Kazakhstan lies at the heart of CentralAsia, across the Old Silk Road, theancient trade route that linked Chinaand the West. It is a massive country, halfthe size of the United States or the wholeof western Europe! Yet with a population ofjust 17 million, mostly concentrated in thecities, this is a land of vast open andunpeopled spaces. Great stone and sanddeserts - the Kara Kum, Kyzyl Kum andTau Kum - and wide grassy steppesoccupy the great majority of the country,interspersed with such great inland lakesas Lake Balkhash and the Aral Sea. Indramatic contrast, along the south-easternborders of Kazakhstan stands the mightyTien Shan mountain range, the 1,610-kilometre spine of Central Asia andnorthern extension of the Himalaya whichwaters flower-filled alpine meadows, lushforests of Tien Shan Spruce and lowlandriverine Turanga forest, and feeds thegreat lakes and inland deltas to the north.Kazakhstan's flora - consisting of over6,000 species - is interesting and varied.Its alpine and bulbous plants areparticularly special, and one of thehighlights of this tour will be the widevariety and colourful displays of wild tulipsthat we will find in bloom in the meadowsand mountains. It was only during thesecond half of the 16th century that Asiantulips found their way to Europe, and themajority of forms in cultivation around theworld today were originally obtained fromGreig's and Kaufmann's Tulips, both ofwhich we will see in their meadows oforigin during this exciting tour. Indeed, aswe journey westwards from Almaty acrosssouth-eastern Kazakhstan, amongst abewildering variety of other beautifulspring flowers, we will hope to see up to10 species of wild Asian tulips.We will begin our tour with a scheduledflight to Kazakhstan's former capital,Almaty. Built as a Russian military outpostin the latter part of the 19th century, andformerly known as Verny (meaningFaithful) and more recently Alma-ata,present day Almaty is a pleasant andabundantly leafy modern city with afabulous backdrop, nestling as it doesbeneath the snow-covered peaks of theTrans Ili range of the Tien Shan Mountains,amongst which stands Mount Talgar (5,017metres). We stay for two nights in amodern hotel in the city and, afterbreakfast on the first morning, drive toLake Kapchagai on the River Ili (whichoriginates in China), approximately 80kilometres north-east of Almaty. In this aridarea we should find such tulips as Tulipaalbertii,T. busheana and T. behmiana aswell as the attractive Iris tenuifolia andCorydalis karelinii.This area is also rich inreptiles and hopefully we will seeHorsfield's Tortoise here.Leaving the luxury of the Astana Hotelbehind, we spend two nights in simpleaccommodation close to the wonderfulMerke Gorge, breaking the long drive fromAlmaty with frequent botanical stops alongthe way. A picnic lunch will be taken at theKurdai Pass, where we should find theendangered Berberis relative, Leonticeeversmannii with its showy yellow flowersand distinctive divided glaucous foliage.This site is a tulipophile's delight as weshould encounter Tulipa kolpakowskiana,T.ostrowskiana and their hybrids, providing atapestry of yellow, orange and red flowers.We may also find the unusual leaves of T.regelii which flowers very early, as well asa couple of iris species. Merke Gorge is situated in the KirghizAlatau mountain range, its steep slopescovered by clumps of ferns (Ceteraxofficinarum,AspleniumseptentrionaleandCystopteris fragilis) as well as relict IronTree (Celtis caucasica). The highlight here,however, is likely to be Zinaida's Tulip, anendemic species of the Kirghiz Alatau.We will now drive to Aksu Dzabagly NatureReserve, the oldest reserve in Central Asiahaving been established in 1927. Duringthe journey we will stop to explore both theKuyuk Pass and the Syrdarynski Karataurange where Greig's Tulip, the largest andmost spectacular of the world's wild tulips,will be in bloom. We will pass riverineforests where the relict species Fraxinuspotamophila, numerous Eremuruslactiflorusand the very beautiful Alliumkarataviensemay be found. A simpleguesthouse will be our base during our 6-night stay in Aksu Dzabagly. From it wewill explore the Aksu and Boroldai Gorges;the latter displaying an unrivalled densityof Greig's Tulips, the former offering suchunusual or