Exploring Almaty, Kazakhstan: The Perfect Intro to Central Asia
I flew to Almaty, Kazakhstan from Atlanta knowing embarrassingly little about the destination. Kazakhstan was not a destination that I had been dreaming about for years. When Travel Blogger Exchange (TBEX) announced that TBEX Asia would be in Almaty, I instantly felt like this was an opportunity to experience an unfamiliar destination alongside seasoned travelers and the small community of Black content creators who were also attending the conference.
Within a few minutes of arriving to my hotel apartment in Comfort City, I instantly thought: This is nice! Why aren’t more people talking about Kazakhstan? It was clean, affordable, easy to navigate, walkable, and pretty chill.
First Off… Where Is Kazakhstan?
Before I left, I got this question a lot! Kazakhstan is in Central Asia, sitting between Russia and China with cultural, historical and geographic connections stretching across both Europe and Asia.
It’s actually huge. Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest country in the world. Planning a trip here isn’t quite the same as visiting a small European country and bouncing between several cities in a few days.
For your first trip to Kazakhstan, Almaty is an excellent place to start.
Almaty is Kazakhstan’s largest city and its former capital. It gives you an interesting combination of city life, historical influences, modern development and incredible access to nature.
One minute you’re walking down a tree-lined city street. The next, you look up and there are mountains in the background.
It’s a layered place, and I really liked that.
Now the next most popular question…
Is Kazakhstan Safe?
This was probably my biggest surprise. I really didn’t know what to expect as the only thing I knew about the region was tied to the Soviet era. As a former history teacher, my mind was stuck on stories of authoritarian leadership, communism, and the Cold War.
I didn’t know much else, but I was certainly curious. I wondered constantly how much of the culture from that time period still lingered and how tourists (especially Black Woman tourists) would be received.
Well, guess what…. Almaty put all those thoughts to rest. I actually felt pretty safe while I was there.
As a Black woman who has traveled to 70 countries, safety is something I pay close attention to, especially when exploring a destination on my own.
Before the TBEX conference officially started, I had time to explore on my own.
I walked around Almaty alone. I went to restaurants and ate lunch and dinner by myself. And, I used the local Rideshare (Yandex Go) with my Airalo eSIM to get around easily. Every ride was just a few dollars!
I wandered aimlessly without feeling like I needed to constantly look over my shoulder.
The sight of women and families everywhere contributed to the sense of safety I experienced while there.
I saw women commuting to work, using public transportation, taking leisurely walks, sitting in cafés and walking around the city with their children. Seeing women comfortably participating in everyday life quietly indicated that Almaty was a place where I could relax and move around independently too.
Most importantly, I notice that people minded their business. In my case, there wasn’t a lot of staring or unwanted attention. I didn’t feel like my presence as a Black woman traveling alone automatically made me a spectacle.
Ironically, most of the staring I noticed came from other tourists. For example, during my Almaty Walking Tour a man approached me asking for a picture. I said no, and moved on.
Of course, feeling safe somewhere doesn’t mean abandoning the same precautions you would use anywhere else. You still need to pay attention to your surroundings, keep track of your belongings and use good judgment.
It only takes one bad moment to taint the whole experience.
Nonetheless, Almaty, Kazakhstan is absolutely a destination I would consider for a solo female traveler. For women searching for safe places to travel alone that are a little more adventurous than the usual recommendations, put Almaty on your radar!
Almaty, Kazakhstan is a really green city!
One of the first things I noticed while exploring Almaty was just how green it was for a bustling urban area. Tree-lined streets, parks, flower beds, and mature greenery are everywhere, often creating a canopy over the sidewalks.
As I learned more about Almaty during my walking tour, I discovered that this was intentional. The city’s reputation for greenery has roots going back more than a century.
Almaty’s organized efforts to green the city began in the 1800s. One of its first major public gardens was established in 1856. Residents were given free seedlings and required to plant at least 20 trees around their properties. That history helped shape the lush city travelers experience today.
Knowing that made me appreciate the streets differently. What initially looked like an unusually green modern city was actually an intentional part of Almaty’s history and urban development.
What Can You Do Around Almaty?
As much as I enjoyed being in the city, I must say, you cannot come all the way to Kazakhstan and only stay downtown. The entire Almaty Region is amazing,
One of the biggest reasons to use Almaty as your base is what sits beyond the city. Within a few hours, you can trade busy streets for mountain valleys, turquoise lakes, red-rock canyons and wide-open landscapes that feel completely different from the urban center.
The surrounding region is known for dramatic natural scenery, including three of Kazakhstan’s most memorable natural wonders:
- Kaindy Lake, famous for the ghostly tree trunks rising from its cold, blue-green water
- Kolsai Lakes, a series of alpine lakes surrounded by forested mountain slopes
- Charyn Canyon, a vast red-rock landscape often compared with the Grand Canyon
Kaindy Lake is one of the most visually unusual places near Almaty. The submerged spruce trees give the lake an almost otherworldly appearance, but the setting is also rugged and remote.
