Kazakhstan only got its independence from Russia following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 but it has since flourished in many respects, with a strong economy and modern, vibrant cities. It leads the way regionally in many aspects of development. Despite this, Kazakhstan attracts less visitors and has less obvious tourist sites than its neighbours to the south, possibly due to the daunting size and vast emptiness of the country. Check out my Kazakhstan travel experiences below!
Almaty, Astana, Aktobe, Aral, Turkistan, Shymkent
Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world by land mass, but also one of the least densely populated countries in the world. The sheer size of the country is overwhelming. The vast majority of the country consists of a flat, semi-arid and barely-inhabited desert region, most commonly referred to as the Steppe. This area is notorious for very hot summers and very cold winters, giving only a small window between the two to visit Kazakhstan comfortably. Covering a vast territory between Russia, China and the other Stans, Kazakhstan is considered the largest landlocked country in the world, although it does have a long coastline on the Caspian Sea providing it with maritime links to Azerbaijan as well as a couple of seaside resort towns.
To illustrate the enormous size of the country, it’s possible to get a train from Russia through western Kazakhstan on the route to Tashkent – this train takes an eye-watering 3 days to reach Tashkent with stops at Aktobe, Aral, Turkistan and Shymkent – overall an incredibly epic journey. Riding the train in Kazakhstan can be an interesting and enjoyable but very long experience – from Aktobe to Almaty took us 38 cumulative hours of train travel in total. For more information on train travel in Kazakhstan, check out my blog post here! The vast rail network is a legacy of the Russian occupation, especially the Trans-Aral Railway mentioned above.
The vast, endless steppe covers most of the territory of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan shares its northern border with Russia – 4750 miles in total making it the second largest land border in the world after Canada and the USA. With this in mind, it’s understandable that there are larger quantities of ethnic Russians living within the country than in other Central Asian nations. Russia has had by far the largest impact on the development on Kazakh society over the past few centuries, and the nation feels far more Russified than its southern neighbours.
Historically, Kazakhstan was considered to be the dumping ground of the USSR. Under the Stalin regime between 1930-1952, mass deportations (branded ‘resettlement’ schemes) took place of ‘anti-soviet nationalities and elements’; those targeted were mainly Volga Germans, Crimean Tatars, Korean, Jewish, Chechen, Azerbaijanis from Armenia and peasant Russian farmers who resisted collectivization of farms. Latest figures suggest that 6 million people were displaced to remote, unpopulated areas in the far reaches of the USSR, mainly in Kazakhstan. Historians now consider these forced settlement schemes ethnic persecution and crimes against humanity as many of those forced to move perished from famine and illness. Labor camps or ‘gulags’ were also present in Kazakhstan, whereby political prisoners were forced to work in harsh conditions.
The Aral Sea catastrophe is another sad legacy of the Soviet Era – more about that later
Nuclear testing of weapons was also conducted in Kazakhstan during the Cold War at Semipalatinsk (the modern city of Semey) – a nuclear testing site under the Soviet Union. This area was specially chosen as it was considered ‘uninhabited’, however this wasn’t entirely true. The local population was exposed to the radiation fallout of these experiments with little regard by the authorities. High rates of cancer and birth defects have been reported by nearby communities. The overall effects of the radiation on the people and environment was covered up by the U.S.S.R for decades until 1991, when campaigning by activists closed the nuclear testing site once and for all. Estimates put the figure at 1.5 million people who were exposed to radiation as a result. The first Soviet atomic bomb was detonated at Semipalatinsk. The site is now open to visitors, however you need to obtain a permit before visiting and join an expensive tour group.
Another legacy of the Soviet Union is Baikonur Cosmodrome, located in the remote town of Baikonur between Aral and Kyzylorda. This formerly Soviet space station was at the heart of the Soviet space program and was a main focal point in the space race against the USA in the 1960’s. The first satellite to orbit the earth, Sputnik 1, and the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, in Vostok 1 were both launched from this space base in the 1950s and 60s. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian took over the lease of this land from Kazakhstan and continues to launch space flights from the cosmodrome to this day. Russia uses this space station for commercial, military and scientific research. You can catch a glimpse of the cosmodrome from the train on the Trans-Aral railway; if you’re very lucky you might even catch a launch. To be able to visit the space station you need a special permit issued by Russia as it’s technically classed as Russian sovereign territory – recently some travelers have tried to sneak in and been arrested so I would strongly advise against this course of action. Permit and tours cost upwards of $1000 dollars so it’s not a cheap activity! We had to settle for admiring the base from the train.
Baikonur Cosmodrome as seen from the train
Despite some Western media portrayals of Kazakhstan as a backwards place (I’m looking at you, Borat), this is actually a long way from the truth. Kazakhstan is a modern and prosperous nation. Economically Kazakhstan dominates Central Asia, accounting for 60% of the GDP of the area – mostly through its vast oil and gas industry. It’s also notable that Kazakhstan possesses almost all of the elements in the periodic table. The territory is rich in minerals, metals, oil and gas. There’s a lot of wealth on display in the major cities of Almaty and Astana, with many high-end establishments, well-dressed people and expensive cars cruising down the wide boulevards.
Almaty is full of well-dressed young people and grand buildings
Possibly due to the Russian and multicultural influences, we also found Kazakhstan to be a relatively cosmopolitan nation. Although the population is majority Muslim, it appeared to be less conservative even than its secular neighbours such as Uzbekistan, with liberal attitudes prevalent particularly in major cities. Nevertheless, you can still find large, imposing mosques dominating the skyline in cities such as Astana and Aktobe, while Turkistan brands itself as a hub of Islamic tourism. Russian Orthodox Churches are quite common in Kazakhstan due to the large minority of ethnic Russians living within its borders. Make sure you bring a scarf to cover your hair as it’s customary when entering a Russian Orthodox Church to have your hair covered.
