What’s it Like to Travel in Kazakhstan?

You can call off the search: Kazakhstan is the most underrated country in the world.

Yes, after thirteen years of travel, and a hundred-odd countries visited, I’m convinced I’ll never find somewhere as overlooked as the largest -stan.

This country was a revelation and I’ve spent the past month singing its praises to anyone who will listen. My friends, get ready, because by the time you finish this article, I suspect you might be itching to start hunting down flights to Almaty.

But what is it that makes Kazakhstan so great?

Honestly? This country has everything you might want in a travel destination.

Almaty is a modern, cosmopolitan city, packed full of upscale wine lounges, amazing restaurants, and cosy cafes. There’s a great third wave coffee scene with interesting roasters offering up unusual beans to sample. It’s clean and safe, and everyone’s friendly. It’s a green city, with parks breaking up seemingly every city block, themselves backed by towering, snow-capped mountains.

And it’s so diverse, too. You’ve got Almaty’s hipster vibes, Turkistan’s Silk Road architecture, Karaganda’s Soviet-era mosaics, Aktau’s stretches of sand, and the bizarre city of Astana, which throws a futuristic twist into the mix.

The landscapes are even more impressive. Yes, you’ve got the infamous steppe, but there are also deep canyons, glacial lakes, multicoloured deserts, dense pine forests, wetlands, gorges, and even beaches.

It’s super inexpensive. A high-end three course meal with alcohol comes in at as little as $15. You can eat lunch for as little as $2 each, and the cuisine is so good. Throw in the fact that the country is suffering from the exact opposite of overtourism and well, what more can you ask for?

Dave and I had the same conversation over and over: budget travellers spend so much time concentrating on Southeast Asia and Central America, but why not Kazakhstan? It’s cheap, safe, and beautiful: the travel trifecta.

So what’s stopping people from visiting?

I think it’s down to three main things:

• People know nothing about it
• It has “stan” in the name and that scares people
• The Borat connection

Borat, of course, planted a certain image of Kazakhstan into the minds of Westerners. But Borat is an inaccurate representation of Kazakhstan; it has nothing to do with Kazakhstan. The film was intended to provide a commentary on how Westerners know very little about other parts of the world. It was filmed in Romania; Sacha Baron Cohen spoke Hebrew.

Yeah, the film is satire, but it also portrays the Kazakh people as racist and sexist; backwards and antisemitic. The whole point, in theory, of the movie is that it’s not showing the real Kazakhstan, but what Americans think Kazakhstan is like.

But like… what happens when everybody just believes that is accurate? How frustrating to hail from Kazakhstan, knowing that, even 20 years after the film’s release, Borat is all people picture when they think of your country. Spoiler alert: it’s nothing like the movie portrayed.

So hold back on the Borat jokes when you visit, then: they’re seen as outdated, cringe, and offensive. Locals have been hearing them from Westerners for way too long.

And as you’ll learn when you visit, Kazakhstan is such a warm and welcoming place.

But hey, maybe I’m just salty, hailing from Staines, where Ali G is our claim to fame :-)

Up first: what it’s like to travel here! These are my favourite type of blog post to write — you can browse my growing collection of them on my What’s It Like to Travel In? page — as they make for a perfect introduction to a destination. In them, I blend together a detailed travel guide with all of my observations and surprises, useful tips, fun stories, and first impressions.

Here we go!

This is a Big Old Country

Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world and roughly the same size as Europe. The country measures 3,000 km, or 1,900 miles, across, similar in distance to the span from London to Istanbul. With a population of 17 million, this is also one of the most sparsely settled countries in the world.

Distances between major cities and attractions can therefore be substantial. The journey from Almaty in the southeast to the western city of Aktau takes an incredible 55 hours by train, while the more popular route of Astana to Almaty still takes 16 hours.

