Time: 2025.01.01; Travel Company: Join me; Cost: 32,000 tenge/person. Be sure to book in advance!
There is no WeChat locally, so use WhatsApp for communication. This company only has tours in Kazakh/English, with the English tour being more expensive. The prices are 29,000 (dormitory + outdoor public toilet) / 32,000 (dormitory + indoor shared toilet) / 38,000 (2-3 person room + private toilet).
The difference is in accommodation, and you can pay extra to upgrade to a single room. After considering everything, I chose 32,000. Payment must be made at the office (Radostovets, 152/6, 4th floor [Figure 13]), and you need to tell the security guard that you are going to Joinme to enter. You can pay by card or cash, and they will give you a receipt.
Meet at 20:00 at the Abaya 50 circus parking lot (Figure 14). The vehicle is a Mercedes-Benz minivan, and you can sit wherever you like, but it’s not recommended to sit in the front row! Your legs won’t have enough space, and it will be very tiring! (PS: If you’re not used to local food, make sure to bring your own!
The group meals are all local food at the corresponding homestays. Prepare cash, as you can basically only use cash along the way.)
Arrive at the village at 01:30, and the guide will take everyone to the corresponding homestay (not a hotel, just a local’s home, similar to a homestay. My room [Figure 15] was very lucky, as I stayed with the guide.
The host only speaks Kazakh, so if you need help, you can directly ask him).
At 08:00, the homestay owner will wake everyone up and prepare a local breakfast (Figure 16). Those pastries are unbearably sweet! But they are delicious [sneaky observation].
At 09:00, a local off-road bus called “Taxi” [Figure 18] will come to pick people up.
Besides me, the group consists of English teachers from a local school and Indian tourists. The road conditions on the way up the mountain are not good, and the bus sways left and right + there’s rock music playing, making it feel like you’re at a rave [party]. Don’t leave anything behind when you get off the bus, as it will drive away after dropping you off.
The first attraction is Kaindy Lake (Figure 3). To see this lake, you can either walk or ride a horse (7,000 tenge round trip [Figure 2], about 15 minutes, the scenery on the way is nice. If you can ride, you can go directly, if not, there will be a handler leading the horse). In winter, this lake is frozen, and honestly, it’s not as beautiful as the lakes in Xinjiang.
Return to the homestay for lunch. In the afternoon, switch back to the minivan to go to the second attraction, Kolsai Lake (Figure 4), which is much larger and also frozen. It takes about 20 minutes to walk down the mountain, but it’s better for photos than Kaindy Lake!
Return to the homestay for dinner.
Around 9 PM, everyone will be picked up to attend a party (Figure 17). The group members are really good at singing and dancing and are very enthusiastic. They dragged me to dance [crazy].
The next morning, the landlord will rouse everyone for a hearty breakfast at 08:00. The day promises to be the most exhilarating yet! However, there won’t be any organized lunch, so make sure to pack your own snacks and meals.
The first stop on our adventure is the breathtaking Black Canyon (Figure 5), where the winds can be quite fierce, adding an extra thrill to the experience!
Next, we’ll head to the awe-inspiring Moon Canyon (Figure 6). Be cautious here as there are no guardrails, but don’t miss the chance to capture some stunning photos from the designated platform (Figure 7).
The highlight of the day is the majestic Charyn Canyon (Figures 1/8/9). The farthest point is the river (Figure 11), and it takes about an hour to walk there. If you prefer a more relaxed journey, you can opt for a car ride (as seen in Figure 10) for 800 tenge one way. It’s highly recommended to walk in and take the car back, as the scenic route is truly beautiful and you might even spot some playful marmots (Figure 12) along the way.
After a day filled with natural wonders, we’ll embark on a 4-hour drive back to Almaty, carrying with us unforgettable memories and stunning photographs.
