La destination est peu connue, souvent on ne sait pas vraiement situer ce pays sur le globe, les informations "touristiques" sont rares, et pourtant et pourtant... n'oublions pas l'Azerbaidjan!! Je suis a Bakou, la capital, depuis un mois et demi et j'invite tout un chacun à s'intéresser quelques minutes à ce petit pays cosmopolite. La réalité bakinoise est bien loin des discours alarmants que l'on peut entendre à droite à gauche. Malgré une proximité avec des pays tels que l'Iran, l'Arménie (avec lequel l'Azerbaidjan est en conflit depuis de nombreuses années maintenant), malgré une frontiere avec le Daghestan, le pays est sûr, agréable et recèle d'éléments culturels tous plus surprenants les uns des autres. Souvent, le voyageur ne prend qu'un visa de transit afin de passer du Turkménistan à la Géorgie, Bakou mérite pourtant qu'on s'y arrete et qu'on découvre son bord de mer, sa vielle ville entourée de remparts, et puis la tour de la vierge dont la forme questionne encore les archéologues. La diversité culinaire (azérie, russe, géorgienne, turc...), les nombreuses patisseries (tellement nombreuses que je n'aurai hélas pas le temps en 3 moi de tout gouter!), le soleil et le sourire et la gentillesse des Bakinois et Bakinoises sont encore de beaux arguments pour décider de passer quelques jours de vacances ici, et pourquoi pas de découvrir ensuite les régions. Tiens, d'ailleurs moi j'y vais le week-end prochain: je vais découvrir la petite ville de Cheki qui parait il vaut le déplacement. Alors à vos atlas et si vous avez des questions n'hésitez pas.

Quelques infos récentes ( Juin 2016) concernant le Ferry Bakou/Aktau. Désormais , les ferries à destination d'Aktau partent d'Alat, le nouveau port situé à 70 km au sud ouest de Bakou. Sur place, il y a juste le terminal avec deux algécos, l'un pour faire quelques provisions , l'autre pour boire le thé sans compter un bloc toilettes pas vraiment propre.. Il y aurait un petit hôtel à deux km mais je n'ai pas vérifié. Les départs sont toujours aussi aléatoires. Pour ma part , j'ai attendu 3 jours mais sur place des routiers étaient là depuis 6 jours , ce qui à cette époque semble être un maximum. Pour les infos concernant les départs , on peut joindre VIKA au 00994552665354 mais elle n'a pas toujours des données précises. Le ferry est essentiellement réservé aux routiers . Il y a 10 places disponibles pour les voitures ou moto. Il est donc nécessaire d'être là quand les billets sont mis en vente ( sur place )( pour les passager à pied, la vente se fait au port de Bakou) . Pour ma part , cela s'est fait à 2 heures du matin pour un départ à 21h le soir . Le coût est de 110 dollars pour le véhicule et 70 pour le passager ( cela prix inclus une couchette en cabine et la cantine sur le bateau . Bouffe correcte sans plus ). Le trajet dure environ 24 heures. A l'arrivée à Aktau, les douaniers montent sur le bateau puis vous conduisent dans leurs locaux. Pour ma part , les formalités ont duré environ 4 heures. Il faut donc être patient.

Bonsoir, auriez-vous des informations sur la liaison entre Bakou en Azerbaïdjan et Turkmenbashi au Turkmenistan? Fréquence des Ferry, prix, durée? Merci d'avance !

Y a t'il des liaisons maritimes sur la caspienne entre Bakou en Azerbaidjan et Aqtau au Kazakstan.

Bonjour à tous,

Actuellement en voyage à vélo, je suis à Bakou. Je souhaite voyager l'iran puis rejoindre le Pamir. Je ne souhaite pas traverser le Turkménistan pour diverses raisons notamment la difficulté à avoir le visa.

Existe-t-il des ferry qui partent de la côte irannienne et qui vont à Akthaou ?

Quelles autres possibilités ai-je sans prendre de lourd moyen transport (avion..)?

Je sais que des navettes partent de Bakou pour Akthaou mais ça me ferait revenir à Azerbaïdjan..

Merci pour vos témoignages.

Yannick

Bonjour,

Je commence un tour du monde Est-Ouest sous peu. L'idée principale est d'éviter de prendre l'avion un maximum, et donc le train c'est le top. Ayant déjà fait un Paris > Pékin en train, je me disais que cette fois-ci je me tenterais bien de faire le trajet Chine > Europe via la Route de la Soie.

Idéalement via Chine > Kazakhstan > Ouzbékistan > Turkmenistan >Azerbaijan > Géorgie > Ukraine en prenant des ferries quand il y a de l'eau et des bus quand il n'y a pas de rails. Alternativement un chemin peut être plus simple serait Chine > Kazakhstan > Russie (via Volograd) > Ukraine

Après des recherches pas très fructueuses, je me demande si quelqu'un ici a l'expérience de ce voyage et de sa mise en place coté planning et surtout coté administratif (visa, lettres d'invits etc.)? J'ai des souvenirs assez douloureux pour l'obtentions de mes visas Russes, Biélorusses, Chinois et Mongols lors du Paris > Pékin. Et un coup d'oeil sur Action Visa pour voir les formalités et délais d'obtention des visas de l'ex URSS ne m'ont pas rassurés...

Bref, si quelqu'un ici a déjà tenté l'expérience, ça m'intéresse!