endemic plants as Korolkowiasewerzowi,Rhinopetalum stenantherumandScilla pushkinioides.We will also soakin the delights of the distinctive CentralAsian open forest comprising suchspecies as Pistacia vera,Crataeguspontica,Pyrus regelii,Vitis vinifera,Sorbuspersica,Prunus sogdianaand Padusmahaleb, plus one of the rarest plants ofthe Tien Shan, the endemic Thesiumminkwitzianum.Next, we will drive to the Saryyaigyr Gorgefor a 2-night stay. Situated in theKarzhantau range, the steep slopes of thisspectacular gorge will reward us withthickets of Ferula tenuisecta,F.penninervis,Prangos pabularia, andpatches of forest consisting of thebeautiful 'weeping' form of Juniperussemiglobosa. The population ofKaufmann's Tulips will be our mainattraction here - with over 10 differentforms in bloom!Finally, we return by overnight sleeper trainto Almaty for some final and rewardingbotanical exploration in the alpinemeadows of the adjacent Trans Ili range,before our return flight to London.Tulip Meadows ofKazakhstan & the Tien Shan MountainsA 16-day botany tour of the steppes and Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakhstan, withparticular emphasis on the wonderful spring display of wild tulips. Saturday 7th April - Sunday 22nd April Cost: £2,795Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationCHINAKAZAKHSTANILI RIVERKYRGYZSTANLAKE BALKHASHTAMGALYTAS GORGEMERKE GORGEBIG ALMATYLAKEALMATYCHARYN RED &CHARYN YELLOWCANYONSSARYYAIGYR GORGE& KARZHANTAU RIDGESHIMKENTAKSU DZABAGLYNATURE RESERVEALAKOLLAKEOutline itineraryDay 1Fly Almaty.Day 2Almaty.Day 3/4Merke Gorge.Day 5/10Aksu Dzabagly NatureReserve, Tien ShanMountains.Day 11/12Saryyaigyr Gorge,Karzhantau Ridge.Day 13Drive Shimkent.Overnight train toAlmaty.Day 14Big Almaty Lake, TienShan Mountains.Day 15Almaty.Day 16Fly London.AccommodationComfortable hotel of internationalstandard with private facilities,Almaty; simple guesthouseselsewhere with mostly sharedfacilities.FoodAll included in the price. GradingDay walks only. Grade B.Easy/moderate.FocusPlants, with particular emphasis onthe wonderful display of wild tulips. LeaderJohn Shipton.Single room supplement£195.Web quick search: KAZ04243Tulipa greigii, view towards Tien Shan MountainsTulipa albertii

Kazakhstan, lying at the heart ofCentral Asia on the Old Silk Road, isa massive country spanning2,717,300 square kilometres from theCaspian Sea to western China; an area thesize of the whole of western Europe! Yet,with a population of just 17 million mostlyliving in the cities, this is a land of vastopen and unpeopled spaces. Great stoneand sand deserts, and wide grassy steppesoccupy the great majority of the country,interspersed with such great inland lakesas Lake Balkhash and the Aral Sea. Indramatic contrast, along its south-easternborders stand the mighty Tien ShanMountains, the 1,610-kilometre spine ofCentral Asia and northern extension of theHimalaya which waters flower-filled alpine meadows, lush forests of Tien Shan Spruce and lowland Turanga, andfeeds the great lakes and inland deltas to the north.We reach Kazakhstan's former capital,Almaty, on a scheduled flight fromHeathrow. This city, built as a Russianmilitary outpost in the latter part of the 19thcentury, and formerly known as Verny(meaning Faithful) and more recently Alma-ata, is today a pleasant and abundantlyleafy modern capital with a fabulousbackdrop, nestling as it does beneath thepeaks of the Tien Shan Mountains. Fromour hotel we overlook city parkland, and thetowering and fabulously ornate woodencathedral of the Russian Orthodox Churchwhich stands before snowbound summits. We begin the tour by taking an overnighttrain to Aksu Dzabagly Nature Reserve, theoldest reserve in Central Asia having beenestablished in 1927. The reserve protectssome of the finest habitats of the Tien ShanMountains, and to best explore it we willbase ourselves for three nights in a simpleguesthouse from which we will take daywalks and optional pony rides into thereserve. This part of the holiday will beparticularly rewarding, for Aksu Dzabagly isa botanical paradise with over 1,400species, many of which are rare or endemicto the western Tien Shan, and include awide variety of primulas, tulips, saxifrages,alliums and Astragalus,plus such fineendemic trees as Betula talassicaandPopulus