The figure of Nursultan Nazarbayev looms large in recent history. Nazarbayev was the first and only President of Kazakhstan between 1991 and 2019. Interestingly, before coming to power, Nazarbayev was a steel worker in the USSR. The all-powerful leader (others have called him an authoritarian dictator) was responsible for guiding the country to prosperity after independence. He was instrumental in the modernizing process and development of infrastructure and was only recently ousted from his omnipotent seat at the helm of the government. Between 2019 and 2023, Nazarbayev was largely stripped of his titles in an effort by the Kazakh government to distance themselves from him. Astana was previously named Nur-Sultan in honour of Nazarbayev between 2019 and 2022 after his resignation from public office. Despite no longer being in office, there are still plenty of references to Nazarbayev throughout the country and it’s certain you will come across his name or image if you spend enough time in Kazakhstan.
You can still find images of Nursultan in many of the nation’s museums
We noticed that Kazakhstan has a strong focus on developing sustainable energy and promoting social improvements. It wants to lead the way for all Central Asian nations in development, industry and sustainable living. Parts of Kazakhstan are extremely fertile, and a huge variety of fruits and vegetables are grown on the territory. Kazakhstan is the ancestral home of modern apples – strange as one always thinks of apples as truly British!
In terms of its cultural identity within Central Asia, Kazakhstan has a little bit of everything but in relatively small quantities when compared to its neighbours. In the way it presents itself, Kazakhstan seems to be attempting to renegotiate its position in a pre-existing historical narrative – exalting its mountains and nomadic history however this is much more prevalent in Kyrgyzstan, distinguishing itself as an epicenter of the Silk Road (i.e. Turkistan) but Uzbekistan is more deserving of this title. There are natural and historical sites, but not in large enough quantities to be considered a defining feature of the nation. In the end, we found that it was the vast desert steppe and the modern, vibrant cities that really distinguished Kazakhstan from its Central Asian counterparts. Tourism is particularly promoted in Turkistan, Almaty and Astana.
Turkistan is looking to promote itself as a tourist hub in Kazakhstan
It’s impossible for me to talk about Kazakhstan without giving a shout out to Galmart! Galmart was our favourite supermarket in the whole of Central Asia. Galmart is a combination of supermarket, bakery, canteen, delicatessen and patisserie. It has branches in Almaty and Astana. The fresh food counter held a myriad of different pre-prepared food such as vegetable sides dishes such as mashed potato, potato wedges, stir-fried veg and noodles, 10 different types of cold salad, a variety of cooked meat like burgers, chicken and stroganoff, pastries such as samsa and pizza, a freshly baked pastry/bread section including croissants, cinnamon buns and Danish pastries and a patisserie section with mouth-watering cakes and desserts. We were amazed at the variety of choices at the fresh food counter. It was so easy to pick out a couple of options and reheat them in the microwave for a hassle-free dinner. The supermarket was also well-stocked with all the products you could possibly need.
Almaty
Almaty is situated in the far south of Kazakhstan, very close to the southern border with Kyrgyzstan. In fact, Bishkek (capital of Kyrgyzstan) is only a 4 hour drive to the south-west of Almaty. During the Soviet times and initially following the county’s independence, Almaty was the capital city and only relinquished this title relatively recently in 1997. The city still has plenty of monumental buildings left over from those days, giving it a grandiose feel, however there is also plenty of Soviet architecture. The city was developed in the Russian and Soviet times, giving it a very different feel from the ultra-modern capital of Astana with which it enjoys a friendly rivalry.
The Russian Orthodox Ascension Cathedral looks like something from a fairytale
The climate is more mild in Almaty than in Astana and other parts of the country due to its more southerly geographic location as well as proximity to the Tien Shan mountains. You can see the mountains in the distance, a big difference from other Kazakh cities in the desolate endless desert steppe.
Walking around the streets, you quickly notice how cosmopolitan Almaty is. There are trendy restaurants and coffee shops galore. The overall feel of the city is very youthful. Arbat Street is the beating heart of the city – it’s a pedestrianized walking street bustling with shoppers, young families strolling around at dusk and street performers busking. This area is always buzzing with activity and crowds of young people can often be spotted congregating in the evenings. We regularly spotted large groups of young girls swooning over the buskers on Arbat, often with their less-impressed boyfriends in tow.
Bustling nightlife at the Arbat G. Almaty
Prior to the modern settlement, an older settlement stood in the same location called Almatau, which translates to ‘Apple Mountain’ – presumably because the area was abundant with apple trees. Under the Tsarist regime, Almaty was founded as a military garrison and used to assert Russian control in the region before developing into a town and later a city. The architectural style of the city leans much more towards neo-Russian with monuments such as the wooden Ascension Cathedral prime examples of this.
From Almaty you can easily reach the mountainous regions of Kazakhstan – very popular with tourists both foreign and domestic. The Trans-Ili Alatau (which is part of the Tian Shan range) mountain range is shared with Kyrgyzstan, containing wonders such as Charyn Canyon and Lake Kaindy.
The stunning scenery in the mountains near Almaty is a big draw for visitors
Interestingly there’s a British university in the centre of Almaty – we honestly considered dropping in and saying hi!
Accommodation
Apartment on Airbnb located near Zhibek Zholy metro station – ideal for walking around the city and seeing all the major sites.
My Hostel Almaty – located further from the centre of Almaty but within walking distance of a Galmart supermarket. This hostel is complete with a shared kitchen and lounge where you can reheat food and chill out. We spent the night here before flying out the next day.
Activities
GPSmycity self-guided walking tour with stops at:
Astana Square – second largest square in the country – the British University is located in the square.
Arasan baths – an institution in Almaty, this wellness complex can accommodate up to 2500 visitors per day and was constructed to be resistant to seismic activity
Arbat – main pedestrianised shopping and entertainment street
Green Market – worth a visit if you want to stock up on fruit, veg, dairy, meat, spices, tea or nuts – brace yourself for the meat section, expect to see ghastly scenes such as sheep heads, guts and tongues on display in the meat department. It’s always a shock for western visitors to behold the nose to tail ethos in action.
