Photo: washingtonpost.com, photo editor: Dastan ShanayTraveling across the Mangystau region of western Kazakhstan can feel more like a lunar expedition than a road trip. Driving off-road in four-wheel-drive vehicles, travelers pass bleached rock formations, broad plateaus and vast empty plains that show little sign of human presence, the Washington Post reported. Photo: washingtonpost.com, photo editor: Dastan ShanayMangystau’s isolation is striking. Photo: washingtonpost.com, photo editor: Dastan ShanayThe main gateway to the region is Aktau, a Caspian Sea port city designated the 2025 Culture Capital of the Turkic World. According to Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics, about 409,000 visitors stayed in accommodations in Mangystau last year, representing roughly 9 percent of all resort-area visits nationwide.

Source: Washington Post January 09, 2026 11:12 UTC