Burabay is the place where Kazakhstan's flat steppe suddenly gives way to pine forest, granite outcrops and blue lakes. Rising from the plain in the north of the country, a cluster of low, rounded granite hills, weathered into odd shapes, surrounds a chain of lakes including Borovoe, Burabay and Shchuchye. Locals call it the Kazakh Switzerland, which is a stretch, but you understand the impulse after hundreds of kilometres of grassland.
The area is a national park, and a popular resort since Soviet times. Sanatoria, guesthouses and lakeside cafes line the shores, and in summer the beaches fill with families from Astana and beyond. Granite rocks have names and legends: Zhumbaktas, a sphinx-like block, and Okzhetpes, whose pointed top is said to be a place no arrow could reach, according to the story. Folklore and nature mix in the stories of khans and heroes who fought and hid here, and stone formations are said to be warriors or lovers turned to rock.
The ride from Astana is long and mostly straight, a couple of hundred kilometres across open steppe on a reasonable main road, with trucks, long vistas and a feeling that the sky is too big for the land. As you approach the hills, pine forest appears and the road becomes a little more varied, with gentle bends and shade. Mornings are cool and clear, and summer afternoons can bring thunderstorms. Watch for livestock, patches of rough tarmac and slow farm vehicles.
Burabay and the town of Shchuchinsk, a larger place about eighteen kilometres away, together provide good services. Fuel is available in Shchuchinsk, and in the resort area you will find hotels, restaurants and small shops. Fish from the lakes, along with kebabs and local dairy, feature on the menu. The best months are June to September; winter is deep, cold and silent. Spend an evening by the lake, walk a short trail onto the granite and watch the sun go down over the water.