East Kazakhstan is increasingly drawing tourists, and a self-organized trip to Mount Belukha and the Bukhtarma Reservoir can prove noticeably cheaper than a packaged tour. Travel blogger Saida Yesenova shared the experience of a two-week journey made by three Kazakh women, according to infohub.kz.

The travelers spent the first week in the mountains at the foot of Belukha and the second on the shore of the Bukhtarma Reservoir. Their main expenses were gasoline, food, a border-zone permit, rental of a cabin and a banya, as well as horses and a guide's services.

The largest sum — 240,000 tenge — went to horses and the guide. Another 172,034 tenge was spent on food for the entire trip, and 133,106 tenge on gasoline. The permit and a cabin at Yazevoye cost 62,160 tenge, while the banyas came to 28,000 tenge.

The calculation did not include personal purchases, medicines, gifts, or items bought in advance for the hike.

"We prepared for the hike for almost six months. We gradually bought suitable trekking shoes, clothing, and gear — it's one thing to simply drive up and sit by a campfire, and another to go into the mountains or ride horses," Yesenova said.

Before the trip, travelers also need to obtain a permit through Egov.kz, since Belukha lies in a border zone. The documents were submitted about a month before the journey. Payment for entry to the national park is made on site and depends on the length of the hike.

According to Saida, compiling a single gear list is difficult. The travelers relied on their own experience, advice from friends, reviews, and recommendations from other tourists. In total, the trip cost 625,300 tenge — about 208,400 tenge per person.

The mountain portion of the trip alone cost roughly 130,000 tenge per person. By comparison, organized tours to Belukha start at 470,000–500,000 tenge per person for a week. The price usually includes transfer, horses, a guide, tents, and route organization.

Without tour companies, travelers obviously have to handle matters themselves. For example, Saida found a guide during a previous year's trip to Lake Yazevoye. She advises bringing rubber boots and arriving at the campsite before dark. According to her, it often rains in the mountains, and navigating unfamiliar terrain at night is nearly impossible.

Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle showed the otherworldly landscapes of the Altai and stone pillars 260 million years old.