My Journey to Aktau
A secret code instead of an address and a trip to another planet. Darya Plotnikova’s native shore will surprise you without fail.
DP
Darya Plotnikova
Wed, 08 Jun 2022
Aktau has a special place in my heart. I spent a significant part of my childhood here. Some pleasant memories resurface every time I hear the name of this city. My grandmother lived here. I spent every summer swimming, sunbathing and enjoying the surroundings on the coast of the Caspian Sea.
Even my first air trip was to this wonderful place. Most of my childhood photos are from her.
And that's why it was especially nostalgic for me to come here after many years to show my friends a place that means so much to me. The city has grown a lot, during the years that I was away. The sea has receded: in places where I used to swim, there are rocks now.
By the way, one of the features of the city is the complete absence of street names: calling a taxi, you won’t ask for Abaya-Zheltoksan, but 14-5, which will sound like a secret cipher, but will mean the number of the microdistrict and the house you need to go to.
Sea sunsets are still fascinating, be sure to set aside an evening for a leisurely sunset watching. You can enjoy it at dinner in a coastal restaurant, on a gentrified embankment, on one of the benches or on a wild beach, sitting right on the sand – it doesn’t matter where but you must make time to see a scarlet sunset and the sun going down below the horizon just like in the movies.
Our trip included not only walking along the embankments and splashing in the water, one of the key points was visiting the most beautiful surroundings of the Mangystau region. And the first on the list was the Boszhira mountain area. To avoid the scorching sun, we had to leave at 3 am, and by 11 am we were there.
We climbed to the top of one of the rocks to enjoy the fascinating view. Standing on the edge and looking into the distance at the horizon stretching for hundreds of kilometres, you feel like a tiny part of the universe, it takes your breath away. I definitely advise everyone to visit Aktau at least once in their lives and feel the scale that no photo can convey.
The beauty and diversity of our country amaze me every time. A few kilometres later, and it's like you're already on another planet. Boszhyra is imprinted in the memory for a long time, fascinating with its scope.
It was not without the usual days dedicated only to swimming in the sea. Unfortunately, this year in July, the water was quite cool. But in August, it was very comfortable.
One day we went to a sandy beach near Aktau: white sand, shells, and an endless blue sea, although it was cloudy and the water was cold, the view was amazing. Add palm trees and you are in a Bounty ad.
And do not forget to take a walk along the Rock Path on the city coast, we chose the evening time for this and admired the rocks in their multi-coloured illumination. There were various sculptures and rock paintings, on one side surrounded by powerful rocks and by the endless sea on the other.
There is also a view of a residential building with a lighthouse on the roof – one of the sights of the city
Of course, I have to mention the food. The gastronomic tour included: crayfish, which you can cook yourself at home or eat ready-made; the legendary fish barmak( beshparmak with sturgeon), on the advice of we tasted it in the restaurant "Aydin", a rather unremarkable place from the side of the road, with completely unimaginable panoramic terraces inside, from which a stunning view of the sea opens. And if you want burgers, feel free to go to "Barkhan", the local "Black Star Burger".
Recreation in Aktau is varied: from leisurely walks around the city and swimming in the sea to exploring all the surroundings of the Mangystau region and visiting the sacred places of Western Kazakhstan
But most importantly, do not forget hats, glasses and sunscreens, otherwise, there is a high probability of getting burnt in a very short time, as we did on the very first day.