Things to do in Burabay
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Burabay
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
The only reliable swimming season, best from late June to August, and the peak for Astana crowds and hotel prices.
The golden shoulder: clear viewpoints, empty trails and cold nights, with swimming and boat services winding down.
Winter is a real second season of frozen lakes, cross country skiing and sanatorium stays, at minus 10 to minus 25 degrees Celsius.
The thaw shoulder: muddy paths, opening lakes and low prices, with the first holiday crowds returning in May.
What's on
- Nauryz 21 to 23 March
The spring new year holiday across Kazakhstan, with concerts, traditional food and displays in Shchuchinsk and the resort villages.
Best things to do in Burabay
Lake Burabay
The pine ringed lake the resort is named for, for designated beaches, boat rental and the classic view to Zhumbaktas.
Zhumbaktas Rock
The mysterious stone island in Lake Burabay that reads as a boat, a girl or an old woman depending on the angle.
Okzhetpes Rock
The steep granite rock above the western shore of Lake Burabay, the backdrop that makes every lake photograph work.
Abylai Khan Glade
The ceremonial meadow on Lake Burabay named for Abylai Khan, best early or late before the tour groups and handlers fill it.
Kenesary Cave
A cave above the Lake Burabay shore tied to Kenesary, the last Kazakh khan, reached by a forest path and a short climb.
Museum of Nature
The small park museum in Burabay village covering the animals, birds and forest ecology of Burabay National Park.
Lake Shchuchye
The second great lake by Shchuchinsk, the sporting lake of beaches, boats and fishing, with the resort strip on its shore.
Where to stay in Burabay
Burabay village
first trip, car free base
Walk to the Lake Burabay beaches, the glade road, Bolektau, the museum and the village cafes, with rooms at every tier.
Lake Shchuchye resort strip
resort and sanatorium stays
The big self contained properties on their own shores, spa and beach on site, with the Lake Burabay sights a drive away.
Lake Bolshoe Chebachye and Lake Katarkol
quieter family resort stays
Resort hotels on the calmer lakes north and east of Burabay, with private beaches and pools and less fairground outside.
Shchuchinsk
station arrivals, value and winter
The working town by Lake Shchuchye with the railway station area, supermarkets, cheaper rooms and the winter ski tracks.
Think twice about
- Kokshetau city as a Burabay base
It is about 80 km from the lakes, so listings that use the Burabay name for a Kokshetau stay turn every sight into a long drive.
- Isolated forest rentals in winter
At minus 20 degrees Celsius a remote cabin with an unreliable transfer is a problem, not a retreat. Base on the shore road or in a town.
Best restaurants in Burabay
L'Olivo
The Italian restaurant of Rixos Borovoe and the top table in Burabay, best for a celebration dinner on a Rixos stay.
Chalet Restaurant
The relaxed chalet style Rixos restaurant on Lake Shchuchye, for a long lunch after the lake or an informal dinner.
Aynakol
The village restaurant locals name for a proper Kazakh meal by Lake Burabay, built for groups and family celebrations.
Sanyrak Restaurant
The Wyndham Garden's main restaurant in the village, the reliable Kazakh and international hotel dinner when you don't want to hunt for one.
Kafe Dostar
A long running village cafe on Kenesary street serving soups, plov, lagman and shashlik quickly at cheap prices.
Outdoor things to do in Burabay
Bolektau Mountain
A 20 to 30 minute eco trail climb to the panorama over Lake Burabay, Zhumbaktas, Okzhetpes and Bolshoe Chebachye.
Mount Kokshetau
The serious 957 metre climb over Lake Shchuchye, a guided mountain day with the best views in northern Kazakhstan.
The Three Sisters
Three rock peaks with a range of gradients, the middle option between the Bolektau stroll and the Kokshetau climb.
Lake Bolshoe Chebachye
The quieter third lake north of Burabay, with beaches, picnic shores and a fraction of the main lake boat traffic.
Horse riding at Abylai Khan Glade
Forest horse rides setting off from the Abylai Khan glade, from short led loops to longer trails for real riders.
National Ski Centre Shchuchinsk
Kazakhstan's elite cross country and ski jump centre at Shchuchinsk, the heart of Burabay's bitter, busy winter season.
Best hotels in Burabay
Rixos Borovoe
The genuine top tier, a five star resort on Lake Shchuchye with a huge spa, private shore, pools and two restaurants.
Wyndham Garden Burabay
A modern four star chain hotel in Burabay village, a short walk from the Lake Burabay shore, pools, spa and bars.
Terrassa Park
A lakeside resort on quieter Bolshoe Chebachye with a private beach, indoor pool and spa, away from the village fairground.
Okzhetpes Health Resort
The classic sanatorium on Lake Burabay, doctor led treatment courses, dietary meals, a pool and therapeutic forest walks.
Discovery Borovoe
A large family resort on Lake Katarkol with pools, spa and an organised activity programme, at rates below the Rixos.
Hotel Complex Insar
The honest budget base in Burabay village on Kenesary street, simple rooms a walk from the beach and the cafes.
Is Burabay expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | KZT 15,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | KZT 45,000 a person |
| Splurge | KZT 110,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Mount Kokshetau: a few days ahead
- Rixos Borovoe: weeks ahead
- Wyndham Garden Burabay: weeks ahead
- Terrassa Park: weeks ahead
- Okzhetpes Health Resort: weeks ahead
- Discovery Borovoe: weeks ahead
- L'Olivo: a few days ahead
- Aynakol: a few days ahead
- Book rooms weeks ahead for July and August weekends and Kazakh holiday weekends, and book the Astana train at the same time.
- Book a Mount Kokshetau guide before you travel, not at the glade.
- Arrange Okzhetpes treatment courses directly with the resort, because courses run to set lengths and start dates.
Is Burabay safe?
- Swim only at designated, managed beaches, and expect cold water and rocky or muddy entries elsewhere.
- Rock on Okzhetpes and the Three Sisters is steep and slippery after rain, so use proper shoes and skip climbs in wet weather.
- Winter cold commonly reaches minus 10 to minus 25 degrees Celsius, so dress for it and use the train and hotel transfers over winter driving.
- In an emergency dial 112, with police on 102 and ambulance on 103, and carry original identification.
Burabay travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Eagle handlers, horse rides and photo offers at the Abylai Khan glade are priced by negotiation, so agree everything before, not after.
- Hotel beach photographs show managed beaches, while the public shore elsewhere is rockier and muddier.
- A one day trip from Astana spends 5 to 7 hours travelling, and lands on the road and the beaches at their worst on a summer Saturday.
Getting around Burabay: public transport and more
- Take the express train from Astana to Burabay Kurort station in about 2.5 to 3 hours, then a taxi or hotel transfer to your base.
- Driving from Astana is about 250 km and 3 to 4 hours, and slows badly on summer weekends.
- The shore road links Burabay village, the Abylai Khan glade, Bolektau and Lake Bolshoe Chebachye, and local taxis cover Shchuchinsk and Shchuchye.
- Agree taxi fares before you set off or let your hotel call the car, because resort pricing in July is a negotiation.
Who Burabay suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Burabay your trip
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