Ecological tours in reserve Aksu-Zhabagly.

“Once you will start to travel, will be always road to call you. It conducts from the house in the world full of charm and secrets"

Graham Stefen. 1916.

Short description of tour route from Almaty to Uzbekistan:

Almaty – Big Almaty lake – train station Tylkubas – village Zhabagly – Aksu-Zhabagly reserve – village Raevka – Aksu canyon – Kishi-Kaindy gorge – village Sairam – Shymkent town – village Shaulder (“Otrar” museum) – ruins Otrar – mausoleum Arstanbab – mosque Arstanbab – Turkestan town - Shymkent town – Check-Point “Zhibek-Zholy\Gysht Kuprik” – Tashkent.

Distance route: 950 km.
Season: year round.
Best time for an excursion: June - September
Duration: 6 days, 5 nights.

Program day by day from Kazakhstan to Tashkent:

Go on a journey to Central Asia Kazakhstan.

1 Day. Almaty.
Arrival in Almaty. Transfer to the hotel, accommodation, rest. City sightseeing: visit to the 28 Panfilov’s guardsmen park, Cathedral, Museum of national musical instruments, National museum, Medeo gorge, Republic square. Visit to mountain “Kok-Tobe” by cable way. Overnight at the hotel.
2 Day. Walking to Big Amaty lake. Train "Otrar".
Breakfast. Walking to Big Amaty lake, located at height 2511 of meters above sea level  (28 km). Walking around lake. Picnic on the Alpine glade above lake. Back to Almaty.  Transfer  to railway station “Almaty – II”.  Departure at 18.42 by train from Almaty to Tyulkubas “Otrar” train (620 km, 13 hours. Overnight on the train.
3 Day. Aksu-Zhabagly reserve. Aksu canyon.
Arrival in Tyulkubas train station at 06.57. Transfer to Zhabagly village (Aksu-Zhabagly reserve) (18 km,). Accommodation guest house “Zhenya and Luda”. Breakfast.  Excursions in Aksu-Dzhabagly preserve, to Aksu canyon. Transfer:  Zhabagly village – Raevka village –  “Dadabay” cordon located at height 1620 of meters above sea level (25 km).  Descending  to canyon – 20 - 30 min, ascent – 1 - 1,5 hours.  Canyon of Aksu canyon is very beautiful and picturesque. Picnic at the bridge through the river Aksu. After excursion back to Zhabagly village. Dinner and overnight in the guest house.
4 Day. Aksu-Zhabagly reserve. Kshi-Kaindy gorge.
Breakfast. Transfer by bus to start place of  horseriding. Horseriding: pioneer camp – Kshi-Kaindy field base located at height 1800 of meters above sea level (7 km). Excursion to waterfall on Kshi-Kaindy river. Walking at field base environs. Picnic at a small house botanists. Back to Zhabagly village. Dinner and overnight in guest house. 
4 Day. Zhabagly settlement - Turkestan town.
Breakfast. Transfer: Zhabagly village – Turar Ryskulov village – Aksu village – Sairam village (88 km). Excursion to Sairam village (Sairam (the ancient city of Isfidzhab) is Mohammed Yassavi's native land, its parents Ibragim-ata and  Karashash-ata here are buried, in city it is a lot of mausoleums, mazars, as ancient and modern).
After excursion in Sairam village, transfer to Temirlan village (61 km), visit to museum Khadji Mukana, the exposition of a museum tells about well-known Kazakh fighter Mukan Munaitpasov who was the first Kazakh world champion on the French struggle.
Transfer: Temirlan village - Ekpindy village (22 km), on a way survey of the Red bridge in the village Ekpindy on the Bogen river, constructed in 1886.
Transfer: Ekpindy village - Tortkol village - Shaulder village (78 km). Arrival in Shaulder village. Lunch in local cafe. Excursion in museum «Otrar» in which there are archeological finds with ancient Otrar, ransack and burnt by armies Chingis Khan in XII century.
The ending of excursion. Transfer: Shaulder village - Kogam village - site of ancient settlement Otrar (X - XII с.с.) (14 km), visiting of site of ancient settlement Otrar, archeological excavations - a medieval bath, a mosque, residential area, a fortification.
Transfer: site of ancient settlement Otrar - mausoleum Arstanbab (3 km), visiting of the mausoleum. Transfer to mosque Arstanbab (1 km), constructed on money of the Kazakhstan patron of art, visiting of a mosque.
Transfer: mosque Arstanbab - city Turkestan (56 km), arrival in Turkestan, transfer in hotel, accommodation. Dinner, overnight.
6 Day. Turkestan - Tashkent.
Breakfast. After breakfast city sightseeing in Turkestan. Excursion to Akhmed Yassawi maussoleum complex: cultural-historical museum, historical (cultural reserve) museum “Azaret-Sultan”, gates Darvaza (XIX c.), Esimkhan mausoleum  (XVI c.), Rabia Sultan Begim mausoleum (XV c.), Akhmed Yassawi mausoleum (XII - XIV c.c.), “Zhuma” mosque (1878), underground mosque Khilovat (XII - XV c.c.), oriental baths (XV - XVI c.c.). Transfer: Turkestan – Chimkent – check-point “Zhibek-Zholy\Gysht Kuprik” (kazakh-uzbek border) (285 km).
After Kazakh border and customs formalities meeting for Uzbek guide on the Uzbekistan border. Border and customs formalities on the Uzbekistan side. Transfer to Tashkent (24 km). Arrival in Tashkent, transfer to hotel, accommodation, overnight.

Note:
Author program of Alexander Petrov. Copying and introduction -  from the sanction of the author.

Photos by
Alexander Petrov.