Cultural stays

The environmental conditions in the Cold Winter Deserts of Turan are extreme, which means you don't find too many humans living here… but there are some! Spending the night with these communities in the deserts and on the outskirts offers not only a fascinating look into how they survive in these conditions, but an insight into enthralling Central Asian cultures.

Across the large territory that makes up the World Heritage Site, there are countless opportunities to visit local communities. Many of them will be in yurt camps, where you can sleep in the felt-covered tents that have been used by the region's nomads for generations. You'll be able to eat with the locals and try their cuisine, as well as possibly join a folk music performance or storytelling session around the campfire.

In some of the villages, you'll find families will open up their houses for sustainable tourism experiences where you can stay overnight. Each experience will be slightly different, but it's likely you'll have the opportunity to help prepare the meals (as well as eat them, of course!), learn about some of the local traditions, and perhaps get a demonstration of a craft like carpet weaving.

Even if you're not able to stay overnight, you'll often be able to visit a village to learn a bit about the local customs. In Kazakhstan's Altyn-Emel National Park, for instance, there are guesthouses that you can stop at for lunch, where the family living there will invite you to the kitchen to see the food being cooked, let you join some of their daily activities, and see what life is like for the community.