The country inherited the culture of the ancient Silk Road, Nomadic lifestyle and Soviet Union which had a great influence on its formation. This mixture makes Kazakhstan so different from any other country in the region and in the world.

The Guardian describes tourism in Kazakhstan as, “hugely underdeveloped,” despite the attractions of the country’s dramatic mountain, lake and desert landscapes.

⇒ Also сheck оut мore info: Visa

Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana) — second largest city, and capital since 1997. Worth visiting but you only need a few days to get to the most worthwhile sights. *Almaty — largest city, and capital until 1998.

Definitely a must-see. Beside the Soviet-style city, you may want to go to the *Medeu and other places in the nearby mountains. *Turkestan (map) — another ancient city, long a border town between the Persian culture to the south and the Turkic nomadic culture to the north, now majority Uzbek and home to several important cultural-historical monuments.

Train is the most popular way of covering the huge distances between Kazakhstan’s main cities. Kazakh Railways tickets can be bought online.

It’s a place you may have heard of, that’s nicer than you ever imagined. Where you can find endless steppe, sand, and epic mountain peaks just a short drive from a modern metropolis. Where garlicky Kazakh horse sausage meets spicy Uighur noodles. Where shopping malls have sandy beaches and glass spheres dot the horizon.

Where people are so friendly, you might just end up at a Kazakh toi (a traditional wedding) after a few salams (hello!). How can you describe a place this surprising in just two words? As a wise man once said, “Very nice!”

⇒ video source: Kazakhstan Travel /youtube.com/

• Charyn Canyon