ALTYN-EMEL NATIONAL PARK

Created in 1996, this national park was recognized as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2017. Covering an area of almost 5,000 ^km2 at the foot of the Ak Tau mountain range, half of the park is covered by splendid dunes that are said to have the ability to sing. A number of forests and alpine meadows on the mountainsides also provide bucolic backdrops. The park's fauna consists mainly of Saiga gazelles, or goitered gazelles, although their population is declining sharply following numerous killings. A few Przewalski's horses have also been introduced over the last fifteen years.

The singing dunes. This is what makes this park so famous and so mysterious: the dunes form a cordon just over 1.5 km long and 150 metres high. And the miracle of the song has to be earned, as you have to start by climbing through the sand, slipping with every step, and facing an often quite strong wind, another essential element without which, of course, the "song of the dunes" wouldn't happen. If you follow Marco Polo's advice and follow the ridge of fine sand to the top of the dunes and then run down, you'll hear the dunes sing. In fact, all you have to do is walk along the side of the dunes to start hearing their murmur, which is said to be due to the hissing sound emitted by the grains of sand sliding en masse along the body of the dune. But running, as much as possible, produces a much more audible sound. Of course, the experience multiplied by hundreds of visitors is not without catastrophic consequences for the dunes themselves, and perhaps just listening to the singing will suffice... Visitors are just as numerous in winter, when the dunes are covered in a beautiful blanket of snow.

Aktau, the "white mountains". In the eastern part of the Altyn-Emel National Park, you can wander among these pebbly hills, gullied by rain and whose high concentrations of clay or ore give them multicolored hues, best seen at the beginning or end of the day. When the sun is at its zenith, many of these hills, crushed by light, simply appear white or red, hence their nickname of "white mountain" or "red cliff". As soon as the light is lowered, the green, purple and blue-striped flanks create an enchanting, fairytale-like universe.

The best way to reach the park is by bus between Almaty and Balkach, but there is no public transport between Balkach and the park. However, in summer and on weekends in winter, a few marchroutka shuttle buses operate. But given the distance, the easiest way is to charter a vehicle directly from Almaty and drive to the village of Shengeldy, which marks one of the entrances to the park, or to the village of Bashi, to the north of the reserve, which is easier for access to the singing dunes. Negotiate the route and the driver's waiting time. It's important to follow the marked trails in the reserve. The visit can be made over a long day (leaving before dawn and returning at night), but it is possible to sleep and eat near the park. Please note that you must leave Almaty in the direction of Balkach. Once you've passed Balkach, turn right onto a small road (signposted).