Unknown part of the Silk Road

Breakfast in the hotel. Today, as a starter, we have the longest stage of the whole tour. We drive direction southeast, via the oil town of Zhanga Ozen and the desert village of Senek through surrealistic landscapes to the Ustyurt Plateau. On the way we have a lunch in Zhanga Ozen.
We pitch our tents in the evening at the steep shores of the Kenderli salt lake, not far from the Turkmenistan border. From here with a great view on the Usch Batyr rock formations in the middle of the lake. At the bonfire a shashlyk (barbecue) is prepared.

After breakfast we drive a little to a point from where we can enjoy breathtaking views of the Ustyurt Plateau. Those that are fit and well-prepared can climb the most interesting rock formations.
We move on in our 4WD to one of the most picturesque places of the Plateau, the Bozzhira white rock formations. On the way we have a picknick. We pitch our tents on the edge of the Plateau, from where the setting sun enlightens the fairy tale desert landscape.

We drive through the blossoming steppe. Here and there camels, horses and mixed herds of sheep and goat graze, the herdsmen sleeping next to their herds. One more time we ascend the Ustyurt Plateau and enjoy a picknick at a point with wonderful views of the sharp cliffs at the Tuzbair salt lake. 
According to one's wishes everyone can decide to join the hike across the cliffs to todays end station, or board the vehicle. Spectaculair views, a bonfire with shashlyk and the night in tents.

In the morning we stay close to Mount Sherkala to learn more about the history of this place and the nearby excavation site Kyzyl Kala, and simply enjoy this striking desert mountain. This is where we have lunch as well.
In late afternoon we move on the Akmyschtau ('valley of castles') area, perhaps the most beautiful place of all Mangyshlak; breathtakingly wonderful, eroded mountains on a large plain, just like towers in a fairy-tale landscape. We climb one the most impressive mountains, called Tomalak, and enjoy the lovely view of the endless empty plains. 
Then we return to our base camp at Mount Sherkala, where we have dinner and spend the night.

After breakfast we drive a little to the underground mosque of Shakpak-Ata, nearby the Caspian Sea. During the excursion we will learn about the probable origin of this place of refuge, carved into rocks.
We drive on and halt a moment at the edge of the chalk canyon of Kapamsay. Then we visit three nearby necropolises with interesting mausuleums and grave tombs, and we are being taught about the symbolism of the tomb paintings.
We move on and shortly visit the Sultan-Epe underground mosque at the eponymous canyon and are led to holy places. After the lunch picnic we drive to the beach at Zhyghyghan. Today we pitch our tents in a sandy bay of the Caspian Sea. With average May temperatures we can have a swim in the sea -  the water will be around 18 degrees Celcius.

On a flat steppe plateau we drive to the most northwestern point of the Mangyshlak peninsula, to Bautino. In former days a fishing village, nowadays dominated by the oil industry. A nice bay has been turned into a harbour and maintenance station for oil platforms. Here we can eat a pizza in a pizzeria built for the foreign engineers!
In addition we visit the national museum and monument for Taras Shevchenko in Fort Shevchenko, formerly a Russian enclave.
We return to Aktau, back to civilization, where we time for ourselves, followed by a communal dinner in a restaurant with a view on the Caspian Sea.
The night we spend again in *****Hotel Marriott Renaissance.