Kazakhstan is a little-visited, vast nation in Central Asia with
open steppe and high mountains, home to a beautiful array of wild
flowers and wildlife. Tailormade tours to Kazakhstan take the wildlife
enthusiast to a part of the world they have probably never seen before,
with outstanding bird life and the opportunity to see Horsfield's
Tortoise at Lake Kapchagai on the River Ili, near the former capital of
Almaty. More so than the wildlife, tailormade tours' main focus is the
botany, as Kazakhstan is the homeland of a number of wild tulip species.
Up to ten species of tulip can be seen on tours under the guidance of a
botanical expert.
Almaty
Visitors to Kazakhstan typically begin their stay in the city of Almaty, nestled beneath the white-capped peaks of the Trans Ili range (part of the Tien Shan Mountains). From there, it is possible to go to Lake Kapchagai, which is approximately 80 km north-east of Almaty and home to a good range of flora and animal life. Enthusiasts can go in search of the species Tulipa albertii, Tulipa behmiana and Tulipa busheana, in addition to other attractive flora such as Corydalis karelinii and Iris tenuifolia. The area around Lake Kapchagai is also rich in reptile life, offering reptile enthusiasts the chance of a Horsfield's Tortoise sighting.
Merke Gorge
Merke Gorge is a long drive from Almaty, but enjoyable when broken up with botanical stops. One of these, the Kurdai Pass, is a tulipophile's treat: Tulipa kolpakowskiana, Tulipa ostrowskiana and their hybrids grow here, in a bright weave of red, orange and yellow flowers. The very early flowering Tulipa regelii also grows around the Kurdai Pass, and it is possible to find its distinctive leaves among the other plant species. On to the steep slopes of Merke Gorge in the Kirghiz Alatau mountain range, home to abundant flora and wildlife, tailormade tours will provide a spectacular highlight for tulipophiles: Zinaida's Tulip, endemic to the Kirghiz Alatau.
Aksu Dzabagly Nature Reserve
The Aksu Dzabagly Nature Reserve is the oldest in Central Asia, founded in 1927, and another excellent destination on tours to Kazakhstan. From a base in a guesthouse, tours can go to the Boroldai Gorge - where Greig's Tulips grow in unrivalled density - and the Aksu Gorge, home to unusual and endemic plant species such as Rhinopetalum stenantherum, Korolkowia sewerzowi and Scilla pushkinioides. The open forest in the reserve harbours many plant species, including one of the rarest plants in the Tien Shan Mountains - the endemic Thesium minkwitzianum.
Saryyaigyr Gorge
In the Karzhantau range, Saryyaigyr Gorge is another area with a stunning array of botanical wildlife. Tailormade tours will take visitors to see more than ten different forms of Kaufmann's Tulips in bloom on the gorge's steep slopes, in addition to thickets of Ferula penninervis, Ferula tenuisecta and Prangos pabularia.
Almaty
Visitors to Kazakhstan typically begin their stay in the city of Almaty, nestled beneath the white-capped peaks of the Trans Ili range (part of the Tien Shan Mountains). From there, it is possible to go to Lake Kapchagai, which is approximately 80 km north-east of Almaty and home to a good range of flora and animal life. Enthusiasts can go in search of the species Tulipa albertii, Tulipa behmiana and Tulipa busheana, in addition to other attractive flora such as Corydalis karelinii and Iris tenuifolia. The area around Lake Kapchagai is also rich in reptile life, offering reptile enthusiasts the chance of a Horsfield's Tortoise sighting.
Merke Gorge
Merke Gorge is a long drive from Almaty, but enjoyable when broken up with botanical stops. One of these, the Kurdai Pass, is a tulipophile's treat: Tulipa kolpakowskiana, Tulipa ostrowskiana and their hybrids grow here, in a bright weave of red, orange and yellow flowers. The very early flowering Tulipa regelii also grows around the Kurdai Pass, and it is possible to find its distinctive leaves among the other plant species. On to the steep slopes of Merke Gorge in the Kirghiz Alatau mountain range, home to abundant flora and wildlife, tailormade tours will provide a spectacular highlight for tulipophiles: Zinaida's Tulip, endemic to the Kirghiz Alatau.
Aksu Dzabagly Nature Reserve
The Aksu Dzabagly Nature Reserve is the oldest in Central Asia, founded in 1927, and another excellent destination on tours to Kazakhstan. From a base in a guesthouse, tours can go to the Boroldai Gorge - where Greig's Tulips grow in unrivalled density - and the Aksu Gorge, home to unusual and endemic plant species such as Rhinopetalum stenantherum, Korolkowia sewerzowi and Scilla pushkinioides. The open forest in the reserve harbours many plant species, including one of the rarest plants in the Tien Shan Mountains - the endemic Thesium minkwitzianum.
Saryyaigyr Gorge
In the Karzhantau range, Saryyaigyr Gorge is another area with a stunning array of botanical wildlife. Tailormade tours will take visitors to see more than ten different forms of Kaufmann's Tulips in bloom on the gorge's steep slopes, in addition to thickets of Ferula penninervis, Ferula tenuisecta and Prangos pabularia.
Marissa Ellis-Snow is a freelance nature writer. If you're passionate about wildlife, tailormade tours
with Naturetrek include expert-led natural history and wildlife tours
worldwide. Naturetrek brings over 25 years of experience to polar
expeditions and tours to other spectacular regions on Earth.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marissa_Ellis-Snow
No comments:
Post a Comment