Once at the very top you can have a drink in the bar or take a hike around the stunning mountains. There is a choice of paths to take that none are maintained so be careful of loose ground.

The altitude also means there is less oxygen in the air so hills become a struggle. The complete peace and quiet and stunning views make this a great spot for a picnic or simply as a place to relax and unwind. So now it’s time to leave Shymbulak, we’re going to take the cable car down and then get a taxi from there into Almaty city centre and have a look around there.

So we’ve just arrived in Almaty, can’t check into a hotel yet it’s only midday, so we’ve been walking around the city just been along a pedestrian street, now in some park where there’s apparently a Russian Orthodox Cathedral.

We haven’t really got a plan for Almaty, we know there’s a big lake somewhere so we’ll go check that out at some point other than that we’re here for good fun and good food so let’s see what happens. Zenkov’s Cathedral was built in 1907 around the time the first Russian settlers came to Kazakhstan. Set in a large peaceful and manicured garden, it is a very traditional example of Russian Orthodox architecture.

The gleaming gold icons colorful paintings and candle lit rooms give the interior of the cathedral an extra special atmosphere and the onion domed roof is unmistakably classic Russian It is absolutely roasting in Almaty today, about 38 degrees we found this cute kind of shaded park next to the Cathedral so just having a look around and see if there’s anything interesting to see here as well.

The War Memorial is another example of the Russian influence in Kazakhstan although now only about 20% of the population identify as Russian everyone speaks Russian. Despite efforts to reintroduce the use of the Kazakh language, all restaurants attractions public transport and museums all use Russian as the first language.

Something you see in most Russian cities or at least ex-ussr places is the eternal flame which is a monument for the Great Patriotic War which the Russians call it but, we call it World War Two. The Altatinsiy Zolotoy Central Bazaar is a huge space to find all manner of fresh produce, clothing and souvenirs prices are cheap and judging by the people here a very authentic local place to come shopping.

Were at the Central Mosque in Almaty, pretty big, unfortunately we can’t go in right now because we’ve got shorts on because it’s so hot outside but looks nice from the outside. So there’s a sign outside that says that Islam came to Kazakhstan around 2,000 years ago and the Central Mosque in Almaty has room for 3,000 worshippers so it’s pretty big there’s several separate male and female entrances and obviously a dress code to follow so we can’t go in today.

One legacy of the Soviet times is the Almaty metro system typically large grand stations are dotted around the city and are a useful way of getting around. You can buy a ticket if you wish or simply tap in and out with your credit card a one-way journey is just a 80 Tenge. Our ride took us to the A.Kasteev art museum, it’s a nice place to wile away a few hours if it’s boiling hot or freezing cold outside.

You’ll find a vast array of paintings sculptures and regional crafts from the 16th century up to more recent works. Wwe called a Yandex taxi using the app and headed to Big Almaty Lake the hour-long journey took us out of the city past the impressive entrance to First President Park and then up into the mountains the road climbs and slithers its way up past some very majestic scenery.

Behind me is Big Almaty Lake we just took the taxi here from the city and it’s like 35 degrees in the city but here it’s pissing down rain and freezing cold. It’s pretty beautiful they handed with mountains I heard a guy thought that the color of the water changes quite often so when you visited me a little bit different to this but on a really sunny day it would be brilliant but today yeah cold!!

  For our last day in town we headed to the Palace of the Republic from where you can catch a cable car to Kok Tabe Park The park is located upon a large hill overlooking the city you can spend a few hours up here checking out the amusements and getting a bite to eat.

If you ever get the chance to visit Kazakhstan it’s well worth the effort to get here the people were friendly, the scenery is amazing and the food is varied and tasty. Wwe hope you found this guide useful, let us know in the comments below. If you have ever visited Kazakhstan and your experience of it. Please subscribe for our weekly videos but until next time happy travels from the MemorySeekers!!

One legacy of the Soviet times is the Almaty metro system typically large grand stations are dotted around the city and are a useful way of getting around. You can buy a ticket if you wish or simply tap in and out with your credit card a one-way journey is just a 80 Tenge. Our ride took us to the A.Kasteev art museum, it’s a nice place to wile away a few hours if it’s boiling hot or freezing cold outside.

You’ll find a vast array of paintings sculptures and regional crafts from the 16th century up to more recent works. Wwe called a Yandex taxi using the app and headed to Big Almaty Lake the hour-long journey took us out of the city past the impressive entrance to First President Park and then up into the mountains the road climbs and slithers its way up past some very majestic scenery.

Behind me is Big Almaty Lake we just took the taxi here from the city and it’s like 35 degrees in the city but here it’s pissing down rain and freezing cold. It’s pretty beautiful they handed with mountains I heard a guy thought that the color of the water changes quite often so when you visited me a little bit different to this but on a really sunny day it would be brilliant but today yeah cold!!

  For our last day in town we headed to the Palace of the Republic from where you can catch a cable car to Kok Tabe Park The park is located upon a large hill overlooking the city you can spend a few hours up here checking out the amusements and getting a bite to eat.

If you ever get the chance to visit Kazakhstan it’s well worth the effort to get here the people were friendly, the scenery is amazing and the food is varied and tasty. Wwe hope you found this guide useful, let us know in the comments below. If you have ever visited Kazakhstan and your experience of it. Please subscribe for our weekly videos but until next time happy travels from the MemorySeekers!!