Zhumbaktas
The Sphinx in the water.
Решайкин С.В. — CC0 · Евгений Емельянов — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nazarenkogalina — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ruslan Shaimardanov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · FREEMAN4331 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ерден Карсыбеков — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alexander Yampolsky from Ekaterinburg, Russia — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Kalabaha1969 — CC0
The best-known of the Kokshetau lakes in northern Kazakhstan, called Borovoye in Russian; its name comes from «bor», pine forest, and its old name was Auliekol, the holy lake. Pine forests and rocky hills surround it, earning the area the nickname «Kazakhstan's Switzerland». The water is so clear you can see the bottom, and the shores vary: rocky in the south, sandy in the east where the resort town and the nature museum stand, and reedy in the west. A narrow strip of land separates it from Lake Ulken Shabakty to the north. Near its northwestern cape a mushroom-shaped rock island, Zhumbaktas, nicknamed the Sphinx, rises 20 m from the water, overlooked by the soaring Okzhetpes rock. The scene is one of Kazakhstan's most famous views. Walking the shores is usually free, with small charges for cars at the park checkpoints; ask on arrival. In summer you can swim and take a boat out, and the drive from Astana takes about three hours.
The Sphinx in the water.
Among the pines.
Over the lake.
Burabay National Park, about 250 km north of Astana
A mushroom-shaped rock island rising 20 m out of the water near the lake's northwestern cape, nicknamed the Sphinx.