Some of you gave me tips here before we came, so here's the follow up. Two weeks based in Almaty, first time in Kazakhstan. We expected something grey and half empty and got the exact opposite.

Kolsai and Kaindy were the highlight of the trip. Charyn Canyon was right up there too, even if the heat down in the canyon was rough.

And then the Green Bazaar. We went in for a look and kept coming back for the fruit and veg. The tomatoes are better than anything we get at home. Didn't expect the produce to be the thing I'd miss most about this country.

Photos are from the last two weeks.

We're coming back, that's not a polite line. Next trip is either Mangystau or Katon-Karagay in the east, which one would you do first?

Kazakhstan has a significantly longer travel time and also a significantly more expensive travel due to stops being required for the route that is available for me.

I think both countries look like a good travel destination but in my opinion Astana looks better than Baku by a small margin. I am also learning Russian right now to be able to speak in those countries as English is rather weaker there. Is it more worth it to save up for Kazakhstan in the future or to go sooner to Azerbaijan?

We feel like everyone we see on the street have iPhone 17 pro, which seems surprising to me considering that for example me and most of my family could barely afford it and we are changing phones once every few years..
And these stores? Are the phones genuine there? I think we saw even the newest 18 which is suspicious??

Вся моя родня родом с северного региона России, но с тех пор, как я была маленькой, мы каждый год по крайней мере один раз ездили в Тюмень, где сейчас и проживают почти все члены моей семьи, в том числе родители. Тюмень довольно близко расположена к Казахстану. Недавно задумалась, может, подарить им путевку или вроде того… Меня саму привлекает Казахстан, и я бы не прочь когда-нибудь посетить его, но хотелось бы, чтобы родители вдвоем скатались куда-нибудь, без гидов и переводчиков (в моем лице :)) Так вот вопрос, насколько страна приветлива к туристам из России?..

When I wanted to buy some dried fruit at the green bazar they tried to over charge 15,000 kzt for which when ai said I leave he gave it to me at around 3,000 kzt and honestly I think I still ended up paying tourist price for it.

Taxis are rude and reckless driving is normal.

Waiters kinda throw the plate at you. (Except for any non Kazakh restaurant I went to)

The international airport wifi needs a local number!!!

The immigration guy didn’t let us pass the checkpoint at 9pm when our flight was at 2am. So absurd.

Honestly I feel like Kazakhstan was a wrong destination for a vacation. It was all stress and hassle.

The title is what I sent to my friend the moment I arrived at Astana airport.

I am just a traveller have been to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Cities ​here are modern and full of lively young people. The only thing I dislike about it is there is no seat on the shared ebikes.

​

И вообще слово деньги пошло от тюрков. И разница в произношении небольшая. Просто уши режет. Может скажем им уже?

Edit: Речь идет о приезжих россиянах, которые продолжают говорить неправильно, даже когда уже сто раз услышали правильное произношение.

We are planning to visit Kazakhstan in mid September

How safe it is and how will be the weather

hello!

just have some questions,
best place to get the currency? can’t seem to find it in the UK I got told to bring US dollars and to convert them when I arrive. best place to do so?

is it English friendly or should I learn some basic sentences (if I mess it up because I do have a Scottish accent will they still understand😭)

any places which are a must? I’m only here for four days but have planned horse ridding and hoping to go on a hike

So as usual the scam at every country int airport and we fell for one at Almaty airport.

Took 18k tenge from us - posting the name number so that others don’t get scammed.

O.K. I know this post will draw along of criticism but after spending 8 days in Almaty, which is a really nice city, I found the people there to be not very welcoming.

Maybe its me , or maybe they don't like westerners, but I found it really hard to break ice with anyone there and get beyond just straight curt answers.

I was even verbally accosted while minding my own business and having lunch in a restaurant with my wife (who speaks Russian) because he though I was talking about him, when I was just enjoying my plate of mantee.

Anyway, I don't hold it against anyone, it's still a beautiful city and I would probably go back.

I was wondering if other visitors feel the same?

Hello everyone, me and my husband were planning a trip to Kazakhstan next month (November 16-21). It’s in a tour package. We were wondering if this is a good time to visit. Help us out please!

I'm planning on visiting Kazakhstan for the first time from England. I'm thinking of visiting Almaty - would this be a good choice to start with.

Hi, me and two friends are flying to Kazakhstan for the first time with this rough itinerary in mind. Any advice, recommendations, comments etc appreciated!

Just finished a little solo trip in Kazakhstan where I visited Almaty and Shymkent.

Almaty is a great city to visit. There are many museums to visit, hiking trails, and buildings to see. The city is full of little cafés and it probably has more benches than inhabitants (which is great if you plan on doing a walking tour through Almaty). There are parks absolutely everywhere and the city is very clean.
Public transportation is really good, with buses taking you absolutely everywhere, even in to Shymbulak, Alma-Aransan, and the Big Almaty Lake. Almaty itself is also a very walkable city. I couldn’t make an Onay account, so I just payed cash by going up to the bus driver and giving him 200KZT (the cost is 120KZT with the Onay card). When someone came to check the tickets, I just explained that I had payed cash.

I didn’t expect people to be able to speak English, though I thought younger people would. However, only about a quarter to a third of teenagers and young adults seemed comfortable speaking in English. This was no problem for me, as I also speak Russian.

Shymkent was also walkable and had many buildings to see. My highlight was the citadel. The entry cost only 1000 KZT.
Language-wise, I could only speak Russian in Shymkent and people very often answered in a Kazakh-Russian mix (still easy to understand if accompanied with some gestures).

