ABSTRACT
Lying along the route of the ancient Silk Road, Kazakhstan fascinates with hospitable people, gorgeous natural landscapes and rare wildlife. As one of the biggest countries in central Asia, Kazakhstan offers endless possibilities to explore its remote and wild corners. The region around the capital, Almaty, carries the beautiful name of Land of Seven Rivers and stretches over five climatic zones, from the mighty year-round glaciers of the Zaili Alatau Mountain range to the ‘singing‧ desert sands at the bank of the Ili River. In the Turkistan region of southern Kazakhstan, one can admire the architectural splendour of the medieval capital of the Turkic people. Kazakhs are passionate hunters and fishermen. Hunting with golden eagles is a favorite pastime and fishing for gigantic specimen like the Ural River beluga and the sheath-fish can be a one-time experience for amateur anglers, especially when the catch is thrown back into its habitat and let to live. Horse games are curious events. Look out for the goat-carcass version of polo and the ‘kiss-the-girl‧ game where a boy pursues a girl on horseback trying to kiss her. If he does not succeed, she will turn around and chase him with a whip.
