FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS:

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Costs: $2,750 , excluding international flights to/from Kazakhstan

Single supplement:   $300

Deposit: : $500

Group size: minimum 4 and maximum 12   

Availability: Spaces available for 2023    

Leader:   Michael Westerbjerg Andersen, or other Miksture Tour Leader

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Tour dates, prices, single supplement rates, approximate flight costs and spaces available for this tour are displayed on our website. Please see under IMPORTANT NOTES below.

The tour fee includes:

• All meals from breakfast on day 2 to breakfast on day 17

• All lodgings;

• Airport transfers;

• Ground transportation;

• Reserve entrance fees;

• All guiding services (including tips for local guides and services);

• Domestic flight: Nur-Sultan - Almaty, Kazakhstan;

• Local beer & wine for Dinner in restaurants/cafes.

   

• The tour fee does not include:

• Visa fees;

• International flights

• Telephone calls; and

• Laundry and other items of a personal nature.

   

• Single Supplement: The single supplement cost for this tour will be charged if you wish to have single accommodation. If we cannot provide you with a rooming partner for these nights although you choose to share, the single supplement will become applicable. We will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that a rooming partner is found if you do wish to share.

  IMPORTANT NOTES: a) Due to constantly fluctuating exchange rates, we quote our tours in USD. The tour price is however fixed only in the currency printed in bold, and the actual cost in the other currencies listed will be adjusted according to prevailing exchange rates at the time of final invoicing (usually 4 months before the tour.) The same applies to approximate flight and single supplement rates, which are also quoted in the respective fixed currency. b) Rates are based upon group tariffs; if the tour does not have sufficient registration a small party supplement will have to be charged. c) Furthermore, these costs are subject to unforeseen increases in tour related costs and may have to be adjusted as a result. d) Lastly, we may be forced to change or alter the itinerary and / or the designated Miksture leader/s at short or no notice due to unforeseen circumstances; please be aware that we will attempt to adhere as close to the original program as possible.

• Tipping: As noted above, gratuities (drivers, hotel staff, restaurants etc.) are included on this tour. However, this does NOT include your Miksture leader/s. If, therefore, you feel that he/they have given you excellent service, it is entirely appropriate to tip them.

• Special Notes:  It is important for the comfort of your fellow travellers that you do not over-pack. Kindly stick to 20kg (44lb) for check-in luggage and 8kg (+-18lb) for hand luggage.  

• We will spend two nights camping in southern Kazakhsta. The camp is with reasonably sized tents. A sleeping bag is provided, but you may bring your own should you wish. It is perhaps more convenient to bring a sleeping bag liner rather. The camp has a separate kitchen and food tent where meals are served. Washing facilities while camping will be basic. Toilets are simplistic.

• Much of the tour will be in remote areas with limited medical facilities or hospitals. Please ensure that you have all the necessary medication that you require for the duration of the tour.

• Although it will be late spring/early summer, the temperatures can vary greatly, from warm day temperatures of 25 to 30 degrees Celsius in the deserts (but cool in the mornings), to cold with rain and even snow possible at any time in the mountains.

• The emergence of insects on the Kazakh steppes is unpredictable, but can be so heavy as to make birding very uncomfortable without adequate protection.

• Warm clothes, including gloves, woollen hat, raingear, hiking boots and thermals will come in handy for the cooler nights and mornings.

• Fitness: In general this tour does not require a high level of fitness, but participants should be in good general health as most of the birding will be done on foot, and may require walking for several hours at a time. Some of the walks in the mountains will, however, be more strenuous. Should you have any physical limitations, please notify us in advance of departure.

• Central Asian cuisine is relatively limited in variety, but usually, salad, soup and meat form the primary basis of all meals. We will have opportunities to try regional specialities at various locations on the tour.

   

• ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE DETAILS:
  This tour does not include any International airfares. The main tour will commence in Nur Sultan, (Kazakhstan) on day 2. As we depart Nur Sultan very early on this day, you are required to be present in Kazakhstan early morning or the night before the tour starts. The tour will conclude with a transfer to Manas International Airport (Kyrgyzstan) after breakfast on day 17.

  The above information in respect of arrivals and departures is a guide only. Precise arrival and departure information will be sent to you in your Tour Confirmation package once the tour has been officially confirmed. If you wish to arrive early and/or depart late and would like assistance in this regard, kindly contact the Miksture office.

• FLIGHTS:

  Nur-Sultan International Airport (IATA: NQZ) is the main port of entry into Kazakhstan for this tour, while Bishkek  International Airport (IATA: FRU) is the main port of exit. Both airports are reliably serviced by a few international carriers, including Turkish Airlines, Aeroflot, Pegasus Airlines, POL and Lufthansa. Please DO NOT book any flights until you have consulted the Miksture office for confirmation on the status of the tour.

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