube
This hilly area, which forms the final limits of the Zailisky Alatau range, closely borders upon the city's southeastern edge. Koktyube ("green peak") reaches a height of 1070 meters. It is covered with patches of grass and bushes. On its top, there is an observation deck from where a beautiful panorama of Almaty stretches out to the steppes beyond. It is the best place to view the city at night.

Altyn-Emel National Park
Visited mainly for its prime attraction, the Singing Sands, the Altyn-Emel National Park is 35 km east of Lake Kapchagai. The sand dunes, as tall as 80 m, make a low hum like an aero plane engine whenever the wind picks up. The park is a habitat for wild donkeys, antelope, camels and a number of predatory birds, including golden eagles. Local legend attributes the name Altyn-Emel (Golden Horseshoe) to Genghis Khan. When he passed through here, his horse lost a gold horseshoe in the sand. He suspected his soldiers of theft, and killed every tenth man.

Zailiysky Alatau and the Küngey Alatau
The greatest attraction for travellers to Kazakhstan are the 4000m (13,120ft) plus peaks of the Zailiysky Alatau and the Küngey Alatau, two spurs of the Tian Shan which run east-west between Almaty and Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. This beautiful region of glaciers, wild rivers and steep valleys used by nomadic herders as summer pasture is great trekking territory for travellers. There are dozens of trails of varying length and difficulty, including hikes right over the range to Lake Issyk-Kul; guides can be arranged with travel agents in Almaty. Be prepared for variable weather, a summer snowline hovering around 4000m (13,120ft) and bandits. The trekking season lasts from June to September. Most trekkers go by 4WD to the Ozyorny pass and head off from there.

Bolshoe Almatinskoe Lake
It's no wonder that this lake is considered to be one of the Zailisky Alatau Mountain's pearls. Located at 2510 meters above sea level, 15 kilometers south of Almaty, it lies like a blue gleaming mirror in a hollow surrounded with magnificent mountains. The lake's basin is tectonic origin and was the original water source for the city. It is 1.6 km long, 0.75 to1.0 km wide and 30-40 meters deep. In its southern part, the lake receives the waters of Bolshaya Almatinka River.



Köl-Say Lakes
These three pretty green lakes lie amid the steep forested foothills of the Küngey Alatau, 110km (68mi) east of Almaty. The lakes are strung along the Köl-Say river at an altitude of around 2000m (6560ft). The camping and trout fishing are great. June and August are the best months to visit, but keep a close eye on the weather. Travellers can arrange helicopter excursions to the lakes from Almaty or reach them overland from Saty; the lower lake is accessible by vehicle but you're better off hiring horses in Saty. It's possible to trek from the pastures of the middle lake over the 3200m (10,500ft) Sary-Bulak pass to the Kyrgyzstan village of Balbay on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. By horse this can be done in a day; on foot it takes two days. From the pass there are fantastic views north towards the Kazak steppe and south into the Issyk-Kul basin.



Aqsu-Zhabaghly Nature Reserve
This 750 sq km (465 sq mi) reserve in the foothills of the Talassky Alatau range is one of the highlights of southern Kazakhstan and the easiest visited of the country's nature reserves.



The scenery ranges from mountain meadows and juniper forests to glaciers and a 4500m (14,760ft) peak. This is an important habitat for the rare snow leopard, though you stand a much better chance of seeing bears, ibex and birds of prey. Guided hikes or horseback trips can be arranged in the village of Zhabaghly, 100km (62mi) west of Zhambyl, which is a good day's train trip from Almaty.



III. ASTANA

Astana, the administrative capital of Kazakhstan, is the often called the "miracle of Kazakh dream". In the very centre of Kazakhstan, surrounded by steppes where nomads used to travel, Astons developed in a modern city with high building and incredible wealth. Not visiting Astana would mean not understanding the real development of the country and its potential.




Sightseeing

Local History Museum.
Kenesary 107. Open from Monday to Saturday 10 am to 1pm and 2 to 6 pm. Exhibits diverting collection of costumes of different ethnic groups, a yurt, a collection of jewellery, and copy of the Golden Man Armour.



Fine Art Museum
Respublika 3. Open Tuesday to Sunday form 10 am to 6 pm. The small permanent collection includes some striking works and there are regularly changing exhibitions.

