Overview

This new, thoroughly updated fourth edition of Bradt's Kazakhstan remains the only guide available dedicated solely to the world's ninth largest country. This new edition covers all the most recent developments, including more practical information to make independent travel easier, and the most up-to-date and relevant maps. Kazakhstan is more accessible than ever: tourist visas are no longer required and there are now numerous direct flights and connections from Europe. Tourist infrastructure has also significantly improved over the past few years and there are faster trains connecting east to west and north to south, as well as many options for internal flights. Kazakhstan is a modern country with a profound appreciation of its roots; petroglyph sites with ancient rock art as well as the remains of Silk Road settlements testify to its varied history. The country offers a curious mix of Soviet nostalgia and architecture combined with the latest technology: Kazakhstan has better 4G coverage than Germany, France or Italy. For visitors, there are excellent opportunities for active tourism such as skiing, hiking, rafting, horse riding or simply gazing into the endless steppe. Bradt's Kazakhstan is indispensable for discovering this extraordinary country, a place that is as geographically diverse as its cultural mix: around 130 different ethnic groups call Kazakhstan home. From snow-covered peaks with excellent skiing opportunities and hiking trails through river valleys to the secluded lakes of the Tian Shan Mountains, to endless semi-desert steppes and then on to the blue waters of the Caspian Sea, Bradt's Kazakhstan is a perfect companion for all travellers, from nature lovers to cultural explorers, teenage backpackers to family groups. AUTHOR: Paul Brummell is a career diplomat who joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1987. He has served in Islamabad and Rome, and as British Ambassador to Turkmenistan from 2002 to 2005. He was British Ambassador to Kazakhstan, and concurrently non-resident Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan from 2005 to 2009. He was shortlisted for the 1999 Shiva Naipaul Memorial Prize for an article on the San Remo Song Festival. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a member of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs. 40 colour photos, 30 maps

Full Product Details

9781804693285

Table of Contents

Reviews

Bradt reaches the parts other travel publishers don't reach.-- ""The Independent"" Utterly essential...particularly the dos and don'ts and basic phrases-- ""Times of Central Asia""

'Bradt reaches the parts other travel publishers don't reach.' The Independent 'Utterly essential.particularly the dos and don'ts and basic phrases.' Times of Central Asia **** Amazon.co.uk average rating (of 28)

Author Information

Paul Brummell is a UK career diplomat who joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1987. He was British Ambassador to Kazakhstan, and concurrently non-resident Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan from 2005-09. He has also served as UK Ambassador to Latvia, Romania and Turkmenistan, and as UK High Commissioner to the countries of the eastern Caribbean. In 2016, he was awarded the CMG for services to British foreign policy. He is also a travel writer who is the author of Bradt guides to Latvia, Transylvania, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and has also written Diplomatic Gifts: a History in Fifty Presents. He was shortlisted for the 1999 Shiva Naipaul Memorial Prize for an article on the San Remo Song Festival. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a member of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs. Maria Oleynik is a freelance translator fluent in ten languages, including her mother tongue of Russian, which is one of Kazakhstan's official languages. Living in Iran for five years furnished her with an understanding of, and sensibility towards, Islam, which is also the principal religion in Kazakhstan. Oleynik is an expert in Central Asia and the Middle East, an avid and endlessly curious traveller, and an experienced updater of Bradt guidebooks, having worked on titles covering Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, and Ladakh, Jammu and the Kashmir Valley. Methodical in her approach, Oleynik has an eye for tiny details (for example, that miniature plaque across the street whose meaning you could not fathom) and loves to share discoveries with readers.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available