7 Best Places to Visit in Kazakhstan Before You Die

Published on July 2, 2015 at 10:04 am by Addison Nino in Lists

The great splendor of this nation is what inspired this compilation of the best places to visit in Kazakhstan before you die. Ranked as one of the world’s biggest landlocked nation, Kazakhstan stretches out from Siberia up to the deserts in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and from the Caspian Sea to China. The country is also interestingly covered by 5 climatic zones and 2 time zones.

Kazakhstan offers everything you could hope for in a great travel destination, which includes mountain tops, glaciers, coniferous woods, large rocky canyons, pristine mountain lakes and amazing rivers among many others. In this country, tourists can get recreation opportunities throughout the year. To make your vacation more active, consider taking eco-tourism and also checking out some of the surreal places in China to see before you die.

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With so many pleasant surprises, going for a Kazakhstan trip will likely be very memorable. The destination is very safe and travelers can relax and have a great time. The country also has various internationally celebrated resorts that offer spas and other relaxing opportunities.

If you are an enthusiast of water sports, you will also treasure your time in Kazakhstan. The many regional centers across the country have been fitted with modern sport complexes, training halls and swimming pools. Canoeing and rafting can also be arranged easily through the local agents. A great place for engaging in watersports is the popular Ili River that is located between Lake Balkhash and Lake Qapshaghay.

Besides water sports, Kazakhstan also has the natural facilities that allow great winter sporting fun. There are several ice skating rinks that you can check out or you can head outdoors to the Zaili Alatau Mountains. Winter is also a great time to watch skiing competitions and hockey games.

Here are the best places to visit in Kazakhstan before you die:

7. Almaty

Located in South East Kazakhstan, Almaty is an excellent setting between plains and mountains. This biggest city in the country is filled with modern architecture, cool fountains, wide streets, squares and parks and great mountain views in autumn and spring. The town has lots of theaters, museums, exhibition halls, art galleries and business centers and also a wide variety of entertainment complexes including movie theaters, night clubs, restaurants and cafes.

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6. Medeo

This town is only 15km away from Almaty, where you will encounter a charming valley known as Medea. Here you will find the most unique and largest speed skating rink in the whole world that is located at 1,700 meters above sea level. Medeo also has a very big ice stadium that can comfortably accommodate more than 30,000 spectators. Some of the top skaters from across the world usually come to test themselves at this location.

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5. Astana

This is the second biggest city in Kazakhstan that is currently experiencing a financial boom with great building projects. It was once a small mining town, but today the town is filled with numerous stores, restaurants, discotheques, casinos and coffee houses. The old and new modern places have become key attractions for visitors. Key attractions included Duman aquarium and Bayterek tower.

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4. Baikonur Cosmodrome

This center holds the record as the largest and oldest functioning space launch center. It is located in the vast Kazakhstan desert steppes. In fact, Russia’s space exploration is usually launched from this center. To visit this location, you need to give 45 days’ notice in advance. There are some special travel agencies that will help you arrange visits to this space launch center.

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3. Taraz

The town of Taraz has been in existence for over two centuries. The town celebrated reaching 2,000 years in 2001 and was also recognized by the UNESCO. The Aisha Bibi and Babaji mausoleums, located outside the city are great masterpieces of antique architecture. UNESCO also listed those 2 venues as world architectural scarcities.

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2. Mangystau region

This particular province is an eminent location as the best area of Kazakhstan that is rich in gas, construction materials, and oil. The locals call this location as the place of tourism as it has a rich cultural tradition along with a number of recreation resources. Some of the best hotels in Kazakhstan are found here.

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And, the best place to visit in Kazakhstan before you die is: Semipalatinsk

Situated near Siberia, Semipalatinsk was once an important Russian location of exile. This was where the famous writer and novelist Dostoyevsky lived in the 18th century. This house has been well preserved and tourists can visit this location to check out notes for his famous works, including The Idiot, Crime and Punishment. There are also other museums in the area, which includes History Museum and Abai Kunanbaev.