Saken Seyfullin Museum.
The former house of the famous writer, attractive old Russian-style cottage is now dedicated to his memory.

Hotels

Okan Inter-Continental Astana
90-8 Abay str.,
Tel: (317 2) 30-10-00
Fax: (317 2) 39-10-10
E-mail: astana@interconti.com
Internet: www.interconti.com
Located in downtown area, close to the Parliament and Ministry buildings, the hotel has 294 guest rooms and suites, 3 specialty restaurants, pastry shop, lobby bar and night club/casino, also room service, laundry and valet, business center, airport pickup service, health club with gymnasium and pool. It offers six function rooms that can be used for seminars, classrooms, receptions or banquets. Average rates: single room - $295, double -$ 345, De Luxe-$345-395, executive-$545 (all prices include VAT 20%). Master Card and Visa accepted.

Intourist
8 Beibitshilik str.,
Tel: (3172) 32-01-30, 32-02-30
Fax: (3172) 32-03-19
Average rates: single room -$43, double -$75, De Luxe-$85 (includes breakfast). Local currency accepted only (cash).

Restaurants

Alatau Grill
Hotel Okan Inter-Continental Astana
Turkish dishes in a yurt-inspired setting. Nightly entertainment is provided by a belly dancer. Ak Bulak 17 Abylai Khan Ave. Tel: (3172) 355 309 Fax: (3172) 355 309

Edem
74 Kenesary Str.
Tel: (3172) 391 410
Fax: (3172) 391 410

Silk Road
1 Zheltoksan Str.
Tel: (3172) 390 120
Fax: (3172) 390 121

IV. SHYMKENT

Enjoy the beauty of Shymkent's surroundings. At the border with Uzbekistan, the region offers tourist eyes to discover hectares of cotton fields! A unique experience at all saisons. Southern Kazakhstan is also very traditional, with a developed sense of hospitability. Southern Kazakhstan is probably the best place to try all Kazakh meals . and drinks.

Sightseeing

Regional Studies & History Museum.
Kazybek Bi. Exhibits of material on old Otyrar, a yurt, some fine old carpets, jewellery, costumes and a nature section.

Bazar.
A big, bustling, space sprawling around Titov and open every day form 8 am to 8 pm. You can find all types of agriculture products and species. Clothes, mechanical spare parts, traditional skullcaps are other examples of what you can find at the bazaar.

Fantasy world.
A small amusement park which opens from Monday to Friday from 1 pm to 10 pm and Saturday and Sunday form 3 pm to 11 pm

Hotel recommended

Hotel Kema
93a, Tauke Khan str., Shimkent
Tel. 3252 540344/0459/0736
Fax. 3252 540597
Hotel Kema is placed on the center of the city close to casino Imperial. Distinguished by its four floor. Deluxe rooms are all of them full furniture with TV. Full range of services are provided. A nice and cosy restaurant serves you delicious Kazak and Russian meals. A bar and sauna are also included in the hotel services. The cost of one night is about 64$, VAT and breakfast included. A helpful and pleasant room service and receptionists makes your stay at Kema Hotel even more enjoyable.

Restaurant recommended

Nostalgie.
Tauke Khan str. A convivial place serving salads, chicken and beef dishes.

V. SEMEY (SEMIPALATINSK)

This dainty Russian-style town (pop. 318,000) near Siberia was once the destination of Russian political exiles and the site of extensive underground nuclear testing. The tests left permanent genetic mutations among the populace: Examples can be seen at the Anatomy Department of the Semey Medical Faculty next to the Irtysh Hotel. The town also has a museum honoring Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky, who spent five years enforced military service in the garrison at Semey, and a new museum devoted to Abay Qunanbaev, Kazakstan's leading literary light.

Sightseeing

Abay Museum.
Corner between Dulatova and Internatsionaya. A big complex which was unveiled in 1995 for the 150th anniversary of the Abay Kunabaev's birth and covers all aspects of his life.

Dostoevsky Museum.
Lenina. Built along the wooden house where the writer lived from 1857 to 1859. There are exhibits covering both is life and work.

Old Semey.
A nice walk and visit the fort gates, the Russian orthodox church, the fire station and the mosque.

Hotel recommended

Semey Hotel.
26 Kabanbay Batyr. Located in the business center. Summer café , health massage and sauna are the most requested services of the hotel.

