Kazakhstan Trip Plan
We were three (I, Shaji and Sankal) and we visited Kazakshtan for four days from August 11th to 14th, 2024. We planned the entire trip ourselves and did not go through any travel. Kazakhstan is a stunning country in Central Asia, filled with deserts, terrains, lakes, mountains and city covers as well. The best part is that Kazakhstan is about 3.5 hours away from India and one can explore this pristine place under Rs 50,000. It was really a riveting experience as we got to see all the places, such as First President Park, Canyons such as Black Canyon, Moon Canyon, Charyn Canyon, Charyn River, Almaty Zoo, Ascension Cathedral, 28 Panfilov Guardsmen Park, Kolsai National Park and Shymbulak Resort. Almaty, the former capital of Kazakhstan, means Apple, and it has a wide varierty of Apple forests.
Below is the detailed plan,
Flight tickets:
Try to book the flight tickets at the earliest possible time, at least two months before. We booked the tickets through Indigo Airlines, and it cost 41,000 Rupees per head to and fro (Chennai to Delhi and from Delhi to Almaty, Kazakhstan). Note: There is no direct flight from Chennai to Kazakhstan, we can only go via Delhi.
Visa:
Indian passport holders can enter Kazakhstan for a stay of 14 days without a visa. The Kazakhstan government permits 3 trips within 180 days, with a maximum stay of 14 days per trip.
Hotel:
We can book a hotel through Booking.com. We were three, and we booked a Single bedroom apartment at this address: 237/1, Rozybakiev street, Almaty, 050060, Kazakhstan.
Currency Exchange:
We did currency change (INR to Dollars), and later, when we reached Almaty, we converted Dollars to Tenge. Note: It is not feasible to get Kazakh currency anywhere in India, and hence we have to convert Indian rupees to dollars, and then Dollars to Tenge can only be converted after we reach Kazakhstan. Please do not do currency exchange at the airport as it is costlier, they will charge 10 to 12 percent extra when compared to other places.
Places To Visit:
You should definitely visit the Canyons such as Black Canyon, Moon Canyon, Charyn Canyon, and Charyn River. You need to walk atleast 10 kms from Charyn Canyon to see the Charyn River. It will truly be a gripping experience to get to the Charyn River. Almaty Zoo will be captivating, and you will get to see many rare species of animals, such as the Puma, Honey Badger, Vulture etc., and you will have the opportunity to feed the Llama, the Giraffe etc. Ascension Cathedral will be beautiful as well. It is a Church built in Russian style, and the unique part about it is that it is made of wood. It is the second-tallest wooden church in the world. Shymbulak Resort is the largest in Central Asia, you will have to reach Shymbulak via the Gondolas cable cars from Medeu. You will have no regrets visiting Shymbulak Resort; it’s a must-visit place in Kazakshtan especially during the October to December period, when you will have good snowfall. Kolsay Lakes National Park is majestic as well. Nature conservation is an important part of the park’s mission, with 72% of the territory under strict protection and 13% set aside for tourism and recreation. It is slightly challenging to get to Kolsai Lake by ourselves. Though guided tours are somewhat expensive by Kazakh standards, I sincerely believe that it’s one of the most comfortable ways to experience the Kolsai Lakes.
Best Time To Visit:
The best times to visit Kazakhstan are spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October). During spring, the weather will be pleasant and warm, with blooming wildflowers that are ideal for sightseeing and outdoor activities. During autumn, the weather will be cooler, and you will see snowfall — the mountains will have a fully enthralling view and will be covered with snow, with stunning fall foliage as well. You can also find fewer crowds and potentially better deals compared to peak season.
Languages:
Kazakhs speak a Turkic language of the Northwest, or Kipchak (Qipchaq) group. Russian, an official language, functions widely alongside Kazakh, which is the state language. Russian is the most widely understood language in the country.
Restaurants:
It is hard to find Indian restaurants in Kazakhstan. We did not even see a single Indian restaurant. You will find KFCs and other good restaurants in Rozybakiev Street in Almaty. Most of the Kazakh native people will only eat red meat, beef, etc. If you are a vegeterian, you can survive by eating vegetarian burgers, sandwiches, etc. You can either dine in or buy takeaway as well.
SIM:
You will find many places in Almaty city where you can buy a Kazakhstan SIM and instantly activate it. We also have an esim option which we can activate while we are in India itself.
Food App:
To order food, we can use an app called Yandex Go.
Taxi App
For internal transport as well, in Kazakhstan, you can book through the same app, Yandex Go. You will find buses as well, and it is easy to commute if you have an inventory of the bus routes and the numbers.
Events App:
We did not book tickets for any places up front, we just went directly and bought the tickets. For most of the places, such as the Shymbulak resort, Ascension Cathedral, and Panfilov Park, entry is free. It will not be feasible to visit the canyons through Cabs or our own transport, we booked a one-day trip to the canyons through KK Guided Tours in Kazakhstan.
Shopping places:
To buy chocolates, Magnum supermarket is the go-to place. To buy Souvenirs, Tsum Shopping Mall will be a paradise for shopping. You will also find the Abylai Khan shopping plaza, which has plenty of gifts and souvenirs as well.
To-Do List Before The Trip:
Please ensure you carry all documents (both soft copies and hard copies) and other things in the below checklist.
1. Passport
2. Visa
3. Flight tickets
4. Currency (Dollars)
5. Medicines
6. Empty trolley: this will help in carrying the chocolates and souvenirs that we buy while we return
7. Wallets, Debit/Credit cards, etc. You can carry two wallets, one for Indian Rupees/Dollars and the other for Kazakh currency, Tenge. Note: Enable international transactions on your debit or credit cards.
8. Enable international roaming on your Indian SIM card as well. It is better to not enable it if you are using a Kyrgyzstan SIM.
To-Do List After The Trip:
Please ensure you carry all documents as mentioned above (both soft copies and hard copies)
1. disable international transactions on your Debit/Credit cards
2. disable international roaming on the Indian SIM card.
3. Please ensure to do the VAT refund at the airport if you had purchased gold or souvenirs/chocolates.
Pictures From Our Trip:
Attaching some of the pics from our trip here ☺,
