About Aktau

Aktau is a small city in Western Kazakhstan on the shore of the Caspian Sea, with a population of 270,000 inhabitants. The settlement was created in 1958 when uranium was discovered in the region. Following the development of uranium deposits, the settlement was closed and renamed Guryev-20. In 1963, it was opened to the public, granted town status, and its name was changed to Aktau. However, this name change lasted only one year. In 1964, the town was renamed Shevchenko, to honor the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, who spent seven years in exile in the region around Aktau. This Ukrainian name may have been granted due to the large number of Ukrainian workers who settled in the city. Their descendants are often easily identifiable to this day, with many having surnames ending in ‘enko.’ After the fall of the Soviet Union, the name ‘Aktau’ was restored.

Aktau is an off-the-map destination that not many people have heard of, but isn’t this blog about exploring lesser-known destinations? Who needs mainstream destinations when you can explore off-the-map Soviet wonders? This travel blog is all about uncovering hidden treasures, even if they’re buried under layers of obscurity. In this blog post, get ready to embark on a short journey to the city of Aktau where I spent one hot summer night and join me as we reveal the secrets of this hidden Kazakh gem on the Caspian Sea.

The Flight to Aktau

I flew to Aktau from Astana on Air Astana in the most luxurious way on business class which was a truly delightful experience. To read more about this incredible flight, visit my flight review of Air Astana Business Class here

The Hotel

After the delightful flight, and a taxi ride from the airport, I finally arrived at my hotel “Dostyk Hotel Aktau”. I went to the check-in desk, handed the receptionist my passport, and asked her if I could get a nice and quiet room on a high floor, and whether there was a chance to get a sea view from there. She apologized and said that, unfortunately, the sea view is obstructed from this hotel so we don’t have any sea view, but just give me a minute, I need to ask my manager something. She went to her manager with my passport, came back, and said, “Is it okay that we upgrade you for free and give you a suite?” and I said, “Of course it’s okay.” I went to my room, opened the door, and the surprise was waiting for me, what a large and beautiful suite. It’s such a lovely room, and all this was for 19,900 Kazakh Tenge ($41 USD) including breakfast. Do you believe it? What a wonderful value. Honestly, it wasn’t only the great value for money but also everything about this hotel was spectacular including the breakfast, sleeping quality, and cleanliness. I left them a great review because they deserve it!

It was scorching hot outside, at least 37 degrees so I decided to take a short nap to kill the time before I went out to explore the city.

WWII Memorials

It was around 16.30 when I decided to go out to explore the city. It was still very hot. I think that due to my bad luck, I was there in Aktau on one of the hottest days this summer. To start the exploration journey, I needed to find a place for a quick bite and a drink first so I went to a restaurant called Buno Twins. I saw some good reviews for it on Google Maps so I went there but to my surprise, it was a fast food place. I was starving so I ordered a small cheeseburger and a Soviet lemonade (or at least this is what it looked like). It wasn’t bad at all. I finished eating and went outside the restaurant to start my tour around the city.

The first thing that struck my attention was the huge images of heroes of the Great Patriotic War on apartment buildings. It was fascinating to see that. The Great Patriotic War (or the Second World War as it’s known globally) is, to this date, a huge deal in the former Soviet Union Republics. There are so many war memorials everywhere I visited in the vast land of the former Soviet Union. I’m actually very pleased that some of these countries still remember their heroes who fought bravely for their country. It was a fight against fascism and racism, a fight for their survival against a ruthless enemy who was so close to enslaving them. But the Soviet bravery and resilience stopped the Nazi advance and led to the liberation of their land. However, the price of victory was very, very expensive.

I continued walking further for a few meters and I stopped where I saw a beautiful Second World War memorial. The memorial consists of five enormous white panels that make an enormous open yurt, with each panel inscribed with sorrowful scenes from each year of the war (1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, and 1945) and with the eternal flame in the middle. By the way, I’ve seen war memorials with eternal flames in countless cities across the former Soviet Union, but this one was the most powerful and gigantic flame. Maybe it’s fueled by an endless supply of gas from the region? Who knows! It was huge and I felt its high temperature while standing at least 2 meters away.

I continued walking on this beautiful path despite the scorching heat until I glimpsed the beautiful MiG-21 fighter jet looking out to the Caspian. It’s such an incredible monument, and if it weren’t too hot that day, I would have spent more time admiring the beauty of this piece of art.

The Shore of the Caspian Sea

After admiring the beautiful MiG, I walked down for a few minutes to finally reach the shore of the Caspian Sea! What a great moment it was. A few days ago, I was in the middle of the Mongolian Steppe, thousands of kilometres away, and now I’m at the shore of the beautiful Caspian Sea. It felt amazing to be there and to enjoy this geographical achievement, if I may call it!

I strolled along the beach, on the hunt for the famous Aktau lighthouse, but the funny thing is, on my way, I stumbled upon a different place called “lighthouse” Turns out it wasn’t the one I was looking for; it was actually a restaurant/lounge named “Lighthouse.”! I looked so naive when I went inside and asked the workers there “Where is the lighthouse?”

