KazakhstanPlaces to Visit
Astana – The Capital That Rose from Ice Like a Sci-Fi Movie
In the middle of the endless Kazakh steppe, where winter drops to −40 °C and wolves once roamed, a city exploded out of nowhere in the 1990s like a golden spaceship landing. Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid, and Kisho Kurokawa were handed unlimited budget and told “make the future.” The result is Bayterek’s golden orb floating above the snow, the world’s largest tent glowing turquoise all night, and a presidential palace that looks like the White House had a baby with a Bond villain lair. By day the skyline glitters like Oz; by night it becomes a frozen Blade Runner set. This is Astana (officially Nur-Sultan 2019–2022, but everyone still says Astana) — the coldest capital on Earth and the most audacious proof that humans can build anything, anywhere, if they dream hard enough.
Top Activities and Experiences in Astana
These are the moments that feel like living inside a snow globe designed by aliens.
Bayterek Tower at Sunset
Ride to the golden orb 97 metres up, place your hand in the president’s handprint while the entire futuristic city glows blood-orange across the frozen steppe.
Khan Shatyr at Blue Hour
Walk inside the world’s largest tent — a 150-metre transparent pyramid where it’s always 25 °C, palm trees grow, and people sunbathe on an indoor beach while blizzards rage outside.
Nur-Astana Mosque at Night
Watch the third-largest mosque in Central Asia turn cotton-candy pink under floodlights while its four 63-metre minarets stab the starry −30 °C sky.
Ice Skating on the Ishim River
When the river freezes solid, the city turns it into the longest ice rink in the world — skate for kilometres under fairy lights with the skyline sparkling like a Christmas miracle.
Hazrat Sultan Mosque Interior at Prayer Time
Step inside the largest mosque in Kazakhstan — 10,000 worshippers under a turquoise dome painted with gold stars, chandeliers dripping crystals, and silence so deep you hear your own breath.
Winter Ferris Wheel in −35 °C
Board the heated cabins high above the city while snow swirls like glitter and the entire capital looks like a miniature model under glass.
Ready for Golden Orbs, Indoor Beaches, and −40 °C Magic?
Astana isn’t just a capital — it’s a declaration that the future can be built anywhere, even on ice. Salemetsiz be — welcome to the boldest city on the steppe!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Astana
What are the absolute must-do experiences in Astana?
The must-do experiences are sunset inside Bayterek’s golden egg, shopping on an indoor beach at Khan Shatyr, photographing Nur-Astana and Hazrat Sultan mosques at blue hour, ice-skating the frozen Ishim River, and riding the heated Ferris wheel when it’s −30 °C outside.
How many days should I spend in Astana?
You should spend at least two full days in winter (the city + indoor attractions) or three in summer when you can walk the river and enjoy outdoor terraces.
When is the best time to visit Astana?
The best time is either deep winter (December–February) for the full frozen-futuristic experience with snow and illuminations, or summer (June–August) when it’s green and 30 °C and the city feels completely different.
Is Astana really that cold?
Yes — it regularly hits −40 °C with windchill, but everything is designed for it: heated bus stops, underground malls, indoor parks. Dress properly and you’ll love the extreme beauty.
What are the best day trips from Astana?
The best day trips are Burabay National Park (3 h, “Kazakh Switzerland” with lakes and rock formations) and ALZHIR labour-camp museum (40 min, powerful Soviet history).
Where is the best place to stay in Astana?
For views and luxury, stay at The St. Regis or The Ritz-Carlton directly on the central axis. Boutique lovers choose Rahat Palace or King Hotel Astana.
Do people speak English in Astana?
Young people and anyone in tourism speak good English. Russian is the main language, but signs are bilingual and apps work perfectly.
What is the best food in Astana?
The best food is traditional Kazakh beshbarmak and kazy horse sausage at Arnau or Saksaul, Korean cuisine in the many Koryo-saram restaurants, and rooftop shashlik with skyline views at Satti headquarters.