Earlier this year, Kazakhstan switched over to using one timezone for the entire country, which fortunately makes planning multi-day journeys much simpler, but this is still a country that rewards slow travellers. Yes, there are domestic airlines that take you to everywhere you might want to visit, but the extensive rail network is something I highly recommend experiencing.

Which brings me to my next point.

Fancy an Adventure? Head to the Train Station

One of my favourite ways to explore a country is via its rails, so as soon as I started planning a trip to Kazakhstan, I knew I had to travel across it by train.

The country is exceptionally well-covered in this regard and you can reach most of the main tourist destinations by train.

If you’re short on time, never fear: you can easily fly between all of the main cities, but if you do have days to spare, I highly recommend opting for the train. Not only will you save money, but you’ll have an experience.

After all, you can’t say that you truly know the steppe until you’ve spent twelve hours travelling across it and aren’t 100% sure that you’ve actually moved anywhere. Yes, the landscapes through the centre of Kazakhstan are flat and seemingly never-ending.

In terms of the trains themselves, you’ve got two options in Kazakhstan. There are the old Soviet trains that trundle along at 100 kmh (62 mph) and there are the newer Talgo trains, which travel at 130 kmh (80 mph). If you’re really into your trains, you’ll probably want to go with the Soviet-era option, but you should keep in mind that you’ll be going super-slow (but maybe that’s what you want!)

As a comparison, the Talgo train between Astana and Almaty takes roughly 16 hours, while the Soviet train takes a considerable 23.

Buying tickets is easy — I bought mine online through tickets.kz (make sure you select railway tickets as it defaults to flights) — and had zero problems booking, paying, and choosing seats. If you want to stay in the luxury private rooms, look to book at least a month in advance, as they do sell out quickly.

I decided to go for the first-class option, with Dave and I paying $70 each for a room that slept two (other, cheaper carriages are priced from $13). There was a bathroom shared between four rooms (so a maximum of eight people) and it was cleaned regularly throughout the journey. We had access to a dining car and bar car for all of our plov and vodka needs, free hot and cold water, and an inspector keeping watch throughout the night. There was also air conditioning, which was much appreciated, as it was 37°C on our travel day!

When I look back on our time in Kazakhstan, taking the train was such a highlight.

The Landscapes Are So Much More Than the Steppe

If you know anything about the geography of Kazakhstan, it’s likely going to be that it’s all about the steppe. Kazakhstan is home to one of the largest steppes (a vast area of grassland) in the world, but the country isn’t entirely flat and void of trees.

In the south of the country, I spent a day feeling as though I’d been transported to Switzerland and Arizona, as I encountered towering snow-covered peaks, glacial lakes, dusty deserts, and red-rock canyons. In the west of Kazakhstan, you can bathe on the shores of the Caspian Sea, while in the east, you can summit the Altai Mountains, where peaks soar to elevations of over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).

In winter, you can ski at one of the cheapest ski resorts in the world, feeling as though you have the slopes all to yourself. In the summer, you can spend your days hiking up to the glaciers, rivers, and hot springs of the Tian Shan Mountains. Experienced mountaineers can try their hands at summiting Khan Tengri, a marble pyramid that’s 7,000 metres in elevation and located on the tripoint of China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan; yep, Kazakhstan is far from flat!

There’s a collection of 5,000 petroglyphs in Tamgaly; a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back to 1000 BC. In the southeast, there’s are a collection of tall sand dunes that wouldn’t look out of place in Namibia; they sound like an organ whenever the wind blows. The Aktau Mountains are the alien-looking landscape you can see below; mountains striped with red, blue, yellow, and white.

This is Kazakhstan? It sure is!

While this country is undoubtedly all about the steppe, it’s also home to a diverse collection of landscapes, many of which are easily accessible from the major cities.

The Summers are Hot and Winters Cold

I knew that it was going to be hot in Kazakhstan, but I was still surprised when the temperatures hovered at around 35°C (95°F) for the entirety of July and August in Almaty, Aktau, and Turkistan. Astana was a little cooler, at around 25°C (77°F).

