Ethnographic tour II
Almaty - Tamgaly - Canyon of the Charyn river - Ash tree grove - Turgen gorge ("Blue mountains") - Assy plateau - Zhalanash - Kolsai lake 1 - Uzun Agach (Long Tree) - Taraz - Shimkent - Turkestan - Almaty.Tour's code: ETHNO-2.
Duration: 14 days (13 nights).
Season: May - October
Accommodation: hotels in Almaty, Taraz, Shimkent, Turkestan; yurts in Uzun-Agach; tents in Charyn Canyon; cottages on Kolsai lakes.
Meal: full board (traditional Kazakh and Russian cuisine).
Transport: train, bus, vehicles.
What's worth seeing:
In Almaty: A city of two cultures - Muslim and Christian. A young city, founded in 1854, Almaty has a rich history, where the past intertwines with the present. During your excursion you will visit Almaty's main attractions: museums and squares, the Monument of Independence, Panfilov park, the Russian Orthodox Cathedral, the sports complex "Medey", and many others.
On Tamgaly: Low ancient mountains. The range of burial mounts, which come from different eras, lay at their feet. In 1957 more than 1000 petroglyphs were retrieved here. Most ancient ones belong to the Bronze Era, and are especially diverse. Of special interest are the engraves apparently belonging to a cult of the sun connected with a temple existing in during the Bronze Era. The following group of pictures dates back to the era of early nomads and is expressed in a representative Scythian-Siberian zoomorphic style. And the latest period is Turkish, with engravings following a theme of a horseman-soldier.
Canyon of the Charyn River: You will see an unique portion of creation overflowing with granduer - Charyn Canyon, which is considered the younger brother of the Grand Canyon in the United States. Charyn Canyon is approximately 1.5 million years old. Most fascinating is "the valley of castles", where for two kilometers on both sides, fantastic sand castles and towers rise up, reminiscent of the lunar landscapes.
Ash-tree grove: One of the only places on the planet where the relict ash tree grows. There are other trees, as old as 300 years with a width of up to five meters.
Gorge of the Turgen river: You will see the famous waterfall cascades, one of which - "Buzgol" - is 55 meters high. The legendary Chinturgen mossy fur-greens grow on permafrosts. Moss in these places occasionally grows up to 60 sm. You will mount on the Assy plateau, where it is possible to see a few burial hills, dating back to different eras. An unforgettable impression will be made when you spend the night under a cupola of a traditional Kazakh house - a yurt, enjoying an early morning drink of kumys - a curative drink made of mare's milk. Those who want to will have the opportunity to go rafting and fish for a royal fish - iridescent trout, and also to take a horse ride to Zhasylkol Lake.
In the Zhalanash settlement you will visit a real eagleman, a real outdoorsman who is intimate with the art of training hunting birds.
Lake Kolsai-1: You will see an uniquely beautiful mountain lake, take a walk on its beaches, and have the opportunity to take a boat out on the water.
In Uzun-Agach: You will witness an incredibly interesting ethnographic program with horse games, demonstrations on hunting with birds, musical numbers, Akyns (kazakh dombra players) competitions and much more. You will walk away with a new understanding of the original culture of the Kazakh people.
In Taraz: Founded more than 2000 years ago by the Gunnis tribe, this ancient city stands on the great Silk Road. For centuries, this city was developing as a center of trade and crafts. Before modern times, the architectural masterpieces, included in a list of UNESCO, were kept: the Aisha-Bibi Mausoleum (11th - 12th century), the Babadzha Khanym Mauzoleum (10th - 11th century).
In Shymkent: 80 km from Shymkent there are the remains of an ancient citadel and other large buildings, all part of the ancient Otrar settlement. Izhil, is the city where Al-Pharabi, the medieval scientist and philosopher, was born. The settlement dates back to the 4th century, BC. It is mentioned in diaries of the Arabian travellers of the 11th century. In the 10th through the 12th centuries, Otrar was a point of caravan paths between Eastern Europe and China. Throughout history, the city was repeatedly subject to destructive phase progressions, but always revived. However in the 17th and 18th centuries, the city died.
