Kenderli Salt Pan
The Ustyurt Nature Reserve shelters many incredible places. One of its most interesting attractions is the Karynzharyk Hollow, which stretches for as much as 85 kilometers (53 mi). Its bottom is covered with Kenderli salt pan. This is a drainless salt marsh, a huge desert covered with a crust of salt. In the cold months, rain and melt water accumulates at its bottom, turning the salt pan into a shallow lake that extends to the horizon. Since the soil almost does not absorb water, the water lingers at the bottom for a long time. In summer, it slowly evaporates, leaving cracked soil on the surface. The soil looks dry but liquid mud lies beneath. Such a surface is called takyr. Takyrs are typical for Mangystau, so you need to drive and walk carefully so as not to break the top layer and get stuck.
The lake in the salt pan's southern part is fed by the Onere spring so it never dries out. Since Mangystau is the aridest region of Kazakhstan, any source of fresh water is worth its weight in gold here. The Onere spring attracts animals from all over the reserve. Here you can even see mouflons and saiga antelopes.
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When to visit?
The best time to visit Kenderli salt pan is spring when the lake has not yet dried up. Then you can admire its mirror surface that reflects the sky and the surrounding landscape providing tourists with unique photo opportunities. The otherworldly landscapes of Ustyurt reflected in a huge lake are an incredible sight to behold. The Onere buttes, standing at 150 meters each, look especially unusual. There are five such buttes. Three of them are located nearby and are called "Three Brothers" or "Three Warriors."
How to get there?
Kenderli salt pan is located in the Ustyurt Nature Reserve, so you can only visit it with a tour and accompanied by an inspector.
Getting to the salt pan is quite a challenge. It's one of the region's most remote corners located 370 kilometers (230 mi) away from Aktau and 230 kilometers (143 mi) away from Zhanaozen. Before setting off for the trip make sure you have enough water and food, a first aid kit, sunscreen, comfortable shoes and clothes.