If you can believe it, the winters are even more unpleasant. Astana is the second-coldest capital city in the world, regularly seeing temperatures as low as -20°C (-4°F).

And if you’re like, damn, that’s quite a temperature variation: yep! The highest temperature ever recorded in Kazakhstan was 41.6°C, while the record low is an unbelievable -51.6°C. That’s equivalent to a range of 107°F and -61°F.

I like hot weather, so the 37°C temperatures didn’t bother me too much and, unlike in Europe, the tourist attractions were the opposite of crowded, so it didn’t feel stressful; I’d definitely visit again in summer. There’s so many parks and green spaces in many of the cities that it’s easy to find shade, plus the majority of the cafes and restaurants in Almaty have misting systems that spray out on to the streets all day — so refreshing!

If you’re looking for more comfortable temperatures, springtime is where it’s at. Plan to visit in May or June if you’d prefer your average temperatures to be around 23°C. September gets pretty chilly (around 15°C), so I’d probably skip visiting in autumn.

And unless you’re a skier, I’d definitely avoid Almaty in winter, when it becomes one of the most polluted cities in the world.

This is an Inexpensive Country to Visit

Kazakhstan is one of the cheapest countries I’ve travelled to in the past few years, and I couldn’t believe how much value you can get for your tenge here.

As an example, the five-star Sheraton Hotel in Astana is just $122 a night! I was so tempted to stay there, because how often do you get to stay in a five star hotel for so little money? Alas! It was still hard to justify when there were so many well-reviewed boutique hotels for $25-40 a night.

Dorm beds in hostels are priced at $5-9 a night; private rooms in hostels are $15-20. Budget hotels are $30 a night; mid-range properties are $40-60, and higher-end accommodation comes in at around $70-150 or so.

Transportation is super-affordable, too. Domestic flights across the country are around $50-120, depending on how popular and far away the destination is. The train was even cheaper! Our first-class fast train from Almaty to Astana was $70 each for the 16-hour journey, but gave us our own private cabin with air conditioning and a desk, and the bathroom was only shared between eight people.

A third-class sleeper carriage (40 beds in a car) however, is priced at just $13 for the same journey. A second-class sleeper (four beds in a private carriage) is $19.

It was the food, though, that really impressed us with its prices. We would regularly sit down in a restaurant, order five local dishes and a couple of glasses of wine, and pay less than $20 for the joy of it all. (When the prices were that low, we could easily justify ordering loads of dishes so we could try as many as possible!)

If you’re more conventional than us, heading out for a lunch and having a couple of plates of plov (meat and rice) and a couple of soft drinks would come to around $5. We never spent more than $15 each for any of the meals we had in Kazakhstan, and we usually ate at higher-end places.

In terms of activities, we paid $1 to enter the State Museum of Kazakhstan, $4 to venture up to the viewing platform of the Baiterek Tower, $2 to visit both Kolsai and Kaindy Lakes, $4 for return tickets on the Kok-Tobe cable car, $0.20 to ride the Almaty metro to a few different stations. We never paid more than $4 for a taxi ride.

In other words, it’s really hard to spend a lot of money in Kazakhstan.

Oh, and the vast majority of nationalities receive a free 45-day evisa on arrival, too!

Almaty is Such a Cool City

Almaty is truly one of my favourite discoveries of the past few years. This city is so cool! I’d genuinely rank it in my 10 favourite cities in the world. If I was still nomadic, I’d be planning to spend a multi-month stint in Almaty to get to know it better.

Located right at the foot of the Tien Shan mountains, it makes for the perfect base for outdoor adventures, like hiking and skiing. The city has modern amenities, traditional charm, and hipster vibes, whether you’re walking through the bazaars, sipping cocktails in rooftop bars, or strolling through yet another park.

What really impressed me, though, was the quality of the restaurants in town! The food in Almaty is so good, and it helped to give it such a liveable feel.

