Almaty (Kazakhstan)
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Things to do in Almaty
Almaty is the former capital en located southeast in Kazahstan. One day is enough to explore the city of Almaty. From the hill Kok Tobe there’s a wide panoramic view over the city. In the centre the colourful Zenkov cathedral and the surrounding Panfilov park are highlights to walk around. Also a visit to the Green Bazar is a possibility. To be honest the last sight is not so impressive when a visit to Shymkent is still planned. Almaty is a modern western city and the bazaar in Shymkent gives more the feeling that you’re on a holiday because of the more oriental style.
Just outside Almaty is the winter sports area of Medeu situated. In winter there’re opportunities to ski and practise speed skating. During summer it’s quiet and my own experience is the weather can change really fast. Half a day is enough to hike a little around and use the cable cars but only on a clear sunny day. Because otherwise there might be fog in the mountains.
The second destination for half a day excursion is Big Almaty Lake. A lake in the mountains about 35 kilometres outside Almaty. A beautiful area to hike around, but don’t walk near the edge of the lake and the dam. There’s a possibility that you meet corrupt police officers that take your passport hostage and you can buy it back for EUR 7,-. I reported it to the tourist information Almaty but got no reaction so the conclusion is probably that it is part of the culture.
Issyk Lake is also a place which can be visited in a day from Almaty, it’s just a 200 kilometres roundtrip. In relation to Big Almaty Lake and the lakes further afield this attraction doesn’t add a lot of new experiences.
Connections
Kazakhstan is a huge country but fortunately, flight tickets are cheap. My experience with Air Astana was good with direct flights from Nur-Sultan to Almaty and from Almaty to Shymkent. If you stay overnight an excursion by car to the Kolsai Lakes and Charyn Canyon is possible.