The stuff of nightmares
Ascension Cathedral in Paniflov Park – a must-see attraction in the city, it’s iconic (pardon the pun). A fantastic example of tsarist architecture with a completely wooden façade – apparently no nails were used to build this church. It’s interesting to note that this building was repurposed as the Central State Museum of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic during the Soviet period and later used by public organisations. For women: If you want to enter inside please ensure you cover your hair as this is common practice at Russian Orthodox Churches. Modest clothing is also strongly recommended for both men and women.
You can find horse and cart rides in the park around Ascension Cathedral
Gorky Park – a nice public park for a picnic. Sometimes there are public performances – while walking through the park in the middle of the day we happened to stumble across a children’s singing competition and were absolutely blown away by how brilliant the children were. One boy’s rendition of ‘O sole mio’ was so incredible we just had to take a video. All the children were so mature and professional, dressed in 3 piece suits or evening dresses – some of the children looked to be as young as 5 years old. We did find it odd that there was a panel of judges giving the children scores – this seemed a bit harsh for us. The children were so good they could easily have been professional singers. Dan said these were the best youth singers he had ever seen.
Wine Tasting at the Arba store closest to Zhibek Zholy metro station – a fantastic and budget-friendly experience. Kazakhstan’s wine is little–known, but the fertile region around Almaty creates fantastic conditions for vineyards. The wine tasting at Arba cost less than £20 for two people with 6 individual wine samples. We were surprised that the session wasn’t led by a sommelier as this is what usually happens, but we really enjoyed guiding ourselves through the wines with an information card instead. This allowed us to try the wines at our own pace. We felt more at ease this way without the added interaction of a sommelier. A more modern way to try wines without the stiff formalities. The interior of the wine bar was also very suave and plush with comfy chairs that overlooked the street. We didn’t pre-book a slot for this wine-tasting – instead just wandering into the wine bar and requesting a wine-tasting on the spot.
It was great to try Kazakh wine at Arba
Arasan Spa – this is an institution in Almaty and one of the oldest and most prestigious spas in the region. We couldn’t resist visiting – the entry fee is relatively cheap for an hour. Of course, the major quirk of the spa is that you are required to be totally naked! If you like this idea then don’t forget to pay Arasan a visit. Personally I found it very freeing to swim in the pool under the domed roof completely in the nude.
Arasan Spa from the outside – we couldn’t take any pictures inside for obvious reasons
Important Information about the Spa
- Women and men are separated into different wings of the building and strictly segregated. Each section of the spa has the following: Russian sauna (especially hot and sweaty and very popular with the locals – Dan said that this was by far the busiest room in the men’s section with loads of men crammed in, hitting themselves with birch branches and chatting away in Russian), Turkish sauna/hammam (scented steam room), Finnish sauna (slightly less popular than the Russian sauna), a swimming pool (heated but maintained at a cooler refreshing temperature) and ice-cold water dunk buckets (the ultimate cold shock, perfect for cooling off after you’ve overheated in the other sauna rooms. You have to pull a rope to unleash a torrent of ice-cold water on your head – I couldn’t stop using this treatment as it was so much fun!) Dan said that in the mens section there is an ice-cold plunge barrel for whole body immersion, however sadly there wasn’t one in the women’s section.
- Slip-on plastic sliders/flip flops are essential at the spa – you can rent these at a small additional cost from the desk directly before you enter the changing rooms.
- Everybody is naked – you can either embrace the nudity or hide yourself away with a towel (or, if you’re a pro, hire a sheet to wrap around yourself in the sauna). But it’s important to note that clothing is forbidden in the spa so don’t bother bringing along your bikini or trunks. Dan noticed that some of the men had managed to sneak trunks or shorts into the spa even though there were numerous signs dotted about explicitly stating this wasn’t allowed.
- All women must cover their hair with either a traditional pointed felt hat, shower cap or scarf – these are available to purchase or rent at the desk directly before you enter the spa. I didn’t know this which led to some confusion when a spa worker tried to tell me I needed to cover my hair. Dan said that some men apparently chose to wear the felt hats, although this wasn’t mandatory.
- From our observations inside the spa, we noticed that most men brought along a white sheet to cover their junk and most women carried a small towel to sit on in the sauna as well as a regular bath towel. You could hire the sheets for a small fee when entering the spa.
- The use of birch branches is common in the spa – you can buy these from hawkers outside the entrance to the spa, but there are also normally some used branches laying about inside the saunas. The branches are used for self-flagellation with the idea that they improve circulation, reduce inflammation, and soothe skin rashes – apparently hitting oneself with a branch causes a pleasant stinging sensation. You’ll have to judge for yourself whether this is indeed pleasant – we didn’t partake in the whipping as we didn’t really know what to do.
- As well as spa facilities, treatments are also available at Arasan. We were surprised to find a price list in English of the various treatments and services offered at the reception.
- It’s more cost effective to use the spa at certain off-peak times i.e. weekdays before 5pm. It’s more expensive after 5pm on weekdays and on weekends.
- You can choose how many hours you want to spend in the spa – we picked 1 hour and this was a perfect amount of time for us to enjoy the facilities without becoming bored.
- Once you pick your package (i.e. 1 hour spa access you will receive a fob for a locker) – make sure you check the number on your wristband fob so that you know which locker is yours in the changing room.
Charyn Canyon, Black and Moon Canyon, Lakes Kolsai and Kaindy – if you’re short on time like us it’s possible to combine these natural wonders into one mega 18 hour tour with Panda travel. Even though it’s a long day and awfully early start (meetup at 4:30am and return at 22:30), we felt there was enough time to see all of these places without being rushed too much. With some free time at Charyn Canyon to wander about the rocky desert landscape and time to explore Black and Moon Canyon, this was ideal for us. We did make a stand in refusing to eat the over-priced lunch with the rest of the group in a fake yurt at the scheduled lunch stop. We’d brought sandwiches with us to avoid tourist-priced food so we spent lunchtime locked inside the minibus waiting for the rest of the group to finish lunch. Torrential rain at Kolsai and Kaindy lake put a slight dampener on the experience, however we really enjoyed riding in the Soviet minivan to Lake Kaindy. Even though it was a tight fit with everyone packed in, the minivan made easy work traversing the uneven and at times flooded landscape on the journey up.
