Kazakhstan is bounded by the Russia, the Caspian ocean, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan & China. For centuries, Kazakhstan's vast plains were home only to nomads and they are still literally empty. Most colonies are concentrated in the southeast & the east of the Republic.

South Kazakhstan is a focus of Central Asian history & there are numbers of notable monuments in the region. It is a scenically diverse area where the snow-capped peaks, lakes and glaciers of the Tian Shan range make way to steppe & desert.

The desert is home to the Singing Barkhan - a sand dune 3.2kilometer (2 miles) long, which one, as it crumbles, creates a peculiar singing sound.

Almaty was until very recently the former capital of Kazakhstan & it enjoys a beautiful setting between mountains and plains. It is a city of modern architecture, cool fountains, parks and outstanding mountain views.

If you're not a fan of endless semi-arid steppe & decomposing industrial towns, Kazakhstan (Kazakstan) can seem bleak, but those who enjoy remoteness, wide open spaces, lunar landscapes, long hypnotic train rides and horse sausage will emphatically be in their element.