Pilgrimage tourism on Mangyshlak.

“I think you travel to search and you come back home to find yourself there” 

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Short description of tour route on Mangyshlak:

Aktau – depression Karagie – Zhanaozen town – Senek village  - Tynynbai mount – Bokty mount -  valley Boszhira – panoramas Boszhira valley – Naizatau mount – Sandy valley – Tuzbair saline land -  first panorama Tuzbair saline march – second panorama Tuzbair saline land – Shetpe village – Aktau town.

Distance of route: 920 km.
Season: from April till Oktober, 15th.
Best time for travel: May, April, June, September.
Duration of tour: 5 days, 4 nights.

Detailed program day by day from Aktau to Bokty mount:

Tour from Atyrau to Aktau.

1 Day. Aktau town – place Sautty (panorama to depression Karagie) – Zhanaozen town – Senek village – Bokty mount – Boszhira valley (335 km).
Departure from Aktau. In 30 km from city the asphalt road crosses the deepest depression of Kazakhstan Karagie (-132 meters below a level of Baltic sea). The lowest place of depression is there where there passes a motorway - 119 meters.
Through 50 km we curtail from asphalt road and we go 13 km on steppe roads to panorama on depression Karagie to area Sautty. Stop for photographing. Here rocky breakage has radonic thermal springs. Descent on mountain track, not complex, 10 - 15 minutes. Here it is possible to take bath. We come back to line and we go up to town Zhana-Ozen where we fill machines. Here it is possible to have bite in roadside сhaikhana.
Transfer to Senek village (60 km, asphalt and steppe road), walk on barchans. Photographing. Transfer to Bokty mount (50 km), this mountain is similar to pyramid. Photographing. Transfer to Boszhira valley (50 km).
The fine, cretaceous valley consisting of different beautiful cretaceous mountains. Lunar landscape. Small automobile walk along cretaceous breakages of plateau Ustyrt. Panorama on from the bottom point. Photographing. Placing of camp. Dinner. Overnight in the tents.
2 Day. Boszhira valley - panoramas Boszhira - mountain Naisatau (60 km).
Breakfast. The walk, extent of 6 km, with an ascention on surprising and unusual panoramic platform 270 meters above sea level. Photographing. Here it is necessary to be cautious - the height of steep rocks reaches 50 - 70 meters. Lunch on the way.
Transfer to panoramas Boszhira. Rise through Zhosaly on plateau Ustyrt. Photographing on three picturesque panoramic points. Transfer on a plateau up to mountain Naisatau. Survey of ancient hunting shelters. Placing of camp. Dinner. Overnight in the tents.
3 Day. Mountain Naisatau - first panorama saline march Tuzbair (130 km).
Breakfast. Walk, extent of 5 km on a floor greater globular concretion. Photographing. Walk with descent and rise to a ledge of a plateau 270 meters above sea level on mountain track. If success will smile to us, it is possible to see mountain Ustyrt rams - moufflons. Lunch on the way. Transfer on the first panorama shor Tuzbair (steppe road). In a way of stop on panoramic points. Photographing. Placing of camp. Dinner. Overnight in the tents.
4 Day. First panorama Boszhira shor - second panorama Tuzbair saline march - Tuzbair saline march  (110 km).
Breakfast. Transfer on the second panorama at saline march Tuzbair (an old grader, steppe road, 25 km). Photographing. Paleontologic excursion - search of mineral sea hedgehogs. Transfer to saline march Tuzbair (an old grader, steppe road, 75 km). On an entrance to place of camp, unusual show - the high cretaceous ledges which have been fancifully cut up by gullies of time water-currents.
Photographing. Movement on bottom of salty lake. Independent walks in vicinities. Placing of camp. Dinner. Overnight in the tents.
5 Day. Tuzbair saline march - Shetpe village - Aktau town (260 km).
Breakfast. Walk on bottom of salty lake with crystals of the salt, covered by thin layer of water. Photographing of mirror reflections in lake water. Lunch on the way. Placing of camp. Back to Aktau (steppe road of 80 km, asphalt of 190 km).

Distances on route «Travel across Mangystau»: 

Aktau town –  Zhanaozen town – 150 km
Zanaozen town – Senek village – 60 km
Senek village – Boszhira valley  – 90 km
Boszhira valley – Tuzbair saline march - 160 km
Tuzbair sor – Shetpe village - 135 km
Shetpe village – Aktau town – 155 km

Notes for tour «Travel across Mangystau»: 

1. Transfers on jeeps Toyota, Nissan Patrol. Motor vehicles UAZ, it is used for transportation of luggage, equipment and cargoes. The route concerns to a category extreme (high heat, a cretaceous dust) with residing at field conditions of desert.
2. Quantity the person in group - no more than 12 person.
3. Two days of transfers and everyone will be in waterless places, water of 5 litres in day on the person in day in view of sanitary use.
4. Toilets on the nature.
5. Personal equipment for the tourist - sleeping bag, karemat (sleeping rug), small lamp. Recommended clothes and footwear: running shoes, with a rigid sole, mountain boots, cap or Panama, sunglasses.
6. Accommodation in tents - on 2 persons.
7. In springs water is used for preparation of meals and technical needs.

Note:
Author program is Andrey Astafyev. Copying and use - only from the sanction of the - petrovsra@mail.ru

Alexander Petrov
Photos.