Visiting the natural wonders around Almaty is a must. The Soviet minivan ride to Lake Kaindy was interesting to say the least!
Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan – I consider myself somewhat of a history buff/museum aficionado, we have visited many museums across our travels and unfortunately this one was not one of my favourites. Personally I was not a fan of the way the exhibits were presented as they weren’t arranged in chronological order – I was told this is the ‘Soviet style’ of museum but it didn’t make a lot of sense to me and it was difficult to establish the context of the items on show. It’s possible to pay extra to see the gold room (as you can imagine it’s full of gold jewellery and adornments) which is in a separate vaulted room. If it’s raining, maybe give this museum a chance but don’t hold your breath. The National Museum in Astana is a million times better and most importantly in chronological order (phew!).
The Central State Museum also features some artwork, which was probably the best part
We didn’t make it to the Museum of Folk Instruments, much to the disappointment of Dan.
Foodie Places
Korean Street Food – Almaty has a big Korean community and if you fancy something a bit different, this is a great place to visit to try Korean food – it’s very reasonably priced and popular with young people. At points there weren’t any tables available when we were there. We particularly liked the bibimbap, gyozas and sushi.
Bibimbap at Korean Street Food
Bauyrdaq – a Kazakh fast food chain that doesn’t conform to the McDonalds model of serving only burgers and fries. You can find traditional Kazakh cuisine here alongside more typical western-style fast food. You have to try their burger combo deal complete with a huge pickle and broth accompaniment. This establishment is very popular with locals and foreigners alike and has wifi throughout the restaurant.
A Bauyrdaq sandwich at Bauyrdaq
Galmart – the best supermarket in Central Asia, an excellent place to grab ready-to-eat food such as sandwiches, pastries, salads, cakes and an array of meal options which you can reheat in the microwave.
Astana
Kazakhstan’s capital Astana is a new city, developed specifically to become the capital after the nation’s independence in 1991 on the site of the former village of Akmola. Astana literally means ‘capital city’. Astana was officially made the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997, taking over from Almaty. In honour of the nation’s first president Nursultan Nazarbayev, the city of Astana was briefly renamed ‘Nur-Sultan’ between 2019 and 2022, before reverting to its previous name, Astana once again. Astana is included in the Guinness Book of Records for the most name changes of a capital city. The population has more than doubled between 2002 and 2020 as young professionals flock to the city in search of job opportunities and a better life.
Located in the north of the country in an otherwise barren region, it was decided that a new capital would be built in this location for several reasons. Astana is set in the middle of the vast empty steppe, allowing for plenty of room for expansion with a clean slate for developers and city-planners. It is also geographically more central than Almaty which, before the prevalence of cheap flights, meant that virtually all Kazakhs could reach the city within a day of traveling on the train. Another reason is that the government wanted to quash pro-Russian sentiment in the north of the country and populate the region with Kazakhs to stifle Russian nationalistic dissent close to the Russian border. Almaty is also tectonically active and has suffered destructive earthquakes in the past so moving the capital to Astana made more sense practically as well. Finally, Astana was created post-independence by Nazarbayev with the aim to distinguish Kazakhstan from its colonial past by constructing a brand new city, designed and built by independent Kazakhs in contrast to the Russian-founded city of Almaty.
Astana stands in stark contrast with Almaty’s soviet and tsarist inspired design. Astana is a vision of the future with ultra-modern skyscrapers, imaginative and innovative architecture and buildings that seem to push the limits of what’s possible. We were particularly amazed by the spherical glass Nur Alem building and the towering Bayterek tower. Astana is like a space-age city from a science-fiction movie. The city layout is also very interesting with the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, Presidential Palace, Baiterek Tower and Khan Shatyr all aligned along one central axis.
Welcome to the future
One aspect of Astana that we found very interesting is that outside the city limits extend vast plains as far as the eye can see. Astana is completely surrounded in desolate flat plains – almost like a futuristic city on Mars. You could almost say that Astana is a major commercial and financial hub situated in a bubble in the desert.
Interestingly, Astana is not the largest city in the country, this title still belongs to Almaty. There’s definitely a rivalry between Almaty and Astana for pre-eminence – we were often asked by Kazakhs which we liked best as most Kazakhs prefer one over the other.
Frequent cheap flights connect Almaty with Astana – these days most travelers between the two opt to get a flight rather than make the ridiculously long train journey. The airport in Astana still bears the city’s former name, Nur-Sultan.
Accommodation
Airbnb Apartment close to the Nur Astana Mosque – we stayed in a great Airbnb in an exceptionally clean, modern and almost futuristic apartment complex
The view from our Airbnb
Activities
Self-guided walking tour courtesy of Dan with stops at:
Independence Square – on the sides of the square sit the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, National Museum, National University, Palace of Independence and enormous Hazrat Sultan Mosque. It’s a central focal point of the city and a good place to start for tourists having just arrived in the city.
Palace of Peace and Reconciliation – this ominous-looking glass-and-steel pyramidal structure apparently houses an exhibition on the different peoples of Kazakhstan, although there is some confusion and debate among locals about its actual purpose. It was first opened in 2006 and hosted the Congress of World and Traditional Religions in the same year in the atrium. It’s also notable for the large opera hall inside. We have heard that there are tours in English inside the Palace but it was sadly closed to the public when we visited.
The ‘Palace of Peace and Reconciliation’
Presidential Park – a peaceful park on the banks of the river Ishim directly opposite the Presidential Palace. These gardens were particularly well-kept and manicured. From this park, you can join the riverside walkway for a scenic stroll along the Ishim River.
Арқар көпірі – a bridge spanning the Ishim River, connecting the east and west of the city.
The view from the bridge – the Presidential Palace is on the left
Presidential Palace – a grand building with enclosed private gardens on the west bank of the Ishim River. We were able to get quite close to this government building without being questioned by guards.
