The masterpiece that is – Altyn Emel National Park

I’ll show you a place
High on the desert plain, yeah
Where the streets have no name, oh, oh

“Where the streets have no name” – this song by U2 came to mind as soon we were within Altyn Emel National Park limits. A paradise for nature lovers, adventure junkies and geologists.

The Route

There are two routes to reach the National Park from Almaty. We took the northern entrance to Altyn Emel National Park which requires getting to Basshi village. Basshi is a small village (where we stayed the night in a guesthouse) which serves as the headquarters of the national park, and where one can get the permits to enter the national park. Almaty to Basshi is about 4 hours drive and then approx. another hour till the park.

Note: There is no public transport to Altyn Emel National Park. It’s best to travel with a guide or self-drive. One can hitch-hike till Basshi, but then even the village is far from the park.

The drive from Almaty to Basshi is scenic, to say the least. The highways are smooth, till you’ve hit Basshi, post which it’s entirely off-roading all the way till the national park (and back), best done in a 4-wheel drive. Be prepared to be smothered and choked with dust.

On the way to Altyn Emel National Park (from Basshi), is this place called Kosbastau Oasis which houses a 700 years old willow tree. It was a hot day and in spite of summer sun shining away with all glory, this place was cool and breezy, green, a cold stream flowing nearby, such a contrast to the deserted area we were about to witness in a bit.
Trivia: It is believed that Genghis Khan himself rested under the tree during his campaign in Central Asia, but this is nothing more than a legend, because the Mongol army passed through these lands in 1219.

And then onwards to Altyn Emel National Park..

A Vast Nothingness of Awesomeness

As soon you’ve crossed the checkpost, marked by a barrier and a small wooden shack which serves as the guard’s hut, and have entered the national park limits, it’s almost barren. There’s nothing as far as meets the eye, except for ground-hugging shrubs. The land is flat, the road is gravelly, the trees have all disappeared, and it’s silent. Except, of course the roar of the engine whilst you’re driving through and the churning of the gravels under the wheels and then once you’re outside it’s the hot wind singing Kazakh tunes in your ears, like welcoming you to this faraway land.

The Aktau

“Aktau” means white mountains in Kazakh. But in fact they are multi-coloured. An entire stretch of white, grey mountains and reddish brown and even yellow mountains, guarding the barren scape.

The surface of the mountains is devoid of any vegetation except for the rare bushes and shrubs which stand in contrast against the red slopes. There is no sign of water anywhere. Just untouched and wild.

The Katutau Mountains

Almost as soon as you’ve started feeling certain that there can be nothing more majestic compared to the white mountains, you come across the Katutau Mountains. Just a little further away from the Aktau, are these volcanic mountains of Katutau (which means harsh mountains in Kazakh), composed entirely of bomb-ash and lava flows are just as unique and attractive.

The Singing Dunes

The singing sand dunes are located at the foot of the Katutau mountains. A dune that rumbles but never crumbles.

A phenomenon of nature, or a geological oddity!? This 3000 to 5000 years old singing sand dune also known as the Singing Barchan is said to have never moved or changed shape and well, sings. So, it doesn’t sing like in an opera, it’s like the sound similar to the roar of a jetplane while walking on the sand, better still while sliding down the dune. The theory is that the sound emission may be caused by wind passing over the dune while walking.

On a hot sunny day, the heat can get unbearable. And so the singing sand dunes are best visited early morning before the sun is at its full prowess.

More pictures from the Aktau – Katutau vicinity

Important FYI : In the first week of August, which is when we were there, the temperatures were as high as 43 degrees Celsius. Even with all the protective gear, and layers of sunscreen, the skin was burning. Hot, dry winds made it further difficult to walk and even breathe. We had only one bottle of water for the entire group and that was the biggest mistake. In just two hours of being there, exploring the bizarre beautiful landscape, we felt burnt and dehydrated.

Altyn Emel National Park was day 1 of our 3 days trip to the Kazakh Hinterlands. Read about my complete experience to the Kazakh Hinterland in this post linked below: