The pictures that follow are from a weekend trip to Charyn Canyons, known to locals as Kazakhstan’s “Grand Canyon.” Charyn Canyons are located about four hours outside of Almaty. On the drive out, you get a sense of how vast and empty Kazakhstan is. I very much hoped we didn’t get a flat tire!

Once there, though, the canyons were spectacular. I’m told that they are brutally hot and crowded with tourists in the summer time, but mid-March was a great time to visit. In the picture above, notice the mountain range. That’s the Zhungar-Alatau range which marks the Sino-Kazakh border. Yes, China’s not that far away!