Kazakhstan, the largest landlocked country in the world has its capital in the city of Astana. Kazakhstan is an exciting all year round travel destination. The peak travel time to visit Kazakhstan is usually from the months of May to September, when you called enjoy the flowering of plants in the steppes. The winter months of December to February, is a great travel time, for skiing and ice skating in the country. The springtime is the best time to see the green steppes and spot wild tulips in Aksu Djabagly Natural Reserve. Kazakh culture is largely influenced by the Turkic nomadic lifestyle. Kazakhstan, one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse in the world, is home to over 100 ethnic groups and a predominantly Muslim country, with Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism and Hinduism being the minority religions. It's most popular foods eaten here are, Beshbarmak,thick vegetable soups, salads and rice dishes. Kazakh and Russian are the official languages spoken here while most of the people speak the local languages of Uzbek, Uyghur, Tatar, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijan, and Korean.
Because of Kazakhstan's huge landmass, internal flights are a more efficient way of getting around the country. Trains, however are an enjoyable and convenient way of exploring the vast size of Kazakhstan and its local people. For intra city travel, taxis, shared taxis and uber are a much more faster option compared to minibuses, local buses and motorcycles. It is relatively safe to visit Kazakhstan but petty crimes and pick pocketing do occur in some areas. It is best to avoid smaller towns like Uralsk, Taraz, Semey, Shymkent, Taldykorgan, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Shar, Temirtau, and Stepnogorsk at night to prevent the risk of mugging.
Whenever you are in Kazakhstan, you will be truly amazed by the futuristic cities, dramatic landscapes and friendly locals here. Some of the must attend festival you can see while you are here include : Biker Festival, Nauruz Festival, Chabana Festival, Khan Tengri Mountain Festival and Kazakhstan Golf Open.
Some of the most fascinating places of interest and attractions you should see here are:
Ak-Zhaiyk Reserve – a wetland habitat for migratory birds. It’s a great place to spot pink flamingos, bears, snow leopards, pelicans, spoonbills and ibis.
The Korgalzhin National Park is the biggest reserve zone in Kazakhstan. Covered by feather grass steppe, the preserve has got two big lakes, Tengiz and Korgalzhin. There are about 350 kinds of plants and around 82 kinds of birds inside the park.
Borovoye Lake, one of the largest lakes in Burabay (Borovoe) National Nature Park. The Borovoye Lake and the surrounding are popular for a variety of sanitariums, camping sites and resorts. The shores of this lake always gets crowded with tourists as it comprises lots of restaurants, beaches, stores and dance halls to entertain the visitors. The Borovoye Lake area is a perfect place for wild recreation and camping.
There are over 10,000 hotels and apartments to stay in Kazakhstan so you will be spoiled for choice especially when in Astana.
