TRICIA STEVENS
PERSPECTIVES
KAZAKHSTAN
Kazakhstan is still fairly untouched by tourism (for now) so you can be sure you won't bump into many tourists throughout your journey. Kazakhstan is a huge country with one of the lowest population density's in the world (it has a population density equal to 7 people per square kilometer!). It is also considered to be the largest land-locked country in the world, meaning that it does not share any of its borders with an ocean or sea.
ABSOLUTE MUSTS
Kaindy Lake
Located in Saty, Kazakhstan, Kaindy Lake is a magical sunken forest. A century ago (in 1911), an earthquake occurred in the Tian Shan Mountains which caused a landslide. The landslide blocked a gorge, forming a dam, and over time rainfall filled the area. The spruce trees became a submerged forest. Getting here is not an easy task and will require a 4×4 vehicle to tackle the very tough (rocky) stretch of road. Do not attempt to drive a regular vehicle here.
Charyn Canyon
This impressive canyon is roughly 150km long and as deep as 300m in some locations. It was formed about 3 million years ago as the land around the canyon started to rise. A very large lake existed in the area around the top of the canyon and it started to empty. Over the next million years the canyon was formed by the Charyn river. Approximately 2 million years ago a large earthquake disturbed the flow of the river by blocking it with a landslide. Take a hike through the 2km canyon floor known as the Valley of Castles to witness some stunning rock formations or opt to hike along the upper edge for a different perspective.
Ascension Cathedral
Located in the city of Almaty, this Russian Orthodox cathedral (also called Zenkov Cathedral) is quite a unique structure. The earthquake-proof building is made from blue tian-shan spruce trees (and no nails!). It is 56m tall and one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world. The cathedral incredibly held up to the 10 point earthquake that occurred in 1911.
Stop by a Roadside Cemetery
While on the road, it is very likely you will come across several roadside cemeteries. Some say that these architectural cities for the dead were created close to the road since nomads could not carry the dead far distances.
