Un-Borat-ing Kazakhstan! (Part 2): Kazakhstan's Canyons and Lakes

- December, 16, 2025, Tuesday.

- Central Asia is known for its nature, alongside its history and culture. Even though I'm not super into ecotourism, I knew I had to see some of its many mountains, lakes, and canyons. 

-  Through GetYourGuide, I was able to book a joiner tour for a day trip to some of Kazakhstan's natural wonders. Specifically, the tour covers three main places: Charyn Canyon, Kaindy Lake, and Kolsai Lake.

- I started the day "wrong" because I tripped on some invisible ice, slipped, and slide on the pavement after arriving at the meeting point at 4:30AM. The snow quality was the kind I disliked: partially melted, and can turn invisible after melting then refreezing. But anyway, I didn't let that stop me from enjoying my day. Our call time was extremely early because it takes around a 2-3-hour drive from the city to visit these places, close to the border of Kazakhstan and China. 

- Charyn Canyon, our first stop, was formed through millions of years of weathering by wind and water. Its long corridors served as occasional pathways for various nomadic tribes passing through the area. 

Charyn Canyon.

It's like a mini Grand Canyon. By the way, this corridor is known as the "Valley of Castles", because the tall rocks look like castles.

- What I like about the canyon is that there is a particular area where tourists can safely walk in the middle of towering rock formations. The actual canyon is really long! There is a proper tourist center too, with proper bathrooms.

Alien-like.

Above the Valley of Castles.

Velvet.

A short drive from the main Valley of Castles, is the Karaoy Gorge, also known as the "Black Canyon". It's named as such because of the darker rocks in this section.

- Our next stop was Kaindy Lake. Named after the trees in the region, the lake looks unusual because of the trees rising from the middle of the lake. In truth, the lake was just formed after an earthquake in 1911 cause a flood that turned into the lake we see today. It was frozen when we went, so the lake was all white, but it has a distinct blue-green hue during the warmer months. It still looks fascinating frozen though!

This view reminds me of the flag of Kazakhstan.

Going to the lake, one can walk, take a cab (but it wasn't available that day due to snow), or ride a horse. Of course we do it the Kazakh way: on a horse!!

See the frozen lake?

I could only imagine how it looks in the summer!

Rode the same horse back to the parking lot where our tour van was. Now I remembered to wear my traditional Kazakh hat!

Cannot get enough of this view!

- Our tour group later had a simple but filling traditional Kazakh lunch, and the restaurant was conveniently located right outside Kolsay Lake. Like Kaindy Lake, Kolsay Lake was also formed from the same earthquake that took place a century ago. It also lies in the middle of the Tian Shan mountain ranges, giving the scenery some drama.

Kolsay Lake.

It looks unbelievable. Like a painting in front of you.

Oh and I also had another photoshoot with an eagle there. I figured they take better photos here.

The eagle was probably a bit tired from opening its wings for tourists the whole day.

- It took us several hours to get back to the city. My butt was tired, and my knee was still a bit sore from my fall that morning. But now, I had a greater appreciation for Kazakhstan's natural wonders, and I appreciate how the country is trying its best to preserve them well!