A+ Sly

Je sais que ce thème a déjà été abordé, mais pas depuis longtemps si je ne m'abuse : COMMENT faire pour traverser la Caspienne depuis Bakou pour le Turkménistan... le tout avec un visa turkmène de transit à dates fixes qui dure cinq jours et un ferry azéri à dates non fixes qui peut mettre cinq jours à partir ? Ce problème me semble insoluble, mais j'imagine que sur le terrain on trouve quelques solutions... J'ai pour projet de traverser la Caspienne l'an prochain, et j'aimerais atterrir au Turkménistan, avant de me rendre en Ouzbékistan, etc... J'ai cru comprendre que pour le visa Azeri, Batumi c'était bien, et que pour le visa Turkmene, Istanbul pouvait faire l'affaire. Mais je vois mal comment être ponctuel à Turkmenbashi si je dois donner ma date d'entrée deux mois avant et que ce satané bateau ne part pas à l'heure... Merci de votre aide !

Bonjour,

Je souhaite rejoindre le Kazakhstan depuis l'Europe par voie terrestre (train et bus), et ce sans passer par la Russie (éviter le visa).

Quel est le meilleur moyen ? Je pensais partir de Turquie, rejoindre l'Azerbaïdjan et traverser la mer Caspienne en bateau. Quelqu'un peut-il me dire si c'est le chemin le plus simple et à combien se monte le voyage (départ d'Istanbul). Tous les tuyaux seront les bienvenus.

Merci Pierre

Bonsoir,

Sait-on jamais....

Je lisais sur la Toile qu'il n'existe pas de liaison ferry, même irrégulière, entre Baku et l'Iran. Mais qu'il n'était pas impossible d'embarquer sur un cargo.

Quelqu'un aurait-il déjà tenté l'expérience ?

Catherine

bonjour je cherche des renseignements sur la traversée du ferry AKTAU BAKOU en transportant un camping car

merci

Infos 2016 sur ce "bateau mystère", pas si simple ms pas si compliqué non plus... Alors premièrement avant d'effectuer toute démarche, il faut le visa Azerbaïdjan.. Donc prévoyez avant si vs ne voulez pas passer 10 jours à Aktau (ville charmante ms ville qd meme).. La fréquence en ce début septembre est apparemment d'un bateau tout les 2/3 jours. Visa en poche, passez à la billetterie des passagers (70€/pers) (mikrorayon 5, immeuble 29, l'adresse du lonely est fausse depuis visiblement lgts).. S'ils disent qu'il faut d'abord l'enregistrement du véhicule, c'est faux! Insistez car au port (à 10km) ils ne veulent rien savoir et cela vs évitera des allers-retours.. Dès lors on va au port enregistrer le véhicule (10000 tenge l'enregistrement pr ns, ~25€) ms pr le véhicule en lui-même on paie à Bakou (80usd par mètre linéaire) Après ils doivent appeler ms on a préféré y aller le lendemain car normalement il devait y avoir un bateau..... Pr ns embarquement à 22h30 pour accoster à 23h30 le jour d'après!!😳😝 prévoyez la vodka 😃 car c'est looonnngg!! Les repas étaient compris à bord et l'ambiance routiers turco-russe assez sympa.. Par contre arrivée à Yeni Deniz Limani (60km au sud de Bakou) et mauvaise surprise: restriction sur le visa transit; notre véhicule étant trop vieux (1984); on n'a eu q 3 jours pr rallier la Géorgie 😡.. (douane TRÈS chiante ds notre cas). Voila j'espère que ça pourra aider certains.. Même si ça a été long c'est qd même une chouette expérience😊

PS: pr ceux qui bouge avec les chiens, pas possible de les faire monter à bord la nuit ms un sympathique "boss man" vous laissera sans aucun doute les monter le lendemain sur le pont si vous lui demandez gentillement..

Pour notre liaison aller vers la Chine et le Tibet avec retour par la Mongolie, nous envisageons de prendre en Azerbaidjan le Ferry Bakou - Turkmenbashi début avril 2013 avec notre Land Rover 130 Camping-Car et nous recherchons des informations récentes concernant les fréquences de rotations des Ferry, la durée embarquement et débarquement, et du trajet ainsi que des infos sur les formalités douanières. Le visa de transit de 5 jours délivré par le consulat Turkmene a Paris et à date fixe, est il suffisant pour rallier Turkmenabat a la frontière Ouzbeque ? On recherche également des infos sur la liaison ferry toujours de Bakou - Aktau au Kazakhstan ? Merci pour vos éventuelles infos fraiches !

Hello,

J'ai besoin de vos lumières ! Je suis parti de Genève à vélo et je me trouve à Istanbul, j'ai fait ma demande de visa ouzbek et j'attends lundi pour lancer celle du Turkménistan.

Cependant ce matin, nous avons été à l'ambassade Azeri qui on refusé notre demande. Apparemment, l'ambassade Azeri à Istanbul ne délivre des visas QUE pour les turques résident et les Azeri qui travaille en turquie avec obligation d'avoir une invitation...

Je me pose la question suivante, est-ce que j'essaie d'obtenir le visa turkmen puis je repars avec mon vélo et je fais le nécessaire en georgie à tbilissi pour le visa azeri? mais je dois être sur de pouvoir faire mon visa azeri à tbilissi étant Suisse, j'ai peur qu'on me dise la même chose à tbilissi, à savoir "you are swiss, no visa"

Mon itinéraire est le suivant, turquie, georgie, azerbaidjan, turkmenistan, ouzbekistan etc..

