Bradt's Karakalpakstan is the longest, most detailed and most up-to-date
travel guidebook to this autonomous republic - Central Asia's best-kept
secret. With detailed information on what to see and do, listings for
accommodation and restaurants, and guidance on getting around, this
guide provides all the practical advice adventurous tourists need to
visit or explore this exciting destination.Roughly the size of
Wisconsin, Karakalpakstan borders Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan, and was, until recently, dominated by the Aral Sea. As the
sea water has retreated, the Aralkum - the world's newest desert - and
numerous lakes have formed in its place. Ecotourism is developing
rapidly here, as local people recognise the need to protect and restore
fragile ecosystems while creating meaningful employment
opportunities.Amid Karakalpakstan's remote wildernesses, the intrepid
traveller will find unique geology (such as the Ustyurt Plateau), rare
wildlife (including a substantial population of the critically
endangered saiga antelope, whose peculiarly bulbous nose helps filter
desert dust and regulate the animal's temperature), and fabulous star
gazing.The region also boasts a long history and rich culture. Scattered
through the Kyzylkum, the ruins of the 50-plus desert fortresses of
Ancient Khorezm (some proposed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites) attest to
region's former strategic importance. You can explore ancient
settlements (such as the necropolis of Mizdarkhan, said to include the
grave of Adam), and see caravanserais, mausolea and even Chilpik Dakhma,
a Zoroastrian 'tower of silence'. Alternatively, celebrate Russian avant
garde art alongside the superb archaeological and ethnographic
collections of Savitsky Museum in Nukus, justifiably known as the
'Louvre of the Steppe'. For something entirely different, why not
explore Muynak's ship graveyard on the remains of the Aral Sea, visit
the notorious Soviet bioweapons lab Aralsk 7 on Vozrozdeniye
(Resurrection Island), raise your binoculars at the Important Bird and
Biodiversity Area of Sudochye Lake (where 230 types of birds have been
recorded) or dance the night away at the annual Stihia festival of
electronic music. Written by two Central Asian experts, Bradt's
Karakalpakstan is an indispensable practical companion to visiting this
excitingly varied republic.
