Kazakhstan

Have you ever imagined the size of the Republic of Kazakhstan? Take the southwestern edge of the country and hook it on Gibraltar’s rock. Then its most eastern edge will have passed the border of Ukraine. So, it really isn’t a surprise that, when leaving Kazakhstan east of Beyneu, traveling through Uzbekistan, crossing the Pamirs in Tajikistan and then leaving Kyrgyzstan at its eastern edge, you’ll find yourself… in Kazakhstan again.

With a surface of 2,724,900 km2 and almost 18,5 million inhabitants, Kazakhstan is the 16th least populated country in the world. Imagine the population of The Netherlands spread over a handful of cities all over Europe. That’s how traveling through Kazakhstan feels. And, I like it like that.

Spending most of a lifetime in an overcrowded country like Belgium, one of the blessings of overlanding is the experience of remoteness and solitude. Like in Kazakhstan.