KAZAKHSTAN - Shymkent

Shymkent or Chimkent is the capital city of South Kazakhstan Region, the most densely populated region and the 3rd city in the country. It's also located on the Turkestan-Siberia Railway with an international airport but we can't say it's a charming city.
The Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve  is located in the western mountains of the Talasskiy Alatau and is the oldest nature reserve in Central Asia (1926).  It covers the north-western mountain chains of the Tian Shan.