Twin gold skyscrapers flanking the Presidential Palace – these dusty golden towers really stand out
Some of the wacky and wonderful ultra-modern architecture
Marvel at the ultra-modern buildings along Nurzhol Boulevard – you almost feel like you’re in an episode of Star Trek when walking the streets in this area. Don’t forget to look up!
Baiterek Tower – the fundamental idea behind the creation of the Baiterek tower comes from the mythological story of the Baiterek tree. The monument depicts the mythical tree of life from the Kazakh folk-tale. The egg visible at the top of the tree is said to have been laid by a magic bird named Simurgh. The Baiterek tower was built to represent new beginnings and is an enduring symbol of the new Kazakhstan and its brand-new capital, Astana.
Baiterek Tower, the emblematic symbol of Astana
It’s best to ascend the tower at sunset in order to marvel at the skyline of the city enveloped in delicate hues of pastel pink and soft orange. After paying the admission fee there’s a glass elevator that takes you to the top. At the top, there’s a cafe and observation deck complete with an ornamental plinth and Nursultan Nazarbayev’s hand-print etched onto the surface – nationalistic music sounds when you place your hand in the imprint. We witnessed queues of people lining up to place their hand on the plinth in what can only be described as a respectful tribute to their former leader. This is yet another legacy of the long-standing leader that hasn’t been removed yet.
Excited Kazakhs line up to put their hands in Nursultan Nazarbayev’s handprint at the top of Baiterek Tower
Khan Shatyr – the biggest tensile structure in the world with a modern shopping mall inside.
Click here for our walking tour of Astana
National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan – A gigantic building situated in Independence Square containing a vast collection of historical items and information plaques in English. There is an exhibition of costumes from different historical periods, a massive 3-D model of Astana, an ethnographic section with yurt and nomadic paraphernalia, and even a display with dinosaur bones! We were very impressed by how ancient some of the figurines were, one seated figure in particular who seemed to be lost in thought was created between 4-3,000 B.C.
We were really impressed with the artefacts inside the National Museum – this one is said to be several millennia old
Nur Alem Museum – prepare to be amazed by the English and Russian speaking robots, the kinetic energy show, brilliant views of the city from the top, staggering clear glass platforms – not good if you’re scared of heights or suffer from vertigo and a fun wind tunnel which pelts you with gale force winds. Each floor is centred around a different renewable energy showcasing ground-breaking new sustainable energy innovations. Some of the information is outdated as the museum was inaugurated in 2017, but it’s a fun and futuristic experience nonetheless and you can’t really find anything like this anywhere else in Central Asia
Scenes from the Nur Alem Museum
Silk Way Shopping Mall – if you can’t resist a peek at the shops, the Silk Way Shopping Mall is a great place to head – it’s an extensive mall with well-known brands located across the road from the Nur Alem.
Foodie Places
As our Airbnb had an excellent kitchen, we cooked all of our own meals here to save money. Again, Galmart is a winner for tasty and authentic food that can easily be reheated in the microwave – honestly, the stuff we got from Galmart was restaurant-quality!
A lovely lagman/stroganoff combo from Galmart
Aktobe
Compared to its neighbours, Kazakhstan is a relatively non-touristy destination and Aktobe takes this to the next level. Aktobe is located in the far north-west of the country, within 120 km of the Russian border and only 175 km separating it from the Russian city of Orsk. We could feel the proximity to Russia and see it in the architecture, city layout and atmosphere. It is the 4th most populous city in the country and largest city in western Kazakhstan. Aktobe is definitely off the beaten track for travellers – we didn’t see one other tourist in the whole city. We found that the city was pretty nondescript as far as monuments and attractions went but well-worth a stop if you’re in the area.
The Russian Orthodox church faces the central mosque in Aktobe
The best way to reach Aktobe from Astana is by taking a flight. Flights are very affordable and condense the 20 hour journey by car down to less than 2 hours. Importantly for us, Aktobe is situated along the Trans-Aral Railway line which is why we decided to stay here before beginning our long train journey through the west of the country. Vast steppe lands surround Aktobe – after a while this makes for pretty boring viewing from the train. Be aware that if heading north, Aktobe is the final stop before the train passes through Russian territory.
Accommodation
Jardin Hotel – cutesy boutique hotel within walking distance of the city centre
Activities
Self-guided walking tour of the city centre with stops at: Nurgasyr Regional Central Mosque, Memorial “Shanyrak”, St. Nicholas Orthodox church, Park Prezidenta and Aktyubinskiy Oblastnoy Muzey Iskusstv (sculpture gallery with metal sculpture outside the entrance).
One of the bizarre metal sculptures outside Aktyubinskiy Oblastnoy Muzey Iskusstv
Foodie Places
Cafe Afsona – A classy establishment serving Central Asian classics like manti, shashlik, stir-fried chicken and flaky flatbread.
Classic fare at Cafe Afsona
Fake McDonalds (“iM”) – this fast food restaurant obviously used to be a McDonalds until very recently as it still has all of the branding, ordering screens and familiar layout, but the big twist is that it’s no longer a real McDonalds! It’s actually a Russian rip-off version that emerged after the Russian invasion of Ukraine when the real McDonalds pulled out of Russia. It’s still showing on Google Maps as McDonalds (located next to the Nurgasyr Mosque). Interestingly, you can order paninis, sweet pastries and potato wedges here. Presumably the menu is still the same as it was when it was a real McDonalds. Eating here makes you feel like you’re in an alternate universe.
The fake Russian McDonalds
Aral
After watching the sandy desolate landscape pass by slowly on the train, we finally arrived in Aral (or Aralskoye More as the train station is known, or Aral’sk as it’s labelled on Google Maps). Once a thriving port on the North Aral Sea, it now feels like there are more camels than people in this desert town. If you aren’t familiar with the Aral Sea catastrophe, then this is definitely the place to learn about it. While more tourists visit Muynak in Uzbekistan with its distinctive and striking ship graveyard, Aral provides a true and raw look at the Aral Sea disaster and its after-effects.