If you were going to go to just one place in Kazakhstan, it should absolutely be Almaty. It’s such a wonderful city to spend time in.

…And Astana is Such a… Unique City

How to describe Astana?

Let’s just say, I knew I couldn’t travel to Kazakhstan and not spend time in Astana.

Imagine a city bringing together 50 architects and assigning them the task of building anything their hearts desire, as long as it’s weird. Next, chuck all of those buildings on the ground, higgledy-piggledy, all across the city, utilising absolutely no logic or continuity.

Astana is what I imagine the result of that assignment would be. Walking around, you’ll come across the most unusual buildings, all clustered together, without any rhyme or reason.

There’s the gigantic egg, the beer can, the lighter, the Chupa Chup, the cabbage, the buckets, the mattress, the flying saucer. It sometimes feels as though every building in Astana has been given a nickname by the locals — “meet you under the egg!” — and I had so much fun trying to hunt down as many of them as possible.

It’s a strange city and a modern city, so there’s little history to dive into here, and it’s pretty boring outside of the zany architecture. Still, it’s worth spending two days in town just to take photos of all the chaotic structures.

Turkistan is Like Uzbekistan-Lite

Uzbekistan may receive most of the glory for its impressive Silk Road architecture, but Kazakhstan has its own historic gem in Turkistan, where you can explore the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi –pictured above — and other vibrant, tiled monuments.

I’ll be honest, though, if you’ve already been to Uzbekistan, you probably won’t be be blown away by Turkistan, but I still think it’s worth a visit. It’s actually just a four hour drive from Turkistan to Tashkent, so would make for a great stopover, and taster of Silk Road architecture, if you’ll be travelling from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan.

I recommend basing yourself in Shymkent for your Turkistan adventures, which is a 13 hour train ride from Almaty. From there, you can take an easy day trip to Turkistan, and Shymkent itself is worth a day of exploration to look around the markets and mosques.

But really, Turkistan is the star of the show. The highlight here is the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most remarkable landmark in the area, in my opinion. The nearby Friday Mosque is another favorite of mine, echoing the mausoleum’s vibrant, domed architecture.

The Local Food is Delicious

Oh man, Central Asian cuisine is sooooo good! I think the food of Kazakhstan is one of the most underrated in the world.

There are so many amazing dishes to try in this country that I’d be surprised if you strayed away to eating international food while you’re there.

Plov is probably the main dish you’re thinking of. A traditional dish made with tender lamb, rice, and carrots, it’s a simple, hearty, flavour-filled meal that’s available pretty much anywhere.

Manti are similar to Tibetan momos: delicate dumplings filled with tender lamb or beef, mixed with onions and spices, then steamed to perfection. One of my favourite dishes was baursak, which was like a savoury doughnut: deep-fried dough balls that are soft and slightly sweet, usually served as a snack with tea. There’s tasty lagman, too: hand-pulled noodles, stir-fried meat, and vegetables in a savoury, spicy broth.

Shashlik fast became one of my favourite cheap eats. It’s like a shish kebab: meat on a stick, basically, but there are so many interesting options and it’s wildly inexpensive. At Shashlychok Na Pastera, in Almaty, we paid just over $1 for each skewer. It made for such a cheap lunch option! One of my favourites was the khachapuri (toasted bread stuffed with cheese) shashlik — so good!

Speaking of: due to the low prices, it’s feasible to over-order for every single one of your meals. Dave and I would often order four or five dishes for a meal because when the food is this good, why not commit to eating some of everything?

But there’s one dish that absolutely everyone is Kazakhstan will insist you need to try, which brings me to my next point.

Yes, Horse is Eaten in Kazakhstan

I was chatting to a fellow traveller on my tour to Charyn Canyon and couldn’t believe his reason behind visiting Kazakhstan.

He loved eating horse!

