The alien lands once hidden beneath the ocean
On a 700km round trip across the otherwordly steppe of Kazakhstan, 27-year-old local guide Gaukhar Yessirkepova takes us to the layered slopes of Bokty mountain and on the multicoloured paths of Kyzylkup canyon, affectionately nicknamed after a tiramisu cake because of its distinctive patterns. On the trip, we also admire the alien-looking gorge of Ybykty Sai and the castle-like rocks of Bozzhyra canyon. These landscapes' million-year-old geological history traces back to the time when these lands were buried underneath the Tethys Ocean.