Turkestan: A Khodzhi Akhmet Yassavi complex was built in the end of the 14th century here and since has become one of the main places of worship in Islam. A mausoleum was built under the command of the great Timur (Tamerlan) in the place of the grave of a great poet and man. The surprising complex of castles and temples is one of largest in Central Asia. In the sixteenth through the nineteenth the city served as home of the Kazakh khans. The complex also includes the Mausoleum of Rabigi Sultan Begymy - grand daughter of the great Timur, well-known Kazakh khans Esym and Ablai, Abylkhair - khan, a medieval sauna and other facilities.
Tour description.
Day 1. Arrival into Almaty. Hotel "Kazakhstan". Settling in. Lunch. Tour of city including a visit to the Republic Square, the National museum, the Monument of Independence, Panfilov park, the Russian-Orthodox cathedral, and Kok-Tuben. Returning to hotel.
Day 2. Breakfast. Moving in Tanm. Excursion with guide. Lunch. Returning to hotel.
Day 3. Breakfast. Moving in a canyon of the Charin river. Excursion on the canyon. Lunch. Moving in an ashen grove, accommodations in guest houses, supper. Rest.
Day 4. Breakfast. Excursion on an ashen grove. Dinner. Moving in gorge of the Torgen river. Accommodations in Cenergorb, a house of rest. Supper. Free time.
Day 5. Breakfast. Day of rest in Turgen gorge. Excursion to the waterfall, fishing for trout, horseback riding in the area. Supper. Rest.
Days 6-7. Breakfast. Moving on the Assy plateau. Life in a Kazakh aul. Visit rock paintings and ancient burial hills. During these excursions you will see rare representatives of flora and fauna inhabiting mountain Zaili Alatau: eagles, ibisbills, Blue Whistling Thrush , Alpine jackdaw. Out of flora you can see endemics: Shrenka, the Tyan-Shyan fur-tree; sea-buckthorn; birch; and Tyan-Shyan mountain ash. Also rare kinds of flowers: adonis golden; Ostrovsky tulip; peony; the Albert iris. During this time on the plateau, you also can experience cooking of traditional Kazakh people.
Day 8. Breakfast. Moving into Zhalanash village. Here you will meet a true "berkutchi", a man intimate in the art of training falcons and eagles for hunting in the traditional manner. Lunch. Moving on lake Kolsay-1. Accommodation in town houses, walk around lake, fishing. For those who wish - horseback riding. Supper. Free time.
Day 9. Breakfast. Moving in Almaty. Lunch. Moving in Uzyn-Agach. Accommodation in yurts. Supper. Free time.
Day 10. Breakfast. Folk program with demonstrative falcon and eagle hunting, horse games, songs and dances. Lunch (national dishes). At night touring Taraz city.
Day 11. Accommodation in hotel. Breaskfast. Sightseeing. Lunch. In the evening touring Shymkent. Accommodation in hotel. Supper.
Day 12. Breakfast. City-tour with visit of sacred places of Sayram region and Otrar town. Lunch. At night touring Turkestan. Accommodation in hotel.
Day 13. Breakfast. Excursion around sacred places of Turkestan. At night departure for Almaty.
Day 14. Arrival at guesthouse in large Almaty gorge. Breakfast. Rest. Excursion with visit to nursery of hunting birds and Auy-Say waterfall. Visit sheber-aul (Crafts village), shopping for souvenirs. Return to guest house. A sauna, farewell supper. To the airport. Flight home.
Cost of the tour includes: VISA support, hotels accommodation, vehicles with drivers services during the tour, railway tickets, accommodation and feed in yurts, tents and cottages, the folklore program in Uzun-Agach and Shimkent, guides and interpreter services, price of entrance tickets for museums during the tour, rental fee for horses, stable-man services, rental payment for sport equipment (sleeping bags, rags, etc.), full board (three times).