Restaurant recommended

Restaurant Semey.
At hotel semey. Reasonable price.

VI. LENINSK

Launchpad to the stars, this 40-year-old settlement is home to the Baikonur Space Center, the Commonwealth of Independent State's Spaceport for manned and unmanned space voyages. It was from there that the Mir Space Station was launched and continues to be controlled. The site can be visited. Baikonur lies on the north bank of the Syr Darya, about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Kzyl-orda. The Soviet Union's secretiveness about its exact location led to confusion of the site with another Baikonur, a town about 200 miles (320 km) northeast of the space centre in the desert area near Zhezkazghan. Baikonur was the chief operations center of the Soviets' ambitious space program from the 1960s through the '80s and is equipped with complete facilities for launching both manned and unmanned space vehicles. The facility and supporting town were originally built in the mid-1950s as a long-range-missile centre, which was later expanded to include space-flight facilities. Several historic flights originated there: that of the first artificial satellite (1957), the first manned orbital flight (Yury Gagarin; 1961), and the flight of the first woman in space (Valentina Tereshkova; 1963).

VII. TARAZ

One of the oldest towns of Kazakstan. It stands on the site of the ancient city of Taraz, which flourished as a stop along the Silk Road until it was destroyed by Mongol armies in the 13th century. A new town called Auliye-Ata was established on the site by the emirs of Kokand in the late 18th century. The fort and town were captured by the Russians in 1864, and between 1938 and 1992 the town was renamed Dzhambyl for the Kazak poet Jambyl Jabayev (1846-1945). Primarily an industrial city, Dzhambul (lately renamed Taraz again) does have some interesting sites. The Kara Khan Mausoleum, the Shamansur Mausoleum, are both nearly 1,000 years old and have interesting terra-cotta exteriors, carved to make the buildings look as if they were woven from straw. The Aisha-Bibi and Babadja-Hatun Mausoleums are beutiful masterpieces of the ancient Asian history.

Hotel recommended:

Jambyl Hotel.
42 Tole Bi. Comfortable rooms and good service.

Restaurant recommended:

Jasmine.
Abay street. Chinese restaurant.

VIII. AKTAU

Enjoy the Caspian Sea! The best savour Aktau's atmosphere head for the breezy seafront. There are cliffs and a promenade running to a rocky beach to the north, just beyond the MiGs, and an acqua park of water slides and pools. Heading south you will pass the brooding statue of the exiled poet Taras Shevchenko. Out of the town you will find better beaches than in the center of Aktau.



Sightseeing

Regional History & Local Studies Museum.
Abay. Interesting displays about the Caspian and surrounding area. Tuesday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, closed from 1 to 2 pm

Fort Shevchenko.
125km north up the coast which originated in the 19th century as a Russian bridgehead, called Fort Alexandrovsk.

Koshkarata.
Picturesque Muslim cemetery whose crenellated skyline of miniature domes and towers looks from a distance like some town out of an Arabian fairly tale.

Hotel recommended:
Aktau Hotel. Fork in bay. Renovated.

Restaurant recommended:
Hotel Victory. Mikrorayon, 15. Good restaurant at the hotel.

IX. OTHER TOWNS OF INTEREST:

ATYRAU

Hotel recommended:
Hotel Shagala. 1, Smagulova Str.

Restaurant recommended:
Maetro. Lenin Str. A mixed of local and European dishes is offered.

KOSTANAY

Hotel recommended:
Kostanaitourist Hotel. 172, Baytursynov Str. Located in the center. Restaurant and change at the hotel.

Restaurant recommended:
Medeo, opposite the theatre on Baigamavetova.

KZYL-ORDA

Hotel recommended:
Hotel Samal. A luxury and foreing- run operation hotel.

Restaurant recommended:
Café Rosali. Serves excellent laghman noodles.

URALSK

The city houses the oldest theatre in Kazakstan, and a museum with historic Cossack mementos, but it might be more interesting to go to Uralsk for its surroundings.

Hotel recommended in Uralsk:
Bayan Hotel. 67/1 T. Massin Str. Restaurant, bar, hair dresser and business center are some of the services of the hotel.

PETROPAVLOVSK

The Trans-Siberian Railroad reached Petropavlovsk in 1896.

