Kazakhstan Vacations

There are only 8 countries larger in size than a transcontinental Kazakhstan in territory. In each of 86 cities of the country there are many monumental and wonderful places that attract attention of travelers. Each of 14 regions has a unique beautiful of nature. It is impossible to seize in a multivolume book to reflect a full picture of this beauty. But there are 10 must do and see’s for every traveler who chooses vacation in Kazakhstan.

1. Enjoy the melodies of Kurmangazy. You can read many books on stretched great steppes of Kazakhstan, but to understand the soul of nation and this land, you need to hear magic sounds created by a great folk composer of the 19th century, “kuyshi-dombrist” Kurmangazy. Disobedient and proud-spirited rebel was sent to prisons of Uralsk, Orenburg and Irkutsk several times for not obeying the authorities, ran from them, and saved his wife and children from captivity. Strong, protesting soul of Kurmangazy sounds in his instrumental pieces (kyuy): the first kyuy “Kishkentay”, “Buktim, buktim (Bended and bended)”, the peak of his work – kyuy “Sary-Arka”, well-known “Balbyraun”, kyuy “Kayran sheshem (Oh, my mother)”, kyuy “Turmeden kashkan (Escape from the prison)”, kyuy “Aksak kiik (Lame saiga)” and the last kyuy – “Kobik-shashkan (Roaring billow)”. His melodies will gift a touch to this Great Steppe.

*Dombra (a long-necked lute and a musical string instrument) player

2. Enjoy the view of Astana from "Bayterek". One of the youngest capital cities of the world Astana is a “must visit” of Kazakhstan. The city of the third millennia Astana was built by the best architects of the world. You will see 62m high pyramid of Peace and Reconciliation Palace, oceanarium of entertainment centre “Duman” with water capacity of 3 mln liters, Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre with 150m in height and 127 000 square meters in area. You will enjoy the walk along the Nurjol boulevard. You will get a breathtaking panoramic view of the city from the viewpoint of Bayterek monument which is the symbol of not only Astana but the whole country. The tower ‘Bayterek’ is 97 m high and 105m in total counted with the glass sphere. The lift inside the tower will take you up to 86 m high to the panorama hall.

3. Touch the mystery of Sufism. Visiting memorial complex of Hodja Ahmad Yassavi will gift you trembling moments at the holy places. He was one of the most respectable Sufis and poets in the world of Islamic Sufism. Poet and preacher Hodja Ahmad Yassavi was honoured as a holy teacher and founder of the special direction in Islam – Turkic tariqa including in itself Tengrian traditions. While traveling in Turkestan, make sure to pay a visit to Otrar where you will find the excavations in the place of one of the oldest Central Asian cities razed to the ground by Genghis-Khan.