We are talking about the rest in Aktau in 2021. Reviews, pros and cons of rest in Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea. Features of the climate. When is the holiday season. Housing and food prices. What to do in Aktau?
Currency exchange rate: 100 Kazakhstani tenge (KZT) ≈ 17 RUB.
Rest in Aktau: reviews and advice from tourists
The name Aktau is translated as "white mountain". The city is located in the south-west of Kazakhstan, on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Aktau is unique in that it has no fresh water sources and lives off desalinated water from the Caspian Sea.
Most of the locals speak Russian well, so visitors from Russia and the CIS countries do not have problems with communication. Aktau is young, there are no historical sights in the city itself, and the tourist infrastructure is just developing.
According to tourists' reviews for 2020, a vacation in Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea is suitable for fans of beach activities and excursions. The trip here won't be too expensive. You will be able to explore the picturesque desert and admire the beautiful sunsets.
pros holidays in Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea, according to reviews:
- It is not long to get to Aktau. The flight from Moscow takes about three hours.
- Dry climate.
- Beautiful coastline.
- Fresh air.
- Local residents are friendly to tourists and try to help in everything.
- Well-groomed streets.
- Low prices.
Minuses:
- It is extremely hot in summer.
- Due to the large port, the sea water is not very clean.
- There is little greenery and almost no shade where you can hide from the scorching sun.
- There are sandstorms.
Advice... There are few sandy beaches within the city limits for a comfortable stay. We recommend paid beaches and recreation centers in the vicinity of Aktau. The best are the Blue Bay, the sand spit near the town of Zhanaozen and the beach in Kenderli Bay.
Kazakanna: "Aktau is very friendly. If people find out that you are a newcomer, they will gladly welcome you, treat you with local delicacies and give you a tour."
natalya87: "Aktau is quite small, it is very convenient to move around it, it is not difficult to catch a car. It is enough to walk next to the carriageway, look at the road without even raising your hands, someone will definitely stop."
When is it better to relax in Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea
Aktau has a sharply continental desert climate. Summer is long and hot. The average temperature in the summer months is +26 ... + 28 ° С. In July and August, in the afternoon, the thermometer rises to +35 ... + 45 ° С. Humidity is low - 57%, and it rarely rains.
Sandstorms are possible in March and June. Strong gusts of wind bring sand from the desert to the city. During storms, aircraft flights are canceled, and the population is advised not to leave their homes unnecessarily.
Rest on the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan in the Aktau region is possible from the end of May to September. At the beginning and at the end of the holiday season, the sea water is warmed up to + 19 ° С. In the middle of summer, the sea temperature is +23 ... + 25 ° С.
According to tourists, the velvet season is the most pleasant time to relax on the Caspian Sea. In Kazakhstan in September it is no longer so hot + 25 ° С, and the sea is warm in summer.
rityla2018: "We went to rest on the Caspian Sea in the city of Aktau in early August. The heat is terrible, there is no vegetation. People are saved either at home with air conditioning or in shopping centers."
Housing prices in Aktau
Look for hotels with discounts on Rumguru. Here are the main rules for finding hotels.
In the city and its immediate suburbs, tourists stay in hotels, recreation centers and guesthouses. Local residents rent apartments and private houses to vacationers. Compared to the resorts of the Black Sea coast, the prices for vacations on the Caspian Sea are lower.
Prices for a standard double room in Aktau, in the high season 2021:
| Housing type | Price, in rubles | Example |
| Apartments | 1700 | Apartments by the sea |
| Hotel 2 * | 2500 | Victoria Hotel Aktau |
| Hotel 3 * | 3000 | Chagala Hotel Aktau |
| Hotel 4 * | 5000 | Holiday Inn Aktau |
| Hotel 5 * | 5900 | Grand Nur Plaza Hotel |
Some Aktau hotels include breakfast in the room rate. All inclusive accommodations are not available. Accommodation with a swimming pool costs from 2000 rubles per day.
Renting a one-room apartment for recreation on the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan will cost 1400-1600 rubles, and a two-room apartment - 1700-2500 rubles. This option is good for traveling with children and a small group of friends.
Food prices in Aktau
Holidays in Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea are popular with lovers of hearty meat cuisine. Try national Kazakh dishes - combe, zhoryk kuyrdak, beshbarmak, traditional horse meat sausage kazy-card and shuzhukas well as a delicious camel milk drink shubat.
There are many cafes and restaurants in Aktau. Their prices are lower than in Moscow. The average bill for two in a cafe where locals eat is 3500-5000 KZT. Lunch in restaurants for tourists will cost more - 10,000 KZT. Big Mac costs 1500-1700 KZT.
Prices for food in cafes and restaurants in Aktau in 2021:
- salad - 400 KZT
- shurpa - 750 KZT
- khash - 780 KZT
- boz-bash - 550 KZT
- manti - 550 KZT
- mampar - 550 KZT
- lamb with ribs - 1250 KZT
- a cup of cappuccino - 730 KZT
- tea kettle - 1200 KZT.
The cost of groceries in Aktau stores in 2021:
- bread - 105 KZT
- milk - 240 KZT
- chicken meat, 1 kg - 1250 KZT
- beef, 1 kg - 1550 KZT
- cheese, 1 kg - from 1600 KZT
- oranges, 1 kg - 680 KZT
- tomatoes, 1 kg - 340 KZT
- coca-cola, 0.5 l - 120 KZT
- water "Tassay", 5 l - 275 KZT
- ice cream - 150 KZT.
Advice... To save money, while vacationing in Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea, rent an apartment or an apartment with a kitchen and cook yourself.
What to do on vacation on the Caspian Sea
There is a radon source not far from Aktau. You can come to him for one day to lie down in a pool with hot water. Nearby there are art houses, where tourists are accommodated at night.
With children, go to the amusement park, Mangyshlak Botanical Garden and the Museum of History and Local Lore. Visit the gallery of modern art, take a walk along the waterfront and watch the big port work. Take a trip to the Tree of Life Water Park, which is located 25 km from the city.
Holidays in Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea can be diversified with interesting excursions. If you like historical monuments, visit the ancient necropolises that are located in the vicinity of Aktau. The earliest of them was built in the 9th century AD.
According to tourists, from Aktau tourists are taken to the ancient mosques Beket-Ata and Shakpat-Ata, to the sturgeon farm, to the chalk ridges of the mountainous part of Mangyshlak, to the Karagiye depression, the Sharov Valley and to places where the caravan trails of the Great Silk Road passed. Prices for excursions - 4500-4900 KZT. Children from 5 to 12 years old get a 50% discount.
