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I already talked about it in my article with all the tips about Uzbekistan, but Central Asia, in general, doesn’t attract many people. With no mass tourism, interactions with the locals are more authentic, and after Tashkent, my last stop in Uzbekistan, I knew I would still be blown away for the next few weeks, visiting this overlooked area in the world. So here I am, in Kazakhstan, ready to visit Almty! I first spent a few days in Shymkent, but I’m not writing about this city. There’s not much there, apart from a big bazaar. By the way, I was the only guest in the whole hostel in Shymkent! After Shymkent, I headed to Almaty, the former capital of Kazakhstan! Let’s find out all the things to do in Almaty.
Description of Almaty
Before talking about the things to do in Almaty, let’s describe the city! Almaty former capital? Yes, until 1997, Almaty was the capital of Kazakhstan. Then the president decided to relocate the capital to Astana, in the north of the country. Astana, a less populated city, smaller, and less touristic. We don’t know the official reason. Some people say he did it to be geographically closer to Russia, others say it’s because Almaty is located on a seismic active zone. Anyway, when visiting Almaty, you can get why it was a capital not that long ago.
We’re clearly in a big city. Actually I wanna say we’re in a big European city. I heard this before, but Kazakhstan is the most Western country, the most developed, and the least disorientating country of all the “stans”. There are bars everywhere! Also many café’s terraces packed with locals, drinking beers, a café, or a cocktail! Bars and terraces, I haven’t seen those in a looong time!
Like in Paris, you can rent a bike for half an hour, one hour or a full day. They’re all over the place! And I see US fast foods again (McDonald’s, Burger King…). Again, I haven’t seen those in quite some time. Damn, I really feel like I’m in Europe! Knowing I was in Uzbekistan just before and also in Turkmenistan, that’s a big change! Oh, and there’s also many internet cafés, with teenagers playing online. I went to two of those internet cafés (to print documents), and I noticed that they have small VIP rooms for their best customers! No no, we’re not in a club, but an internet café…
Admittedly not disorientating, but you have to remember we’re in Central Asia, an area with very few tourists, and even less black people! For those who follow this blog, I’m gonna repeat myself, but I’m a VIP here! Kazakh people, typically Asian or Russian, are very happy to see me. They still honk at me, even buses honk at me, many, many cheerful “Hello!” from people in the street, they ask for pictures with me, girls come to me to talk…
Yes, in Almaty, and from what I heard in Kazakhstan in general, girls strike up a conversation with men, even in the street! With men… I mean, with tourists! Trying to pick up a tourist, and keep him of course! There are more chances to find a “good guy” among tourists, rather than a local. It seems that girls there have a hard time trying to find the right person, therefore they fall back on the few tourists passing by the city. Guys, if you plan to visit Almaty in the near future, I suggest you to test out the Chukotka bar on a weekend, you’ll see by yourself…
After leaving Shymkent, I took a train to go to Almaty, an 11-hours ride. I ended up in a compartment with three local girls, around 25. They didn’t speak English, and my Russian is limited, but they really wanted to communicate. Nice! 🙂 Instead of the usual questions I hear in Paris “What are you doing for a living? Where do you live exactly?“, it was more like “Do you smoke? Do you drink? Do you like to fight? Do you gamble? Are you in debt because of cigarettes/alcohol/gambling?“
After listening to my responses “No, sometimes :), no, no and no“, they were all very surprised “Woooooow! You’re really a good guy!“. Those questions tell a lot about the men they rub shoulders with in their everyday life… Then they explained how hard it is to find a good boyfriend here, men have a mental age of sixteen… The only one who had a boyfriend, 26, told me “We’ve been together for two years now, and he still didn’t propose!“. Another one told me her ex was telling her who she could see (or not!), the hobbies she could have (or not!). We have those guys in France, too! 🙂 Actually everywhere!
Although Kazakhs are very kind and welcoming, some local guys told me to be careful. They asked me if I didn’t have any fight, if I didn’t have any problems… No problems, even though a drunk Kazakh annoyed me one afternoon “Nigga! Nigga!“. He could barely stand up… Yep, in ex-USSR, they like to drink, and several times when I was talking with local guys, even daytime in the afternoon, some of them smelled hard liquor! Still, no safety problems, I even walked around Almaty by myself during the night, and nothing wrong happened! Just in case, if you go to Kazakhstan, don’t forget to get a travel insurance, you never know…
Not only this country is safe, but it’s also very cheap! You can have a good meal for the equivalent of two euros, a pack of cigarettes costs one euro (but I don’t smoke…), the bus ticket in Almaty is 150 tenge (0.40€), alcohol is not expensive… Now I get why you can all find them at the bar or sitting at a café’s terrace. Something I found funny : a lot of girls drink their pint with a straw! And a lot of them asked me “But why did you come here, in Kazakhstan???“
Even though Almaty is a city where the cost of living is low, you’ll see many homeless people compared to Uzbekistan. Trying to spot the tourists, waiting outside restaurants or supermarkets, asking drivers at a red light and zigzaging between cars (in Kazakhstan the steering wheel of some cars are on the right-hand side, and sometimes on the left-hand side, like Georgia!). Oh and I bumped into three black guys!!! One from Nigeria, eating at a restaurant with his family. The two other ones were together : one from Cameroon, the other one from Ghana. We did the black nod, and we talked “Hellooo brother!” or “Wassup?” is how they greeted me. Three other superstars in the country!
