Kazakhstan

Serik.

Freelancer in Aral, Kazakhstan

★★★★★

5.0

7 REVIEWS

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Written by Indy Guide from Serik's trips and guest reviews

About this host

Serik is based in Aral, in northern Kazakhstan, and has worked as an English-speaking driver and guide around the Aral Sea since the mid-2000s, when he first appeared in a Lonely Planet guidebook. He has since worked with film crews and journalists from the BBC, Al Jazeera and other outlets covering the region's environmental story.

His trips focus on the North Aral Sea: the former seabed, Karasandyk hills and the cliffs of the Ustyurt plateau, the hot thermal spring, and the abandoned fishing village of Aqespe. He drives a 4x4 SUV himself and brings in other vehicles and drivers for larger groups. He also arranges multi-day trips to remote fishing villages such as Tastubek, timed around when locals cast and check their nets, and transfers to Kyzylorda, Baikonur and Toretam.

Guests consistently mention his fluent English, deep knowledge of the Aral Sea's history and environment, and a relaxed pace that leaves time to stop, ask questions and take photographs. Several describe him as flexible with itineraries and dependable in difficult conditions.

Serik guides and drives personally, plans each trip around arrival times, weather and road conditions, and can add local lunches, guesthouse or village stays, and boat trips with fishermen on request.

Tours & Activities

4 Listings

Trip To Aral Sea, And Transfer To Kyzylorda

Tours & Activities

1 Day

Trip To Aral Sea, And Transfer To Kyzylorda

Starts in Aral Sea, Казахстан

Thanks for your interest! Unfortunately Zhalanash ship graveyard was removed by locals in early 2015. There are no ships left there. Below is the standard tour program we offer to tourists: Day 1 (Karasandyk hills, old Aqespe village, hot thermal spring) 300 km offroad, no public transport, 4x4 only Drive northwest towards Kusmurun hills, then take a turn on dirt road heading to east end of Ustyurt plateou, stop at Kalbatau, then at Karasandyk hills. Continue driving along the North Aral sea, visiting remain of last ships (only bottom) along the shoreline. Then drive to hot thermal spring (+62°C all year around, stop for swimming), Then drive to old Aqespe village. Aqespe was one of the biggest fishing villages, but after shrinking of the sea sand dunes start to bury the village, so locals had to move away and village is abandoned now. You can walk among the buried streets of old village. Above mentioned places are located in northwest of Aralsk, and it really gives you impression of manmade disaster. When its dry we drove on the former seabed, where you can see salt plains, clifs (former shoreline), herd of camels and horses, wild shrubs growing on salty seabed and of course, seashells which still spread allover

Tours & Activities

1 Day

Aral Sea Tours From Kazakhstan

Starts in Aral Sea, Kazakhstan

Trip to the sea (not less than 6 hours, 300 km) Transport: 4WD SUV only Driving to Zhalanash village through old fish receiving dock, between Zhalanash and Aral driving on former seabed. After Zhalanash continue driving to Karasandyk plateou (former coastline), beautiful rock formations and cliffs at Butakov bay, east end of the Ustyrt Plateou. Continue driving along the North Aral sea, then stop at hot spring (62°C), then to new and old Aqespe villages (old one is disappearing in sand dunes), back to Aral via Sekseuil village. Above mentioned places are located in northwest of Aralsk, and it really gives you impression of manmade disaster. When its dry we drove on the former seabed to ship graveyard, where you can see salt plains, clifs (former shoreline), herd of camels and horses, wild shrubs growing on salty seabed and of course, seashells which still spread allover. Overnight, local hotel in town

Drivers

Trips To The North Aral Sea

I have a Nissan Pathfinder (A/C, 4x4, experienced offroad driver), also when there is a big group can organize other SUV's and UAZ Buhanka (van)

Transfers

Transfer From Aral To Former South Aral Sea Bed

Two trips included, transfer from Aral to destination point on the 15th or 16th of November, and after transfer back to Aral on the 27th of November

Reviews

5.0

★★★★★

7 Reviews

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5.0

Serik speaks perfect English, understands how to handle foreign guests eager to learn, and knows everything there is to know about the Aral Sea. Highly recommended.

Simon

August 2026

Response from Serik August 2026

It was a absolute pleasure working with him. He was very polite, friendly and easy to work with.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5.0

Incredible adventure in Aral. Great tour with Serik. The guide was atentive and answered to all of our questions in a profesional manner. The transfer back to Qyzylorda was excellent.

Mihai

August 2026

Response from Serik July 2026

It was a pleasure hosting Mihai and his wife for a day trip to the Aral sea! Friendly, enthusiastic, and great company! I would love to welcome them back anytime!"

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5.0

Serik was a fantastic and very accommodating guide. We really enjoyed the Aral Sea tour with him : his pace, explanations, and driving were perfect. I recommend Serik 100% !

Romain

July 2026

Response from Serik July 2026

Romain and his friend were a wonderful guests—friendly, respectful, and punctual. Thank you for joining the tour, and safe travels on the rest of your trip! Highly recommended to all host communities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5.0

It was a very unique experience, a must for anyone visiting Kazakhstan. Serik is a great guide, willing to answer any questions. Nothing is a problem for him, he gives you plenty of time to explore the area. He also helped me arrange my accommodation in Aralsk. It was a very informative day and I'm sure it wouldn't have been possible without Serik's professionalism and experience.

Tomasz

April 2025

Response from Serik April 2025

Everything went according to the prigram. Tomasz is a very kind, open- minded, polite traveller. He speaks both english and russian fluently, so very easy and comfort to communicate

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5.0

Excellent tour, with a combination of details about the environmental tragedy, along with local culture and history, and natural beauty. Serik is a great guide to the region, and a deep understanding of the area, offering a wealth of insights. Wonderful, thank you!

Jacqueline

June 2023

Response from Serik June 2023

Jacqueline and her son are very polite, knowledgable customers. It was very pleasent to spend the time with them.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5.0

We asked for an original plan that was different from the general travel plan, but he was willing to accept it. I had some troubles along the way, but I was able to deal with them thanks to his kindness. If you are considering traveling in the Aral region, I think you will have no problem leaving it to him. In fact, our trip was life-threatening depending on his decision, but he was able to make the journey in a safe state.

HIRAYAMA

January 2023

Response from Serik November 2022

I am very happy that had a chance to work with Hirayama Takuya and team. They succesfully completed an South Aral sea crossing expedition (walking and camping in cold windy days, offroading, out of network). They proved themselves to be a professional travellers

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5.0

The trip was amazing. Serik speaks really good english. He gives you lot of time to stop and take pictures. The content of the tour is extensive and you get a great overview on how it was when the sea was still there, in comparison with how it is now.

Daniel

May 2022

Response from Serik May 2022

Everything was good, train arrived in time, so we start the tour right away ar 6"30 from the station. He is very open, polite person, we chat about everything, not only sea. Hope he liked an exploring Aral sea and surroundings,

View all 7 reviews →

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