Kazakhstan
As an Indian Passport holder, if you want to enjoy European vibes without having to face the ordeal of applying for a Schengen Visa, your ideal destination is Kazakhstan. Snow-capped mountains, gorgeous lakes, beautiful parks you will get all of it here. This is a visa-free destination, just a three hour flight from Delhi. So what could we possibly wait for? Just packed our bags and set-off. All you need to carry is your passport. We planned for five days which is ideal. Our itinerary was as follows:
Day 0: Arrival at Almaty (Late Night)
Day 1: Day Trip to Oi Qaragai Resort
Day 2: Day Trip to Issyk Lake
Day 3: All day tour to Charyn Canyon, Kandy and Kolsai Lake
Day 4: Almaty
Day 5: Almaty (Late Night Departure)
Day 0: Arrival at Almaty
We arrived at Almaty close to midnight on the Indigo flight from Delhi (22-Oct-2024). The airport was still quite busy and all the required shops were open. Some of the most important things to do on arrival are as follows:
1) Get Local Currency – Either exchange USD at the exchange counter or withdraw from ATM. The exchange rate is 1 INR (₹) = 6 KZT(₸)
2) Get Local Sim – We got two Tele2 5G Sims for ₸13,000 giving us 25 GB data each.
3)Download Yandex Taxi App (once Sim is activated). Book the taxi to the hotel on Yandex as that provides the least risk of getting scammed
4) Download Google Translate – Almost all the communications outside your hotel would be requiring this.
We took the taxi booked on Yandex and checked in at Kazakhstan Hotel. The hotel and the surroundings were extremely lively even at 1:30 AM in the morning. The hotel coffee shop “San Francisco” was open till very late.
Day 1: Day Trip to Oi Qaragai Resort
Our first morning was a dampener as it was raining and the forecast was not that encouraging. It would be raining the whole day so walking around the city will not be possible. We booked a taxi on Yandex and decided on driving to the Oi Qaragai Resort which is a ski-resort just forty-five minutes away. It was a beautiful drive through the autumn colors which looked beautiful despite the constant rain.
On reaching there we asked the driver if he could take us back. He agreed for a round-trip cost of ₸25,000 which we readily agreed. The resort was quite scenic though since the snow had not arrived, it was not very active. On returning to Almaty, we got dropped off at one of the mail shopping malls Dostyk Plaza. We rounded off the day with dinner at “Noodles”, one of the restaurants at our hotel.
Day 2: Day Trip to Lake Issyk
Lake Issyk is around 110 Kms from Almaty or one and a half hours by road. That was our plan for today to visit the beautiful, turquoise lake. We spoke to the driver Isen Tai, who took us on the trip yesterday and he agreed to take us to Lake Issyk and back for ₸35,000. We agreed right away. It was a decent deal as he was a nice and friendly guy.
Lake Issyk is in a protected area and the car can go only up to the gate. There are food stalls located and the gate. From the gate it is a 1 Km walk to the edge of the lake. The lake is surrounded by mountains and is a natural beauty.
Day 3: All day tour to Charyn Canyon, Kandy and Kolsai Lake
This was an all day trip to mainly three iconic locations – Charyn Canyon, Kandy Lake and Kolsai Lake. We booked the tour through Panda Travels. A bit of search on Instagram helped us choose them. For two, the cost was ₸48,000 We started the tour at 5 AM and returned to Almaty at 10 PM. We travelled on a comfortable Mercedes van with a significantly large group.
Charyn Canyon
Our first major point of interest was around three hours into the journey. Charyn Canyon is a sort of a mini Grand Canyon and a natural wonder. The bus stopped for an hour where by we went down into the valleys and looked at the towering cliffs and deep gorges.
Black Canyon
Just a fifteen minute drive took us to the Black Canyon viewpoint. From here we could see the Charyn River flowing deep down. The place had an eatery and some truly gorgeous views of the Tien Shan mountains.
Kandy Lake
Next stop was the Kandy Lake. This is some adventure. First up we reached we reached Saty Village from where we moved to another bus which is used for off-roading. After half-n-hour of bumpy off-roading on that vehicle we reached a point from where we had to take another taxi van to get closer to the lake. This cost us ₸500 per head one way. And lastly there was a one km trek downwards till we reached the lake. One can do the full journey by walking or horse-back. The former would be time consuming while the latter was expensive. There are eating joints at the place where the off-roading vehicle dropped us. Once done, we boarded the vehicle once again and another bumpy ride took us back to Saty village.
Lunch was at the Saty Village, Nomads World in proper traditional style with some amazing tea. We had to pre-order the lunch.
Kolsai Lake
Last stop of the day would be the Kolsai Lake. Another beautiful sight with the snow-capped mountains in the back-drop. However, it was quite dark by the time we reached. Our van dropped us at the base which was at a cliff-top. We had to take a taxi and go down to the bank of the lake. There are cafes and restaurants on the way.
Day 4: Almaty
We were done with all trips and the next two days we would stay at Almaty walking around the city and viewing the amazing places it has on offer. We had also changed hotels. We were checked into Renion Park Hotel from the third night onwards. This was more central and close to the various points of interest like the Ascension Cathedral, Central Park and Arbat Street
Ascension Cathedral
Green Bazaar
Just a five minute walk from the cathedral is the Green Market or Green Bazaar. A bustling marketplace where you can sample local delicacies, buy fresh produce, and shop for souvenirs.
Arbat Street
Post sunset, this is the street where you would want to be. A lively pedestrian shopping street lined with cafes, shops, and street performers. After walking around and listening to some great music from the street performers, we even did some shopping one of the shops LC Waikiki. It had some great winterwear which we needed for the chilly weather.
We had dinner at a very popular restaurant Navat which is just a couple of lanes next to Arbat Street. This was a great experience. Apart from the amazing food, we also had the staff members dancing to some great music and putting up quite a show.
Day 5: Almaty and Departure for Delhi
Almaty is a city of beautiful parks. And at Autumn time, there are a sight to behold. The last day was dedicated mostly to a couple of parks
First President’s Park
We set for the First President Park early in the morning by taxi as it was a bit far from our hotel. It is a stunning park named after the country’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev. It was basking in great autumn colours along with great views of the mountains and walking trails.
Central Park
A peaceful oasis in the heart of the city, featuring beautiful gardens, fountains, restaurants, rides and walking paths. And of course the gorgeous autumn colours.
Kok Tobe Gondola Ride
Take a ride on the cable car and enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the city and the surrounding mountains. That is what one can do on Kok Tobe Hill. The cable ride provides great views and the hill has a host of activities. This is the place where one can do most of the souvenir shopping.
Expenses
Here is a detail of all the expenses incurred on our trip. All the amounts mentioned are in INR
In addition to this, we had to incur extra expenses since we started our journey from Pune. The details are as follows:
