A nation with it’s origin in the nomadic life style has long been been exploited and dominated- first by Chengis Khan and then by Russia. It is only since 1981 that Kazakhstan came into its own.
Nestled within the Northern Tien Shan mountains the city of Almaty is the cherry of Kazakhstan. The city is named after the apple trees that dot the countryside and the city. Alma (means apple) and Ata (grandfather) — so literally the grandfather of Apples — Alma-ata converted to Almaty. Unfortunately many of these trees died out during the Russian occupation when the trees were not cared for.
Almaty is an attractive tourist destination for Indians- not only is it a no- visa- required destination (for short stays) it is just a 3–3.5 hrs air ride away. The city and its close outskirts offers beautiful lakes, mountain resorts, singing dunes, gardens and shopping plazas to entice the visitor. Though the net is replete with tours offered to the various sights we found it more practical to hire a car and a guide for our 5 days stay in the city. Not only did this give us flexibility in the itinerary, it also took away the pain of figuring out distances, logisitics and such.
Our first look of the city was right out of a christmas card. we stepped out of the airport and are greeted by a flurry of softly falling snow on a small thicket of pine trees already half covered in snow.
The drive to the hotel had trees on either side of the road- either pines ( various varieties) or the bare branched foliage — all partly or fully covered with snow. (think trees covered with soft green moss and then replace the green with white)
Though the temperatures were low (1- 3 degrees centigrade) absence of winds and presence of warm jackets and caps kept us snug and happy while outdoors.
I was excited to visit the Alma Arasan gorge with its mineral springs and the Ayusai fountains. Had packed a swimming costume to be able to sit in the tub and soak in the nourishing minerals .
Alas, the snow fall increased its strength and we were not able to go 🙁 Never the less we took in the city sights and ended up in the Dostyk Mall. As good as any mall you may see in Europe or the US.
While on Malls- Almaty has all kinds — the premium ones with brands like Prada, Dior etc (the mall was bang opposite where we were staying and there were constant footfalls in and out of the mall) as well as the Green Market which is a mix of Chandni Chowk, Palika Bazaar and Sarojini Nagar- selling everything from food, clothes, daily need requirements, electronics….you get the gist. Bargaining is the norm. the entrance to the market is unique in the sense that the first shops — more of stands actually — three columns deep are of meat- cow, buffalo, horse, sheep, fish… the works. huge BIG slabs, red and succulent. (I believe in summers its full of flies and not a pleasant sight)
The moment we entered the shopkeeper yelled out, “Narender Modi !
Come Discount !”. another mildly set “Namaste” with a smile , when my eyes met hers.
We had thought we would get local made handicraftsat the Green Market. were dissappointed. Our guide told us that the Russians had killed all local handicrafts and they never revived.
Back to the sights- Shymbulak Resort. At a height of 2200 meters it has three lifts which take you to the top. The first- the longest ride takes you over pine forests till the base of shymbulak … here there are various eateries…also here often there are falconers with their eagles ( Kazakhstan’s national bird) — much to the visitor’s delight. we did not see any — maybe they are there in the summer months when the birds can actually hope to hunt.
The below image is of the highest level (we did not go the lifts were under repair) but it has a wonderful place to eat.
an amazing place to ski with wide expanse of snow. we saw skiers ranging from young guns (6–8 years old) to an old man with gold in his teeth and silver on his head ( must have been around 80 yrs)
Almaty has many lakes — Almaty lake within the city is said to be beautiful — but was closed during our stay. Kolsay lake was one we visited. About 3 hrs away from the city you drive (on decent roads) through large expanse of desolate, barren, landscapes, dominated by snow clad mountains in the background. (Tundra region?) scattered villages we saw on the way were kind of dilapidated with peeling paint and broken fences ( tho’ the electric lines were consistently running all along the road) The larger villages also had schools and hospitals. on the land we saw isolated herds of sheep, horses, cattle. Apparently all livestock has chips which informs to who the animal belongs. There is a hefty fine to pay in case of livestock thievery or even if one harms/ kills one.
the Kolsay lake did not seem worth while for the drive — -it was just about a third the size of Nanital lake and was nearly frozen over. Apparently in summers the waters are so clear that the surrounding mountains and trees are reflected in the waters such that the forest seems to be growing upside down out of the lake. That would be a sight. Interesting hikes and paths to meander for the hearty and adventurous. Two loos (paid ) for visitors — on eof which was locked, a single hotel with a limited availability but a huge printed menu. Tried Tashkent tea, (drinks come in two sizes 1 ltr or 300 ml ) made with tea, honey, lemon and orange slices. Delicious.
on the way back we stopped briefly at the Black Gorge– it was literally a deep gorge with black walls rising up sharply and a river at the moment. the only loo here was just a Hole in the ground ( luckily we carried our own tissue papers) I think a better loo was being constructed close by- unless it was something else.
