LONELY PLANET: ROADS LESS TRAVELLED

Lonely Planet author Iain Shearer is happy to be at Baikonur Cosmodrome, also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppes of Kazakhstan, about 200 kilometers (124 mi) east of the Aral Sea and north of the Syr Darya river.

Lonely Planet author Iain Shearer is happy to be at Baikonur Cosmodrome, also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppes of Kazakhstan, about 200 kilometers (124 mi) east of the Aral Sea and north of the Syr Darya river.

Lonely Planet author Author Iain Shearer in the midst of his dune buggy adventure in Chemolgan.

Lonely Planet author Iain Shearer seen through one of the rusting fishing boats left high & dry by the reduction of the Aral Sea.

Lonely Planet author Iain Shearer in Yuri Gagarin's (first human in space) chair, at the cosmonauts accommodation at Baikonur.

Lonely Planet author Iain Shearer in Almaty at Baikonur.

Lonely Planet author Iain Shearer kayaks down the Turgen River in a catamaran kayak of Russian invention.

Lonely Planet author Iain Shearer kayaks down the Turgen River in a catamaran kayak of Russian invention.

Lonely Planet author Iain Shearer at the controls of Buran, the Russian space shuttle that never flew on display at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.