Kazakhstan
Traveling in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is one of the largest countries in the world by area—the ninth-largest, as a matter of fact. It is unrivalled for sheer land size in its region of Central Asia, yet remains one of the less traveled countries in the region, which is a shame. Some say it is the relative dearth of historic sites in the country that is responsible, but that should not lead you into thinking it a featureless spot. The country of the Kazakh is one that can only be truly explored and opened up by the fearless traveler, the tourist not put off by stretch after stretch of either snow or desert and eager to unlock the mysteries bound up in this colossal sweep of seemingly desolate space.
That is the secret to Kazakhstan: the details of its mystique are often obscured by its sheer enormity. Were this a painting, a critic might say of it that the negative space dominates the detail—but that only makes every detail even more worthwhile, more of everything by sheer contrast. Nowhere is the discovery of clusters of petroglyphs more stunning than in the stark emptiness near Almaty. Nowhere are ancient cities more impressive than set against the vastness of the Kazakh Desert. Nowhere are mountains whiter and more strikingly beautiful than when they overlook the beaches of Aktau.
This is the sort of land you visit if you have the true traveler’s spirit within. This is the Land of the Kazakh—for that is what “stan” means: “the land of”—is a land of constantly traveling peoples, of the descendants of nomads who were known for their continuous exploration and adventuring throughout the country. That is what Kazakh means, after all: “a free spirit”, the kind of soul who goes willingly out into unchartered territory without his roots becoming a burden or fear of the vast and unknown shackling his feet.
