Altyn-Emel National Park

Altyn-Emel covers a large stretch of desert steppe between mountain ranges and the Ili river, and its attractions are scattered far apart across it. The Singing Dune is a barchan around 150 metres high that emits a low droning hum when dry sand slides down its face, audible from a distance and strange enough that people climb it repeatedly to trigger it. The Aktau mountains are banded in white, red, ochre and green clays laid down as lake sediments, eroded into ridges that look painted. Katutau nearby is volcanic and black by contrast. Scattered across the steppe are the Besshatyr burial mounds, Saka kurgans from the first millennium BC, and the park protects kulan, goitered gazelle and argali sheep.

What you actually see

• The Singing Dune - the humming barchan, best in dry conditions.
• Aktau mountains - banded clay ridges in white, red and green.
• Besshatyr kurgans - Saka royal burial mounds on the steppe.
• Kulan and gazelle - reintroduced and protected steppe wildlife.

When to go

April to June and September to October, avoiding the extreme summer heat and the winter cold. The dune only sings when the sand is dry, so after rain it stays silent, which disappoints a lot of visitors.

Honest expectations

Distances inside the park are enormous, with the main sights up to a hundred kilometres apart on rough tracks, so a full visit needs two days and a proper vehicle. Permits and often a park guide are required and cannot be arranged at short notice. There is no accommodation inside beyond basic park guesthouses, and no shade or water at the sites.

Nearby

Charyn canyon is on the same eastern route; Almaty is a long half-day drive west.