Last Updated on 31/12/2024 by kami
Of all the countries in Central Asia, Kazakhstan was the one that least interested me, simply because I had no idea what to expect from it.
While I had some basic knowledge about all the other -Stans, Kazakhstan was terra incognita for me, the only thing I could think of there was the endless steppe.
I didn’t plan to visit it properly, I was only supposed to shortly stop there on my way to the neighbor Kyrgyzstan. But the moment I arrived in Almaty – a former capital and the largest city in Kazakhstan – I knew I’m gonna enjoy it there.
Eventually, I’ve spent 5 days visiting Almaty, much longer than I usually stay in one place during my travels and I was so sad when I was leaving for Bishkek.
There aren’t any spectacular things to see and do in Almaty but the city just feels right, at least for me.
Here is a couple of reasons why you should visit Almaty, Kazakhstan and why I loved it there so much!
Almaty, Kazakhstan – the easiest introduction to Central Asia
Not only Kazakhstan is the biggest country in Central Asia but Almaty airport is the biggest one in the country.
Most European major airlines fly there, Air Astana – the national airline of Kazakhstan and one of the best in Asia – has a hub in Almaty too.
That gives you plenty of opportunities to get to the country and finding a good deal isn’t so difficult.
I, for example, flew with Turkish Airlines (Prague-Almaty, Bishkek-Prague) for some 300€ but saw tickets for half of this price too!
By train you can directly travel to Almaty from Russia, China, Uzbekistan and numerous destinations in Kazakhstan.
Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, is some 5 hours by minibus away (and those depart every half an hour or so, once the bus is full).
Almaty, Kazakhstan was one of the most European cities outside of Europe I’ve been to. Everything there just felt kind of normal to me.
If you traveled to some post-Soviet cities before (like Tbilisi, Yerevan or Chisinau) you will find Almaty much easier to deal with – it’s not so chaotic, drivers let you cross the street, bus stops are clearly marked and the city is easy to navigate.
But at the same time, Almaty has this exotic vibe you might expect in Central Asia, just at the very light level.
I can’t think of a better starting point of any journey in the region!
When you visit Almaty you will get familiar with the reality of Central Asia, limit the culture shock and prepare yourself for the rest of your trip in the area.
Welcoming people of Almaty
Everywhere I went to in Almaty people were extremely friendly and willing to help.
I didn’t even have to ask, they’ve seen I’m a tourist and on numerous occasions they approached me, asking if I need help, directions or advice.
On the bus stops people made sure I took the right bus, the drivers made sure I arrived when I wanted to, even when I took the wrong entrance to the metro station (because the ATM was there) I was stopped by the young guy who was concerned I was lost.
In every cafe, restaurant or shop people were really friendly and welcoming and everywhere I felt really taken care of.
The most epic situation was at the train station when I wanted to exchange my free train ticket from work for the actual ticket to Astana and accidentally I caused mini-riots there.
Lovely women working there didn’t really know how to deal with my ticket, I blocked one of the three working ticket offices for 3.5 hours yet they didn’t chase me away.
Patiently they tried to figure out how to issue me the ticket, they abandoned their lunch break, called to the headquarters, at some point invited me for the tea to their office.
Eventually, I had to buy the ticket anyway (I was ready to do that half an hour through the whole issue but didn’t know how to tell that seeing how involved they were) and they still kept apologizing they couldn’t help me.
On the contrary in Astana I didn’t encounter any nice situation with people, they all seemed cold and didn’t smile at all.
Visit Almaty and enjoy its laid-back vibe
I found Almaty to be a super laid-back city.
People didn’t seem to rush, even on the main streets (with the exception of the area around the Green Market but these are always a whole different universe).
There were numerous green spaces to chill out and the view of the mountains just south of Almaty gave a refreshing feeling.
Even if it’s the biggest city of Kazakhstan it didn’t overwhelm me, not even once.
My favorite thing to do in Almaty was to walk around, taking random streets lined with trees and just enjoy the place and its atmosphere.
Mix of architecture in Almaty
The first settlement in the area of Almaty, Kazakhstan was founded in the Bronze Age, however, the city was first mentioned in the 13th century when it was one of the stops on the Silk Route. You won’t find many remnants of the great past in Almaty though.
The majority of the architecture is a great example of the Soviet past and if you like Socialist realism style you’re in for a treat.
In the former USSR this style is much richer than in Central Europe, e.g. there’re small patterns on the blocks that make the place so much more beautiful.
In Almaty, it’s not difficult to spot these details and even the most random concrete structure can look special.
Among these, I’ve also found some true gems of brutalism as well as some old and pretty wooden houses.
But the most beautiful building you will see in Almaty is the Zenkov Cathedral – second tallest wooden building in the world.
It was finished at the beginning of 20th century and looks like from a fairy tale with colorful rich ornaments.
Don’t forget about Almaty metro too, it might be new but built in the grand Soviet style, with marble floors and beautiful Kazakh ornaments.
Cafe culture in Almaty
It was the most surprising thing about Almaty and the one I enjoyed the most there. The city has an exceptional cafe culture!
Every afternoon I tried to visit a different cafe, I even had a “cafes day” on Sunday where I spent most of the time writing in few places and every single one I visited in Almaty was amazing!
Not to mention they were all really affordable!
Usually for a coffee and cake I paid around 5-6€, much cheaper than in similar places in Poland.
Every cafe had also some decent food options.
As always Foursquare was a great help with finding the best spots!
My favorite cafes in Almaty were Nedelka, Urban Coffee, United Coffee, and Traveler’s Coffee while Coffeeroom and Marrone Rosso weren’t really my kind of places.
Just like in Yerevan, I dare to say that Almaty, Kazakhstan might be a perfect destination for freelancers, with affordable prices and good wifi in the cafes!
Speaking of food – Almaty has a very diverse food scene and even being a vegetarian isn’t a problem there.
While the local non-meat options might be tricky to find there’re top world’s cuisines to choose from anyway!
I had Georgian, Indian and Italian food in Almaty as well as bought so many local goodies at the Green Market! And again everything was at very reasonable prices!
Quirkiness in Almaty
I like unusual places and tracking down quirky and alternative spots is always big fun for me!
In Almaty I didn’t have to look too hard for them, quirkiness was everywhere around!
Weird sculptures, interesting architecture, Soviet circus, a big smiling face or painted carpet with typical Kazakh patterns on the pavement, metro stations turned into small galleries, love locks, bird feeders and uncountable small, weird details here and there… Almaty was all about quirkiness for me!
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