Merci d'avance pour tout renseignement

Antonin

Y a-t-il de bateaux, transportant des voitures bien, qui joignent Bakou à un port du Kazakhstan. Où trouver des infos sur les prix, les fréquences, les rotations, les réservations etc.? Toute info sur le trajet Paris Oulan Bator M'interresse.

Bonjour bonjour

Je suis actuellement en Turquie et envisage de passer par la Georgie puis l'Azerbaidjan pour rejoindre le Turkmenistan. Quelqu'un sait-il s'il existe un batau permettant d'effectuer cette traversée ?? J'ai lu sur le forum des infos pour une travesée Azerbaidjan-Kazak., mais rien en direction du Turkmenistan... Accessoirement si quelqu'un a des infos sur des hotels pas chers (mais alors vraiment pas chers !) en georgie et en Azerb., je suis preneuse !

Merci !

bonjour on cherche des infos récentes sur le passage au kazakhstan en camping car. On partirai de France via ce pays puis la chine et Asie du sud est. est ce faisable en cc (état des routes), quelle est la sécurité de ce pays (d'apres le ministere des affaires etrangeres, le pays est classé en vigilance renforcée et le passage de la frontière vers la chine déconseillé), quand est il réellement? merci Inès

Bonjour,

Est-ce que quelqu'un peut me donner une info actualisée à propos des points suivant: - "ambiance" à Bakou lors de l'embarquement sur un ferry vers le Turkménistan ? Choses à faire et à ne pas faire ? - durée moyenne de la traversée ? N'y a-t-il pas des problèmes d'engorgement du port de Turkmenbashi qui obligeraient les bateaux à stationner plusieurs jours en mer Caspienne en attente d'une autorisation d'accostage, quelqu'un a-t-il déjà affronté ce problème ? Comment avez-vous géré la situation à bord, la patience mise à part ... ? - les prix moyens pratiqués pour 2 personnes en cabine "secure" (ouais vous vous marrez là, je sais !) ?

Normalement on embarque le 22 juin 2010 à Bakou avec une LOI officielle pour un itinéraire de 10 jours au Turkménistan en poche et le visa ouzbek pour la continuation sur le passeport. Merci par avance pour vos réponses.

Margesti www.voirlasie.fr (j-49)

Bonjour,

Je suis actuellement à Pékin, et je cherche à faire le visa pour le Kazakhstan (j'y entrerai par la Russie d'ici un mois).

Quelqu'un a-t-il déjà pris son visa kazakh à l'ambassade de Beijing ? En faisant quelques recherches, c'est apparemment compliqué

Le consulat kazakh est pour l'instant fermé ce lundi (pour information, horaires d'ouvertures du service consulaire, hors jours fériés : lundi, mercredi, vendredi de 09h à 13h). Comme je dois également faire le visa pour la Mongolie et que je souhaite pas rester 3 semaines à Pékin, j'essaie de rassembler en avance tous les documents nécessaires

A priori en France on a besoin de : formulaire rempli photos d'identité lettre précisant le motif de votre voyage à l’attention de M. le Consul (si je fais ça en Chine, je la rédige en chinois ou en kazakh ? 😮 héhé, bon j'espère qu'ils lisent l'anglais...)

Mais sur le site de l'ambassade à Pékin, ils mentionnent une lettre d'invitation, et la ligne qui tue : il faut postuler pour le visa dans son pays d'origine !

Merci de votre aide !

Bonjour,

Pour revenir de Chine, mon amie et moi souhaitons parcourir la route de la soie en train. Nous sommes pour le moment aux premières vapeurs de la préparation de notre périple.

Des questions apparaissent et j'espère que quelqu'un pourra ici m'aiguiller dans mes préparatifs.

Nous partirions de Chine direction le Kazakhstan, l’Ouzbékistan, le Turkménistan, L’Iran et enfin la Turquie.

Dans un premier temps, vous pouvez peut être m'aider concernant les visas. J'ai entendu dire que le visa du Turkmenistan pouvait être compliqué à obtenir. Auriez vous quelques retours d'expériences/conseils pour des voyageurs ne souhaitant pas passer par une agence de voyage ?

Dans un second temps, êtes vous au courant de la faisabilité d'un trajet en train Iran/Turquie. Il semblerait que la ligne ait été fermée en 2015 puis ré-ouverte en 2019...

Si quelqu'un a déjà fait ce périple, je suis preneur de tout autre conseil !

Merci par avance pour vos réponses !

Pierre

Bonjour tout le monde :)

C'est mon premier message sur VoyageForum ! Je suis un étudiant picard de 20 ans, d'habitude sur Strasbourg mais en échange en ce moment à l'université MGIMO de Moscou jusqu'en juin 2017, et il s'avère qu'en Russie on a peu de vacances et que j'en viens à jalouser mes compatriotes partis en échange en Amérique du Sud ou en Asie de l'Est qui passent leur temps à voyager.

Du coup on s'est dit, avec quelques amis, qu'on aimerait bien partir un peu dans des régions qu'on aura pas beaucoup l'occasion de visiter par la suite. Sauf que les seules vraies vacances qu'on a c'est en plein mois de janvier, et qu'on est tenté soit par le Caucase (Azerbaïdjan, Géorgie puis Arménie), soit par l'Asie Centrale (plus particulièrement Kazakhstan et Kirghizstan). Or, on a peu de retours sur les voyages dans ces destinations en hiver, et on a un peu peur de faire un tel investissement s'il y a un risque qu'il soit compromis par des températures trop rudes ou des éléments capricieux.

