Much of Kazakhstan still looks the way it did when Genghis Khan and his hordes swept across the Central Asian steppes: vast, desolate and empty. Today's travelers will feel as if they've reached the final outposts of the civilized world: Bleak desert scenery leads to flat, seemingly endless plains, broken occasionally by isolated cities, many of them industrial wastelands dating from the Soviet era.
The plains end abruptly at sharply rising foothills and high mountains along the country's eastern and southeastern fringes, where the best attractions lie. According to Asian legend, somewhere in the Altay Mountains, which straddle Kazakhstan's borders with Russia and China, is Shambhala—the paradise that will someday reveal itself.
The country's biggest promise today lies below the waters of the Caspian Sea, on Kazakhstan's western border, where oil and gas reserves make the country potentially the richest of the republics in the region. For now, however, Kazakhstan is experiencing energy shortages that make life difficult in Almaty, a surprisingly cosmopolitan city, as well as in tRead More ... he remote countryside.Visiting Kazakhstan can be challenging, especially for independent travelers. Much of the population still lives in poverty, and crime rates are high, especially in the cities. Foreigners are a target because they are widely perceived to be rich. Also, Soviet-era suspicion of foreigners can create bureaucratic problems for those traveling alone. For the time being, we recommend that visitors to Kazakhstan travel as part of an organized tour. That way, costs will be fixed and your tour guide will have the headaches.
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