KE Adventure

Kazakhstan

Geography

Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia and is the heartland/geographic center of Eurasia. With a surface area of 2,724,900 sq km, Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world, after Russia, Canada, China, USA, Brasil, Australia, India and Argentina. Kazakhstan shares its borders with Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan,Turkmenistan and China. The total extent of Kazakhstan borders is nearly 12.2 thousand kilometres, including 600 kilometres along the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan's surface is covered by 26% desert, 44% semi-desert, 6% forest and 24% steppe terrain, in addition to a few other landscapes. The South and East have great wild and mostly untouched mountain landscapes with the Tien Shan and Altai being the most prominent. The highest peak in the country is Khan Tengri at 7,013m above sea level.

Time Zone

The time in Kazakhstan is GMT +6 hours.

Language

The two official languages in Kazakhstan are Russian and Kazakh. Kazakh is a Turkic language, which was originally written in Arabic script. Since 1940 Kazakh has used a modified form of the Russian Cyrillic alphabet. Russian is the language of business and of communication with the outside world. Both languages are taught in schools and most Kazakhs speak Russian. By contrast, few of the non-Kazakh (Russian) inhabitants of the country speak Kazakh. We recommend that you take a pocket phrase book such as the Lonely Planet or Berlitz and learn some basics such as common greetings. Your efforts to speak a few words of Russian or Kazakh will pay dividends in terms of the warm reaction you receive from the people you meet on your travels.

Climate

Kazakhstan experiences a continental climate with cold winters and hot summers. The best time to visit most of the country is April-June or September-October, when the day temperatures are cool. However, trekkers and mountain climbers will want to go in summer: While the rest of the country is burning up in the summer, the mountains are at their best. KE's holidays are based from Almaty in the South East of the country and in the Tien Shan Mountains. In Almaty it can be hot during the day - above 30°C / 86°F. The daytime maximum temperatures in the mountains at 3000 metres will be cooler at around 20°C / 68°F. Night-time temperatures at the South Inylchek Basecamp will fall to freezing point or even a little below. The Tien Shan Mountains usually experience excellent weather throughout the summer, with hot days, clear skies and little rain or snow. However, weather in mountainous areas is notoriously difficult to predict and short-lived storms can occur at any time of the year. In short, you need to be prepared for everything!

Currency

The national currency, the Tenge, may only be obtained within Kazakhstan. Conversion of the Tenge back into hard currency may prove difficult. Foreign currency should only be exchanged at official bureaux and all transactions must be recorded on the currency declaration form that is issued on arrival. It is wise to retain all exchange receipts, although they are seldom inspected. Money should be brought in US Dollars cash and exchanged when necessary.

Major European and international credit cards, including Diners Club and Visa, are accepted in the larger hotels in Almaty and in major shops and restaurants. Facilities exist for credit card cash withdrawals in Kazakhstan.

Visa Requirements

You will need visas for Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. The process for obtaining your Kyrgyz visa is simple and straightforward and takes just a few days. We will obtain your Kazakhstan Visa for you once you have obtained your Kyrgz visa. We will need your passport not less than two weeks prior to departure and the process could take up to 10 days. (For people needing to travel in the two weeks prior to departure, special express arrangements taking just a few days can be made at additional cost). Complete and up to date details of the arrangements for obtaining visas and visa costs for this trip will be sent to you when you book. However, you should be aware that visa costs for this trip are approximately £100 (this varies and will be invoiced to you at the going rate at final invoice stage). You can view visa requirements for these countries online at travcour.

Vaccinations

You should attend your own doctor and dentist for a check-up. Your doctor will have access to the most up to date information on the required vaccinations for the country you are visiting. In general we recommend vaccinations against the following: Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid, Hepatitis ‘A'. A very good online resource is the NHS travel website at fitfortravel.nhs.uk

Additional Sources of Information

Books

Central Asia. Lonely Planet. John King.

Foreign Devils on the Silk Road. Peter Hopkirk.

Mountains of the Middle Kingdom. Galen Rowell.

Maps

Detailed topographic maps of our trekking route cannot be purchased, but a detailed local map will be available for the group to look at on the trip. Basic maps can be found in the Lonely Planet guidebooks.