Kolsay & Kaindy – The Most Beautiful Lakes You’ve Never Heard Of
Three hundred kilometres east of Almaty, the Tian Shan mountains tear open to reveal a staircase of three emerald lakes so pure you can drink straight from them. Lower Kolsay sits at 1,800 m, framed by spruce forests and snow peaks that reflect perfectly on windless mornings. Six kilometres higher, Middle Kolsay hides in a narrow canyon like a secret. And then there’s Kaindy — the sunken forest lake where a 1911 earthquake birthed a turquoise graveyard of drowned spruce trees that still stand upright a century later, their skeletal branches piercing the surface like masts of ghost ships. This is Kazakhstan’s most jaw-dropping day trip — raw, silent, and so beautiful it feels illegal.
Top Activities and Experiences in Kolsay & Kaindy
These are the moments that make you forget how to speak.
First View of Kaindy Lake
Walk the final ridge and watch a turquoise rectangle appear between pine-covered mountains — dead spruce trunks rising from the water like nature’s own Stonehenge.
Boat Ride on Lower Kolsay at Sunrise
Row across mirror-still water while the first light ignites 4,000-metre peaks and steam rises from the surface like dragon breath.
Horse Trek from Lower to Middle Kolsay
Ride Kazakh horses along a narrow trail through wildflower meadows and spruce forests while the canyon walls close in and the lake suddenly opens below you.
Snorkelling Among the Sunken Trees at Kaindy
Put on a wetsuit in summer and swim between 30-metre drowned trunks — the water is so clear you can see every needle on the bottom 10 metres down.
Picnic at Upper Kolsay (3,000 m)
Hike or ride to the highest lake where snow stays year-round and only ibex and golden eagles share the silence with you.
Campfire Under a Billion Stars
Fall asleep in a yurt or tent to the sound of the river while the Milky Way arches so bright it casts shadows on the mountains.
Ready for Turquoise Lakes and Sunken Forests?
Kolsay and Kaindy don’t just show you beauty — they reset your entire understanding of the word. Salem — welcome to Kazakhstan’s secret paradise!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Kolsay & Kaindy
What are the absolute must-do experiences here?
The must-do experiences are the first view of Kaindy’s sunken forest, a sunrise boat ride on Lower Kolsay, horse trekking between the lakes, and camping under the clearest night sky you’ll ever see.
How do I get to Kolsay and Kaindy from Almaty?
The easiest way is to join a guided day tour (4–5 hours each way) or hire a 4×4 with driver. Public transport exists to Saty village but is slow and complicated. Most people visit as a long day trip or overnight.
Can I visit both Kolsay and Kaindy in one day?
Yes, it is possible on a long day trip (depart 6 a.m., return 10 p.m.). You’ll have 1–2 hours at Kaindy and 2–3 hours at Lower Kolsay — enough for photos and short walks, but staying overnight is far more relaxing.
When is the best time to visit?
The best time is June–September when roads are open, wildflowers explode, and water is warm enough for swimming. October brings golden larch forests; winter is only for hardcore snow trekkers.
Is swimming allowed?
Swimming and snorkelling are allowed and encouraged at Kaindy in summer (water ~6–10 °C — wetsuit recommended). Lower Kolsay is colder and usually only for quick dips.
Where should I stay overnight?
Stay in Saty village guesthouses or yurts right on Lower Kolsay lakeshore — Jibek Joly and Kolsay Kulikov are the most popular and beautiful.
Do I need a permit or entrance fee?
Yes — Kolsay National Park charges 750–1,000 tenge per person + car fee. Kaindy is separate (around 500 tenge). Pay at the gates.
Almaty – The City Where the Mountains Are So Close You Can Taste the Snow
Almaty sits in a giant bowl of apple orchards with the jagged white wall of the Tian Shan rising straight from the southern suburbs like a movie backdrop that forgot to leave. In spring the city drowns in pink and white blossoms; in autumn the streets are paved with golden apples no one bothers to pick. The air smells like fresh naan at dawn, shashlik smoke at dusk, and pine resin drifting down from the mountains. Soviet mosaics of cosmonauts and wheat fields glow pink at sunset, neon Cyrillic signs flicker above craft-beer bars, and grandmothers in floral headscarves sell fermented horse milk next to hipsters drinking flat whites. This is Central Asia’s greenest, coolest, most delicious city — proud, relaxed, and always ready to overfeed you until you promise to come back.
