DESTINATIONS y Almaty KAZAKHSTAN | ACTIVE & ADVENTURE


Kazakhstan calls for travellers in search of a crowd-free escape post-pandemic, writes Nick Redmayne


l travelweekly.co.uk


et’s be clear – national dress in Kazakhstan is not a moustache and a mankini. Sasha Baron Cohen’s Borat certainly lent the country some unexpected


name recognition, but that’s where it ended. Bordering Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,


Turkmenistan and the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan is enormous. The size of western Europe with a population of fewer than 19 million, as befits the Kazakh people’s nomadic heritage, the country’s key characteristic is its expanse of wilderness. The Kazakh government has been making tourism development a priority in recent years, with 30-day visa-free entry for UK visitors since 2015. Roads linking major centres continue to be upgraded. A favourable tax regime, reduced bureaucracy and hospitality training have seen family guesthouses open in villages and towns across the country, providing a great way to see the ‘real’ Kazakhstan. Pre-pandemic, tourist numbers were still relatively


low, at around 20,000 each year, meaning travellers seeking a socially-distanced escape should find


what they’re looking for when the country reopens. And with a seven-hour flight from the UK, it’s easily accessible for those seeking a closer-to-home alternative to long-haul adventures.


CITYSCAPES AND SNOWY PEAKS Realistically, it’s impossible to ‘do’ Kazakhstan in one tour – it’s just too big. Most visitors pass quickly through soulless Nur-Sultan and head southeast to erstwhile capital Almaty. This is a beautiful city of wide, tree-lined avenues, Tsarist, Soviet and modern architecture, historic parks, welcoming bars and funky cafes. It is also well-located for exploring the remarkably diverse Almaty region – itself the size of the United Kingdom. Taking the cable car to the summit of Kok-Tobe Hill


affords views over Almaty’s cityscape. Look the other way and an unbroken wilderness leads to the distant, 4,500m snowy peaks of the Tian Shan mountains. The city’s single metro line serves some sights, its stations exercises in municipal art. The Republic ²


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