Kazakhstan [Paperback]

Kazakhstan Travel Guide - Travel advice and expert holiday tips including Astana and Almaty hotels, restaurants and highlights, trekking in the Tian Shan and Altai mountains, skiing, and eagle hunting traditions. Also covering Kokshetau and Alatau National Parks, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kolsai Lakes, Shambala, Caspian Sea, wildlife and reserves.This new, thoroughly updated third edition of Bradts Kazakhstan remains the only guide available dedicated solely to the worlds ninth largest country. This new edition covers all the most recent developments, including an updated history section, additional cultural coverage, more practical information to make independent travel easier, and the most up-to-date and relevant maps. Kazakhstan is more accessible than ever: tourist visas are no longer required and there are now numerous direct flights and connections from Europe. Tourist infrastructure has also significantly improved over the past few years and there are faster trains connecting east to west and north to south, as well as many options for internal flights.Kazakhstan is a modern country with a profound appreciation of its roots; numerous petroglyph sites with ancient rock art as well as the remains of Silk Road settlements testify to its varied history. The country offers a curious mix of Soviet nostalgia and architecture combined with the latest technology: Kazakhstan has better 4G coverage than Germany, France or Italy. For visitors, there are excellent opportunities for active tourism such as skiing, hiking, rafting, horse riding or simply gazing into the endless steppe. Bradts Kazakhstan is indispensable for discovering this extraordinary country, a place that is as geographically diverse as its cultural mix: around 130 different ethnic groups calls Kazakhstan home. From snow-covered peaks with excellent skiing opportunities and hiking trails through river valleys to the secluded lakes of the Tian Shan Mountains, to endless semi-desert steppes and then on to thlsL