Ustyrt (Ust-Yurt) National Park, Mangystau
 

Last month I made the long trip across the steppe to the Ust-yurt National Park. I had no information about it, only waypoints from Google Earth. It's around 170 km drive through uninhabited territory on tracks (like very remote parts of Mongolia). It was as hot as hell, and far dustier, but the scenery....

Islands in Lake Kendilisor, in the Karynzharyk Depression:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-M...yk%2525202.jpg

The 'Three Brothers'

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S...20Brothers.jpg

Sunset from the fantastic camping spot on the rim of the depression:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r...2520Sunset.jpg

There are signs (in Kazakh only) saying to keep out, but hell, I wasn't going to turn around after driving all day.

I combined the trip with a visit to the pilgrimage sites of Shopan Ata and Beket Ata, which are a very rewarding Kazakh cultural experience.

Kazakhstan = not a boring country!

More info on the trip here:

www.facebook.com/eurasiaoverland

Mangystau is an area I would like to visit since years..after looking at your pictures, my desire to explore it has become even bigger!

Absolutely awesome, thanks for sharing your pics!!! :thumbup1:

There is a cool report from the Russian Off-Road People who went there on motos in early May last year here too:

OFFROADPEOPLE

Thanks guys!

Mangystau really surprised me. I was expecting all harsh semi-desert and terrible heat, but found the western part (the peninsular area north of Aktau) to be wonderful. The roads are SH!T, but the steppe is wonderful, it's very much like Mongolia, just find a track and follow it until a new one heads where you want to go. I'd go so far as to say that if you were hankering for a repeat ofthe Mongolia experience, but don't have the time to haul yourself halfway across Eurasia, then Mangystau is a good substitute for a quick adventure on the steppe.

Culturally, it's almost certainly the richest area in Kazakhstan, and then there is the glorious Ustyrt Plateau and National Park.

When is the best time to visit Mangystau region(not too hot or too cold)?

At a guess, I would say late April to late May, after the damp winter and before the heat of summer.

To be fair thats a bit like saying Wimbledon Hill is the most mountainous part of London. :thumbup1: