A new capital Astana (since 1995), and the huge central area of Kazakhstan. Wat can one expect here?

The area north of Astana is relatively densely populated and is part of (south) Siberia. The population is mainly Russian and feels closely related to Russia. The natural landscape consists of the most southern taiga forests.

Astana itself finds itself in the center of enormous grain fields. This is the land that, at the time of Chruchov, was ploughed from steppe into grain field in the famous 'Virgin Lands Program', with mixed success.
The new capital is a small wonder. From a small provincial town before the Virgin Lands to the modern capital of president Nazarbaev. (Somewhat similar to the new capital Brasilia of Brazil). The population grows fast and holds more than half a million people in 2010, largely consisting of influx from Almaty (mostly involuntarily because of heir moving jobs) as well as from the surrounding towns and villages (voluntarily, looking for jobs).
The development of Astana is spectacular; for the designing several of the world's most renowned architects have been hired, like Norman Foster, and the results are astounding. Here a new city is being built, or should one say a new identity for a new nation with a vast (oil)wealth and looking for ways to express it?
Still, life in the city for its proud inhabitants is not always fun, especially when the steppe winds blow through the city at minus 40 degress Celcius in winter!

Further south in huge Central Kazakhstan, to the west and to the east, steppe, steppe and every now and then an (mountainous) oase. These lands may be empty now, in the oases one finds plenty of signs of life in the past, including thousands years old rock carvings from nomads overlooking their herds and passing their time creating art - now to be found in the open, without any museum-walls around it.
There are the Tengiz-lakes, with a rich birdlife (and on the crossroads of a bird migratory route) and some rather recent history.

Because, around the city of Karaganda a network of camps was erected in the twenties and thirties of the 20th century, for political prisoners and also prisoners of war, the so-called 'Karlag' (like the better known and notorious 'Gulag' in Siberia). The prisoners were forced to work in the numerous coal mines and to build cities. The camps have disappeared but have left their traces and we offer a program with expert guidance to explain about this sad part of Soviet history.

At the same tour one can visit another gruesome memory of the USSR, namely the former nuclair testsite of Semipalatinsk, in the utmost west of Central Kazakhstan. In this vast and 'empty' land the Soviets conducted hundreds of nuclair tests, both undergroud and above the ground. The last test was being done in 1989, before local citizins demanded - and succeeded - in a closure. It is possible to visit the area, while following the strict safaty measures to prevent exposure to radiation.

Finally, for the real pioneers, there is the possibility to visit the area to the west of the town of Balgash, where the Soviets tested midrange missiles and even lasercanons. Remains can still be found, scattered around the area, inasmuch as locals have not collected the scrap metals. There's no standard tour but you can ask us about a individual program.