Kazakhstan attracts tourists with its mild southern climate, colorful antiquities, amazing national cuisine, indescribably beautiful nature. One of the tourist centers of Kazakhstan is Lake Shalkar - a large salt reservoir, which has every right to be called the steppe sea. Located a hundred kilometers from Uralsk, this pond is a favorite vacation spot in the Urals. The waters of Shalkar are salty, very clean, and old-timers consider them also healing.
The history and modernity of the lake
The word "Shalkar" (or "Chalkar," as the locals say) is translated from the Turkic language as "a lake as brilliant as snow." Many experts are sure that Lake Shalkar is the remnant of the Khvalyn Sea, which thousands of years ago retreated from this land to the borders of the modern Caspian.
Geography
There are almost no trees on the shores of the lake. But unpretentious thorns like inhospitable salty soil. It is very difficult to call these places picturesque. However, the small sea, which suddenly appeared in the middle of the steppe, still attracts the eyes and attracts tourists. And on the sea this lake is really very similar. And the matter is not only in the salinity of the waters, but also in its size - the opposite shore of the lake is not visible. Strengthening the resemblance to the sea and strong salty winds that rage in these parts in the evenings. The bottom of the lake is lined with fine light sand, but do not dig it up - black mud hides under the sand . Many consider them healing. But such procedures may not appeal to everyone.
Shalkar Lake: where to stay for the night
The wildlife of steppe Kazakhstan attracts only the bravest. There are no restaurants, cafes, or hotels on Lake Shalkar. You can come here with a tent or a trailer, or you can rent a yurt. True, pleasure is not cheap - you have to pay 25-30 dollars per day. You can rent a house in the nearby village. The price for a yurt, comparable with the cost of a good room in a Turkish hotel, does not scare away everyone. From a distance, camping is like a Kazakh village - almost all yurts are almost always busy. Therefore, those who decide to visit Lake Shalkar and live not in a tent, but in a real yurt, will have to agree on resettlement in advance.
Tourist business in Kazakh
Local residents try to attract tourists by offering them some services: drinking water, skewered lamb, the famous fat bream ... Kazakh boys offer tourists to ride local steppe horses. This pleasure costs quite a bit - only 100 tenge per round. Another simple entertainment from the locals is fishing on the lake. For a moderate fee, local peasants can take a boat ride or borrow it. By the way, for driving along the highway to the lake, you will have to pay 300 tenge. Despite the collection, the condition of the road is sad. And in many other ways, the absence of the hands of a strong master is noticeable. Lake Shalkar, the reviews of which are very positive, could become "Kazakh Ibiza", but the tourism infrastructure there is completely undeveloped. Even those who came there with money and the purpose of spending it are likely to take the lion's share of savings home. There is simply nothing to spend money on. The construction of hotels, restaurants, canteens, discotheques, entertainment complexes, shops - all this could make Lake Shankar (Kazakhstan) one of the tourist centers and a truly paradise. The repair of access roads to the lake would also play a positive role in the development of infrastructure. It turns out that nature did not spare forces for this place, but people are in no hurry to make efforts to equip the territory and develop tourism in the region.
Uralsk city
The vast majority of tourists who visit Lake Shalkar (Kazakhstan) also visit the city of Uralsk, located nearby. This is a beautiful young city with many new buildings, parks, shops. In Uralsk live hospitable and friendly people, always welcoming visitors.
Many tourists want to live in Uralsk a day or two in order to better get acquainted with its architecture. And someone spends time here forcibly - after all, through Uralsk it is easiest to get to Lake Shalkar and the time between transport can be spent here with benefit and pleasure.
Road to the lake
From Uralsk you can reach the lake by car or by bus. To develop high speed will not work - partly the road is cut with bumps, bumps, small pits. But it is worth noting - about half of the route has already been repaired, and repairs are ongoing in the rest of the road. The landscape outside the windows of a car can hardly be called picturesque, but where else can you admire the sunlit steppes, if not in Kazakhstan? It is best to stock up on water and food in the city, because on the way to the lake it is unlikely to meet a trading tent. It’s not long to go to the lake - an hour after leaving you can already smell the salt water and steppe grasses.