Kazakhstan located in the heart of Eurasia, south of the Ural Mountains. Here, antiquity and modernity, eastern traditions and Western modernism intertwined in an unusual way. The boundless southern steppes, mountains and lakes, the Great Silk Road and the Baikonur Cosmodrome are all Kazakhstan. Today the country offers tourists several variants of travel: cognitive excursion routes in the country, ethnic and eco-tours, as well as treatment, hunting, fishing and mountaineering.

The capital is Astana. The popular ski resort is Chimbulak.

For a complete list of cities in the country, search on the city page and resorts in Kazakhstan.

How to get to Kazakhstan

Daily scheduled flights Moscow-Astana and Moscow-Alma-Ata are operated by Transaero Airlines and Air Astana. The duration of the flight to Astana is 3, 5 hours, to Alma-Ata - 4, 5 hours. In addition, several times a week flights from Moscow and other Russian cities to Shymkent, Karaganda, Atyrau, Kustanai and Aktau.

Railway communication connects Kazakhstan with many regions of Russia. The road from Moscow to Astana takes 56-60 hours (trains run daily), to Alma-Ata - 78 hours (trains run every other day). There are also trains and trailers in Karaganda, Pavlodar and other cities.

Visa to Kazakhstan is

For citizens of Russia and CIS countries, a visa is not required in Kazakhstan.

Customs

Import of foreign currency is limited to 500 USD (the amount must be included in the declaration). Export of foreign currency is limited to the amount specified in the declaration. Import and export of local currency for foreigners is prohibited.

Allowed duty-free import of 1000 cigarettes or 1000 g of tobacco and 2 liters of alcoholic beverages. It is prohibited to import weapons and ammunition, drugs and narcotic drugs, literature, photo and video products that are contrary to the norms of Islam or aimed at undermining and discrediting public authorities. Prohibited export of gold, precious stones and rare minerals, rare species of animals and hunting birds.

Telephone numbers of Kazakhstan

The Embassy of Kazakhstan in Moscow: Chistoprudny Boulevard, 3a; tel .: (495) 627-18-12, 627-17-16, 627-18-16; website

Embassy of Russia in Astana: st. Baraeva, 4; tel .: (7172) 222-483, 222-696, 221-592; telephone of the consular department: (7172) 221-618, fax: 326-521; website

Consulate General in Alma-Ata: st. Djandosova, 4; tel .: (7272) 746-122; website

Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Uralsk: st. Mukhita, 78; tel .: (7112) 511-626; website

Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Ust-Kamenogorsk: st. Ordzhonikidze, 2; tel .: (7232) 262-959

Transport

City transport is mainly represented by buses and "shuttles", in Alma-Ata, trams are added to them. The fare in "shuttles" is not much higher than in ordinary city buses, but they go more often and late. The fare is usually indicated on the windshield, the side window or in the cabin - everything is like ours.

Taxis are in all major cities. In most "motors", counters are an unnecessary excess: they are either absent altogether or not included by the driver - so the price should be negotiated in advance. Taxis can be ordered by phone, online or simply caught on the street. In addition to official taxis, you can use the services of private traders: it's cheaper, but this trip is at your own risk. $ $

The Big Alma-Ata Lake

Baikonur cosmodrome

Mosque in Kazakhstan is

The climate of Kazakhstan is

The climate is sharply continental, dry. Its peculiarity is a big difference between winter and summer temperatures, dry air, little rainfall over most of the territory, a long harsh winter and a short summer in the north, a short winter and a hot summer in the south. The average July temperature is + 19 ° C in the north and +30 ° C in the south of the country, in January - from -18 ° C to -3 ° C in the north and south respectively.

The best time to visit the country is spring (from April to June) and autumn (from September to November), in the summer there may be too hot. Weather forecast in cities of Kazakhstan.

Hotels of Kazakhstan

The hotel base of the country does not differ from the Russian one. In large cities every year there are more and more high-level hotels with loud network prefixes, for example, Rixos or Radisson, and there are still not reconstructed hotels of the Soviet period. In small towns, there is no such choice.

Banks and exchange offices of Kazakhstan

Banks are open from 9:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Friday. The lunch break is usually from 13:00 to 14:00, however many banks work without interruption. Saturday and Sunday are the days off. You can exchange money at any bank or official exchange office. Receipt is best kept until you leave the country.

The main European and international credit cards are accepted for payment. They are easily taken in large hotels, shops and restaurants in big cities. Tourist checks are recommended to borrow in US dollars to avoid additional exchange transactions. ATMs can be found in banks, hotels and shopping centers.

Kitchen and restaurants

In Kazakhstan it is customary to eat with taste and not hurrying. The traditional meal of Kazakhs begins with milk drinks: guests are offered koumiss (mare's milk), shubat (camel's milk) or ayran (sour milk), which not only quench thirst, but also strengthen immunity.

Modern national cuisine includes not only traditional Kazakh dishes, but also a variety of dishes of other peoples living in Southern Kazakhstan. Some dishes are prepared only in tandyr - a special clay oven. It is believed that the real samsa comes out only in tandoor, and it also bakes traditional tortillas.

Entertainment, excursions and attractions of Kazakhstan

Medeo and Chimbulak - resort zones, known for their unique combination of mild climate, majestic mountains and modern sports facilities, are located in the foothills of the Zailiysky Alatau, 15 km from Almaty. In Medeo, the world-famous high-mountain skating rink, built in 1972. ą $

Zailiysky Alatau and Kyongei-Alatau - majestic mountain peaks stretching from the east to west between Alma-Ata and Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. They are ideal for fans of extreme sports: it is an area of ​​mountain glaciers, wild rivers and valleys, among which there are many mountain trails for trekking of very different length and steepness. Some of them come to the lake Issyk-Kul. Season here continues from June to September.

Shymkent and Taraz were once the largest cities of the Middle Ages, located on the Great Silk Road. As a rule, excursions to Shymkent include a visit to the "Holy Place" in Sairam district and "Arystanbaba" - a place of worship before the saints. And in Taraz you can visit the History Museum, the mausoleum of Aisha-Bibi - the place of pilgrimage of Muslims and the Sapatay-Batyr Sausage.

The main attraction of Turkestan is the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmet Yasavi (XII century). In addition, there you can visit the Turkestan Fair and the famous Turkestan Mosque.

Lake Balkhash, located in the east of Kazakhstan, is a unique natural formation. It is very large in area, but at the same time very shallow. An amazing feature of the lake: the water in its eastern half is salty, and in the western one it is quite fresh, therefore even the fish species that live in different parts of the lake are different.

Events in Kazakhstan

Spring Festival Navruz ("New Day") - the biggest holiday of the country. This holiday of the vernal equinox and the revival of nature includes the traditional folk sports games "Alaman-baiga" (horse racing), "kuz-kuu" (chasing the girl - do not worry, no one will suffer), "Kazaksha-kuresz" (national wrestling), "kokpar" (fighting for a goat on horses - also without sacrifices), as well as musical performances, a festival of drama, street artists and colorful fairs.

In August Medeo hosts the "Voices of Asia" festival, in which orchestras from almost all CIS countries and Asia take part. Photos of Kazakhstan (67)