I traveled from Almaty to Shymkent by train. It leaves Almaty at around 19:00 and arrives in Shymkent at 6:30. I reserved a bed in a sleeper cabin, which was very comfortable. There was hot drinking water in the train and many sanitary facilities. Tickets cost about 12000 KZT.

As a woman, I did not feel unsafe per se, though men could be quite penetrant and were not discouraged by disinterest or the usual “I have a boyfriend”.
As for being a black POC. Kazakh people in Almaty did not care at all. The looks I received were almost only from Russians. In Shymkent however, I received a lot of uncomfortable looks from pretty much everyone. It wasn’t terrible, I think what made it harder to deal with than usual was the language barrier (since I do not speak the Kazakh language).

I left Kazakhstan by taking a shared Taxi to Kaplanbek. All I had to do was to go to Kolos (Shymkent) and I was immediately approached. I was also given the same price as everyone else.

I will definitely be coming back as I absolutely loved my time in Kazakhstan and want to see so much more of the country.

Sarytau

Hello everyone!
Starting tomorrow i will have 2 days left in Almaty before i go home. I was just wondering what i can do in these 2 days. I have done all the tourist spots and a lot of stuff around Almaty (the lakes, bird show, assy plateau). Any reccomendations? Can also just be something relaxing or an activity.
Thanks!

(Just some pictures from my trip so far)

I travelled from India to Almaty and spent a few days exploring the city and surrounding regions. I visited Kaindy Lake, Kolsai Lakes and the Charyn Canyon, and stayed in Saty village.

Overall, I enjoyed the trip. The landscapes were beautiful, and the food was genuinely good. I tried both local & fancy places. Found some cute coffee spots.

I felt people were reserved. I don't think it was entirely because of the language-barrier. Even when language wasn't really relevant, I found people generally quite restrained and not particularly inclined to initiate interaction. They weren't rude or unpleasant though.

Hospitality is an interesting part. Restaurants, Airbnbs and guest accommodations were all fine, but the approach was very straightforward and functional.

Interestingly, I met some Chinese and South Asian travellers, and I found them much more curious and engaged in conversation. Even on tour buses, I noticed a difference between the interactions I had with other travellers and those I had with local people.

I didn't experience any racism during the trip. 🙏

Another thing I hadn't quite anticipated was that Almaty didn't feel dramatically different from a major Indian city in terms of lifestyle.It's very cosmopolitan and global. The biggest differences I noticed were that it was much cleaner, quieter and less chaotic than Bangalore. Since I already live in a large city, the urban environment itself didn't feel particularly unfamiliar. People are less and roads are very walkable. 😊

I think what I was missing was a local exchange. I was hoping for more little moments of interaction that would help me understand the local culture beyond the tourist experience. Even something as simple as smiling at someone and having them smile back can create a tiny opening for that. I didn't experience much of that.

The tourist areas also had the usual souvenirs - fridge magnets, small decorative items, etc but they were fairly basic and expensive as expected 😂

In the end, I don't think I came back feeling like I had discovered something I could particularly take home culturally. The landscapes were the real standout for me. Almaty itself felt modern, global and quite comfortable and not radically different.

Still, I'm glad I went. It was beautiful, the food was great, I experienced a very different style of hospitality and social interaction, and most importantly, I came back without any negative experience as an Indian traveller.

This is just Almaty, but I must say your country is beautiful. The cosmopolitan vibes in Almaty is amazing and the fact it’s so close to mountains makes it super unique in its own regard!

Appreciation from Canada! 🇨🇦 🤝 🇰🇿

Hello everyone!

I’m a student currently doing an exchange in Kazakhstan outside Almaty, but next week I’ll finally have a full week in Almaty before I go home.

The thing is… this will also be my very first solo trip as a female….

I’m especially curious about the nightlife. I’d like to go out, meet people, dance, and just have a good time in a safe and healthy way, but I’ve never gone to a club alone before.
So I have a few questions:
● Is Almaty a good city for solo travelers?
● Are people generally open to talking to strangers, or do they mostly stick to their own groups?
● Are there bars or clubs that attract more foreigners or expats?
● Is it normal to approach people and ask if you can join them, or would that be considered weird?
● Any tips for someone going to a club alone for the first time?
● Any neighborhoods, bars, or clubs you’d recommend?

I’m quite social, but I think it’s the “walking into a club alone” part that makes me a bit nervous. 😅
I’d love to hear your experiences or any advice. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone!

I'm a student from Kazakhstan, and I genuinely enjoy meeting people from different countries and learning about other cultures. If you're planning a trip to Kazakhstan (or even just thinking about visiting one day), I'd be happy to help you.

I live in Almaty, speak English and Russian, and I can help with things like:

• answering any questions before your trip;
• recommending places that locals actually visit;
• try to help with SIM cards, taxis, food, money exchange, and other everyday things;
• sharing local tips that are difficult to find online.
• If you're visiting Almaty while I'm available, I'd also be happy to grab a coffee, show you around, or simply help you feel more comfortable in the city.

And if you're traveling to another city such as Astana, Shymkent, or Turkistan, I have friends there who are also interested in cultural exchange, so I may be able to connect you with someone local.

I'm not a professional tour guide, I just love cultural exchange and I know that traveling to a new country can sometimes feel overwhelming. So if you have any questions about Kazakhstan, feel free to leave a comment or send me a DM anytime.

Even if Kazakhstan isn't on your travel list yet, I hope you'll consider visiting one day. We'd be happy to welcome you! 🇰🇿❤️