La grosse question qu'on se pose, c'est donc lequel des deux "circuits" serait le plus réalisable selon vous ? :)

Je voudrais donc savoir si certains ou certaines d'entre vous sont par hasard allés en hiver dans ces destinations, si ça vaut le coup d'y aller, comment s'y déplacer en sécurité (papa et maman risquent de faire la tête sinon 😉) et ce qu'on peut y faire. Pour vous donner quelques indications plus détaillées, nous hésitons entre les itinéraires suivants (approximativement) :

1. Bakou (AZ) - Tbilissi (GE) - Erevan (AM) 2.a) Astana (KZ) - Alma-Aty (KZ) - Bishkek (KG) (on aimerait bien passer par l'Ouzbékistan pour aller à Osh mais on craint d'avoir des soucis à cause de la neige sur la route) 2.b) Au lieu de descendre sur Osh, on hésite également à monter à Karakol pour se rapprocher du lac Issyk-Koul, mais encore une fois on a peur que ce soit impossible en raison de l'enneigement.

Pour l'instant, on penche plutôt pour le Caucase du fait des températures et on prévoit de sécher les cours début mai (jours fériés en masse aidant) pour se faire une autre petite semaine de vacances, ce qui nous permettrait d'aller traîner dans l'une ou l'autre des destinations, mais pendant un temps plus réduit. 😇

(Je précise également que, le cœur ayant ses raisons, je serai de retour en France dès juin et que voyager en été me sera malheureusement impossible 😊) Voilà, si vous avez des questions supplémentaires sur ma situation n'hésitez pas, si vous avez des conseils je serais très heureux de les lire ! :) Merci d'avance !

Soyuz :)

Bonjour,

J'ai fait pas mal de recherches sur le forum et n'ai pas vraiment trouvé la réponse à ma question donc je me lance.

Nous partons bientôt pour ce que la plupart des gens appelleraient un tour du monde et ce que je ne parviens à nommer pour l'instant que "long voyage" ! (Toujours du mal à me dire qu'on pourrait vraiment boucler la boucle). Nous partons d'Iran le 11 octobre et nous comptons traverser l'Asie centrale jusqu'à la Mongolie pour ensuite redescendre par la Chine. Nous allons rester un mois en Iran, traverser le Turkmenistan en quelques jours, et nous avons demandé un visa de 7 jours pour l'Ouzbekistan. Nous voici donc à la frontière Ouzbekistan-Tadjikistan-Kirghizistan aux alentours du 22 novembre.

Je n'arrive pas à trouver trop d'informations sur comment se passe l'hiver en Tadjikistan et Kirghizistan. A part que la plupart des gens déconseille vivement d'y aller en hiver, que se passe-t-il vraiment si on y va ? Concrètement, est-ce faisable de voyager dans cette région à partir de fin novembre ? Y a-t-il des transports ? Ou bien est-ce tellement la galère qu'il vaudrait mieux directement passer au Kazakhstan depuis l'Ouzbekistan.

Précisons que nous ne dormons pas sous tente, donc tout ce dont nous avons besoin c'est de moyens de transports et d'endroits où dormir et manger ! (ce que j'imagine que les tadjiks et kirghiz doivent continuer à faire même en hiver...)

J'espère que quelqu'un parmi vous à déjà tenté la chose et saura nous donner quelques infos ! A très bientôt,

Léa.

Hello everyone!

I’m back from two weeks in southern Kazakhstan. I went with a friend, and we organized everything ourselves. We came back enchanted by this trip: stunning landscapes, lots of animals seen in the parks, and above all, top-notch hospitality and welcome... All of this makes me really want to go back and explore the other countries in the region. In the meantime, I’m sharing the story of these two weeks of travel... Don’t hesitate if you have any questions. And if you want more practical info and/or see more photos, you can check out my blog: https://smilingaroundtheworld.com/category/kazakhstan/

Day 1: First Kazakh steps in Shymkent

So here we are in Kazakhstan for two weeks. We had an excellent flight with Air Astana, which instantly made it into my top 3 best airlines! From the airport, the service was top-notch, with very friendly staff who went out of their way to ensure we both got vegetarian meals (my order hadn’t been taken into account when booking the tickets online). The flight to Nur-Sultan (the new name for the capital, formerly Astana, renamed last month in honor of the resigning president) was three-quarters empty, and we each got to stretch out over three seats. We were given an incredible travel kit, including a reversible sleep mask with phosphorescent writing: “Do not disturb” or “Wake me for meals.” Awesome! As for the lighting in the plane, I think the interior cycled through every color to simulate evening, early night, pitch-black night, and then dawn. It was even a bit surreal—those lights and everyone’s glowing masks ^^ The flight was a bit early and too short for us to sleep well, but it was still pleasant :-)

Upon arriving in Nur-Sultan, the atmosphere was a bit colder. There was staff everywhere, and we were under heavy surveillance. A camera even filmed us as we entered the terminal. We got our passports stamped and settled in to wait for our second flight. We eventually realized we were waiting in the wrong place... We were still in the international terminal, while our next flight was domestic. We finally found the right spot—saved! We started our trip in Shymkent, in the south of the country. We dropped our bags at the City Hostel, a super modern youth hostel offering double rooms. The decor is industrial-style, with very high ceilings—we loved it. When we arrived, it was too early for check-in, so we just left our luggage and went for a walk around the neighborhood. There was quite a bit of traffic, and the avenues were very wide. Despite that, there was also a lot of greenery and green spaces, which lightened things up a bit.