Aral used to be an industrial hub providing stable work for a sizable community of Kazaks and ethnic Russians during the Soviet period. However the fishing industry dried up alongside the Aral Sea in the 1980s. Fish canning factories closed their doors for good and masses of workers were laid off. The socio-economic consequences of the sea drying up couldn’t be more clear to see in Aral. The shipbuilding docks and port area are completely surrounded in salty sand where the sea used to be, factories have been left to rot and residents abandoned the town in droves. Walking around the town you get an eerie feeling, almost like a ghost town – although there is still a local population who mostly work in tertiary, government-funded jobs such as teachers, local officials and nurses.
The old shipyard
Leaving the town limits behind, it’s just sand as far as the eye can see – clear signs of desertification that came hand-in-hand with the sea disappearing. The salty sand/earth left exposed by the sea is extremely difficult to cultivate, leading to food insecurity and imports being the only source of food in this extremely remote town – except of course for camel meat and milk, which you can find in abundance in the town’s market.
Camels now roam the former seabed
Depopulation, desertification and the destruction of the fishing industry are all results of the Aral Sea catastrophe. Aral is now an outpost in the new Aral desert.
Whilst there is some tourism in Aral, expect to be the only tourist there at any time. Few tourists make the arduous train journey from Aktobe or Turkistan. Not many even get this far out from the main tourist centres of Astana and Almaty. Local children seemed very excited to see us walking around, always a sign that the tourism industry is still relatively quaint. According to Serik, a local man that we hired for a day excursion, the summer season is the most popular time for foreign visitors.
The main square in the town of Aral
General Info on the Aral Sea
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan share the Aral Sea (or what’s left of it). The Aral Sea isn’t really a sea but instead a large lake by modern definition – it was called a sea because it was saline (salty) and also very large, similar to the Caspian Sea. The drying up of the Aral Sea has been called the biggest ecological disaster in modern history.
Who was responsible for the disaster?
Artificial irrigation projects launched by Soviet Authorities caused the drying up of the sea. Soviet authorities diverted the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers (sources of the Aral Sea) for cotton farming. As a result, the Aral Sea has lost 90% of its original size since the 1960s. It has been progressively receding since then with little done to prevent the continued worsening of the man-made ecological disaster. Nothing was done by the Soviet authorities to stop this.
The diversion of the rivers for cotton farming led to the sea drying up
What’s the situation now?
Unbelievably, it’s taken more than 40 years for anyone to do something about this. In 2005, the Kokoral dam was finally completed in Kazakhstan to prevent further water loss in the North Aral Sea. This has been relatively successful in stopping the drying out process – recent reports suggest that the water level is now rising and salinity dropping (level of salt in the water). Fish stocks are increasing and some fishing activity is now possible in the North Aral Sea. Residents in Aral are expecting the sea to return at some point in the future, but reaslitically that may be many decades away.
Parts of the North Aral Sea are now returning
However, although this is great news for the North Aral Sea, the same cannot be said for the South Aral Sea in Uzbekistan – the desertification process has not been stopped there.
As the sea dried up, many islands that were previously covered in water emerged from the depths of the sea. Recently, archaeological expeditions have taken place on the newly exposed land and have yielded many interesting finds.
Accommodation
Гостевой дом – guesthouse located outside the town of Aral – it’s quite a long way from the town centre and train station, right on the outskirts near the highway but it’s walkable from the centre if you have the grit and determination to do it (it took us about an hour). This is a pristine, immaculate bungalow, almost like a show-home. We were a little confused when we arrived as there didn’t seem to be anybody around, we were unsure we were even in the right place (it is a pretty remote residential area) and after knocking on the door we were eventually let in by a guy who emerged from the yard and then promptly disappeared. We didn’t see anyone else for hours. The house almost seemed too good to be true, there is a fantastic, functional kitchen here for cooking meals, a nice shared bathroom with a warm shower, an area with sofas and a TV, and we found what appeared to be elegant bridal outfits on display in one of the rooms (we quickly closed the door).
We found these elegant dresses in a room in our guesthouse
Eventually, after locking the front door from the inside and resigning ourselves to being alone for the night in this strange and spotless house, a woman knocked on the window and introduced herself as the hostess. Her young son then appeared and set us up with the wifi password. It turns out that the family lives in another building in the yard, so guests have the main building all to themselves when staying. On our first night a Kazakh mother and daughter showed up just before bedtime to take the other bedroom, and on our second night we had the place to ourselves. Overall this is a clean and modern family house.
There are more expensive hotels located within the town centre of Aral but we opted to stay at Гостевой дом as it was the cheapest option. Serik told us he could’ve gotten a better price for the town centre hotels so you could give that a try if you’d prefer to be more centrally located.
Activities
Aral Sea Tour with Serik – organised by email beforehand ([email protected])
The cost of the private tour was a tad steep at 100 000 KZT or $200 but well-worth the money as we thoroughly enjoyed the overall experience. It’s also slightly cheaper to visit the Aral Sea on the Kazakh side than the Uzbek side. We later found out that it’s very expensive to get to the actual Aral Sea from Nukus – it’s quite easy to reach Muynak and the ship cemetery but it’s a whole different thing to actually reach the actual sea.
Some of the landscapes around the North Aral Sea are stunning
Serik was very knowledgeable about the Aral Sea and happy to share information about the area. There aren’t really any other options for shared tours or public transport to the shores of the Aral Sea. Be aware that the road conditions aren’t great. The whole trip took around 6-7 hours. We visited the Karasandyk hills (stunning views over the Aral Sea and towering cliffs), the shoreline of the Aral Sea and last remaining rusty ship (I couldn’t resist putting my hand in the water), old Aqespe village (95% of the residents have moved to a different settlement now, the sand dunes have taken over the entire village and made life incredibly difficult, it’s possible to walk amongst the buried ruins of the village; we think that there is still at least one hardy family still living in the village), hot thermal spring (popular bathing spot for locals with rudimentary dressing rooms – don’t expect much! – the temperature of the water is perfect for bathing – slightly muddy water though).