I made a stop there for a drink. I was the only one there as it seemed it was a bit too early for someone to visit a lounge at this time of the day (it gets busy at night, from what I understand), but then two girls who worked there came to my table and decided to make me the center of their universe with their endless questions about where I am from and what I am doing there and what do I think about their city. I felt a bit strange because let’s be honest, I’m not used to being the star of the show or the center of attention, so I was a bit skeptical but as it turned out, these girls were just genuinely curious about the mysterious traveller who stumbled into their lounge. Then, out of nowhere, they brought in another guy who worked there, he was just as friendly as they were! He even explained to me how to reach the real “lighthouse,” and as if that wasn’t enough, he helped me to download the “2GIS” app. By the way, you should use this app for directions if you’re in Kazakhstan or in any of the former Soviet Union countries, it’s way more useful than Google Maps.

I walked along the shore of the Caspian Sea, but it was too hot, so I decided to go back to my air-conditioned hotel room to rest and watch a game in the European Championship, wait for the sun to cool down, and then explore more areas of the city, including the lighthouse 🙂

The Aktau Lighthouse

After a well-needed rest and another shower, I went out again to find the lighthouse I was looking for, and finally, I made it there after a short taxi ride from the hotel. This lighthouse is so distinctive as it’s constructed on top of a residential building! Can you believe it? It’s certainly one of the most unique lighthouses I’ve ever seen.

Aktau Promenade (Skalnaya Tropa)

“Skalnaya tropa” means “rocky path” in Russian. It was called like that because it was constructed in a rocky area where it was difficult for construction vehicles to come any closer, so the construction of it was completely human-made. The promenade is about 1.5 km long. The path is just incredible. It’s full of life; different people enjoy the walk and the stunning view of the Caspian Sea. I spent some magical moments there admiring the beauty of this place and enjoying the feeling of fulfilment because I finally made it to a place that is very far away. It felt amazing to be there. I stayed there until it was dark.

The Caspian beach is indeed a stunning sight. It was a Monday afternoon when I was there yet it was very busy with people. As I strolled along the shore, I couldn’t help but notice the vibrant atmosphere. People of all ages were scattered across the beach, some leisurely walking, others enjoying the warm (maybe hot) sunlight, and a few enjoying a swim in the crystal-clear waters. The scene was a delightful blend of activity and relaxation, creating a simple ambiance and appreciation for being there in that moment.

The Food

After spending a few hours exploring some of the main attractions of Aktau, it was time to try a nice upscale restaurant in the city. I found one restaurant with excellent reviews called “The Bridge”. I went there for dinner, and the food and the service were quite good. The servers were also nice and cool. I’m really lucky with people I meet in Kazakhstan, as everywhere I go, I stumble into people who want to chat and learn more about me, and I find this quite amusing. I ordered a chicken breast dish and I took the recommendation of one waitress who suggested that I should try the pickles; it turned out to be an amazing idea. They also said that I should eat these pickles with vodka but of course, I had to pass the vodka recommendation 🙂

I spent only 1 night in Aktau, so it’s not easy to judge the quality of the food there, but generally speaking, the meals I had there were quite good. The cheeseburger I had in the fast-food places tasted like the cheeseburgers prepared by my mother. When I took the first bite, I said to myself “Alright, I’m familiar with this taste”. The Bridge restaurant in the evening was quite good, and also, the breakfast at the hotel the next day was excellent and exceeded all my expectations. Seriously, everything about that hotel was superb. I hope they will keep this great level of service.

Summary

Aktau is a nice city to visit for a couple of days. I would have spent two nights there if I had more time, but unfortunately, I had a short vacation and needed to visit many places in a limited period. It felt like exploring an exotic part of Kazakhstan, a place rarely visited by other travellers. I saw the Caspian Sea from the Kazakhstan side for the first time, met some cool people, stayed in a very nice hotel, had an incredible flight on my way to Aktau, and overall, felt great about being there. The happiness and emotions I experienced at the shore of the Caspian Sea were indescribable, despite the heat making it quite challenging to explore the city. It was another great travel experience and I’m so glad I decided to visit that city.

The next morning, I had a tasty breakfast at the hotel. I thanked the woman working in the hotel restaurant and told her in my broken Russian that the breakfast was really good and that I was heading to the airport to catch a flight to Almaty and she pleasantly responded by saying “Spasibo” which means “Thank you” in Russian languge. I also thanked the hotel receptionist for upgrading my room and for the great service I received. I promised to give them a great review, and I fulfilled my promise a few minutes later.

I ordered a Yandex Taxi to the airport. I arrived at Aktau Airport, a small airport in Kazakhstan, checked in for my FlyArystan flight to Almaty, and soon after, boarded the plane for an uneventful journey. On my way to the airport, I saw a group of camels, which was fascinating. I asked the taxi driver if this was common, and he said it’s very common in the region.

Speaking of the Aktau region, Aktau is the capital of Mangystau Region. Many travelers visit Aktau as a starting point to explore the natural wonders of Mangystau, which features magnificent canyons, cliffs, and mountains. The landscapes are often compared to Martian terrains, but instead of red, they are strikingly white. However, it takes time to get there, and tours are not cheap. Most tours for international travelers are very expensive, but if you ask a local, you might find a better deal.

This is all I can say about Aktau for now. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog. About future travel plans, I’m planning a trip to Russia right now at the end of August for about 9 days. I’m planning to visit Moscow and St. Petersburg. It will be my first visit to Russia in 5 years so I’m excited about the new experience. I bet it will be different this time so let’s see.