We had lunch (pizza + smoothie) on the top floor of a shopping mall, then headed to the pre-Russian quarter, a much quieter area with its little streets and individual houses.

Back at the hostel, after checking in, we treated ourselves to a two-hour nap—it felt great! In the late afternoon, we set out to find the Salman Bazaar. It wasn’t easy to organize—we realized Shymkent isn’t a very touristy destination—but we eventually managed with the help of the hostel receptionist, who called us a taxi. This bazaar is huge and has everything you could need for daily life: clothes, food, household products, toys... We did some shopping for dinner, then took another taxi to Independence Park, inaugurated in 2011 for the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence. We really liked this park—it’s very wooded, and the late afternoon light was, as always, beautiful and pleasant... In the center, a large monument resembles the center of a yurt.

We then walked back to the hostel via Independence Square and several parks. We wanted to grab a drink along the way but didn’t find anything inspiring—oh well. We had dinner at the hostel and went straight to bed. Tomorrow, we’re getting up early... We’re heading out for two days to explore Aksou-Jabagly National Park. This park is famous for its landscapes at this time of year—it should be in full bloom, especially with tulips. We’ll see!

Days 2 & 3: Canyon, tulips, and wildlife in Aksou-Jabagly Park

Located two hours from Shymkent, Aksou-Jabagly Park is reputed to be one of the most beautiful in the region. We took a taxi from Shymkent, and upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by Ruslan and his mother. They live at the entrance to the reserve, at the foot of the mountains, in a house surrounded by poplars. The setting is exceptional, and we immediately fell in love with the place. For our first day, we set off to explore the Aksou Canyon. Ruslan arranged a 4x4 with a driver and a ranger. The ranger speaks a few words of English, and with Coralie’s few words of Russian, we should manage! After a “viewpoint” stop, the road turns into a dirt track. It’s rained a lot lately, and the track is sometimes very muddy—at one point, we even had to cross a river. Four-wheel drive was definitely needed! The ranger pointed out some marmots by the side of the path—they were adorable.

We finally arrived at “Inspector’s House No. 1,” which overlooks the canyon. The view is magnificent, with high cliffs, wildflowers, conifers, and the Aksou River winding far below. While the driver chatted with the inspector, we descended to the bottom of the canyon with the ranger. The tulips I’d been hoping for were there—I was so happy! There were red, yellow, and even bicolor ones...

At the bottom of the canyon, we took a little break by the river. “Aksou” means “white waters” in Kazakh—the water does indeed have a very special color, a blue that’s both very light and very intense, like some South American lagoons. It bubbles around the rocks. The climb back up was easier than we feared. Once at the top, we continued along the canyon. The perspective changed as we progressed, and we never got tired of the view... Eagles circled above us.

After about 2 km, the driver picked us up, and we continued to a small kiosk at the foot of the mountains, where we had a picnic. Ruslan’s mother had prepared vegetarian “lunch boxes”—it was delicious and felt good to eat. However, it had gotten noticeably colder, so we put our jackets and scarves back on! After the meal, the driver walked off with a bucket—we figured he was going mushroom picking with Inspector No. 2, who had a house nearby.

We enjoyed the spot a bit longer while the driver gathered mushrooms, and then we headed back toward Ruslan’s place. Or so we thought... The return trip turned out to be quite long—the park wasn’t as deserted as it seemed, and the driver stopped every five minutes to chat with people we passed. At one point, we ran into Inspector No. 2 on horseback—it looked like there was a problem with a car further ahead... The driver and ranger bolted out of the car, headed toward the other vehicle, and we heard raised voices... When they came back, we tried to figure out what had happened, but no luck. We stopped again at Inspector No. 1’s house (are you following?), and they made us get out, telling us Inspector No. 2 needed the car for a few minutes... They left us stranded with Inspector No. 1, who went home, leaving us in the garden :-D We kept busy with the puppies, and I even took a little nap in the sun... Three-quarters of an hour later, we finally left—we didn’t fully understand what happened and never found out!

We got back (almost) without stopping to Ruslan’s house. Our room was ready, and we settled in quickly before dinner. It was already 6:30 PM, even though we were supposed to be back by 4 PM. Mushroom picking really slows things down ^^ Ruslan’s mother had prepared a delicious meal: vegetable soup, raw vegetable salad, and a mushroom, carrot, and potato stew. We loved it!

We spent the rest of the evening planning the rest of our trip while sipping tea. At one point, Ruslan and his mother signaled that there were wild boars right across from us—we could see them clearly! There were three adults and three piglets. We also took a little walk in the garden, watched the sunset, I did some blogging, and Coralie read... A lovely evening, and an equally lovely ten-hour night! The next morning, after a good breakfast, we set off on foot into the park. The trail starts right next to Ruslan’s house—so convenient! Today, we were with another ranger, two Germans (brother and sister), and their English-speaking guide (who didn’t guide much). We walked on a dirt road—there were even more tulips than yesterday, and the snow-capped mountains in the distance were stunning. After 5 km, we reached a small cabin, then continued another kilometer to Kishy Kaindy, a viewpoint overlooking the Jabagly River waterfalls (Jabagly means “year-old foal”). It was spectacular! We stayed a good while admiring this natural wonder. Like yesterday, the ranger didn’t rush us at all—it was really nice. We also saw eagles and an ibex perched on a ridge.

