Ushkonyr is a picturesque plateau located in the western part of the mountain system of Trans-Ili Alatau, between the gorges Chemolgan and Uzun-Kargaly (Almaty region).

This area of Trans-Ili Alatau differs from other parts of the mountain system because of the absence of the forest zone, but subalpine and alpine zones are presented in all their glory, with an abundance of all kinds of mountain flowers. Photos by: Sergey Terekhov.

tranquil landscapes

Tags: Almaty oblast · landscapes

Saryesik-Atyrau is a sandy desert located in Almaty region, to the south of Lake Balkhash, between the Ili and Karatal rivers.

The climate in the desert is sharply continental. Summer temperature can reach plus 40 degrees Celsius, in winter, the temperature can drop to minus 40.

snow-covered wilderness

Tags: Almaty oblast · landscapes

What could be better than a night in the mountains! Especially when the sky is pierced by falling meteors (the meteor shower of Ursids in this case). This beautiful photo was taken in the mountains of Almaty region by Vitaliy Rage.

Tags: Almaty oblast · landscapes

Altyn-Emel is a state national natural park located in the valley of the Ili River on the territory of Almaty region.

The park was established on April 10, 1996. Among the main purposes of the park are the preservation of the unique natural complex, archaeological, historical and cultural monuments, rare and endangered species of plants and animals, the development of eco-tourism.

take a walk in the realm of clay

Tags: Almaty oblast · landscapes

Lake Tuzkol, located in the south-east of Almaty region, is the saltiest mountain lake in Kazakhstan. It is a large lake – the length is 5 km, the width in some places is up to 1 km.

The salinity of the water varies by season and can reach values ​​comparable with the water salinity of the Dead Sea in Israel or the Great Salt Lake in the United States.

amazing nature views

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Lake Kaindy is a popular tourist destination located in one of the gorges of Kungei Alatau in Almaty region, at an altitude of 2000 meters. Despite the low temperature of the water, the lake is popular among divers.

The maximum depth of the lake was 21 meters in 2014. In Kazakh “Kaindy” means “a lot of birches.” There is a large birch grove located nearby. The lake was formed by an earthquake in 1910. Photo by Sergey Terekhov

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The Assy observatory is an astronomical observatory standing on a mountain plateau Assy-Turgen located at an altitude of 2750 meters above sea level, 75 km east of Almaty.

This is the only observatory in Kazakhstan with the ideal astro-climate. Main area of research: observation of details of the apparent surface of the giant planets of the solar system. The observatory on Google Maps. Photo by Eduard Kim

Tags: Almaty oblast · landscapes

What a beautiful view! It is Tuzkol Lake, located in the east of Almaty region (1950 meters above sea level), the saltiest mountain lake in Kazakhstan.

The salinity of the lake varies by season. It can reach almost the same salinity as in the Dead Sea in Israel or the Great Salt Lake in the United States. Tuzkol Lake on Google Maps. Photo by Sergey Terekhov

Tags: Almaty oblast

A well-known Kazakhstan photographer and an aviation lover Gregory Bedenko continues to delight us with beautiful pictures of the mountains, Balkhash Lake area and the Ili River delta (Almaty region) taken from unusual angles. Photos from voxpopuli.kz

magnificent nature

Tags: Almaty oblast

Tekes is a relatively small village (population – about 4,000 people) located in Raiymbek district of Almaty region of Kazakhstan.

The village is standing at an altitude of 1766 meters above sea level, close to the border with China. What a stunningly beautiful place! Photos by Sergey Terekhov

beautiful nature views

Tags: Almaty oblast · landscapes