Being slowly consumed by sand dunes, the ruined Aqespe village is a very eerie place
Visiting these places really gives you an understanding of man-made disaster. On the drive you can spot herds of camels and horses, wild shrubs growing on salty seabed and seashells on the sand. The dark red plants that now grow in the salty desert of the former seabed poetically almost look like blood. We heard they are a favourite amongst camels. Keep an eye out for eagles on the way to the Aral Sea, we spotted 15 eagles along the way – they’re especially fond of sitting on posts.
An eagle spotted en-route to the remains of the Aral Sea
Aral History Museum – originally we were going to give this museum a miss but were coaxed in by a friendly local. We were pleasantly surprised to find information in English alongside interesting photos of Aral before the disaster. The upper-floor of the museum resembles a boat which is pretty quirky too. Outside the entrance you can find a myriad of old ships and vessels that once sailed on the Aral Sea.
Old Port of Aral – located behind the History Museum, this used to be the beating heart of the fishing industry in Aral. You can still spot the cranes which have been left as a reminder of what used to be.
I love Aral…
Foodie Places
Тайқазан – best restaurant in town. We didn’t have big expectations for this place, however we had a fantastic meal here. It serves a mixture of Western food and Central Asian cuisine. The lagman and carbonara were absolutely delicious. The menu isn’t in English so be prepared to use Google translate – the waitress ended up taking pity on us and letting us use her phone to translate the menu, which was much appreciated. This is clearly an upmarket place for locals, we saw what appeared to be a wedding party in here.
A fantastic lagman meal, just make sure to bring your Cyrillic alphabet skills with you
Turkistan
Turkistan is the only remaining Silk Road city in Kazakhstan that has not been lost to time. While once-great settlements in this region such as Otrar and Sauran have faded into the dust, Turkistan is booming thanks mainly to the UNESCO-protected Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a famous 11th century poet who was influential in the Sufi movement. It’s clear to see from the proliferation of sumptuous hotels and glitzy Arabian-desert style mall, Karavan Saray, that Turkistan is being moulded into a tourist destination in an attempt to rival the famous Silk Road cities in Uzbekistan such as Samarkand and Bukhara. Golf carts zip along walkways outside the Yasawi Mausoleum Complex and Karavan Saray Mall, transporting tourists from point A to point B. At times you may need to jump out of the way as they hurtle past at high speed!
The glitzy new tourist area of Turkistan
The area around the UNESCO site has been remodelled as a tourist epicentre. As well as the controversial mall there are pristinely-maintained parks, museums, restaurants, a grandiose new mosque and further developments were taking place during our visit. Away from this, the rest of the city of Turkistan goes on with little regard for the tourist area. We found that visiting the bazaar was a great way to sample authentic life in the city, away from the shiny face that is presented to tourists.
The Kuanysh Bazaar shows a different side of Turkistan
In 2021, Turkistan city was awarded the title of ‘Spiritual Capital of the Turkic World’ – this is a slightly confusing concept to some as most people usually think of Turkiye as the ‘Spiritual Capital of the Turkic World.’ However strictly speaking it’s not untrue as Turkic kingdoms were prevalent in Central Asia from 7th century BCE until the Mongol Invasion by Ghengis Khan in 1220.
Many Muslims visit Turkistan to pay their respects to Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. The Mausoleum Complex of Ahmed Yasawi is regarded as a holy pilgrimage site for Muslims across the world. Each year, the city draws thousands of pilgrims. According to local tradition, visiting Turkistan three times is equal to a single hajj to Mecca. It’s understandable that the authorities want to capitalise on this and maximise the tourist experience (and the money spent) by these pilgrims. In my opinion the results are a little mixed, although we still found Turkistan to be an interesting stopover and definitely very different from the rest of Kazakhstan.
You can often find groups of pilgrims in and around the Yasawi Mausoleum
Accommodation
EDEM Hotel – an excellent hotel located close to the Karavan Saray Shopping Mall. Compared to some of the other hotels we stayed in, EDEM was very luxurious and comfortable with white linen bed sheets and slippers provided for guests. The breakfast buffet was also good quality and a great addition. We read some complaints beforehand about noise from a nearby restaurant/nightclub, but this seemed to be closed when we were visiting.
Activities
Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi – UNESCO World Heritage Site constructed by Amir Timur to mark the final resting place of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. This towering structure is reminiscent of the many grand madrassas and mausoleums in Uzbekistan, and is the focal point of the touristic area of Turkistan. You have to buy tickets to enter the mausoleum from the small ticket office building outside, which is a little confusing. Women must have their hair covered and conservative dress is mandatory for admittance. There isn’t much to see inside, a lot of the building seemed to be closed off for reasons unknown. There were imams inside offering prayers – while we walked down one of the corridors, a family of Muslims began praying behind us and were temporarily trapped in place until they had finished. For non-Muslims, the mausoleum is much more impressive to look at from the outside than in.
The mausoleum is very similar to those found in Uzbekistan, not surprising as it was constructed by Amir Timur
Mausoleum of Rabia Sultan Begum – a small mausoleum for the daughter of the famous Timurid emperor Ulughbek. This is located in the vicinity of the much larger Yasawi mausoleum.
A couple of other small historical sites are located in and around the mausoleum complex:
Underground Mosque – as the name suggests, a very small underground mosque. There is a small entry fee and only a few rooms are open, with some artifacts on display. Legend says that Khoja Ahmed Yasawi had this mosque built and spent his time here, but we weren’t able to find anyone who could verify if this was true or not.
Ancient Baths – a hammam complex supposedly dating back to the time of the Timurids.
Turkistan City Fortress – this seems to be an archaeological site with what looks like the excavated remains of what was presumably part of the old city. When we visited there was no information, we couldn’t go in or even really get a look as the site was being redeveloped for tourism. It looked like a walkway, viewing platform and cover was being installed, probably in an attempt to further boost the amount of tourist attractions in this part of town.