We had a picnic at the cabin before heading back the same way we came. This time, the snow-capped peaks were facing us—so beautiful! We picked up our bags and said goodbye to Ruslan’s mother. She was really happy today because her granddaughter was there. She told us she was a “babushka”—I understood that! Ruslan then drove us to Turar Ryskulov, where we took a shared taxi back to Shymkent.

In Shymkent, we struggled a bit with our Airbnb. We waited half an hour for the person who was supposed to let us in, then discovered the Wi-Fi wasn’t working—but we had a lot of bookings to make that evening. The lady finally lent us a Kazakh SIM card with data, which Coralie put in her phone in “hotspot” mode so I could get some internet too. All of that took nearly two hours. Phew! We then rushed to do some shopping at the supermarket. On the way back, some lights caught my eye—it was a pedestrian street all decorated with a funfair next to it. It was very lively, and we spent a good while strolling and people-watching! The rest of our evening was studious, between preparing dinner and booking our next stops.

Day 4: Turkestan, Yasawi Mausoleum, and Sauran ruins

This morning, after one last stroll in Shymkent, we headed to Turkestan. When we arrived at the bus station, we were told the next bus was in nearly three hours, but there were minibuses leaving when full. The system was well-oiled, and in just fifteen minutes, our minibus was ready to go. We each had a seat (and one for our luggage since there’s no trunk!), and the minibus was quite new—nothing like Madagascar ;-)

The trip went well despite a few driving scares—the driver was going a bit fast for my liking! Along the road, the fields were full of poppies—so pretty. When we arrived, we headed straight to the Edem hotel, where we wouldn’t be staying (we had a train to Almaty at midnight) but where we wanted to leave our luggage for the day. They agreed easily—great! Once we’d dropped off our bags and suitcases, we started our visits.

We began with the architectural gem and largest pilgrimage site in Kazakhstan: the mausoleum of Khodja Ahmad Yasawi, a great Sufi sage. Yasawi’s original tomb was already a pilgrimage site when Tamerlane ordered the construction of a larger mausoleum in 1390. It’s decorated with white and blue tiles and has a turquoise dome (currently under renovation). The main facade, unfinished at Tamerlane’s death, was left in earth with visible scaffolding. Impressive! The site is UNESCO-listed. Inside, the main hall displays a large cauldron, and other small rooms showcase plates, ancient coins, belts... Yasawi’s tomb is visible via two adjacent corridors.

We then strolled through the park, which includes many other mausoleums and tombs. We visited the old baths, the Friday Mosque, and then the history museum. The underground mosque, where Yasawi’s cell is located (where he retreated at the end of his life), was unfortunately closed for renovations.

We then went back to the Edem hotel to have them call us a taxi, and we set off to visit the ancient fortress of Sauran. This Silk Road city, once prosperous, is now reduced to ruins, with thousands of poppies blooming between them. High walls once surrounded a bustling and pleasant city. Many foundations remain visible. The place is vast, quiet, almost deserted, and imbued with a certain melancholy... The deep red poppies swayed in the wind, between the remnants of this city, reminding us how fleeting things are.

Back in Turkestan, we had dinner at the Edem hotel’s restaurant (we had to thank them somehow ;-)) and then rushed to the station to catch our train... 18 hours of travel awaited us to Almaty!

Day 5: From Turkestan to Almaty, 18 hours by train across the Kazakh steppe

We traveled from Turkestan to Almaty by train. We booked our tickets the day before departure, and only six seats were left: three in second class, not together at all, and three in first class, also not together but in the same carriage. We opted for first class! It was more expensive, but for such a long trip, a little comfort wouldn’t hurt... We wondered if we’d manage to switch cabins to be together, but it resolved itself: when we boarded, the conductor/carriage chief immediately noticed we weren’t together. He literally kicked a young man out of his berth so we could travel in the same cabin. We felt bad for the young man, even though he seemed to take it well... we thanked him with dried fruit (and I can confirm he took it well—the next day, he came to chat with us). In any case, we were really happy to have our own little cabin for this long journey, especially since we were the only foreigners and the only women in the carriage.

Eighteen hours by train might seem long, but these long trips while traveling aren’t wasted time—they’re the breathing space of the journey. They’re the essential moments for digesting what we’ve already experienced and preparing for future discoveries. They’re also privileged moments for reflection. Traveling slowly, to the rhythm of the train, means falling asleep in Turkestan’s outskirts, lulled by the train’s rocking and creaking, and waking up in the steppe. It’s feeling the train slow down and stop, stepping onto the platform for a moment, and watching the women sell food to passengers. It’s taking the time to write, read, think. It’s chatting with our neighbors and, despite the language barrier, managing to communicate a little. It’s picnicking at the little table in our cabin, with the landscape rolling by outside, and listening to music. It’s feeling privileged, imagining ourselves on the Orient Express or the Trans-Siberian. Reminding ourselves that one day, one day for real, we’ll take that Trans-Siberian. And smiling, thinking that in the meantime, in a few months, there’ll be the Trans-Canadian...

Days 6 & 7: Almaty, the “little apple”

The former capital of Kazakhstan, Almaty is known as the most Western and lively city in the country. At first, we had a bit of trouble identifying the city center—it’s more spread out and less dense than what we’re used to in Europe—but once we got our bearings, we really enjoyed strolling along the wide avenues lined with cafés and in the few pedestrian streets. The city’s emblem is the apple, which you’ll find in various forms around the city, from benches to statues to fountains. The original apple, from which all the apples we know today descend, is said to come from the mountains of Kazakhstan.

