The Adventures of Nicole explored the Mangystau Region with the Department of Tourism Development of the Mangystau Region in order to promote the remote region’s highlights. All opinions are her own.

Dragon's Crest, Bozzhyra, Mangystau, Kazakhstan

Bozzhyra: Welcome to Planet Kazakhstan

Bozzhyra: Welcome to Planet Kazakhstan was originally published in 2025

As the 9th largest country in the world in terms of landmass, I shouldn’t be so surprised that Kazakhstan features such a diverse array of landscapes but here I am, shocked with every trip I’ve made (we’re at seven trips to Kazakhstan at this rate!). Bozzhyra is no exception to this rule, in fact, it’s probably the most dramatic of what I’ve seen so far in Kazakhstan.

Located in the Mangystau Region, Bozzhyra had me feeling like I was launched right onto another planet with its giant chalky cliffs, bizarre rock formations, and a color palette that changes from blinding white to blush pink and pale orange.

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How Bozzhyra Formed

Bozzhyra’s beguiling landscape wasn’t always the chalky desert wonderland we see today. Millions of years ago, during the Late Cretaceous Period, this entire region was submerged beneath the ancient Tethys Sea teeming with marine life.

Over millions of years, the shells, skeletons, and sediments left behind solidified into thick layers of chalk and when the sea finally receded, wind, rain, and time got to work, sculpting the jagged peaks, sprawling plateaus, and bizarre formations that make Bozzhyra feel so alien.

Every spire, ridge, and canyon here tells a story of slow and steady erosion over millions of years, creating one of the most surreal and dramatic landscapes in Kazakhstan.

Getting to Bozzhyra: The Journey is Half the Adventure

This is not a straightforward drive-you-right-up-to-the-gate kind of place. Bozzhyra is remote, and getting there requires some planning, a 4×4, and a bit of determination.

From Aktau, it’s about a 4-5 hour journey. The ride alone takes you through some hauntingly beautiful stretches of desert with endless horizons.

Most visitors to Bozzhyra will visit either on a multiday adventure camping tour or as a day tour from Aktau. That said, if you plan to reach Bozzhyra on your own, make sure you have a good 4WD vehicle and maps of the area. I found Organic Maps to have many of the off-road routes in the Bozzhyra area on it, but the knowledge of a local guide would be helpful.

Note that there is a good chance of getting stuck in the mud on the remote jeep tracks strewn about the Mangystau Region (we did after the November storms).

Features & Viewpoints of Bozzhyra

Martian Panorama

Martian Panorama is a great intro to Bozzhyra and is typically the first stop most visitors make when reaching the Bozzhyra Tract.

The Martian Panorama Viewpoint gives an excellent sprawling overview of Bozzhyra’s famed formations including the fangs of Azu Tistery and the crest of Ushkir Tau.

Azu Tisteri (The Fangs)

The most famous feature in Bozzhira is Azu Tistery, meaning ‘the fangs’ in the Kazakh language. These two jagged conical spires rise from the valley floor are impossible to miss.

The Fangs, visible from various vantage points around the valley, shift dramatically in appearance as the sun moves, casting long shadows or catching the light in stark whites and blush pinks.

Ushkir Tau (Dragon’s Crest)

Ushkir Tau is one of the most famous sites of the Bozzhyra Tract. With its jagged silhouette formed from ancient Cretaceous deposits that date back millions of years, the Dragon’s Crest resembles the spine of a prehistoric dinosaur, Ushkir Tau gained the nickname of the Dragon’s Crest.

Ushkir Tau stretches out like a natural fortress, boasting four prominent peaks that dominate the skyline. In length, the ridge of Ushkir Tau measures 600 meters, narrowing to just 20 meters wide at its thinnest at its crest.

Borly Tau

Borly Tau is a flat-topped chalk mountain nestled along the Bozzhyra Tract. This impressive peak is part of the remnants of the Zhogarly Bozzhyra mountain range.

Standing 190 meters high, 329 meters long, and 60 meters wide, Borly Tau dominates the horizon along the lower plateau.

Ulken Keme

Extending from the fangs of Azu Tisteri is the mesa-like ridge of Ulken Keme and its flat-topped neighbor Borly Tau.

While it’s not one of the most dramatic of the formations you will find around Bozzhyra, it does offer a great panoramic view of the Azu Tisteri from the top.

Shoky Tau

Shifting depending on your perspective is the mountain of Shoky Tau. Resembling a pyramid, a dome, or a traditional Kazakh yurt depending on the angle you’re viewing it from, Shoky Tau is yet another funky feature of Bozzhyra.

Karashek Salt Marsh

Once a salt lake but now dried, the Karashek Salt Marsh can be seen in the distance beyond Ushkir Tau and Azu Tistery. It’s rarely visited due to its distance from the remainder of the Bozzhyra Tract but is very much a part of it.

The Best Time of the Year to Visit Bozzzhyra

The best months to visit Bozzhyra are in the spring (April and May) and in the fall (September and October) when temperatures are most comfortable.

It can be almost unbearably hot in the summer months of June-August and dreadfully cold in the winter (November-March).

I visited in November myself and can attest to the brutal cold. I was in the Mangystau Region for over a week and saw gale-force winds, rain, and snow, which all hampered and prevented the task of reaching all of Bozzhyra’s highlights. In fact, I only had about five minutes to photograph Ushkir Tau before we had to leave due to some pretty extreme wind gusts. The whipping wind and rain were so bad at the other viewpoints that we didn’t stop, unfortunately.

The Best Time of the Day to Visit Bozzzhyra

While Bozzhyra is stunnorama any time of day, sunrise and sunset are when Bozzhyra’s famous formations are best viewed.

The cliffs catch fire in hues of pink and gold, while the valleys sink into shadow, creating a hauntingly beautiful stark contrast.

Nighttime is also a special span of the day at Bozzhyra offering epic stargazing on clear nights.

Camping in Bozzhyra

Camping is the best way to spend your nights as you explore the Bozzhyra area as it’s so far from Aktau and anywhere else for that matter.

If you camp at Bozzhyra independently, make sure you have all the supplies you need and are completely self-sufficient as there are no facilities out here.