Chinese province Sichuan is not only a homeland for Chinese tea but also a home for giant pandas. A lot of tourists come to Chengdu to see those cute bears which look more like giant raccoons and they eat tons of green bamboo nonstop. Being a symbol of WWT, a giant panda is a vulnerable […]
This story will take place in Altai, a huge mountain area on the corner of borders between Russia, Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan. Republic Altai is an amazing place in Russia, a far-away land, almost on Mongolian border. There at the confluence of the Bolshoy Yaloman and wild Katun rivers, a noble Altai lady lives – […]
Pangphug monastery is well known as one of the great sites founded by the first Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa (1110-1193), one of the four main students of Gampopa. During his 84-year lifespan, Dusum Khyenpa founded many monasteries in different areas; among these are his five major seats, those of his body, speech, mind, qualities, and activity. […]
Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyz Republic, is situated only 230 km away from Almaty, the biggest city in Kazakhstan, the city where I live. I have a lot of friends in Bishkek and there also is a mountain area popular among mountaineers. That’s why I regularly go to Bishkek about 3-4 times a year. Bishkek […]
Autumn in Almaty is perhaps my favorite part of the year. The richness of colors, many colors. Red, yellow, orange, dark red and brownish. Different combinations are possible. Maples, birch trees, rowans generously cover the ground with leaves. The air is filled with phytoncides. So nice to breathe! You can walk non-stop around the city […]
Having lived 40 years in one city, knowing every secret corner, it’s hard to imagine any white spots on its map. My home city Almaty, the biggest city in Kazakhstan, was able to surprise me. Despite its size until recently I thought that I know everything about it, at least once I’ve visited each neighborhood […]
«From Kazakhstan? In an original way …» — personal introduction was hardly an only reason when my Argentinean interlocutors displayed a genuine interest to the person naming himself «Kazakh» having the good knowledge of geography. In most cases, local residents could not recall a single country ending with «stan». But it was more pleasant to […]
Tyshkan-Tau and Muz-Tau ranges in Southern Dzungaria are located not far from the Chinese border. That was the place where our small expedition consisting of five Englishmen and me, their guide, went. What are the region’s remarkable features? Despite its close proximity to Zharkent (40 km), the site is an unexplored tourism area of Kazakhstan. […]
As I continue traveling in the most amazing and incredible places, I understand that there are similar places in Kazakhstan as well. I was lucky enough to visit them. Having completed my weekly work in three days, I take a map again, draw thick dots on it, inspire my friends and on weekends we turn […]
Traveling with my parents around the USSR in my childhood, I fell in love with adventures. At school geography class was my favorite, and the world atlas always lay on my desk. At the university I was engaged into alpinism as a member of the Kazakhstan sport team. So, at the present I possess a […]
There is a place on the earth where everything is filled with all possible tones of blue all year round. A month ago I discovered this place — the Galapagos Islands. White people discovered the Galápagos Islands in 1535 when a Spanish ship came upon them after being blown off course by a storm. The islands were […]
A stone’s throw away Many people believe that so called Kapchagai Buddhas is the only Buddhist monument in Semirechye, if not in the whole Kazakhstan. In order to verify these data I went to the Alakol Lake in search of other Buddhist monuments. I’d like to note that you need to have a car to […]