Why Kazakhstan? We say: Why not?? Our 9 Days Itinerary

By Kajal Shah Kazakhstan

Hello all,

Why Kazakhstan?

We would say why not?

I saw a picture of Kaindy Lake in one of the travel magazines before COVID-19, and I was mesmerised by it. Ever since, I have wanted to visit this beautiful country, not because of the Silk Road’s history, its recent popularity, or its easy accessibility. It was just because of the pure beauty we found in that picture!

  

But if anyone asks you, we have plenty of reasons: 

Panoramic Landscapes: 

This is an enormous country—the 9th biggest in the world. It has the longest border and is the biggest landlocked country. But one word that comes to my mind whenever I think about Kazakhstan is vast! We fell in love with its vastness! Endless lands merging into mountains and endless roads make you feel like you are on the edge of the world, and you will fall if you go beyond. 

Simply put, I can not describe those picturesque landscapes in words! This enormous Steppe looks like an eternal universe, with wild horses crossing the roads and occasional yurts indicating human touch.

Lakes, lakes and lakes! 

If you are a Pluviophile (a person who loves lakes) like us, then this is the place for you. The serene Big Almaty Lake is nestled between the snowy mountains and dreamy Kaindy and Kolsai lakes; this country has stunning lakes we have seen till now.

A little bit of everything. 

You will find everything, from snowy mountains to stupefying lakes and enormous grasslands to enigmatic canyons, historic monuments, and modern cities. It’s one of the best countries!

Home to mysterious histories! 

It is not only landscapes; the country is also rich in history. From Sufi sheikh to Mughal conqueror, from Russian influence in Almaty to Uzbec architectural impact in Turkestan, from traditional nomad culture Ethno-awul to modern dynamic Astanayou can get all of these! And the fascinating part is some of these histories are still mysteries!

Amazing people

Kazak people are extremely warm and kind. They treat their guests with utmost hospitality. You might not get a wide smile initially, but the warmth of their eyes is enough to melt your heart. A complete stranger might come to you and give you a piece of souvenir or money, telling you to enjoy your trip. The other thing we noticed is harmony. Harmony between Russians and local Kazak people.

Yummilicious cuisine 

Though the locals don’t eat vegetarian food, you will have tons of options if you are non-vegetarian with unique local cuisine. The best part was even though we are vegetarian; the local homestay people made sure that we ate delicious vegetarian food prepared by their methodwhat can I say about their exuberant dining table spread? You will have dry fruits, toffees, bread, soups, rice, and desserts served on beautiful platters. Just a look at them, and you will have water in your mouth. Kazakhstan is also a treasure of dry fruits. Don’t forget to taste them and have some for home.

Visa free!

Yes, there is no more tension about applying for a visa and waiting for a passport. Kazakhstan has a visa on arrival with entry for Indians for 14 days. What more do we need? 

Accessibility: 

It’s only a three-and-a-half-hour flight from Delhi to Almaty! Yes, you read it right. How easy can it get? And that’s via Indigo. We went via Air Astana, which is an excellent airline, and came back via Indigo.

 

Best time to visit: 

The country’s temperature ranges from -20 degrees to 40 degrees. 

Summer is the peak season, but if you want pleasant weather, spring and autumn are the best times.

Spring- April to May – warm weather with lush green mountains and grasslands everywhere!

Autumn – September to October – the landscape is alluring with all autumn colours!

Our itinerary: 

Day 1 :

Flight from Delhi —-> Almaty (Air Astana)

Reach Almaty by afternoon 

Evening at Kok Tobe Hill

Day 2: 

Visit Altyn-Emel National Park 

Aktau and Katatau mountains 

Overnight stay in Basshi village 

Day 3:

Singing dunes 

Charyn canyons

Tiger canyons 

Overnight stay in yurts near Saty village 

Day 4: 

Visit to Kolsai and Kaindy lakes 

Black Canyons

Back to Almaty 

Day 5: 

Big Almaty lake 

Almarasan Gorge and hot water spring 

First President Park is one of the most beautiful places to witness autumn colours.

Big falcon show 

Day 6: 

Walk at Terrenkur trail for autumn colours

Ascension Cathedral 

Memorial of Glory

Museum of Musical Instruments 

The famous Green Bazaar 

Rakhat chocolate shop 

Evening flight to Shymkent 

Day 7:

Day trip to Turkestan via the archaeological site of Otrar 

Night – back to Shymkent 

Day 8: 

Morning flight to Astana 

Visit the Museum of Future Energy 

Evening and night view of: 

Khan Shatyr, Lovers Park and Nurzhol Boulevard 

Palace of Peace and Reconciliation

Independence Square

Day 9:

Green bazaar 

Assumption Russian Orthodox Cathedral 

Baiterek tower 

The great mosque of Astana 

Back to Delhi with tons and tons of beautiful memories!

Our Guides and Tours: (click on the pink tab for links)

Our second—to fourth-day tour was with Kazakhstan Guided Tours. It was a two-night, three-day tour. They were extremely helpful from the very first inquiry to the final drop-off at our hotel. The stay at Basshi and Saty villages was terrific, and the hosts were wonderful. The food was also prepared according to our requirements. 

The link for our trip is: Click here

Our tours in Almaty were managed by Mr. Nur Sultan, who is a young, dynamic, kind-hearted, fantastic person. He has made our two days in Almaty City totally memorable. His contact number is: +7 777 015 0276

Kazakhstan Guided Tours managed our day trip to Turkestan. The guide, Mr Aslam, is a benevolent ex-history professor, and we thoroughly enjoyed the trip.  The link for the day trip is here

Mr. Kadyrbek of Astanahorizons arranged our two days in Astana. He is an excellent, gentle, helpful person who made the trip to Astana fun and the most enjoyable part of our trip for the kids. For the Future Energy Museum, he even called his friend as a guide because he thought he would be more helpful. The contact number of Mr. Kadyrbek: +7 778 555 7780

Our stays: 

Day 1: Kazakhstan Hotel, Almaty

Day 2-3 : Accommodations by Kazatourguide. For one night, we opted for Yurt accommodation in Saty Village.

The contact number of Basshi Village Guest house:+7 707 364 0941 

Day 4-5 : Reunion Residence Hotel, Almaty

Day 6-7 : DoubleTree by Hilton, Shymkent

Day 8-9: Elite Apart Hotel, Astana

 

So, if you get a chance, visit this magnificent country with its sublime landscapes and rich history.

 

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Кадырбек Нурлыбеков
Кадырбек Нурлыбеков
1 month ago

Thank you for mentioning us in your vlog! It was a pleasure guiding you through Astana, and we’re so glad we could make your trip memorable!

Nursultan
Nursultan
2 months ago

Hello. Thank you again for your mentioning
We appreciate it!!!

Vatsala
Vatsala
2 months ago

👍

Aslam
Aslam
2 months ago

Great

Nayna
Nayna
2 months ago

we have been to central asia !
But never knew kazakistan is equally good

Brijesh
Brijesh
2 months ago

Seriously well scripted
to the point precise

Rajaram
Rajaram
2 months ago

Good aprochunity and excellent photography with Family enjoyment with change

Astana horizons
Astana horizons
2 months ago

Thank you 🤩

Sumit Shah
Sumit Shah
2 months ago

Superb! Actually we wanted to explore kazakistan.. you have nicely narrated tour program with beautiful pictures.. thanks a lot for sharing all in total…

Pritesh
Pritesh
2 months ago

Excellent, very useful information .

Kazak tours
Kazak tours
2 months ago

Supperbbb pics with lots of informations about the places u have visited. Extra ordinary planning.👍👌🏻



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