Kazakhstan · Mangystau · Founder-led · 9 Nights

The Lost Sea
of Mangystau

One of the most otherworldly landscapes on earth. Canyons, salt flats, multicoloured mountains, and almost no one else out there.

Duration
9 Nights
Driving challenge
Landscapes
Remoteness
Culture
Wildlife

The Adventure

Not Like Any Desert You've Seen Before.

The Mangystau region of Kazakhstan is jaw-dropping in a way that's hard to describe until you're standing in it. Multicoloured canyons, vast salt flats, chalk formations, Caspian coastline, Bactrian camels wandering across the steppe. It feels genuinely alien — because it used to be.

The Ustyurt Plateau, which dominates the region, was the floor of the ancient Tethys Ocean over 100 million years ago. As the ocean receded and tectonic plates shifted, the seabed was pushed upward, leaving behind compressed limestone, chalk and clay formations layered in extraordinary colours. You can still find fossilised shark teeth and sea urchin skeletons in the cliff faces. Wind and water have been carving the plateau ever since.

The Lost Sea of Mangystau is our newest Scarab Adventure. Nine days out of Aktau: chalk canyons, salt flats, multicoloured mountains and the Caspian coast, most of it wild camped, all of it driven by you. It runs in June 2027, with exact dates landing shortly.

01
June 2027. Interest Open.
£3,295 pp. Nine nights, four in five-star hotels and five wild camping in the desert. Exact dates land shortly, register to be first to know and first in line.
02
No Experience Needed.
Self-drive 4×4 provided, founder-led, coached over the radio from day one. If you've never driven off-road or wild camped, you're in good company.
03
The Most Otherworldly Landscape We Run.
Salt flats, limestone canyons, chalk formations, Caspian coast and Bactrian camels. Nothing else looks like this.

The Landscape

An alien world four hours from a city.

The Mangystau feels remote, and it is. But Aktau, a mid-sized city on the Caspian Sea, is always within a few hours' reach. We start there: hotel on the coast, vehicles loaded, then into the dust the next morning.

The plateau sits between the Caspian and Aral Seas and spans over 200,000 square kilometres across Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The Kazakh section, the Mangystau, is the most dramatic. The cliffs at Bozzhyra drop 100 metres into ancient canyon floors. The Tuzbair salt flat glimmers white under the Caspian sun. The Karynzharyk depression sits 75 metres below sea level, the second deepest depression on earth.

The Silk Road passed through here in the 6th century. Underground rock mosques are carved into the cliff faces. Bactrian camels wander across the steppe as if you aren't there. This is one of the least-visited landscapes of this quality anywhere on earth.

How It Works

Same Scarab DNA.
Different Planet.

The self-drive 4×4 format is identical to Morocco. Vehicles waiting in Aktau. Tibet leads from Car 1, coaches over the radio, manages all safety. You drive, set up camp, take turns cooking.

The terrain is different, less technically demanding on the driving, but arguably more rewarding on the eye. Salt flats, canyon tracks, dune fields, open steppe. The most otherworldly landscape we run. Worth every kilometre.

The Route

9 Nights. Aktau to the Mangystau and Back.

The route runs from Aktau out to the Bozzhyra canyons and the Caspian coast. Once we're in the desert the exact line shifts with conditions, but this is the shape of the week.

DAYS 1–2
FRI–SAT
Fly to Aktau. Recover, collect the 4×4s, stock up, evening briefing.
Land in the early hours, settle into the hotel on the Caspian, then the last supermarket run for five days. Radios tested, driving briefing at dusk.
⌂ Hotel, Aktau ×2
DAY 3
SUN
Into the desert. Aqtaw-Bozashy nature reserve.
Off the paved road and into the dust. First camp under the stars.
★ Wild camp
DAY 4
MON
Airakty, the valley of castles.
Weathered limestone towers rising off the steppe. Fossils in the cliff faces.
★ Wild camp
DAY 5
TUE
The Tuzbair salt flats.
A white plain glimmering under the Caspian sun, cliffs on the horizon.
★ Wild camp
DAY 6
WED
Bozzhyra. The big drop.
Cliffs falling 100 metres into an ancient canyon floor. The signature view of the Mangystau.
★ Wild camp
DAY 7
THU
Down to the Caspian coast and dune fields.
Steppe crossings, a beach nobody else visits, one last night in the sand.
★ Wild camp
DAY 8
FRI
Return to Aktau. Boutique hotel. Caspian sunset.
Hot showers, good food, a pool, and a debrief on what we found.
⌂ Hotel, Aktau
DAY 9
SAT
A free day in Aktau, then a late-night flight home.
Rest, wander the coast, or find a last bit of adventure before the airport.
⌂ Hotel, Aktau
DAY 10
SUN
Land back in the UK.
The desert hangover hits somewhere over the Caspian.
→ UK

Included

What to bring

A sleeping bag, a head torch, and basic outdoor clothing. That's it.

Not Included

Dates & Availability

Book Your Place

Max 4 vehicles per departure · Register early for first pick of places
Interest open
June 2027
9 nights · 4×4 provided · Full expedition
£3,295 pp
Exact 2027 dates land shortly. Register your interest and you'll be first to know when they open.
Register Interest Chat to us

Common Questions

FAQs

What's different about Kazakhstan vs Morocco?
The landscapes are completely different: salt flats, limestone canyons, chalk formations and steppe rather than sand seas. Less technical on the driving, but arguably the most otherworldly landscape we run. Far less visited than Morocco. The Scarab format is the same: self-drive 4×4, wild camping, founder-led.
How much is the 2027 trip, and when are dates confirmed?
The 2027 expedition is £3,295 per person, based on two sharing a vehicle. Exact dates land shortly, targeting June 2027. Register your interest now and you'll be the first to know, and first in line to book.
How fit do I need to be?
You don't need to be an athlete. You should be comfortable walking short distances on soft sand, setting up your own tent, sitting on low chairs, sleeping on a mat, and helping push or dig out a vehicle. That's about it.
What is the wild camping actually like?
Five nights in the desert with no showers or toilets, deliberately simple. We carry all our water, washing is wet-wipe based, and you pick your own spot to pitch with the view you want to wake up to. The four hotel nights in Aktau bookend it with hot showers, good food and a pool.
Do I need a visa, and how do I get to Aktau?
UK and most EU passport holders can enter Kazakhstan visa-free for up to 30 days. Most flights route via Istanbul (Turkish Airlines) or Frankfurt into Aktau (SCO). We'll advise on the best flights and confirm requirements for your nationality once you're booked.
Can I come solo?
Absolutely. Solo travellers are paired with another solo for the vehicle. You can share a hotel room or upgrade to a private room.

More questions? See the full FAQ or message Tibet directly.

The Lost Sea of Mangystau
Kazakhstan · June 2027 · From £3,295 pp
2027 — Register Now
Register Interest