What to do in Almaty
The Zenkov cathedral
What can we visit in Almaty? The Zenkov cathedral, located in the Paniflov Park. I’m definitely not lucky. A lot of tourist sites under construction during my stay in Central Asia, and this cathedral is not an exception. What’s so special about this cathedral? It’s completely made of wood, and they didn’t use a single nail to build it! A cathedral in Kazakhstan? Yep, 70% of the population is Muslim, and 30% is Orthdox. Avoid wearing shorts or tank tops if you wanna get inside.
The green bazaar
The green bazaar. You’ll find almost anything you need in this bazaar : fruits, salads, cheese, meat… A little bit further toys, clothes, books, kitchen ustensils… I tried to, but I didn’t manage to take a decent picture there. Either people kept staring at me, or they asked for pictures, all the time!
Koktobe
You can admire the sunset in the heights of Almaty, in a place called Koktobe. You’ll have to take a funicular to get there, close to the Palace of the Republic. A two-way ticket is 2000 tenge (5 euros). You’ll have a nice view up there, and in Koktobe, you’ll also find bars, restaurants, and a small amusement park.
Shymbulak
In the outskirts of the city, there’s also Shymbulak, a ski resort very popular in the country. And not too far Medeo, an outdoor speed skating and bandy rink. From Almaty, you can take a bus to get there (150 tenge, 0.40€). I went to the top of Shymbulak for 3500 tenge (9 euros), but it wasn’t necessary… No no, it wasn’t ugly or anything like that, but with the fog, I couldn’t see anything. Oh and if you go there, cover up! In Almaty, it was like 28°C/82°F. On top of Shymbulak where I was (3200m/10500 ft), it was only 10°C/50°F…
I didn’t stay for a long time in Kazakhstan, but it was an interesting experience… Obviously I didn’t see all of it but I recommend going there!
How to get to Almaty
Almaty being the former capital of Kazakhstan, there’s an airport there. Click here to check the latest flight prices. If you’re in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, there are buses going to Almaty daily. If you’re elsewhere in Kazakhstan (Shymkent, Nursultan…), there are trains going to Almaty. From both cities, it’s about a 12-hours ride.
How to get around in Almaty
Almaty is a big city, and it’s not easy to get around by foot. Therefore you can either get around by subway or by bus. Since there’s only one subway line, I didn’t use it, it’s far from serving the whole city. But the buses are very efficient.
If you go to Almaty, download the 2gis app, they all have it! A mix between Google Maps and information about public transport. The app is gonna ask you where you are, where you wanna go, and then it’ll give you all the buses going there, prices, how long it’s gonna take… Very handy! You can also get around by bicycle, and rent one for a few hours. I didn’t do it.
Where to stay in Almaty
If you’re traveling on a budget, the Dostyk Hostel is an excellent hostel. Click here to book your stay. If you’re looking for a mid-range hotel, the L.E.S. Hotel is good, and the staff is awesome. Click here to book your stay. If you’re into luxury hotels, you should stay at the Ritz-Carlton. Click here to book your stay. Otherwise click here to check the hotels available in Almaty.
Finally, if you prefer to stay in an apartment, click here to check the apartments available on Airbnb.
Almaty travel tips
- Check the visa policy here! Most western countries can go to Kazakhstan visa-free for stays of up to 30 days! Great!
- Traveling soon? Check out my travel resources page! This list of travel accessories can also be useful!
- Do not go to Kazakhstan without a travel insurance! You never know what could happen! Here’s why buy travel insurance!
- Want a tailor-made trip to Kazakhstan? Get a free quote here!
- Always use a VPN when traveling. I use ExpressVPN and I love it! Here’s why use a VPN when traveling.
- Going to Astana, the new capital of Kazakhstan? Here’s a list of things to do in Astana.
- I just visited Shymkent and Almaty but there’s more to see! If you’re in Almaty, take 2-3 days and go to the Kolsai National Park. From what I heard a stunning park, with a wonderful lake! Another beautiful and famous place is the Kaindy lake! Good for hiking around there! If needed, get a travel guide
- If you want to go to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan after Almaty, head to the Sayran bus station. You’ll find marshrutkas going there in the morning only. The ticket costs 1500 tenge (3.75€), and it’s a 4-hours ride. You don’t need to buy a ticket ahead of time, just show up there!
This is a great article! This is a plesant surprise and I’ll be heading to Chukotka this Saturday 😀 Thanks for that. You’re probably not here, anymore. Keep up the travels. I’ve been doing same thing for 3 years, staying in Airbnbs (almost 700 nights) and moving every 30 days.
Hey! Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it!
Great information about this wonderful city but or ask if you would advise me to visit it by myself? This is my first visit
Yeah you can go by yourself, it’s not dangerous at all!
thanks you 🙂