Trip on the lakes Borovoye.

“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn”

Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Hiking and Backpacking natural park Borovoe.

If you want to spend some time in Burabay during the summer, make sure you make your reservation well in advance, since all accommodation is usually fully booked weeks or months ahead of time. In comparison to other areas in Kazakhstan, Burabay is well developed; not only are there parking areas and campsites, but the walking trails have even been signposted.
The most popular destination, Lake Borovoye, can be circumnavigated at a leisurely pace in a single day. Circular in shape, it boasts many bizarrely shaped - and named - rocks, from Zhumbaktas ("Unresolved riddle", but also called the Sphynx) to its nearby counterpart Okzhetpes ("Unreachable for arrows"), as well as the Three Sisters and the Bastion.
A climb up the rocks between Lake Borovoye and Bolshoye Chebachye is rewarded by a wonderful view over the two lakes. Climbing the highest peak in the area, Mount Kokshetau, is not an easy venture.
It is very rocky and, relatively low as it is, the difference in altitude should not be taken lightly. But the view from the summit is breathtaking, and apart from the lakes already mentioned, you can also look out over the Maloye Chebachye salt lake, the picturesque lake of Shchuchinsk and a multitude of smaller steppe lakes.
The view also includes the Camel and the Sleeping Knight. Hikers in good condition can walk around the lakes of Bolshoye and Maloye Chebachye in a single day. It takes half a day to walk to the beautiful forest lake of Katarkol and its eponymous village.
The multitude of children's holiday camps, however, does not make this walk a quiet one during the summer. Lake Borovoye is the most popular for swimming, with a lovely pebble beach under age-old pine trees.
To be alone, try escaping to Lake Bolshoye Chebachye. The water is crystal-clear, and there are hidden bays that can only be reached from the rocks above. The view towards the east differs greatly from that of Lake Borovoye.
From here, you are looking out over flat, unforested plain. This is steppe in its most classic form. The eastern shore of Lake Shchuchinsk and almost the entire shore of Lake Zhukey on the southeastern border of the park are also good for swimming.

Authority:
From the advertising guidebook across Kazakhstan. The ministry of tourism of Kazakhstan.

Photos
Alexander Petrov.