A Hidden Gem
- Virtual Traveller 86
- Apr 27, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 30, 2020
Day Two: Country No. 5
KAZAKHSTAN 9:53am
It takes under 1.5 hours to fly from Tashkent to Almaty in Kazakhstan. I was still engrossed in the hundreds of snaps I’d taken in Uzbekistan when the plane landed. Visiting all these countries is great but there is barely a minute to absorb one place before you arrive in another (in fact no minutes!). Not quite 10am and I’m in my fifth country.
In recent years I’ve got to know someone from Kazakhstan and so really I shouldn’t have been surprised by how lovely and friendly everyone was. I was here to experience something of its history and culture and much like in Uzbekistan, my expectations were majorly exceeded. From the little I saw it is a truly beautiful country.
Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world. It is the world’s largest landlocked country. It is said to be the most dominant country, economically, of Central Asia. This is mainly due to its gas and oil industry. It is a hugely diverse country in both geography and in its cultural history. Formerly part of the USSR it declared independence in 1991.
Almaty My main guide during this visit was Peter Santenello (See YouTube). Almaty means 'city of apple trees', and due to the city’s relatively mild climate, it has a wide range of apple trees. Some of the city locations I visited are in the picture below:
1. Park 28 Panfilovtsev: a 44 acre park with sculpture commemorating WWII heroes, a folk instrument museum; and a cathedral (see 8). 2. Map of Kazakhstan: Almaty is in the south-east of the country, in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau.
3. Military History Museum and park
4. Cable car to Kok-tobe: the highest point of the city providing panoramic views.
5. Kok-tobe is now also a family friendly park with ferris wheel and:
6. An upside-down house and:
7. A bronze sculpture of the Beatles!
8. Zenkov’s Cathedral: a wooden Ukranian-baroque Russian Orthodox cathedral located in the grounds of Park 28 Panfilovtsev.
9. The backdrop of mountains creates an impressive sight.
The city has some amazing art, ranging from mosaics to communist era paintings. See: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/feb/06/almaty-spills-its-secrets-lost-soviet-art-discovered-behind-wall Big Almaty Lake
Located 28.5km south of Almaty and only a 45 minute drive away, is Big Almaty Lake. Situated in a gorge of the Bolshaya Almatinka river, the lake is within the Alatau – Eliy National park. A popular attraction for walkers and other visitors. It can be accessed by road or foot. Peter secured us a lift to the start of the assent - it really helped that he can speak russian! Three mountains (about 4,000 metres high) form a magnificent backdrop to the lake and it is a truly beautiful place.
There is no question that this part of the country is a hidden gem. I suspect the rest of Kazakhstan is equally lovely. I would happily spend days exploring these ‘fantabulous’ mountains. Alas at 12:52pm - and running late - I headed back to Almaty International Airport.
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