For nature, Almaty is a pretty green city. It has large parks, like Panfilov Park, which houses the Zenkov Cathedral. Some streets are also very tree-lined, so much so that they almost look like gardens. Often, high mountains peek out from behind the streets...

For shopping, traditional boutiques sit alongside big international brands. We really liked the Green Bazaar, a large market that sells everything. The food section was great, with stalls of pickled vegetables, dried fruits, and beautifully stacked fresh fruits... A feast for the eyes and lots of temptations for me!

For culture, Almaty has several museums. We visited two: the Fine Arts Museum and the National Museum. Both are housed in very Soviet-looking buildings on the outside, but the Fine Arts Museum turned out to be quite modern inside, with a pleasant museography. The National Museum, on the other hand, has stayed true to its roots ^^ Just walking through it was an experience in itself. And we did quite a bit of shopping there... The hall is a giant shop with lots of handicrafts—we treated ourselves.

The Arasan Baths are a must in Almaty. They’re said to be among the most beautiful baths in Central Asia... Architecturally, I didn’t find them amazing (nothing like Budapest’s, for example), but wow, did it feel good to relax there after a day of sightseeing! I happily moved between the sauna, hammam, and Russian sauna, with a preference for the latter—less dry than a traditional sauna and less humid than the hammam. You can buy bundles of leaves to slap yourself (or get slapped) with to boost circulation. The prices are very affordable too... On a weekday evening, we paid 1,800 tenge, or 4.5 euros, for an hour. Note that they add 20 minutes for changing, so you really get a full hour in the baths.

For restaurants, we didn’t try many because we preferred to limit our food budget by cooking ourselves. However, we did try and highly recommend Daredzhani, a great Georgian restaurant where we feasted. We didn’t know Georgian cuisine before, but we really liked it—vegetables cooked in various ways, cheese-filled breads, potato and/or egg-filled breads, and very thin fruit pastes made from grapes. We actually ate there twice because it was so good! We also loved Coffee Delia, where you can enjoy delicious pastries in a very cozy setting.

Besides being a pleasant place to live, Almaty is also a great base for exploring the surrounding area, and we were happy to stay eight days to discover more of the region!

Days 7, 8 & 9: Getting green around Almaty: Kok Tobe, Shymbulak, Medeo, and Big Almaty Lake

During our stay in Almaty, we used a rather unusual means of transport several times: the cable car! Here, it’s called a "gondola," and it allowed us to gain some altitude and breathe in the fresh mountain air surrounding Almaty ;-)

First cable car ride: Kok Tobe. The cable car starts in the city center and takes you to the top of a hill overlooking Almaty. At the top, it’s fairground vibes with an upside-down house, a Ferris wheel, rides, and the inevitable eagle trainer... There’s even a little corner dedicated to the Beatles, complete with music and a statue!

Second ride: Shymbulak. This time, you take a bus to Medeo, then three cable cars to the top of the mountain, at 3,200 meters altitude. Shymbulak is the largest ski resort in Central Asia. We went there to hike, but there was still snow and skiers, so we settled for admiring the view... With the blue sky and sun we had, it was gorgeous! We then treated ourselves to tea on the terrace—chalet vibes... At Paul’s, we weren’t completely out of place ;-)

Before taking the bus back, we stopped by Medeo, where there’s a large ice rink. With 10,000 m², it can host a thousand skaters in winter! This season, it’s closed; part of it is used as a go-kart track, and the other as a landing strip for paragliders.

Located an hour’s drive from the city center, Big Almaty Lake reveals itself at the last moment, around a bend, nestled in a setting of mountains and greenery. With the recent cold snap, it’s frozen, and the edges are snowy—a beautiful winter atmosphere! The ice was starting to melt, though—we could hear the water moving underneath, and when Coralie tried to walk on the ice, it collapsed under her feet. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to walk around it—a ranger keeps an eye out and blocks the adventurous (including us ;-)).

Days 10 & 11: Excursions around Almaty: Charyn Canyon, Issyk, and Turgen

Almaty’s tourism office is very active and organizes outings on weekends and holidays. We went to Charyn Canyon and then to Issyk and Turgen. A great way to discover the Almaty area at a modest cost (the outing costs about 6,000 tenge, or 15 euros per person).

Formed over millennia by erosion and wind, Charyn Canyon is reminiscent of the Colorado and the Grand Canyon. The most touristy part we visited is called the Valley of Castles, referring to the rock formations that resemble towers. We first walked along the ridge, where there are many viewpoints, then descended into the canyon. A three-kilometer walk leads to the banks of the Charyn River. The place seems to be a favorite relaxation spot for Kazakh families, who picnic, play ball, sunbathe... There’s also a hotel, bungalows, yurts, and a restaurant. Issyk is famous for its burial mounds and its Golden Man—maybe even a Golden Woman—found there. A small museum displays some artifacts. A little further on is Issyk Lake, once dried up but now reappearing... Whether naturally or not isn’t very clear!

As for Turgen, it’s a natural park known for its gorges and waterfalls. We didn’t have time to explore it in detail, but the bus drove through some beautiful landscapes, and we still walked to Bear Waterfall. It’s not incredible, but it’s still a nice little hike.