We couldn’t get anywhere near the archaeological area
The area around the mausoleums contains a strange plateau with hawkers selling tourist trinkets and camel rides. There is also a pretty uninspiring ‘ethnographic village’ and a small area with fortress-style walls that you can walk on – I think this is supposed to mimic a fortress or walled city, but it wasn’t clear if these walls have been restored/rebuilt or just constructed from scratch.
Walking on the walls
Museum Uly Dala Eli Ortalygy – located in the tourist complex between the UNESCO site and Karavan Saray. This was our favourite museum in Kazakhstan, don’t be put off by the limited number of reviews. The museum offers visitors a free audio guide and headphones – we were blown away by the amount of detail in the audio guide. The museum mainly focuses on social history and nomadic traditions. The artefacts aren’t amazing but the presentation is first-class. If you’re like us and love an information overload, this is the perfect place to get your fix. We almost felt sad at the lack of visitors here given the effort that had been put into the museum
The multimedia displays inside this museum were great
Karavan Saray – opened in 2021, this huge outdoor shopping mall/tourist complex has a myriad of upmarket shops and restaurants, a Venetian-style canal system running through the center complete with gondolas and even a cinema inside a massive golden egg. We found the whole set-up slightly garish and touristy – reminiscent of Disney World. We were also a bit mystified by the Arabian-desert style buildings as these didn’t seem very authentic. It was a weird experience here as some of the shop fronts and even entire wings of the complex were standing empty – we didn’t spot many people around at all, even during the promised evening light show (which didn’t actually happen). The project didn’t seem to have captured the public’s imagination in the way that was expected, or maybe we just visited on a bad day.
The cavernous empty structures of Karavan Saray
Dancing Fountain – once the sun goes down, head to this fountain for a music/dancing water extravaganza. The show combines funky tunes, vibrant coloured lighting and spurting fountains all in one. Mind your step or you might end up drenched in water!
Kuanysh Bazar – away from the tourist complex, this busy and sprawling bazaar provided a taste of local life. It was similar in many ways to some of the thriving bazaars we encountered in Uzbekistan
Head to the bazaar to sample the real Turkistan
We wanted to visit the much more authentic and untouched archaeological sites of Sauran or Otrar, which are both located out of town a short drive from Turkistan. In the end these proved too difficult to reach by public transport to justify the effort. It’s strange in somewhere which is trying so hard to promote itself as a historical tourism centre that there were really no obvious transport provisions for people to be able to see actual, legitimate ancient cities.
Foodie Places
Jeti tandir – next to the Uly Dala Eli museum and close to the UNESCO site, we really enjoyed this Turkish-inspired restaurant with outdoor seating, particularly the dolma, shashlik and fantastic flavoured lemonades.
We loved the Turkish food at Jeti Tandir
Damdi – a ‘canteen’-style restaurant, meaning you pick up a tray and select food to be piled onto your plate from the various pre-prepared items behind the screen. You then have to microwave the food yourself in the cafe. We visited just before closing time so there wasn’t much of a selection of food left, but we enjoyed what we had.
Maki Maki (Sushi Pizza restaurant opposite EDEM Hotel, visible on 2gis but not on Google Maps) – for some reason, fast food sushi/pizza combo restaurants are all the rage in Kazakhstan. We had sushi from here which was pretty good considering we were in the middle of a desert, we didn’t try the pizza though.
Shymkent
The third largest city in Kazakhstan, Shymkent (sometimes spelled Chimkent) is close to the Uzbek border with easy access to Tashkent. Away from the main tourist hubs, Shymkent is a sprawling urban city with a vibrant centre and plenty of spacious green parks. We found it was a good place to stay for a night to enjoy the amenities of being back in civilisation after our long train journey through western Kazakhstan, and before another 12-hour train journey back to Almaty!
Shymkent is towards the southern edge of the Kazakh steppe, you can find pastoral landscapes in the region
Accommodation
Express City Hotel – the name of this hotel pretty much sums things up! A clean, comfortable and no nonsense business-style hotel in a central location. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet
Activities
Self-guided walking tour with the following stops:
Abai Park – a pleasant park containing a large World War 2 memorial (or the ‘Great Patriotic War’ as the Russians called it)
Imposing displays of military might at Abai Park
Museum of Victims of Political Repression – a small museum focusing on and apparently raising reparatory funds for some of the victims of the brutal repressions of the Soviet era. We heard that the museum has limited information in English – either way it was closed when we visited
Central Park – another green park with sculptures and some nice shrubbery
I couldn’t resist getting a photo with this
Shymkent Citadel – a strange place. Apparently situated on the long-forgotten remains of an actual Silk Road caravanserai or fortress, this open-air ‘cultural area’ is located on a hill in the midst of the city and is instantly visible thanks to its large, garishly-restored gates and walls. We initially thought that the complex was closed until we spotted some people walking around inside – the entrance was actually around the back of the large fake walls. It looked like there was supposed to be an entry fee but the guy in the ticket booth just asked us to write our names down on a bit of paper and then let us in for free.
The slightly bizarre Shymkent Citadel
There wasn’t really that much to see inside – a few small areas of covered ruins with no real context or explanation, what looked like a slightly larger archaeological area with a walkway, some old-timey artefacts dotted around, more Disneyland-style fake fortress walls and a small museum with minimal info in English. It somehow felt like the whole place was simultaneously unfinished but also dated and run-down. The best thing about visiting here was the view of the city from the hill.
Foodie Places
Dodo Pitstsa – we’d encountered this pizza chain in a few Kazakh cities and took the opportunity to try it in Shymkent. They managed to get my order wrong despite using a screen, but the pizza we got was still pretty nice although a little on the expensive side.
Pizza from Dodo – not too bad but a little expensive for what it was
Procoffee – really pricey, the coffee and breakfast here was pretty good but we couldn’t get over the high prices.
After visiting Kazakhstan, we headed via plane to Tajikistan!