Hello everyone, I’m Zhenya (@janiewanders). I recently visited Kazakhstan as part of the Kudablin project.
The trip, in my opinion, is very well illustrated by my dialogues with friends when I told them that I was going to Aktau:
— Where the hell are you going?
— In Aktau, damn it!
And after they saw all the photos and videos of the trip to this city:
— Aktau, damn it, is a very beautiful city!
— And I said, damn it!
Haha, this is a joke, but seriously, many people underestimate tourism in Kazakhstan. But there are so many beautiful and unique natural places here that can easily compete with Canada or the USA.
Aktau is a large industrial city on the coast of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan, located in the Mangistau region. Now its growth in popularity among tourists is facilitated by a beautiful place – the Bozzhyra tract. Travelers from all over the world flock here. And, of course, I couldn’t help but visit there. The emotions cannot be expressed in words – it is so unusual and beautiful there. It felt like I was on the set of the movie Dune. All around is a huge white desert with majestic rocks raised high.
Previously, on the site of the tract there was the Mesozoic Tethys Ocean. To this day, in these places you can see pieces of prehistoric shells or shark teeth (that’s what I found). A great souvenir that can definitely surprise anyone.
The road from the city to the Bozzhyra tract is approximately four hours one way. Along the way you will definitely see camels, sheep or horses. They just graze and roam freely. And if you are wondering if they are wild, the answer is no. They are all tagged in some way and have GPS trackers attached to them to help owners track their livestock.
Also on the way you will come across many oil fields, since Aktau is the oil capital of Kazakhstan. For the first time I saw a cluster of pumping machines that were actively working on mining.
In addition to the stunning desert and rocks, Aktau also has a stunning coastline of the Caspian Sea. The only seaport in Kazakhstan is located here. The place that stuck in my soul is the Rocky Path. This is literally a trail, which is very steeply landscaped and stretches along the coast. I definitely recommend walking along it from beginning to end – along the way you will find caves and beautiful views of the sea and rocks.
Aktau itself is quite small and cozy. It was pleasant to move around, everything was nearby. In the city I didn’t see any cool new buildings or business centers; everywhere there were mostly residential high-rise buildings – rather old buildings, but with attractive ornaments and designs.
By the way, Aktau is one of two cities in the world where there is a lighthouse on the roof of a residential building. My task from OneTwoTrip was to get inside this lighthouse. It was not difficult to find it; the lighthouse stands out against the background of all the buildings and structures in Aktau and looks extraordinary. It is located on the 11th floor of the building, the elevator works only for residents, so I walked up the stairs – anyone can do this.
Going upstairs, I saw that the roof was locked. Residents said that access is now closed, and only military personnel can go up there, since the lighthouse is still operational. So I had to leave empty-handed, but it was nice to be so close to a historical monument and the calling card of the city.
In general, I really liked it, and I advise everyone to visit Aktau at least once. It is best to come in spring or autumn, when the desert is not very hot. Get ready to see stunning sunsets, try the famous Kazakh national dish “fishbarmak” and explore the mighty Bozzhyra tract. There are still a lot of places left in Aktau that I haven’t told you about, so I will definitely return there, and more than once!
