The Kumkeshu sand dunes are located in the middle of the Turgay steppe in the Kostanay region. This place surprises everyone who comes here for the first time. The local landscapes are similar to those of Dubai, and tourists joke that after visiting Kumkeshu, you can not go to the UAE. In this article, we will tell you why Kumkeshu is a place worth visiting.
For the most part, Kumkeshu consists of fixed sands, and only small areas of soft sand dunes are found here. Dry shrubs on the ridges, bright ephemera, thickets of juzgun, acacia, astragalus adorn the desert island. The sands are fluttering in places, forming mounds, ridges and dunes.
The village of Kumkeshu is located not far from the desert. A local resident, local historian, scientist Shoptibay Baydildin says that the lands of the Turgay region can be called holy, since 22 aulie used to live and were buried in this territory (saints-Approx. The author). He studied this topic and wrote a scientific work about all the saints of this region.
Мазар Кулке Кажы аулие. Фото city3d.kz
The name Kumkeshu comes from the Kazakh words “kum koshu” (crossing of sand) or “kum keshu” (crossing of sand). The local historian explains that Kumkeshu is “nomadic sand”.
“This place used to be covered with grass. Then a state farm was formed. Equipment, people, construction – and the sand “migrated”. People stop and take photos. Not far from the village, the guys put up yurts. This is not an international highway, people rarely pass there. However, there are no conditions for tourists in these parts. Maybe it is worth planting some fast-growing trees, a camp site, yurts, kumis to sell, to interest people, then people will come more often. And so this is a good place for a photo, a little rest,” he says.
According to the stories of Amandyk Amirkhamzin, a blogger and traveler, there are several such deserts in the region – Tosynkum, Ayyrkum and Kumkeshu. But the last location is located along the highway, which makes it more convenient for tourists to visit.
“The length of the desert along the road is five to six kilometers. Kumkeshu is located in the Amangelda district, along the Arkalyk-Turgay highway. From Arkalyk to the Kumkeshu desert – 170 kilometers, from the district center of Amangeldy – 28 kilometers. Not far away there is a village with the same name and a parking lot-a settlement discovered by archaeologists, with the same name, ” he says.
Amandyk Amirhamzin organizes tours that include a visit to the Kumkeshu sands. He says that it will be interesting for tourists to see the culture and life of the local population here.
“Since there is no infrastructure for tourists and our region is not included in the top ten priority tourist territories, we are organizing ethnic tours. There is a small ethnoaul in Kumkeshu – several yurts for tourists. Here you can eat national (and not only) dishes, drink kumis, relax after a long road or spend the night. Now it is planned to open a glamping.
There are also local residents who keep a peasant farm. As part of our tour, we invite guests to see how national dishes are prepared, everyday life is arranged and cattle are grazed,” Amandyk said.
Фото Амандык Амирхамзин
“The program of such a tour includes a visit to the Turgai geoglyphs, Arkalyk, the Amangeldy Imanov Museum, Kumkeshu dunes, familiarization with the flora and fauna of the Altyn Dala reserve. The length of the route is 444 kilometers, ” says Amandyk Amirhamzin.
Tourists who have visited these places compare the views with those of Dubai. Some of them even put on clothes similar to those worn by Arabs and take photos in the desert. Amandyk himself is joking: “We don’t need Dubai when there is Turgay.”
Tourists agree with this comparison and say that during the quarantine period, a trip to Turgay replaced a trip to Dubai.
“It’s very beautiful. The eyes are resting. Yellow soft sand, blue sky and scorching sun. For a while, I even broke away from reality and forgot where I was at all, ” says one of the travelers.
Raikhan Tazhitaevna lived in Arkalyk for four years and says that they visited Kumkeshu with the whole family every summer on the way to Lake Shakpak.
“Who was on safari in Dubai, they say that it really looks like. Sometimes it is very hot, the sand heats up and burns your feet. And sometimes the wind raises the sands and you can get into a sandstorm. There are several yurts in the middle of this desert, where you can relax, drink kumis and have a snack. In general, a very unusual location. It seems like ordinary sand, but it’s so beautiful, and the photos come out cool, ” Rayhan shares.
Фото @rai_khan92
In general, the Turgay region occupies more than half of the region in terms of territory. Many people do not know about the rich heritage of this region – Turgai geoglyphs, the state natural reserve “Altyn Dala”, hot underground springs and lakes Akkol, Sarykop, a number of local history museums and monuments: the museum of Akhmet Baitursynov, Mirzhakyp Dulatov, Amangeldy Imanov, Shakshak Zhanibek Tarkhan, the complexes of Keiki batyr, Kutan aulie and Satypaldy Ishan, the ritual structure of Ekidyn (VII-IX centuries).
Amandyk Amirhamzin argues that his region can be very attractive for foreigners.
“After the film “The Survivor”, Leonardo DiCaprio rested for 10 days in Mongolia on the shore of Lake Khubsugul. He paid 95 thousand dollars for this vacation. They put a yurt on him, and he felt like a real nomad. Foreign tourists are attracted by the exotic, they need to see something they have not seen before, ” he says.
How to get there?
The Kumkeshu sands are located in the Dzhangelda district in the south of the Kostanay region in the southern part of the Turgay hollow. The sands stretch from the southwest to the northeast. To get to the dunes from Arkalyk, you need to go along the Arkalyk-Torgai highway and go straight for 173 kilometers. Kumkeshu are located right along the highway. The disadvantage is that buses do not go there, you need to find a car in advance and negotiate.
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