In our previous post (Almaty, Kazakhstan – A Brief History) we promised to give you an idea what you can expect to see and do in Kazak’s biggest city.
First of all, the best times to visit Almaty are mid-April to late May, after the worst of the winter has passed, and then again mid-August to mid-October when it shouldn’t be too hot.
The first thing which will hit you is that you will feel more like you are in a European city as opposed to Central Asia, as the streets are lined with a number of trendy shops, well-stocked supermarkets, western style coffee shops, first class restaurants and glitzy bars.
For many people, a trip to Almaty is just a means of travelling on to another destination, which is a shame because if you do have the time to spare, it is definitely worth spending a few days here exploring the many park areas and the excellent museums. Worthy of note are “Gorky Park”, which has boating lakes, an Aquapark and funfair rides, and Panfilov Park where the main centre of attraction is the Zenkov Cathedral, which is Almaty’s answer to St Basil’s Cathedral and is built entirely of wood (including the nails).
A little bit further outside of the city, you will be able to discover Medeu and Chimbulak which are both an easy one day trip from Almaty.
Medeu is 1700 metres above sea level and about 15 kilometres from Almaty. Medeu’s claim to fame is it’s huge ice rink (10,500 square metres) where you can rent skates most days and try it out for yourself. Even when the rink is closed, it is a good place to start a walk in the surrounding hills, or you could climb the 800 steps to the top of the barrier which has been built above the ice rink to stop avalanches and mudslides.
Chimbulak is higher still at 2,300 metres and is Central Asia’s top skiing centre. In fact the facilities here are good enough for Almaty to have made a bid to hold the 2014 Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful but that still doesn’t stop thousands of people visiting this swish ski resort every year between November and April with ski runs for all levels.