Homeland of tulips – Kazakhstan
Most likely it will surprise you that Kazakhstan, and not the Netherlands, is the birthplace of tulips! Moreover, unlike the Netherlands, a country that attracts thousands of tourists to the annual flowering show of these delicate representatives of the flora, in Kazakhstan tulips grow and bloom in the wild, without human intervention, and occupy much larger areas in terms of area! Here you will find about forty out of 65 wild-growing species of flowers existing in Central Asia, and 18 of them are included in the Red Book. And among them will be the famous tulips of Schrenk and Greig.
In the period from April to May, endless fields and foothills of Zhambyl, Turkestan and Almaty regions flash with scarlet-orange-yellow flowers. Moreover, you can contemplate this beauty by moving from the south from Shymkent to Almaty along intercity highways. But there are also hard-to-reach places where experienced guides can accompany you in search of rare specimens. For example, such types of tulips as Dasistemon Tarda and varifolia tulip grow in the mountains and at the very upper border of life, on alpine lawns. And the endemic tulip of Kaufman grows in the green glades of the Western Tien Shan among the juniper forest. You cannot pick tulips in our country, but you can endlessly admire the extraordinary and fragrant representation of nature!
Otrar is the best place for selfies
Many pilgrims and tourists know and visit with interest the city of Turkestan, where one of the most majestic medieval buildings is located – the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasavi. But for many it will also be a surprise that very close to Turkestan, on the way to it, if you go from Shymkent, you can discover an absolutely amazing place – the ancient settlement of Otrar.
Otrar is studied by scientists and archaeologists to this day. Today, most of the buildings of the ancient city have been restored and mothballed. This is one of the few historical places in the country where you can literally walk along the ancient streets of the settlement, and accordingly make spectacular photo shoots and selfies.
To get acquainted with this object, it is advisable to prepare in advance – read the information on the Internet, watch the film “The Death of Otrar”, or order an excursion on the spot with a professional guide.
Alakol Black Beach
If you are already used to golden sandy beaches, then it’s time to get acquainted with the coast of black flint pebbles! Lake Alakol in the south-east of Kazakhstan has not only an unusual coastline, but also healing properties. The black beach attracts people with colds and skin diseases, nervous disorders, and all those who love to meditate in nature. What can I say if even cosmonauts after their flights undergo rehabilitation courses here! In these places, the Alakol Nature Reserve was created to protect rare birds, and the famous silver perch lives in the waters of the lake.
If you come to the lake in early May, you can join the birdwatchers – bird watchers who come to the Alakol Wings festival. This event attracts not only birdwatchers to the silicon shores, but also journalists, people of creative professions, yoga practitioners, and musicians. This is how the season begins on Alakol. Further – summer, the time of the sun, swimming, water entertainment, and in the fall, on the first weekend of September, another festival – “Okunkol”, where amateur fishermen catch the famous silver perch of the lake.
The world’s first and largest cosmodrome
You may be surprised that the world’s first and largest cosmodrome “Baikonur” is located in the Kyzylorda region of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Until 2050, the cosmodrome is leased by the Russian Federation, but legally it belongs to Kazakhstan with all the infrastructure and, accordingly, Kazakhstani travel agencies can organize a tour for you to launch rockets and satellites. Isn’t it interesting to visit the place from where the first flight into space took place? Yes, immersion in the atmosphere of a space town is worth being there!
Kazakhstan tastes
And, of course, one cannot ignore the gastronomic delights of the cuisine of Kazakhstan. For many, they can become both unexpectedly pleasant to the taste and filled with new information about what we eat. And the Kazakhs have healthy food, natural products, a lot of dairy products.
Today, gastronomic tourism is rapidly developing in the country. And nowhere else in the world you will find such a variety of national cuisines and the most diverse taste preferences. This is due to the fact that people of more than 135 nationalities live on the territory of Kazakhstan. But the main “highlight” will always be Kazakh cuisine based on the traditions of the Great Steppe nomads. Delicious, healthy, smart food of nomads is becoming very popular among guests of the country and tourists.
Such famous Kazakh dishes as beshbarmak, bauyrsaki, kazy, irimshik can be tasted in many city cafes and restaurants. But it will be much more interesting to taste the national cuisine in ethnoauls. Here, specially invited experts on recipes restored by ethnographers will not only treat you to delicious Kazakh dishes unlike any other Kazakh dishes in the world, but also demonstrate how they are prepared, tell legends and the most extraordinary stories about them.
Welcome to beautiful and hospitable Kazakhstan, a modern country that has preserved its ancient traditions!