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Conwy Suspension Bridge
Conwy Suspension Bridge
The blue spruce on the right symbolizes the spirit of John Denver.
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In this salad, rice gets topped with pinches of toasted coconut, dried fish, finely-sliced herbs and vegetables, bean sprouts, a tiny knot of noodles, crushed black pepper and dried chili. 
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Inside Sacré-Coeur Hospital lies an unassuming lab that peers into the mysteries of our sleeping minds.
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Team Kwe's 2024 sculpture “Wenabozho and Dadibaajimad Journey on the River of Souls,” illustrating a traditional Ojibwe story of two figures—Wenabozho and his brother Dadibaajimad—on an otherworldly journey.
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All Kazakhstan

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Kazakhstan

37 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Kazakhstan

Updated November 6, 2024

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Cities

Riding on horseback through wild apple groves outside Almaty.
Almaty
Astana
One of the craters of the nuclear explosions
Semey
Balbals of Oskemen.
Ust' Kamenogorsk
Rollout of the Soyuz rocket for the Expedition 21 mission, September 28, 2009.
Baikonur
Attractions
Food & Drink
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Stories

Unusual Attractions in Kazakhstan

Saty, Kazakhstan

Kaindy Lake

Submerged trees jut ghost-like out of an idyllic turquoise mountain lake.
Riding on horseback through wild apple groves outside Almaty.

Almaty, Kazakhstan

The Last Wild Apple Forests

Granny Smiths and Fujis can both be traced back to Kazakhstan, where apples still grow wild.
One of many fishing ships now without fish

Aralsk, Kazakhstan

Aral Sea

Rusting ships sit in a desert where a sea used to be.
Big Almaty Lake in September.

Almaty, Kazakhstan

Big Almaty Lake

A brilliant turquoise lake in the mountains.
Rollout of the Soyuz rocket for the Expedition 21 mission, September 28, 2009.

Baikonur, Kazakhstan

Baikonur Cosmodrome

World's oldest and largest space launch facility, once a secret missile testing site.
October snow and blue hues

Enbekshikazakh District, Kazakhstan

Issyk Lake

The lovely lake that was naturally dammed, then naturally destroyed, then unnaturally saved.
Inside a ruined factory.

Almaly, Kazakhstan

Bayzhansay Ghost Town

An abandoned Soviet-era mining town in the mountains of South Kazakhstan.
Mosque Exterior

Zharkent, Kazakhstan

Zharkent Mosque

This unique wooden mosque resembling a Chinese pagoda was said to be built without the use of nails.
See All 37 Things To Do in Kazakhstan

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Kazakhstan

Riding on horseback through wild apple groves outside Almaty.

Almaty, Kazakhstan

The Last Wild Apple Forests

Granny Smiths and Fujis can both be traced back to Kazakhstan, where apples still grow wild.

Almaty, Kazakhstan

Zelionyj Bazaar

This sprawling market is a one-stop shop for traditional Kazakh foods, from mare’s milk to sheep’s head.
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Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars

A 2-Week, 4-Country Odyssey.

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Explore Kazakhstan

Soviet History 7
Water 6
Monuments 5
Nature 5
Natural Wonders 5
Memorials 5
Geology 5

Kazakhstan Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. T
    Tawsam
    6
  2. Avatar image for Edward Denny
    Edward Denny
    6
  3. T
    Theophania
    3
  4. Avatar image for dwhansen2
    dwhansen2
    2
  5. Avatar image for lobbmw
    lobbmw
    2
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Kazakhstan.

Places Edited

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    Rachel
    7
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    Kalpak Travel
    6
  3. Avatar image for Edward Denny
    Edward Denny
    6
  4. Avatar image for hrnick
    hrnick
    5
  5. T
    Tawsam
    4

Places Visited

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    Von Eden The Garden
    17
  2. Avatar image for komodokyle
    komodokyle
    16
  3. Avatar image for hrnick
    hrnick
    14
  4. N
    nickfranssen
    14
  5. T
    Theophania
    13

Recent Kazakhstan Activity

  • Avatar image for ACReynard

    ACReynard

    wants to go to Dostoevsky's Desk

  • Avatar image for elvenking42

    elvenking42

    wants to go to Kokkala Gorge

  • Avatar image for elvenking42

    elvenking42

    wants to go to Aktau Mountains

  • Avatar image for elvenking42

    elvenking42

    wants to go to Ybykty Canyon

  • Avatar image for elvenking42

    elvenking42

    wants to go to Shakpak-Ata

Stories About Kazakhstan

Horses supported travel, communication, agriculture, and warfare across much of the ancient world.

The First Horse Domestication Was Later Than We Thought

Where and when did horses become our helpers? Science has some new and surprising answers.
by William Taylor
September 16, 2024

Podcast: The Last Wild Apple Groves

Granny Smiths and Fujis can both be traced back to Kazakhstan, where apples still grow wild.
by The Podcast Team
April 26, 2023
Qurt at the Osh Bazaar in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Make the Ancient Road Snack of Central Asian Nomads

Qurt is salty, long-lasting, and packed with protein.
by Susie Armitage
March 8, 2021
Two fishing vessels nestled in the sands near the former seaport city of Moynaq, Uzbekistan.

Why It's So Hard to Study the Toxic Dust Blowing From Earth's Youngest Desert

It all comes down to something scientists call "ground truth."
by Jonathan Carey
April 25, 2019
Koryo Saram meal, photographed in Ushtobe, Kazakhstan.

How Survivors of Stalinism Created a New Korean-Fusion Cuisine

When the Koryo Saram were forcibly relocated, they forged new identities.
by Mark Hay
September 10, 2018

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