00:02When the crew of the modern nomads visited the Burabai National Park north of Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, in February,
00:09we enjoyed the winter activities at minus 23 degrees Celsius.
00:13It was the introduction to the second most visited resort in Kazakhstan,
00:16which receives over a million and a half tourists each year.
00:19We finished the episode like this.
00:21Spring and summer will completely transform this place.
00:24There will be different things to see and other things to do.
00:27I'll see you then at exactly the same spot.
00:32Same spot, but in an entirely different place, as promised.
00:43It is in the summer that one can clearly see why Kazakhstan designated this place as one of the three
00:48that need special treatment and development.
00:50An oasis of seven big lakes nestled among the spectacular forested mountains teeming with life.
00:56It is good for family and children tourism, for ecological tourism, for gambling, but also for active tourism like sports
01:07activities.
01:08We have an increasingly strong focus on ecotourism.
01:13That's why we have specially designated trails for ecotourists so that, you know, there's minimum infrastructure.
01:22You can enjoy, you know, really wild forests and mountain hikes so that, you know, no one can interfere and
01:31you can be in sync with nature.
01:37Owing to its more than 300 species of vertebrae and more than 800 species of plants,
01:42Burabai National Park was included into the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
01:48If you're not lucky to accidentally disturb the peace of an elk, roe deer, wild boar, wolf, Eurasian lynx, fox,
01:55ermine, weasel, marthen or badger,
01:57you can visit farms with famous maral deer.
02:00Most visitors do not resist the temptation to hike to the high grounds above the lakes and enjoy spectacular views
02:06from special viewing platforms.
02:13It's worth every drop of sweat, don't you think?
02:18There's something for everyone's taste or need in Burabai, from enjoying simple pleasures in the nature to organizing a congress.
02:26The combination of pine forest and water is believed to heal lungs and the first sanatorium was built in 1910.
02:32Now, there are more than 10 medical institutions and more than 20 children's camps.
02:37There are a lot of directions.
02:40If you're from wild nature, there are more cardiologists.
02:43You can also come here, put a car, take a car.
02:47We have cars on the national park.
02:49On the national park, there are roadways, roadways.
02:51You can ride.
02:52There are places to install the tables, to build the stairs.
02:57Burabai's beauties are impressive, but none of them are unheard of.
03:00What is truly unique is a distinctly Kazakh historic context.
03:04Two years ago, we've launched the archaeological works across this resort and three archaeological sites.
03:16Our archaeologists from the National Museum and from the government, together with international archaeologists, identified and found a number of
03:27kurgans, basically historical burial and ritual sacrifice sites.
03:35Tourists coming to Kazakhstan, to Burabai, and they will be able to appreciate the ancient history of Burabai because this
03:43resort has always been a very sacred place.
03:46Kazakhs have always believed in the sanctity of this place.
03:49They still tell many stories and legends, giving Burabai its mystic aura.
03:53Every stone here has a legend attached to it, and this particular one is supposed to be the throne of
03:59one of the most famous Kazakh huns, Ablaihan.
04:02And if you walk around it, a wish will come true for you.
04:06Public-private partnership has been created to unearth more of the burial and sacrificial sites of the Saka civilization.
04:13On one of them, we find the historian who leads the scientific part of the project.
04:17There is a historical plot of Kazakh legends.
04:21Yes, let's say, this monument, Abakai, this monument of the Sakaiv period.
04:26This is 2,5 thousand years from our days, if you think.
04:30This is the first thousand years of our era.
04:32We came here and asked the higher powers, the spirit of this khan's wife, to help them in life.
04:45Wrapping up my second visit to Burabai, I plan for a bike ride and a dip in the lake, with
04:51one verdict I have not yet reached.
04:53Do I like this place more now or in winter time?
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