Hotel recommended:
Hotel Kysyl Zhar. Opposite to Lenina. Comfortable and clean rooms.

Restaurant recommended:
Day and Night Café. Internatsionalnaya. English sign and good food.

AKTOBE

Aktobe is an important industrial center, not much worse visiting, but offers business opportunities.

Hotel recommended:
Actobe Hotel. 44 Abulkhai Khan. Located in the center of the city. A nice swimming pool is the mayor attraction of the hotel.

Restaurant recommended:
Uratu. Truda 139a. Armenian restaurant.

UST-KAMENOGORSK



Hotel recommended:
Irtysh Hotel 22 Auezov Avenue.
Tel 3232 252912/33
Fax 3232 25 09 85
Email travel@ukg.kg
Irtysh hotel is placed in the center of Ust-Kamenogorsk. There are more than 83 deluxe rooms with telephone, TV, air conditioning and mini bar. Transfer from the hotel to or airport is provided. A VIP service is also available at Irtysh Hotel. Life concerts are held at the elegant salon which fits about 150 people. The casino of the hotel has all the different games like black jack, poker or roulette. A business centre provides you with flight reservation, money exchange and transfer and car renting. As additional services, Irtysh Hotel supplies you with sightseeing tours, visa and local permits.

Restaurant recommended:
Eurasia next to Irtysh hotel. A cozy and small restaurant with excellent Russian food. Russian soaps and bline with caviar are recommended.



KARAGANDA

Hotel recommended:
Sozvezdie Hotel. Av. Ctpoikelei, 34. Five stars hotel with a variety services as salon, restaurant, films, pools, disco, sauna and Jacuzzi.

Restaurant recommended:
Orbita. The largest restaurant. Serves nice shashlyk and salads

PAVLODAR

A port on the Irtysh River, at the border with Russian-Siberia. An industrial town, surrounded by steppes. Fascinating in winter for a Siberian experience.

Hotel recommended:
Hotel Business Centre. Corner of Lenin and Lermintov.

Restaurant recommended:
Osterbrau. In front of Hotel Sakiara. Good German style beer and food.

X. TURKESTAN - HODJA AHMED YASAVI MAUSOLEUM



A beautiful site of the ancient Kazakh history in the south of the country, Turkestan (Yasi city) was on the crossroads of an old caravan route - Great Silk Route branch - trade road between Desht-and Kypshak steppe and farming oasis of Central Asia - Horezm, Tashkent, Buhara and Samarkand. Its positioning provided for lively trade. China exported porcelain, Persia - Asian tiger skin, gold and silver ware, Byzantium - all kinds of women fabrics. Caravans leaving for Russia took astrakhan - the matchless treasure of nomad Turks, coloured Turkestan glass (it were Turks who taught its manufacturing to Chinese people), thin silk, cotton seed. Daily Turkestan saw the sale of more than 500 camels. The skin of a lynx was equivalent to 5 sheep, horn of a Siberian deer cost as much as silver. In XV - X cenuries Turkestan was the residence of Kazakh Khans.



The town of Yasi was the scene of Hodja Ahmed's religious activity. It was here that he spent a large part of his life and was buried. Hodja Ahmed Yasavi Mausoleum is one of the major tourist attractions of Central Asia and a place of mass pilgrimage for Moslems from all over the world. This huge, domed structure, begun by Tamerlane in the 1390s, is a must-see-it's one of the most stunning architectural creations in Central Asia (the central chamber alone measures 153 x 213 x 144 ft/46 x 65 x 44 m). It is an important place of pilgrimage for Central Asian Muslims. A particular source of local pride is a two-ton sacred vessel, made of seven metals and used for storing holy water, that was returned to the mausoleum in 1989 after being on display at the Hermitage (in St. Petersburg, Russia) for 50 years.

Hotel recommended:
Hotel Nurtas. Sustanbek Kozhanov str. Deluxe rooms have hot water.

Restaurant recommended:
Nauryz. Built in a mock old Turkistan style and serves the standard menu of manty, laghman noodles and beefsteak.