He’d first tried horsemeat while travelling in Mongolia and loved it so much that he decided to travel to Kazakhstan to eat even more. But you know what? I can totally understand his reasoning! Horse is absolutely delicious. Truly, I’m surprised that eating it hasn’t really taken off much outside of Central Asia.

Most restaurants will have horse on the menu, most food markets will sell it alongside cow and chicken, and most supermarkets will offer it by the can. That, at least, makes for a fun souvenir to bring back for your friends.

The national dish of Kazakhstan is a dish called besbarmak, that’s usually served with horse. The name translates to “five fingers” because the nomads of Central Asia traditionally ate it with their hands. Comprising a bed of noodles topped with onions and horse and served with a flavourful broth, it’s a simple dish but definitely worth trying.

Outside of besbarmark, I’d suggest trying kazy, too, which was Dave’s favourite dish. It’s basically horsemeat in sausage form; sometimes smoked. You can also get cured horse, which was really good. I bought some from Astana’s airport as a gift for my family, and they loved it, too! Oh, and you can also get plov with horse — I really liked it that version.

What does horse taste like? It’s like beef mixed with venison; a little sweet, a little rich, a little lean. If you’re a meat-eater, I’d be surprised if you didn’t like it.

One thing I’m not going to praise, however, is mare’s and camel milk. Both are available in Kazakhstan and both are most definitely not something I plan on ever drinking again.

Imagine drinking liquid feta cheese with added salt; both tasted pretty similar to that.

You Probably Shouldn’t Put That on Your Head

For Dave’s first meal in Kazakhstan, I decided to take him to one of the best-known restaurants in the country: Navat. It’s a traditional spot, with a Silk Road theme and rugs and lanterns everywhere. The tables also provided patrons with a single traditional hat on every table.

You guys know me: I can never turn down the opportunity for a good posing session. And so, as soon as we sat down at the table, I picked up the hat and plonked it on my head.

“Do I look Kazakh now?” I asked Dave.

“Absolutely.”

Navat is one of the best spots to sample the local food, as they serve every dish you could think of. We ordered beshbarmak, manti, samsa, shashlik, an Olivier salad, plus my new favourite: Tashkent tea. So good! It’s a mix of black and green tea that’s filled with slices of oranges and lemons, fresh mint leaves, and honey.

While we waited for our dishes to arrive, I regaled Dave with stories about my time in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan. I’d taken a food tour while I was in Bishkek, so I was all about Central Asian food at this stage in my trip.

The waiter came out with my Tashkent tea and poured me and Dave a glass each.

“Wait until you try this,” I told him. “You’re going to love it.”

The waiter smiled as he put the teapot down on the table. He then reached across towards me, picked up the tea cosy and placed it on top of said teapot.

My eyes widened.

Dave started to laugh.

It turns out I had been sitting in the middle of the restaurant with a tea cosy on my head.

I Loved the Metro in Almaty

Most tourists won’t have a need for Almaty’s metro. It’s a small offering, with just one line and nine stations, so if you’re staying in the centre of the city, where everything is within walking distance, it’s not going to be particularly useful.

Still, I recommend splashing out the $0.20 to take a ride to some of the most impressive stations.

My favourite was Auezov Theatre station for its grandiose light fixtures and Soviet mosaic, Zhibek Zholy station for its Silk Road-themed murals, and Baikonur station for its wildly futuristic architecture that celebrates the Soviet Space Program. Baikonur even plays footage of rocket launches directly on the platform!

Kazakhstan Loves Its Fountains

In fact, the city of Almaty loves fountains so much that they have a national holiday for fountains. May 25th is the designated Fountain Day; when the weather is deemed warm enough for all of the fountains in the city to be switched on. A celebration! The fountains then operarate between May 25th and October 25th, all over the city, all across the country.

And it really does have to be seen to be believed.

There are fountains everywhere. At times, on every single block that you walk past. In every park, outside every important building, in the shape of an apple, in the shape of a lotus flower, playing music, lighting up; in this country, there are fountains for all.