Top Activities and Experiences in Almaty
These are the moments that taste like lagman and pure mountain air.
Sunrise at Big Almaty Lake
Drive 30 minutes from downtown, climb a final ridge, and watch the first rays ignite a turquoise alpine lake framed by glaciers and 4,000-metre granite spires — the silence is so complete you can hear your own heartbeat.
Medeu Ice Rink + Gondola to Shymbulak
Skate laps on the highest Olympic ice rink in the world at 1,690 m while the Tian Shan towers overhead, then ride the longest gondola line on Earth up to 3,200 m for coffee with a view that makes the Alps look like foothills.
Green Bazaar Plov Marathon
Follow your nose to the central cauldron where 100 kg of rice, carrots, lamb, and garlic bubble in cottonseed oil — sit on a wooden bench while a moustachioed uncle heaps your plate until it groans.
Kok-Tobe Sunset Ferris Wheel
Ride the cable car above the city lights, sip fermented mare’s milk from a traditional bowl, and watch the entire metropolis and the snow-capped Zailiysky Alatau range turn molten gold and violet.
Soviet Mosaic Hunt at Blue Hour
Walk the back streets hunting giant retro-futurist murals — cosmonauts, collective farmers, and atomic symbols glowing on the sides of cinemas and hotels like time machines left on pause.
Beshbarmak Feast in a Chaikhana
Recline on a tapchan under grape vines while a Kazakh grandma serves hand-pulled noodles buried under horse meat and onion rings, washed down with endless bowls of green tea.
Ready for Apples, Mountains, and Endless Plov?
Almaty doesn’t just sit at the foot of the Tian Shan — it breathes with them. Salem — welcome to Central Asia’s most beautiful city!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Almaty
What are the absolute must-do experiences in Almaty?
The absolute must-do experiences are sunrise at Big Almaty Lake, skating at Medeu followed by coffee at Shymbulak, eating plov straight from the cauldron at the Green Bazaar, sunset from Kok-Tobe, hunting Soviet mosaics at blue hour, and letting a Kazakh grandma overfeed you beshbarmak in a traditional chaikhana.
How many days should I spend in Almaty?
You should spend at least three full days: one for the city’s bazaars, architecture, and food scene, one for the nearby mountains (Medeu, Shymbulak, Big Almaty Lake), and one to simply wander and eat more.
When is the best time to visit Almaty?
The best time is September–October when the apples ripen, the mountains get their first dusting of snow, and the light is perfect, or May–June when the entire city explodes in apple blossoms and the temperature is a perfect 20–25 °C.
Is Almaty safe for tourists?
Almaty is extremely safe and incredibly friendly. Locals will stop to help you read a menu or invite you home for tea simply because you smiled.
What are the best day trips from Almaty?
The best day trips are Charyn Canyon (a red-rock wonder 3–4 hours away), Kolsai & Kaindy Lakes (emerald and sunken-forest lakes), and Tamgaly Tas Buddhist petroglyphs along the Ili River.
Where is the best place to stay in Almaty?
For atmosphere, stay anywhere near Panfilov Park or along Zhibek Zholy pedestrian street. Luxury travellers love The Ritz-Carlton or Rixos with mountain views. Boutique favourites include Les Apartments and Renion Residence.
Do I need Russian or Kazakh language?
You don’t strictly need it, but a few Russian phrases will make people light up. Most people under 40 speak some English, and smiles and Google Translate work miracles.
What is the best food in Almaty?
The best food is plov and lagman at the Green Bazaar, horse-meat delicacies and beshbarmak in any chaikhana, Korean carrot salad from the Korean section, and endless shashlik on every street corner.
