THE TRAY OF TOUSTIOURT AND BOZJIRA

The Ustyurt Plateau is a barren strip of land, hostile to the Siberian winds, stretching between the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea, and covering part of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. It's a completely uninhabited area, with only a few villages surviving, once supplied by Moscow, and now surviving, populated by the last inhabitants who didn't have the opportunity to move elsewhere. The heat is overwhelming in summer and the cold is bitter in winter, especially when the wind blows. In short, it's not exactly a welcoming land, but it does offer some breathtaking scenery, particularly around the shores of the ancient Aral Sea. To explore the Ustyurt plateau, you'll need to hire a 4x4 vehicle. The best starting point is from Aktau, where a number of agencies and hotels can organize excursions. Make sure the driver knows the area well, as there are no roads, only tracks. Ask to push on to Bozjira, one of the country's most remote sites, far from any human activity. For several hundred kilometers, the snow-white limestone rocks have been carved into amazing shapes by rain and wind, and have become one of the most popular shelters for Kazakh sheep. You may even be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one. A true immersion in one of the most ghostly and lunar landscapes imaginable.