Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world with an area of 2.7 million square kilometers (667 million acres). It is occupied by more than 18 million people. It has everything tourists could ask for, which include snow-capped mountains, deserts, rock canyons, steppes, and deltas. The Kazakh Steppe is the biggest one in the world, occupying about a third of the transcontinental country—most of which are located in Asia.
There are also man-made marvels in this nation like the largest chimney in the world, which is at 419.7 meters tall. It is part of the GRES-2 Power Station located in Ekibastuz. The skyscrapers in its capital of Astana are also well-inspired buildings. It is like a city of the future. There is even a plan to put up a housing complex with an artificial ski slope. Skiing is an important pastime among Kazakhstanis, also a favorite activity among tourists. The country is home to several ski resorts.
The Kazakhstani also love their horses. One of its traditional sports is the kyz kuu, which involves a man and woman on horseback. The man will try to chase the woman, if he succeeds, he gets to kiss her. If he fails, the woman gets to whip him. Locals love their horses so much that the country’s national drink is fermented horse milk. Horses thrive in a country with vast lands that are largely untarnished.
Tourists who visit Kazakhstan should visit their national parks. Here are five of the country’s largely unexplored national parks:
1. Altyn-Emel National Park
This park features one of the most unique attractions in the world: singing dunes. They are referred to as such because the sands make rumbling sounds during its movement, forced by the wind. Aside from the sound, the Singing Barchan dune is also beautiful with its crescent shape. It extends 1.5 kilometers and has a peak with a height of 120 meters.
The park has a lot of attractions as it covers parts of the Ak-Tau mountain range and the Ili River. There is also a wide valley in the park, which runs along the banks of the Ili River. The main reason for the establishment of the park was to protect archeological and historical sites. The Bes-Shatir Saco mounds are located within the park. These are burial mounds believed to have been utilized in the seventh century. Artifacts found include armor, gold adornments, gold-plated trappings, utensils, and weapons.
The area also hosts a rich flora and fauna with over 1,800 plant species recorded, 69 of which are considered rare species. Among the animals, residents are argali, Asian barbastelle bat, Bukhara deer, dziggetai, lynx, manul, otter, Persian gazelle, polecat, stone marten, Tien Shan brown bear, and the wild ass.
2. Buiratau National Park
This park is unique in the sense that it protects not just a particular species of plant or animal, but a whole region: the transitional zone between the dry steppe ecosystem and that of the semi-arid forest. The former is found in the park’s northern area while the forest is in the south. Among the landforms in the park are the Erementau Mountains, some hills, and low ridges. The water bodies comprise closed basins, salt lakes, and fresh groundwater.
The park contains feather grass and scrubs the Siberian pea tree. There are around 45 species of mammals in the area, the most common of which is the Yereimantau wild sheep. There are 200 of them living in the park. There are also over 225 species of birds thriving in both the forest and aquatic habitats.
3. Burabay National Park
Legend has it that nomads were only given the arid steppes of Kazakhstan by God. The Kazakhs prayed to God for more, feeling shortchanged. God eventually listened and gathered forests, lakes, mountains, and rivers, and threw them at the steppes. So Burabay was born. This park has every form of natural resources that any nation needs. This is why the park got its moniker: Kazakhstan’s Pearl. The area is a gem—beautiful and rare. It is so precious that the park is placed under the direct supervision of the President of Kazakhstan.
Burabay has a healthy flora with over 757 species of plants, with 119 of them described as species that need to be protected. There are also around 12 species considered as endangered. The majority of the trees in the park are pines. There are also aspens and birches. Among the park’s resident animals are deer, badgers, European and mountain hares, foxes, lynxes, martens, moose, squirrels, stoats, weasels, wild boars, and wolves. There is also a large variety of birds, both aquatic and terrestrial.
4. Ile-Alatau National Park
The park comprises of mountains covered with forests and the Big Almaty Lake, which is a natural alpine reservoir. The park provides two amazing vistas, depending on the season. The park’s landscape has a vibrant green hue during the summer and a white wonderland during winter. Among the trees in the park are an apple, apricot, and maple.
Among the famous animal residents of the area are bearded vultures, Central Asian lynxes, Central Asian stone martens, golden eagles, snow leopards, Siberian ibexes, and Tian Shan brown bears. There is also a certain species of deer that the park protects, as they are believed to have medicinal characteristics, and prone to being hunted.
5. Tarbagatai National Park
Wild fruit trees take center stage in this park characterized by mountain-steppe topography. In truth, the park aims to protect the mountain-steppe characteristics. The country has a vast area for steppe that looks lush and vibrant. Despite the expansive steppe area, there was a need to set aside a protected area to ensure that this would never be affected by any form of development. The wild fruit trees growing abundantly in the park are an indication that the area is remote enough, and away from commercial encroachment.
The park is named after the Tabagatai Mountain range, which hosts its steppe. Other natural forms under the park’s territory are Arkaly Mountains, Karabas Mountains, Emel Rivers, and its corresponding valley, as well as the Urzhar Valley. Over 1,600 vascular plants have been documented in the park along with 270 species of birds, 80 mammalian species, 23 reptiles, and 19 species of birds.