Kazakhstan's oldest nature reserve sits where the western end of the Tien Shan meets the steppe, in the Talas Alatau range, and it was set aside as early as 1926. Aksu-Jabagly is a country of steep limestone gorges, high meadows and snowy ridges that climb above three thousand metres, and it forms part of the UNESCO listing for the Western Tien-Shan. The Aksu canyon cuts through the heart of it, with walls hung with juniper, and on some rock faces you can find petroglyphs left by herders and hunters thousands of years ago.
The reserve is best known for its tulips. The wild species that grew on these slopes, including Greig's tulip and Kaufmann's tulip, are the ancestors of many garden varieties, and in April and May the foothills turn red, yellow and orange. Botanists also point out that the nearby mountains are the original home of the wild apple, which gives the whole region a deep biological interest. Among the animals are brown bears, lynx, argali sheep, ibex and, high up and very rarely seen, snow leopards.
This is not casual riding country. Access to the reserve is controlled, and you need permission and, usually, a ranger or guide to enter the core area; the tracks beyond the village of Zhabagly are rough gravel, fording streams and climbing steeply. The tarmac to the village itself is straightforward, through steppe villages with orchards and the shimmering line of mountains to the south. Spring is the best time, when the tulips are out and the weather is mild, though it can still be cold and wet at altitude; summer is hot on the plains and cool in the hills, and winter brings deep snow.
Zhabagly, a village of about two thousand people, has a few shops and is the nearest base, but fuel is better sought in the larger towns of the district, Turar Ryskulov and Tyulkubas, the latter being the bigger of the two. Shymkent, the big city of the south, is the place to stock up before a longer trip. Local hospitality in the villages is warm, with tea, bread, dried fruit and a lot of questions. If you stay overnight, ask about the guest houses near the reserve gate, which often serve a simple dinner of lamb and noodles.