Besides the practical side of these organized excursions from Almaty, we appreciated being able to do an activity that Kazakhs do on weekends. During the Issyk/Turgen excursion, we really hit it off with Karina, a young student dragged there on vacation by her mother. She’s currently studying computer science at the best university in Astana and hopes to go to Europe eventually... A brilliant young woman, and a chance for us to chat in English ;-)

Days 12 & 13: The spectacular landscapes of Altyn-Emel Park

The last stop on our Kazakhstan trip was Altyn-Emel Park. This park is quite hard to access, so we opted for a car with a driver for two days—pure luxury!

Our driver’s name is Andrei. We met him at 7 AM outside our apartment on Wednesday morning. He doesn’t speak English, but a young man from the agency we booked through was also there, and we went over the itinerary together before leaving with Andrei.

Our first stop was Tamgaly Tas, two hours from Almaty. It’s a site where you can see 16th-century petroglyphs depicting Buddha. The place is also known for climbing—there were lots of young people harnessed up and/or climbing. It’s right in the middle of the Kazakh countryside, and we had a bit of trouble finding it!

Even with the language barrier, Andrei turned out to be very friendly. He suggested photo stops from time to time, didn’t rush us, and pointed out animals he saw... We even backed up on the road to see and help a tortoise cross!

It took another two and a half hours to reach Bashi, the “gateway” village to Altyn-Emel Park. After a quick stop at the rangers’, we arrived at the hotel. Our guidebook mentioned modest guesthouses, but things are changing... The hotel is large, brand new, and still being expanded. It reminded me of some Chinese hotels in Laos.

We had a quick lunch with Andrei—he explained that he’s a truck driver normally, delivering clothes and fabrics between Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and Russia. He also showed us photos of his wife and son and told us he’s recently become a grandfather! We then headed to the park, grabbing a ranger on the way. Like in Aksou-Jabagly, he was dressed in full military gear. We first headed toward the Katutau Mountains. The rocks are reddish, sculpted by wind and erosion—the place reminded us a bit of Charyn Canyon. We had some “free time” to explore—we didn’t need to be told twice... Meanwhile, Andrei and the ranger chatted nonstop—it looked like they’d hit it off!

We got back in the car and continued along the track to the Aktau Mountains. Change of scenery! The mountains weren’t red anymore but white... Or so they appeared from afar. When we got closer, we realized they were actually multicolored, striped with yellow, pink, and ochre veins... It was magnificent, even more so with the late afternoon light. We had time to explore on our own again, and we walked with delight in this almost dreamlike landscape. We thought we’d made the right choice coming here ;-) We made one last stop before heading back to see a 700-year-old willow. It’s in an oasis where other tourists were camping—very tempting... I got the coordinates of their guide for next time ;-) The way back was in beautiful light, between sunset and a distant storm. Nature even treated us to a gorgeous sunset!

It was past 8 PM when we got back to the hotel, but our dinner was still waiting for us. We ate with Andrei, chatted a bit with a Polish woman who spoke both Russian and French (we put her to work chatting with Andrei ;-)), and then had a quiet evening with Wi-Fi, a shower, and reading in our room.

The next day, after breakfast, we met up with the same ranger and headed toward the singing dunes. These dunes are supposed to make a sound when you slide down their slopes. I was more than skeptical, but okay! When we arrived, we discovered a beautiful landscape—the main dune is gigantic, and when we reached the top, the view was extraordinary: it was the first time I’d seen a dune in the desert, snow-capped mountains, and a river all in one glance! A group of Chinese tourists was ahead of us on the dune, but they turned back quickly, and we were alone. After studying the terrain, I chose a slope that seemed good, and I started sliding down on my bottom... Quickly, I heard and felt a strong vibration, which turned into a hum. The dune really sings! It’s completely crazy... We did several tests—the most effective was sliding down side by side. But it works as long as there aren’t too many tourists doing it and the dune has time to rebuild between slides... There are about thirty singing dunes in the world. This phenomenon, already described by Marco Polo, comes from the synchronous movement of sand grains, which must be very round and covered with a varnish called “desert glaze”...

Covered in sand but delighted, we headed back to Bashi. The ranger stopped at a small spring so we could wash up, but it was almost dry. Along the way, we also saw the “Oshaktas,” a place where Genghis Khan’s expedition is said to have camped in 1219 during his conquest of Central Asia. The stones were apparently used to support the cauldron where food was prepared. A little further on, the ranger made us stop: there were antelopes!!! We saw one up close and a herd further away.

When we got back to the hotel, I took a quick shower to get rid of the sand—I felt like I had it everywhere! We had a quick lunch and then hit the road back to Almaty. Andrei drove very well, had a nice playlist, and I let myself be lulled while watching the landscape roll by outside...

For our last night in Kazakhstan, we booked a yurt in the hills above Almaty, not far from Medeo. For one night, we pretended to be nomads... The bed was a bit hard, and the air was a bit chilly, but we loved it! And the welcome was kind, the meal very good—only downside: the horse milk and camel milk, still warm... I almost threw up. Well, it was an experience, and all of this beautifully concluded our Kazakh stay!

Bonjour,

Dans le cadre de notre voyage en Asie Centrale nous désirons passer du Kazaksthan en Ouzbekistan par la route de la ville Beyneu (Kazaksthan) à Nukus (Ouzbekistan). Nous disposons d'un 6x6 et désrons savoir si il existe une route et un passage frontière autorisé. Merci d'avance de vos informations😉