Altyn-Emel National Park and the Singing Dune

Altyn-Emel National Park lies in the Almaty Region of Kazakhstan, about 260-300 km north-east of Almaty, and is best known for the Singing Dune, a large sand dune that produces a low humming sound when the sand slides. The entrance office is at Basshi village, and the drive from Almaty takes about 4 to 5 hours, so an overnight stay in Basshi is the usual plan and the park is a long one-day trip at best. Visitors reach it with a two-day tour that includes permits and a night in a Basshi guesthouse, with a private driver, or with a rented high-clearance car. Inside the park the roads are rough washboard, so local 4WD vehicles are used for the Singing Dune. There is no direct public bus into the park. Park permits are bought at the Basshi office or the Almaty office, at about 1,050-1,800 KZT per person per day plus about 1,000 KZT per vehicle, and vehicles may enter until about 18:00. Guesthouses in Basshi start from about 7,000 KZT per person. The park also protects the multi-coloured Aktau and Katutau mountains, whose layered clay and sandstone slopes look striking at sunrise and sunset, as well as ancient petroglyph sites, a thousand-year-old oak grove, hot springs and herds of wild kulan and goitered gazelle. The Singing Dune, a roughly 150-metre high and 3 km long ridge, is the headline stop, and the sound is strongest in dry, warm weather. A typical plan is to drive to Basshi on day one, visit the Aktau mountains at golden hour, stay overnight, and spend day two on the dune and the oak grove before returning. The best season is May to October. Summers are very hot, so spring and autumn are more comfortable. Food in Basshi is simple home cooking. Bring cash because card terminals fail, plus plenty of water, a hat and sun protection.