Karynzharyk Depression

Karynzharyk is a huge depression between the Ustyurt escarpment and Mangyshlak; its floor lies below sea level. At the bottom is the Kendirli salt flat — dry and cracked in summer, a mirror after rain.

Lone mesas rise above the basin, and the area belongs to the protected lands of the Ustyurt, home to rare animals and birds. We'll be going here on overnight tours.