talassicus. A rich selection of birdsincludes a number of raptor species andnearby steppe lakes promise suchattractions as Little Bustard, DemoiselleCrane and Collared Pratincole. Returning to Almaty by train, we then beginour exploration of the area that liesbetween the spectacular red sandstonegorges of Charyn Red Canyon and theriverine Ash forest of Charyn YellowCanyon. The Charyn Canyons are east ofAlmaty, close to China's border, andbetween them span wide green steppeswhere stately Demoiselle Cranes andGoitered Gazelles may be seen, togetherwith huge breeding colonies of Rose-coloured Starlings, a dashing Saker Falconperhaps, or even the elusive Pallas'sSandgrouse. En route eastwards fromAlmaty we will pass agricultural landswhere telegraph wires are decorated withBee-eaters, Rollers, Isabelline Wheatears,Lesser Grey Shrikes and Red-headedBuntings, and we will stop to explore therocky gullies of the Tien Shan's outlyinghills hoping to find Long-legged Buzzards,Pied Wheatears, and White-capped andGrey-necked Buntings.We next focus our attentions on theTuranga forest. Turanga is an endemicspecies of poplar tree - Populusdiversifolia- found along the banks ofKazakhstan's rivers and in the inlanddeltas. The broad swathes of green thatthis riverine forest creates through anotherwise desert landscape provide habitatfor such special birds as White-wingedWoodpecker, the declining Eversmann'sStock Dove, and Azure and Turkestan Tits,whilst in the associated Saxaul bushes livesthe attractive Saxaul Sparrow. Such forestsare found along the Ili River and we visitseveral areas of Turanga forest in search ofthese specialised residents. We also spendtime exploring remote steppes and desertsthat are home to numerous larks andwheatears, Macqueen's Bustard, Black-bellied and the much rarer Pallas'sSandgrouse, Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, andthe delightful Desert Warbler. Amongst thewayside plants we may find Nanophytonerinaceum,Convolvulus fruticosusand theendemic Limonium michelsonii,plusHaloxylon aphyllum,Halimodendronhallodendron,Eremurus anisopterusandBerberis iliensisin the more sandy areas.We complete our circuit of the deserts andsteppes with a visit to Tamgaly, where somefine rock engravings dating from the earlyBronze Age are to be found, together withabundant Bimaculated Larks, Eastern RockNuthatches and Desert Finches and anumber of interesting plants, including Junokuschakeviczii,Gagea iliense,Iris alberti,Euphorbia jaroslaviiand Eremurus altaicus.On completion of our exploration of the TienShan we must reluctantly return to Almaty forour flight home. However, one finalornithological highlight awaits with a visit tothe mountains above Almaty, where thesplendid montane birdlife includesHimalayan Snowcock, Ibisbill, HimalayanRubythroat and many other exciting speciesinhabiting the flower-filled mountain valleys.The Tien Shan Mountains & Deserts of KazakhstanA birdwatching holiday to the deserts, steppes and lakes of Kazakhstan, including four days in the spectacular Aksu Dzabagly Nature Reserve high in the Tien Shan Mountains. Saturday 21st April - Sunday 6th May Cost: £2,695Outline itineraryDay 1Fly Almaty.Day 2Overnight train to AksuDzabagly.Day 3/5Aksu Dzabagly NatureReserve, Tien ShanMountains.Day 6Overnight train toAlmaty.Day 7/8Charyn Red and YellowCanyons.Day 9Return Almaty.Day 10/12Turanga forest, Tamgalyand Taukum Desert.Day 13/15Observatory aboveAlmaty.Day 16Fly London.AccommodationComfortable hotel of internationalstandard, Almaty; simpleguesthouse in Aksu Dzabagly andfully serviced camping elsewhere.We will also stay in simpleaccommodation in theAstronomical Observatory aboveAlmaty. Facilities are shared exceptin Almaty.FoodAll included in the price. GradingDay walks only. Grade B. Moderate.Between 1,830 and 3,660 metres.FocusBirds and plants (plus somemammals). LeaderAlan Curry.Single room supplement£195.Web quick search: KAZ03244Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryCHINAKAZAKHSTANUZBEKISTANKYRGYZSTANLAKE BALKHASHTAMGALYGORGEMERKE GORGEBIG ALMATYLAKEALMATYCHARYNREDCANYONSARYYAIGYR GORGE& KARZHANTAU RIDGEDZHAMBULILI DELTAAKSU DZABAGLYNATURE RESERVEALAKOLLAKECHARYNYELLOWCANYONILI RIVERTien Shan MountainsPapaver roemeria refracta and Blue sp.Himalayan Rubythroat