Southern Kazakhstan is the most densely populated part of the country. Here the largest cities of Kazakhstan, Almaty and Shymkent, are located.

The landscapes of Southern Kazakhstan are surprisingly diverse and represent a combination of arid, rather cold (in winter) and hot (in summer) sparsely populated steppes and deserts, snow-capped mountains, and densely populated foothills. Photos by: Dmitry Balakirev.

Famous boundless steppes of Kazakhstan – one of the symbols of the country.

fly over Southern Kazakhstan

Tags: Almaty oblast · South Kazakhstan oblast

Mangyshlak Peninsula is located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan. Mangystau Oblast is located on its territory.

One of the natural attractions of the peninsula is the Torysh Tract, which is located about 105 km north of the city of Aktau on the western end of the Western Karatau Ridge, 17 km east of the village of Tauchik.

picturesque geological formations

Tags: Aktau city · Mangystau oblast

The Kent Mountains, one of the oldest mountain ranges on Earth, is a very picturesque and unique natural and historical area. It is located in the Karkaraly district of Karaganda Oblast in central Kazakhstan and is part of Karkaraly National Park.

These mountains (the highest point is Mount Tursun, 1,469 meters high) is an island massif that rises like an impregnable granite wall above the surrounding steppe. A lot of mountain rivers and streams flow down from the mountains; through their valleys you can get inside this huge granite island and enjoy majestic views of pristine nature with bizarre rocks, boulders and ridges. The Kent Mountains on Google Maps. Photos by: Zekkadrb.

trekking in the ancient mountains

Tags: Karaganda oblast

The Dzungarian or Semirechensky Alatau is a mountain system located in the north-east of the Almaty region, between the Ili River and Lake Alakol.

This region is a place with pristine nature because it is located in the border zone with China. There are no roads and settlements here. Some areas can be reached only on horseback or by helicopter. Photos by: Grigory Bedenko.

amazing mountain scenery

Tags: Almaty oblast

According to one local legend, once, the Mangistau region, located in the west of present Kazakhstan, was invaded by the hordes of enemies who covered the land like locusts.

Locals put forth their hands to heaven in prayer for help and they were heard. The heavens opened downpours, thunder and lightning. In an instant, all enemies turned to stone.

amazing and surreal place

Tags: Mangystau oblast

The chalk mountains of Akzhar are one of the brightest, in the truest sense of the word, natural attractions of the endless expanses of Saryarka (Kazakh Upland) – an ancient, heavily eroded mountainous region in the central part of Kazakhstan.

The highest mountains are located in the east of Saryarka and the red-yellow Akzhar mountains can be found in the extreme southwest, on the border of the Karagandy and Kostanay regions. Akzhar Mountains on Google Maps. Photos by: Evgeniy Drobotenko.

amazing scenery

Tags: Karaganda oblast · Kostanay oblast

Lake Kaindy is located in the south-east of Kazakhstan in one of the gorges of the Kungey-Alatau mountain system at an altitude of 1,667 meters above sea level. The lake was formed as a result of the powerful Kemin earthquake in 1911.

The main feature of this unique natural reservoir is the trunks of the Tien Shan spruces, which protrude directly from the water. Before the earthquake, there was a spruce forest in the gorge. Scientists say that these trunks are about 150-200 years old. The wood is practically petrified and does not decompose.

amazing natural monument

Tags: Almaty oblast

Urochishche Boszhira is one of the most beautiful places in Kazakhstan. It is a whole range of rock formations of various sizes and shapes located at the bottom of a huge canyon in the western part of the Ustyurt plateau on the Mangyshlak peninsula in Mangystau Oblast of southwestern Kazakhstan.

Boszhira is huge. It will take more than one day to explore it. The weather in Mangyshlak is harsh and unpredictable. The best time to travel to Boszhira is summer. From autumn to mid-spring it often rains here washing out already bad roads. Boszhira on Google Maps. Photos by: Alexey Zhirukhin.

magnificent landscapes

Tags: Aktau city · Mangystau oblast

The Asy Plateau is located in the south of Almaty Oblast at an altitude of about 2,200-2,750 meters above sea level. In the distant past, it was a place through which the routes of caravans from Europe and Central Asia to China and India ran.

The Asy-Turgen observatory can be found at the western end of the plateau. Today, this place is used as a summer pasture and attracts tourists. The Asy Plateau on Google Maps. Photos by: Sergey Terekhov.

amazing views

Tags: Almaty oblast

The Katon-Karagay district occupies the north-eastern part of the territory of East Kazakhstan Oblast. It is the easternmost part of the country bordering China and Russia.

The Katon-Karagay State National Natural Park located here is the largest national park in Kazakhstan and is included in the UNESCO list of specially protected heritage. This territory is remote, inaccessible, and very picturesque. Photos by: Sergey Terekhov.

amazing scenery

Tags: East Kazakhstan oblast