XI. THE POLYGON

Until the 19th century, the steppe of northern Kazakstan was largely untouched except by Kazak nomads and their herds. Since then much of the region has been ploughed into wheat fields, thanks to Nikita Krushchev's Virgin Lands scheme, and one particularly unfortunate 15,000 sq km (9300 sq mi) area known as 'The Polygon' had 470 nuclear bombs exploded on it between 1949 and 1989. Residents of Semey, 150km (93mi) from the test zone, say they knew when tests were going on because the ground would shake - usually on a Sunday morning (though this might be attributed to a long Saturday night on the vodka). The nerve centre of the test zone was the purpose-built town of Kurchatov, named after the leader of the team who invented the Soviet atom bomb. Today the town is known locally as 'Konechnaya' - Russian for 'The End'. The town is usually restricted to official delegations but you can visit the Atomic Lake, a huge circular water-filled hole in the ground blasted out to create a reservoir in 1965. The bleak beauty of the steppe is a fitting testimony to this terrible environmental disaster. To get there, take a train north from Almaty to Semey where you should be able to pick up a car and driver.

XII. NATURAL PARKS

Khan Tengri

At 6995 m, Khan Tengri ("Lord of the Spirits") stands as both the highest summit in Kazakhstan and the most northern "7000er" in the world. It is perfect marble top certainly ranks it as one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. The route followed during the first ascent in 1931 starts from steep ridge reaching into Kazakhstan and then climbs the west ridge to the top. Khan Tengri sits in a remote region on the border of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan close to their borders with China. To reach it by foot requires a minimum of a four-day approach. While it is the highest of the peaks, the area around the mountain includes a number of 6000 m peaks including the Marble Wall (6400 m). The region is a wild and spectacular as in any Asia.

The 28 Panfilov's Guardsmen Park

The park was founded in the mid 60s in the area around the Voznesenski Cathedral. The park features the Glory Memorial with its Eternal Flame in honor of defenders of Motherland, and the Memorial Lane. The Flame is popular stopping spot for wedding parties and you will often see them making photographs next to it. The Lane is lined with stone pedestals with engraved names of the 28 Panfilov's guardsmen who gave their lives in the battle for Volokalamsk highway in the first years of the Great Patriotic War (World War II). It was during the Moscow battle, 1941, when 28 fighters of the 1075th regimen of the 316th infantry division resisted 50 German tanks. Almost all of them fell but did not draw back. The division was raised in Almaty and was led by General Ivan Panfilov. The eastern part of the park accommodates the Ykhlas Republican Museum of Folk Musical Instruments. This beautiful park with its shady lanes and splendid flower-beds is our residents' most popular recreational place who enjoy the peace and quiet broken only by birds' singing.

Burabai



Kazakhstani Switzerland is the second name given to Burabai, Kokshetau region which is in the Northern Kazakhstan.Amidst the yellow scorched unending steppe you just encounter the green wall of forest. It harbors wonders: hillocks overgrown with trees, stony ridges, fantastical heaps of rocks like fairy giants and ghosts as silent as bewitched lakes. This mysterious land is Burabai. "Bura " in Kazakh stands for camel.There is an old legend about prophetic camel, which used to live in Burabai neighborhood. Honey herbage didn't blunt his instinct for an instant - it was he who was the first to anticipate the people's awful lot and then he turned to a tulpar (horse) and flew to the peak of Kokshetau thus averting people from the coming misfortune. Old ship timbers and quiet lakes, full of fish and animals, served for many centuries as a refuge for people. On the territory of Burabai archeologists found the armoury of primeval bronze epoch. Excavation of settlements and burial moulds belonging to bronze epoch testify to the fact that Buabai was resided not only by hunters, but by the farmers and cattle breeders. Scythian tribes involved in gold and ore mining didn't but pass this oasis.

Aksu-Zhabagly



Aksu-Zhabagly (South-Kazakhstan region). Set up in 1927. It derived its name from those of Aksu and Zhabagly. Quite remarkable is the canyon of the Aksu river: its banks are almost vertical (up to 300-500 m), often fairly inaccessible. Total area makes up 85,300 ha. It embraces picturesque Alpine landscapes of North-West ridges of the Talass Alatau and the Ugam range. In the reserve one can find 1,404 species of plants while the fauna is represented by 47 and 239 species of animals and birds respectively. Typical inhabitants - Siberian ibex, roe, Caspian deer, boar, weasel, vulture with rare species among them: snow leopard, Turkestan lynx, Pamir argali, red bear, golden eagle, saker falcon, short-toed eagle. The reserve plays host to paleontological burial places Karabastau and Akbastau on the slopes of the Karatau mountain. We witness here rarest ever imprints of all sorts of fish, molluses, tortoises, insects of Jurassic period which once inhabited the sea basin that lapped here some 120 million years ago.