Currently, Kazakhstan is in the progress of building a new water fountain that will stretch for 270 metres. But not only that, it’s also going to include — and I quote — “10 unique water features, such as Water Fire, Swinging Fire, Laser Show, Explosive Fountain, and UFO, all of which are world-leading designs that provide an extraordinary viewing experience.”

Looking forward to heading back for the explosive fountain.

And Almaty is Packed Full of Greenery

If I asked you to imagine the former Soviet states today, you’re probably going to picture a bunch of grey cities that are filled with concrete. It was a revelation, then, to land in Almaty and discover that this is one of the greenest cities I’ve been to!

There were parks everywhere, and so many of the streets were lined with trees. (Both were wonderful when it was 37°C outside and we were in desperate need of some shade. There was plenty!)

My favourite park in the city was Panfilov Park, but Central Park was also lovely to walk around. I recommend heading up to Kok Tobe hill at sunset for a perfect vantage point, so you’ll be able to see just how green the city is from above. We also enjoyed a morning stroll through the Botanic Garden, where the greenery and backdrop of snow-capped mountains had us feeling like we were way out in the countryside.

Almaty’s location at the base of said mountains also means that there’s so many opportunities for hiking and getting out into nature. Many of the trails are accessible by bus, too, which makes it all the more easy.

It’s Fun to Head Out on Soviet-Themed Walking Tours

Okay, so the most unexpected revelation from my recent trip to the stans is just how into Soviet architecture I apparently am.

Poor Dave, who arrived in Almaty expecting a relaxing reunion, only to find his girlfriend transformed into a Soviet-era historian with a 12-hour walking tour itinerary in hand.

I don’t know — when so many cities around the world have converged on a standardised kind of skyline, dominated by glass skyscrapers, it was kind of refreshing to wander around imposing hunks of concrete instead. And while Kazakhstan has nothing on Kyrgyzstan when it comes to Soviet-era landmarks, there were still plenty of examples scattered all across the country.

You’ll find the largest number of structures in the city of Karaganda, which is a three-hour train journey south of Astana. Karaganda was an important coal mining hub in Soviet times, as well as home to one of the largest Gulags in the region. Subsequently, there was propaganda all over the city and those mosaics and monuments have been diligently maintained to this day.

Almaty is also home to decent amount of Soviet architecture and murals. The Wedding Palace in the photo above was one of my favourites, but I also enjoyed the science-themed carvings at Arman Cinema, the intimidating architecture of the Auezov Theatre, the murals on the platforms of the metro stations, and the medical-focused mosaic on the wall of the, um, National Center for the Tuberculosis Problem.

I Ran Into Beatles Statues Wherever I Went

My silliest observation from my time in Kazakhstan was discovering just how much this country loves the Beatles.

Take the cable car up to Kok Tobe park in Almaty and make your way past the fairground rides and souvenir shops. Fifty metres down the path and you’ll start to hear the faint sounds of Hey Jude drifting through the air. Continue on until you stumble upon a life-size bronze Beatles statue, serenading you non-stop — because apparently, even in Kazakhstan, all you need is love.

Ahem.

I know. I’d unsubscribe from my site after that line, too.

Anyway.

A week later, as Dave and I were strolling along the wide roads of Astana, imagine our surprise when we stumbled across another Beatles statue!

Further research had me learning just how much Kazakhstan loves the Beatles. There are Beatles-themed festivals, tribute bands, film screenings, performances by the Kazakh State Philharmonic. This country is obsessed with the Beatles.

Learn Some Russian Before You Go

Okay, so I’ve been singing Kazakhstan’s praises throughout this piece, really trying to sell it to you as a possible next vacation destination. But what are the downsides?

The main one is that, for my fellow English-speaking travellers, it’s going to be a little tricky to communicate. Kazakhstan is, for the the most part, a bilingual country, where most people you encounter will speak both Russian and Kazakh. In general, Russian is the preferred language to speak in the cities while Kazakh is more popular in rural areas; more people in the north choose to speak Russian while in the south, it’s mostly Kazakh.

