Ornithological Tour N3
(Ile-Alatau, Altyn-Emel National Parks - Kurgaldzhinsky Reserve)
Tour's code: ORNIT-3.
Duration: 14 days (13 nights).
Season: April-May-June, September.
Accommodation: guesthouses, rest homes and tents.
Meal: full board (traditional Kazakh and Russian cuisine).
Transport: minibus.
Tour description.
Day 1. The National Park Ile-Alatau. Arrival in Almaty, passing through the borderline formalities and a drive to the guesthouse. After lunch (at about 11 o'clock) visiting the nursery of falcons, walking around the open-air cage with predatory birds. Here it will also be possible to see single kinds of small mountain birds, and some kinds of predatory birds (golden eagles, gyrfalcons, peregrinne falcon and others). Night in a guesthouse, sauna in the evening.
Day 2. Bolshoiye Almatynskoye Ozero (Large Almatynskoye Lake - BAO). = Breakfast, a whole day trip to BAO. While staying on the lake you can observe the ibissbill. In the neighboring mountains, it is possible to find various kinds of small birds of the Alpine zone, even keklicks. Night in tents or in the hotel of the Observatory.
Day 3. A trip to Kapchagai. Breakfast. A walk across the neighbourhood of the Observatory, a trip to Almaty. Visiting the green Bazaar. Then departure to the southern shore of Kapchagai reservoir. During the trip observation of various small and predatory birds of the southern dry steppes and semi deserts. Night in tents.
Day 4. A drive along Kapchagai reservoir shores. Breakfast. A trip along western shores of the National Park Altyn-Emel. Visiting various dry steppes, semi deserts and rocky plots. During the trip, you can observe various kinds of predatory birds and larks. Night in a house at the ecological borderline post Taigak or in tents.
Day 5. The National Park Altyn-Emel. Singing sand dunes. A morning walk, observation of birds, then breakfast. A trip to the adjacent valley Kyzyl-Ai, observation of predatory birds - eagles, falcons, grifas. If you are lucky, it will be possible to see goats on the mountain tops. After dinner a trip along the northern shore of Kapchagai to the singing sand dunes. During the trip, it is possible to see dzheirans and kulans (sort of local deer). In the evening - Singing Sand Dunes, a large complex of sandy dunes. Night in tents.
Day 6. The National Park Altyn-Emel - lake Sarybulak. A morning walk, breakfast. Then a trip to the place of inflow of the river Ily to the Kapchagai reservoir. There you can observe the life of floating and marsh birds Pelicans, herons, ducks, woodcocks and so on. After lunch departure to the lake Sorbulak, where again observation of floating and marsh birds. Night in tents.
Day 7. Semi desert Tau-Kum, a camel firm Kanchengel. Breakfast and a brief excursion around Sorbulak, then a trip to the camel farm at Kanchengel. There we shall try koumiss (horse milk). Afterwards we shall reach the desert Tau-Kum and visit various reservoirs. Observation of numerous kinds of birds and bustards. Night in tents.
Day 8. Semi desert Tau-Kum, river Ily. In the morning observation at a reservoir. Breakfast. A trip through the desert Tau-Kum Ily. During the passage we shall have numerous stops for observation of the desert inhabitants - reptiles, turtles and numerous birds (including white wing hazel-hens, saksaul sparrows). Then arrival to the bottom land of the river Ily. Till the evening survey of the neighbourhood with woods, bushes of reed and poplar. Night in tents.
Day 9. Bottom land of the river Ily, a trip across the desert to Shiganak. = Breakfast. Then rambles to various sites of the bottom land of the river Ily. If you are lucky, it will be possible to see yellow-eyed pigeons and white winged woodpeckers. In the second half of the day - departure through the desert Shiganak. During the trip we shall pass by salt lakes which lie before lake Balhash. In the late evening at Shiganak taking a night train up to Astana.
Day 10. Kurgaldzhynsky Reserves (KR). Breakfast in a train. The speed of the train is about 60 km/hour through the desert lands, semi deserts and steppe. In the first part of the day arrival in a new capital Astana and then departure for Kurgaldzhino. In Kurgaldzhino visiting the management of the reserve and a museum. Conversation about the reserve, its neighbourhood, problems and future. After dinner a trip to Karazhar (a settlment for the scientists of the reserve). During the trip various stops in the steppe and at reservoirs, first impressions about the rich world of birds of this location. Dinner in a yourta, if you wish a night in a yourta or a hotel.
Day 11. Kurgaldzhinsky Reserve. The settlement of scientists Karazhar, the steppe, fresh and salty lakes. Breakfast. During the day an excursion from Karazhar to different sites in the reserve (the steppe, salty lakes, saline soils, lakes and their shores). Among other things it will be possible to see steppe eagles, curly pelicans, flamingo, white headed ducks, and also large flocks of larks. Dinner and night in Karazhar.
Day 12. KR, the state farm Shalkar, Kurgaldzhino. Breakfast. An excursion to lake Isei and Shalak, and also to different places in the neighbourhood of Kurgaldzhino (steppes, lakes, bottom lands of the river Nura). After dinner visiting the state farm Shalkar. An excursion to the production shop of koumiss, a Kazakh national drink from horse milk. Night in Kurgaldzhino.
Day 13. An excursion to Uyalinsky lakes. Breakfast. An excursion to Uyalinsky lakes to the northeast from Kurgaldzhino. It will be possible to see there numerous cranes, swans, pelicans, and also flocks of ducks. During the trip you can see many predatory birds. After dinner departure to Astana and in the evening departure by train to Almaty.
Day 14. Coming back to Almaty. Lunch and dinner in a train. During the trip we once again cross various zones of dry steppe, semi deserts, deserts and from the train we can see various predatory and other birds. After dinner arrival in Almaty, short-time excursions around the city. In the evening a farewell dinner in a pleasant company. About the midnight departure to the airport.
A tourist should have: personal sleeping sack, means of protection from mosquitoes, warm clothes, an individual first aid kit.
Cost of the tour includes:
VISA support, registration at the airport transport, a guide - ornithologist with MD in science, an interpreter, a cook, three meals a day, accommodation in guesthouses, rest homes and tents, equipment and tools.