Naurzum one



Naurzum one (Kostanai region). Set up in 1934 with the aim of protecting the Naurzum pine forest - one of the southernmost massifs of pine forests in Kazakhstan while the region's lake harbours nesting places of water fowl. The territory is as large as 87,700 ha. The reserve is inhabited with 39 species of animals and 239 species of birds and there grow some 961 species of plants. Incidentally, white heron refers to one of the exceedingly rare and most interesting inhabitants of the reserve.

Kurgaldzhino (Akmola region).



Set up in 1968 for purposes of preserving the rarest ever nesting bird - pink flamingo. Indeed, the lake of Tenghiz is the northernmost nesting place of the pink flamingo. The reserve extends for some 243,700 ha of which 199,200 ha, i.e. more than one half thereof, is occupied by water table. One can encounter here 42 species of animals, 298 bird species and 331 species of plants. The number of waterfowl here is particularly impressive let alone the fact that it includes such rare species as Dalmatian pelican, flamingo and mute swan, both nesting and ecdysial. Tenghiz-Kurgaldzhino lakes are the place that attracts immense numbers of waterfowl in periods of spring migrations, the very phenomenon that has brought world renown to the reserve. It is far from fortuitous that the place is entered in the list of UNESCO as a particularly protected landscape of swamp-and-lake areas.

Almaty reserve



Almaty reserve (Almaty region). Founded in 1961 to enclose the territory of 73,300 ha. The reserve numbers 137 species of plants, 39 species of animals and 200 species of birds. Referring to rare ones are red bear, snow leopard and Turkestan lynx. The reserve proper includes a desert-like section of the valley of the Ili-river known for its uncommonly unique natural phenomenon - sand barkhans. These are the so-called "singing sands" 150 m high producing loud sounds when one moves along their floaty slopes. The landscape is quite picturesque, "embellished" with plentiful glaciers, firn basins and rocks.

Markakol natural reserve (East Kazakhstan region).



Set up in the year of 1976 as a measure of protection and study of the natural complex of the South Altai. The area totals 75,000 ha. There are 721 species of plants, 59 species of animals and 25 species of birds in the reserve. Most common species are bears and Caspian deer. Of particular interest is no doubt a big mountain lake Markakol of tectonic origin: it lies at a height of 1,485 m above sea level. Its water table ranges for some 544 sq.m with maximum depth down to 27 m. One of the inhabitants thereof is a quite rare fish - uskuch whitefish.

Ustyurt reserve (Mangystau region).



Set up in 1984 with the territory of 223,000 ha. It occupies a portion of the chink of the Ustyurt plateau. There are no permanent water flows but there occur drainless basins of which the largest is Barsakelmes, 70x30 km in size. The reserve protects 261 species of plants, 27 animal species and 111 species of birds. Reptiles are quite widespread: 27 species. Desert monitor is entered in the Red Book. Nearly just as rare are Ustyurt munflon, long-needled hedgehog, Persian gazelle, karakal lynx, golden eagle, short-toed eagle, Egyptian vulture, saker falcon.

West-Altai reserve (East-Kazakhstan region).



Set up in 1991, totalling an area of 56,000 ha. It numbers 564 species of plants, 30 animal species and 120 species of birds.

Barsa-Kelmes (Kyzylorda region)



Founded in 1939. The reserve is situated on an island of the same name in the Aral sea. Its territory is as large as 30, 000 ha. Some 250 species of plants constitute its flora. Its fauna that numbers 56 species of animals includes - among others - Asiatic wild ass, Persian gazelle, corsac fox and wolf. 203 is the number of bird species.

Bayan-Aul



In addition thereto there has been founded a Bayan-Aul natural park with an area of about 45,000 ha. It is by right a mountain forest oasis surrounded by desert-like steppes. Weathered granite Bayanaul mountains covered with pine and birch-tree forests govern semi-desert plains of the Kazakh hummocky topography interrupted by exceedingly beautiful lakes of Zhasyby, Toraigyr and Sabyndykol.

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