Can I visit Mangystau in late October?

Basically, yes, you can certainly go, depending on what you want to get out of the trip. I went to Bozjyra in October, although I think it was earlier in the month. I happened to get really good weather - there wasn't even the slightest breeze, the sun was shining strongly, and in the evening I was sitting there in just a light sweater and jeans. It was very comfortable.

In spring everything there is green 😊
In autumn everything is grey 😢

Well, you can see that this person doesn't really have any alternatives. I think when you are discovering a new city and new places, you can enjoy yourself in any kind of weather.

That doesn't really worry me. The photographs that attract me aren't particularly “green” anyway. What worries me more is the possibility of rain. If the roads get washed out, will the whole trip have to be cancelled? Although the weather websites are showing only two rainy days in October, I don't know whether they can really be trusted.

Could someone share the coordinates of the best places to pitch a tent around Bokty or Bozjyra?
We want to spend the night there.
Also, do you need any kind of permits, or can you just drive in freely?

Access to Bokty is free. For Bozjyra, you are supposed to pay the tourist fee through a banking app, because the rangers may check. You won't be able to pay it yourself if you don't have a local IIN [Individual Identification Number]. As for camping, basically, you can pitch your tent wherever it is convenient.

We were in Bozjyra at the beginning of August. We didn't pay anything - not online, not at any ticket office or checkpoint, and we didn't see any inspectors either. So what exactly are you supposed to pay for anyway? The roads are basically just approximate tracks, and there is no other infrastructure there yet.

At Bozjyra, you really do encounter them very rarely. I've been there at least 20 times and have never met them once. But I always paid, because it's practically nothing and gives me peace of mind.

At Tuzbaiyr, though, we ran into them four times and I showed them proof of payment. A little farther past the Beket-Ata Mosque, I encountered them too, because they have expanded the boundaries of the park.

And as for Qarynjaryq - don't even get me started. You simply can't get there without proper arrangements. And even if you do manage to get there, you might regret it afterwards because of the consequences. 🤣

Hello, where can I find a group to join for a tour of Mangystau? Could someone please advise?

I'm looking for a group tour, but everywhere I look, they only offer private tours at ridiculously high prices.

You can have a look here. The prices seem reasonable. It's an Instagram account.

If you're still looking, here are the contact details for Mangystau Safari:

Phone: +7 700 362 6044

Office address: Hide Apart Hotel, 3rd floor, Office 303.

I would really like to visit the Saura Canyon or Kampasai. I’m a bit shocked by the prices, though. Maybe there are some reasonably priced one-day excursions?

I’d like to see the lakes and the turtles) I’m generally interested in seeing some greenery.

This particular region is generally not about the greenery at all ))). This is just my subjective opinion, but I don’t think the canyon, lake and turtles are worth the time, effort and money spent on the trip.

The “canyon” is pretty questionable — it’s a small valley with low rocky cliffs at the beginning, and that’s where the spring and lake are.

Well, a lake... more like a puddle, overgrown with reeds, with rather murky, algae-covered water. There are indeed turtles and grass snakes in it, and cows graze nearby. They simultaneously drink the water and add to it everything they have to offer. The shore of this little lake is basically a pasture.

The turtles are different sizes, but not particularly large. They are timid, so when approaching them, keep quiet.

You should go to the Saura tract for the sea and the beaches.