Kazakhstan

If you prefer your days to be warm, or if you have a morbid fear of being bitten by bugs, think about when you might like to travel to Kazakhstan.

Climate

Although the eastern end of Kazakhstan where we ride is geographically just over the hill from Mongolia, the seasons are not quite as extreme in terms of temperature. However it does get a lot more snow, which tends to linger on the mountain passes. 

Therefore we start a little later than for our Mongolia treks, in late June. The summer months of July and August are pleasantly warm, even hot on a sunny afternoon. By September Autumn is starting and the days become cooler.

Bugs

The good news is that Kazakhstan is not 'buggy' in the way that Mongolia can be. A wee lick of repellent, if you have particularly tasty blood, will suffice to keep any biters at bay.

Our meeting point is Ust-Kamenogorsk (also known as Oskemen), a pleasant city where the Irtysh and Ulba Rivers meet. You need to be here on or before Day 1. The group meets in the evening for our first dinner together, before driving east to Katon-Karagay the next day.

If you get delayed, and you don't arrive on Day 1, don't panic, we will arrange for you to catch up with the group (you won't be the first person to experience this).

Book your return flight for Day 17, or later. We plan to be back in Ust-Kamenogorsk in the evening of Day 16. If you would like more time to see the city (or flights work out better), arrive on 'Day 0', or stay on after the trip. We can help with booking extra accommodation.

Kazakh and Russian are the two official languages of Kazakhstan, and are both widely spoken. The long term aim is for everyone to be able to speak three languages including English. Our local team will be happy to practice their English with you.

We will help you learn a few basics, such as greetings, to earn their respect (or at least get a laugh out of them).

To get to our start point in Ust-Kamenogorsk, you will most likely need to transit through either Almaty or Astana (you may sometimes find a direct flight from Moscow). If flights work out, you may be able to pass through without leaving the airport, but why not take the opportunity to pop in to the city for a look around, or an overnight stay.

Almaty is a leafy and laid-back city, definitely worth a day of site-seeing, or there are overnight trips to sites outside the city such as Charyn Canyon. 

Astana (now officially Nur-Sultan), the capital, with its famously futuristic architecture, is great for a day of wandering.

We will be providing helpful tips here on what to see and do in these cities, from our own experience, and feedback from our guests.