Almaty Travel Guide | rama toshi arya's blog

What is the connection between apples and Almaty?

Gotcha!

The answer is: Almaty, the capital of Kazakhstan until 1997, is the birthplace of the apple. 🙂

Though Kazakhstan’s largest city has grown, both figuratively and literally, beyond its apples, its name still carries this legacy with elan. ‘Alma’ means apples and ‘ata’ means father or origin.

Surrounded by the Trans-Ili Alatau Mountains in south-east Kazakhstan, the city has had its fair share of history and avatars. From a prehistoric Saka settlement to a trading centre on the Silk Road, and in more recent years from being Verny, a Russian colonial outpost to Alma-Ata, capital of Kazakh SSR [Soviet Socialist Republic] within the Soviet Union.

In its last set of avatars, Almaty served as the capital of independent Kazakhstan from 1991 to 1997 and, thereafter, has stayed as the country’s vibrant commercial and cultural hub.

Of all of Kazakhstan’s cities, Almaty feels the most European with its wide leafy boulevards edged with open-air cafes, plenty of restful green urban spaces dotted with over 120 sparkling fountains, and a happening scene supported by numerous theatres, art galleries, and concert halls.

Though most travellers use Almaty mainly as a base to explore south-east Kazakhstan’s stunning national parks, the city does warrant a gentle exploration of its charms as well. 36 hours should do the trick in the sprawling metropolis that has earned the moniker ‘Southern Capital.’ Here are those 36 hours. ❤️ Continue reading →

Kazakhstan, the world’s ninth largest country, is not all golden steppe land. The country boasts some of the most incredible geographical wonders as well, especially in its southern recesses.

Accessible from the country’s former capital Almaty, they consist of an eclectic array of lakes and canyons which would leave even the most jaded traveller starry-eyed. Yes, they are that beautiful. To ensure they stay beautiful, they are protected under the UNESCO national network of biosphere reserves.

Unless you have the luxury of unlimited time in the country, along with your own transport, it would not be possible to strike them all off a bucket list. Do not even try!

Those that are accessible, not because of any seamless public transport, but rather courtesy of a handful of day trips, are luckily the best of the lot.

When it comes to lakes, Lake Kaindy, literally meaning both ‘birch tree’ lake and ‘landslide’ wins hands down. And it is not simply for its scenic beauty with bare birch tree trunks rising from deep turquoise-blue waters as a result of yes, you guessed right, a landslide. It also trumps the popularity list because of the adrenalin-filled journey needed to reach it.

This comes in the form of a hair-raising offroad adventure across rivers and boulders in Soviet-era vans accompanied with loud Russian rap, followed by a steep downhill walk to the lake’s shores. You could of course just hike the whole way or take a horse ride, but naa, that would be so tame.

Continue reading →