Charyn Canyon — a deep canyon that runs 184 kms long, largely consisting of red stone. Sunrise and sunset should be spectacular here. They run golf carts to and fro as an option to walking around. They have a decent restaurant here — but they had few choices when we were there.
A Must do is a visit to the Guna- the Ethnic village which showcases how Kaskhstan nomads lived their lives. see those white tents in the background — they are yurts- built with wood and sheep skin mats. One yurt per family.
values of the Kazakhs are similar to ours — — the male is considered the head of the family, he hunts and does outside work, the ladies cook , beat the sheep fleece into pulp and make thread out of it which they then weave into robes and carpets. The girls were traditionally wed at 16–20 years, were supposed to be virgins (their stained bedsheet is exhibited to the clan after the first night) , the wedding trousseau is often made by the mother for her daughter, family is revered, older people are given their due respect, newly born kids are kept hidden from view for forty days (even their cots are covered) etc.
At the village they fed us Kazak cuisine , starting with Hot freshly made traditional Barsauk ( a fried hollow dumpling which can be eaten plain od with sweet or savoury condiments and a shot of the energizing fermented horse milk “Qumis” (quite tasty). This fermented milk is prized by Kazaks- as energy giving, beneficial for health. It is most effective when it is taken from mares who are feeding their foals. During covid this was something most Kazak were having ( if they could)
Besides a brief glimpse of the lifesyle of nomdic Kazakhs, a traditional lunch there was archery, horse acrobatics , kazakhi dancing to enjoy.
Planfilov gardens honouring the fallen soldiers of who defended Moscow in 1941. Th epark has various statues and murals honouring the men.
The park also has the ancient Ascension Cathedral built in 1904. It is a wooden structure without a single nail. So strong that it stood tall and undamaged in the 1911 earthquake which flattened the rest of the city.
Beautiful inside and outside it today also holds the daily services, the sacraments and rituals which the believers attend.
If you have young kids a visit to the Gorky Park is a must. Not on the tourist map it is a park locals visit. A Huge park, with its stately trees, a huge lake — great for walking or jogging, has the Almaty zoo, has multiple rides and activities for children (swings, toy train, skateboarding hills, basketball courts, rides similar to Appu Ghar/ Disney etc.)
Koke Tobe– the highest point in Almaty, standing on a 1100 m hill. One needs the cable car to go up the hill (maybe there is a road as well) Once up — enjoy the panoramic view of the city from all directions ( if its a clear day) esle there are shops and restaurants, Some activities, an upside down house. we tasted the wild berries tea here- DELICIOUS.
we got some premixes of the tea — but found out that we would still need to add fresh/ frozen berries to get the same taste- so suggest do not buy the premix
Some Good places to eat ( that we tried)
Colourful and vibrant with a great vibe and a eastern cuisine that is a mix of Turkish and Kazakh delicacies. Has many branches all over the city- each should be as good as the one we went to. A MUST VISIT
NINOs for Georgian food, needs reservations and a small cover charge , adjustable against your bill. a Performance with song and dances( as in the Lido/ Moulin Rouge shows of France) good music, great service. We enjoyed our evening.
Our friend had his birthday and they made a fuss with dancers carrying a small cake for him amidst bubbles, flares and music.
SANDYK is a place to eat traditional Kazak dishes
Many types of Sweets- nothing really great — but good to try — they are lower on the sweetness index as compared to Indian sweets. Horse milk — shots — different preparation styles- worth tasting at least once for the novelty.
A city worth while to visit- we went when winter was turning to spring and experience snowy and sunny days both. Spring would be Beautiful as the city would bloom with great flowers ( we saw flowere just about to bloom all over the city. Summers they say is hot — but we Indians are okay with the heat, I guess, winters would be magical if you like snow.
What a wonderful overview of all that you saw, that all we could see – if and when we went.
But that was exactly it – for those of us who will never go, this seems like a virtual visit, more than enough.
Thank you for the photographs too – the one of the church is beautiful!
We gave friends in Almaty who are urging us to go – now thanks to you, we will!