The water is extremely cold, and weather conditions can change quickly. This is not the kind of excursion I would treat as a casual city day trip without checking the route and transport arrangements first.
The Kolsai Lakes offer a different experience. The views are unreal!
The first lake is the most accessible and is surrounded by steep, forested slopes. You can rent a paddle boat (or, catamaran as they call it) and enjoy paddling around the lake.
Travelers with more time and suitable conditions can continue farther into the valley. Reaching the first lake gives you a strong sense of the scale and beauty of the Tian Shan mountains.
Then there is Charyn Canyon, one of the easiest natural wonders to combine with an Almaty itinerary.
Its layered red cliffs and dramatic rock formations make it one of the region’s most impressive landscapes.
The canyon is exposed, however, so sun protection, water and comfortable walking shoes matter, particularly during the warmer months.
For a deeper cultural experience, consider spending a night in a yurt rather than visiting only for a quick photo stop. A yurt stay can include traditional meals, local stories and a chance to understand how hospitality functions outside the city. The experience varies considerably depending on the camp, so I would check what is included, whether bathrooms are available and how remote the location is before booking.
FYI, you do not necessarily need to be an extreme hiker or outdoor athlete to appreciate these places. Some excursions involve long drives, uneven paths or basic facilities rather than technical trekking. That is why I think of this region as offering soft adventure: you can experience extraordinary landscapes and meaningful cultural encounters while still returning to a comfortable hotel and a good meal at the end of the day.
What About Black Travelers in Kazakhstan?
This is one of the questions I know Black travelers will have because it’s one I think about myself when traveling somewhere that doesn’t have a large visible Black population: Do they like Black people there?
My experience as a Black woman traveler in Almaty was very comfortable. To be far, there were quite a few other Black travel content creators attending TBEX in Kazakhstan so we weren’t completely alone. And, although everyone’s experience was different, we all still had a great time throughout the city.
When all the Black creators met for dinner at Harissa and then had drinks at Holiday Inn’s rooftop bar, we were treated well.
We even connected with a group of Kazakhs celebrating a birthday that invited us to dance and bought us drinks!
I also didn’t experience the level of staring that Black travelers sometimes describe in places where seeing Black people is less common. A few of the other Black creators on this trip did experience more photo requests than I did, but still not the overwhelming amount that can be experienced in China or Uzbekistan.
That doesn’t mean every Black traveler will have exactly the same experience, so I would never declare an entire country completely free of bias or racism based on one visit.
For the record, when it comes to photo requests, I don’t mind taking photos with women or families as long as it doesn’t become overwhelming. Sometimes I ask for a photo and exchange names as well! I see it as a brief cultural exchange and an opportunity to say hello. But when men ask? It’s a hard no.
So the overall question…
Is Kazakhstan Worth Visiting?
Yes.
Especially if you’re looking for somewhere beyond the destinations that constantly show up on your social media feed.
What I enjoyed most about Almaty was the balance. You get the creature comforts of a modern, bustling city while some of Kazakhstan’s most incredible natural landscapes are just a few hours away. You can spend one day enjoying cafés, shopping and city life, then head out to explore the surreal landscapes of Charyn Canyon, Kolsai Lakes and the mountains surrounding the Almaty region. Depending on your travel style, that can mean a comfortable day trip or a more adventurous hiking experience.
There are also plenty of opportunities to engage with Kazakh culture and their nomadic history while learning about a part of Central Asia that many American travelers know very little about.
Full transparency, the one thing I really didn’t love was the food.
I want to be transparent about this because food is a big part of travel for many people (and, I am people, lol). Kazakh cuisine is heavily horse based, and personally, it wasn’t my favorite. I found myself gravitating toward pizza, burgers, pasta, and other international options. The city had enough variety for me to find meals that I enjoyed.
Side note…. I later learned that one of the “beef burgers” I ate may have actually been horse meat, so apparently I wasn’t escaping the local cuisine as successfully as I thought. LOL! It was smothered with cheese and mushrooms so I honestly could not tell the difference. It was actually pretty good.
Would I consider Kazakhstan a culinary destination? Not personally. And for vegans and vegetarians, I wouldn’t recommend traveling to Kazakhstan without doing the prep work of researching places to eat.
Nonetheless, every destination doesn’t have to be everything to be worth visiting. For me, Kazakhstan delivered most where it mattered: a modern city, incredible natural landscapes, cultural experiences and the opportunity to explore a region of the world that was completely new to me.
And after 70 countries, I still appreciate a destination that can surprise me like this.