The younger generation is starting to learn English in schools, so the amount of English-speakers is growing every year, but it’s still a rarity. Most restaurant menus didn’t have an English version and staff in one of the hotels we stayed in didn’t speak English.

So, two recommendations:

The first is to memorise the Cyrillic alphabet before arriving. This is going to really help enhance your time in Central Asia, as you’ll be able to read street signs, see where buses and trains are heading, and be able to recognise a lot of random words. Russian actually contains a lot of English words, or really similar words, so if you understand Cyrillic, you’ll be able to read a surprising amount. Some examples:

• Банк: bank
• Парк: park
• Метро: metro
• Кафе: cafe
• Супермаркет: supermarket
• минимаркет: minimarket
• Контакт: contact
• Автомобиль: automobile

Isn’t that so cool?! I loved walking around and being able to sound out so many familiar words and understand what the signs meant.

My second recommendation is perhaps an obvious one; to make sure you have the Google Translate app installed. You’ll also want to download Russian the library for offline use, to ensure you’ll always be able to communicate with somebody.

The camera in the Google Translate app worked really well throughout Kazakhstan, but particularly when translating menus in restaurants. Because English menus were so rare, it was so useful to be able to quickly hold my phone up and see what was on offer.

Download Yandex Go Before You Arrive

And speaking of apps to download before you arrive, Yandex Go is the main Uber-equivalent in Kazakhstan so you’ll definitely want to have it installed on your phone. Full disclaimer: I struggled to use this app, as it didn’t want to accept my British or Australian debit cards as a valid payment option.

Dave had more luck on his phone, but only just. Despite successfully adding his card to the app, on the ride from the airport to our hotel, the payment method in the app spontaneously switched to cash without him realising. This was a bit of an issue, as he hadn’t taken any money out at the airport. Whoops!

Despite the teething problems, the app worked well for the rest of our trip. In Astana, in particular, the attractions are spread far apart, so Yandex came in useful for more effective sightseeing.

There are So Many Day Trips Outside of Almaty

You could easily spend a week just taking day trips outside of Almaty. This part of the country is home to so many diverse landscapes. The most popular ones are:

Kolsai Lakes and Kaindy Lake: A series of alpine lakes in the northern Tien Shan Mountains. Kolsai is known for its pristine waters, while Kaindy is famous for its submerged forest, where the tops of spruce trees rise eerily from the surface of the lake.

Charyn Canyon: A huge canyon — 90 km long — with towering, red rock formations, Charyn Canyon is a popular spot for hiking and photography, often compared to the Grand Canyon (though it’s not quite as impressive).

Tamgaly Tas: An UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s filled with thousands of ancient petroglyphs, mostly showcasing detailed Buddhist images.

Altyn Emel National Park: This is where you go to summit the singing sand dunes and wander around rainbow-coloured striped mountains.

Issyk Lake: Located in a picturesque mountain valley, Issyk Lake is a popular spot for picnicking, hiking, and reflecting on the tragic landslide that destroyed the original lake in 1963.

Shymbulak and Medeu: Shymbulak is a ski resort offering skiing and snowboarding in the winter and hiking in the summer, while Medeu is known for its high-altitude ice rink, which is the highest in the world!

Public transportation isn’t the greatest in this part of the country, so many travellers opt to hitchhike instead. There are plenty of day trips listed on Viator and GetYourGuide to all of the above locations, but they can get a bit pricey for some of them. I had some success with hiring drivers from IndyGuide. You can also hire a car for a day or three to drive yourself around all of these destinations.

And That’s My Introduction to Kazakhstan!

As you can undoubtedly tell from this guide, I absolutely adored my time in Kazakhstan.

I really do hope that this country can start to shed its old reputation and become known for what it is: an absolutely marvellous destination for tourists!

So tell me, when are you planning on visiting?