Day 6 (July 5, 2025): Arrival in Kazakhstan!

Yesterday‘s blog entry ended with us boarding our flight in Istanbul to Almaty, just after midnight. We landed in Kazakhstan about 10 minutes ahead of schedule, around 8 AM local time. Passport formalities were swift, and then we got our first Kazakhstan tenge (currency), set up our Kazakhstan rideshare app, bought SIM cards for Kazakhstan, and then got in a Yandex (the equivalent of Uber here in Central Asia) for our drive to the hotel. The Holiday Inn was kind enough to allow us early entry to our room, at 10:45 AM. So we waited in the hotel restaurant for an hour, sipping on cappuccinos and nibbling croissants, whiling away the time. Once we accessed our room, we unpacked and fell asleep for three hours, waking up at 2 PM. At 3 PM, after having showered and feeling a little more refreshed, we set out to explore. 

Yandex is a wonderful way to get around. For under $5, you can get a ride to pretty well anywhere you want to go. It’s an easy way to get around the Russian language barrier, and you can charge every ride directly to a credit card, so you don’t have to worry about currency. We used Yandex on this first day in Kazakhstan several times. Highlights today were a key park, an orthodox church, a war memorial, a musical instrument museum, a market, a pedestrian walking area, and a huge mosque, all topped off with a wonderful dinner at a Georgian restaurant, taking us back to our trip to Georgia in 2022.

Given our late start in the day, we did pretty well to squeeze all that in. Plus, it got us feeling acclimated to Almaty and the Kazakhstan way. With a good sleep behind us, I’m sure tomorrow will take it all to the next level.

Istanbul to Almaty is a 5 1/2 hour flight, similar to flying from Halifax to London. The Turkish Airways Airbus A321neo was comfortable but packed. Pam managed to sleep for two or three hours; me, not so much.

Nothing like chicken at 1 AM!

From our Yandex from the airport to the hotel, we caught our first glimpse of the mountain range that marks the division between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to the south.


Our introduction to Kazakhstan food was not very traditional. But it hit the spot. 

28 Panfilov Guardsmen Park


At the north-central entrance to 28 Panfilov Guardsmen Park, there is a statue of Bauyrzhan Momyshuly, a hero of the Soviet people and a Kazakh military man, who served in the Second World War.

28 Panfilov Guardsmen Park is one of the city’s most important parks. It has a fun area where kids can rent battery operated cars!

Ascension Cathedral 

Located in the very centre of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen Park, the Ascension Cathedral is a breathtaking masterpiece of Russian Orthodox architecture. Built entirely of wood - without nails! - it stands as a marvel of engineering and craftsmanship. The vibrant, colorful exterior and richly adorned interiors create a sense of awe and reverence.

Memorial of Glory

The Memorial of Glory is a massive memorial complex in 28 Panfilov Guardsmen Park, constructed for the 30th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War. Featuring an eternal flame, it is a triptych dedicated to the establishment of Soviet power in Kazakhstan and the war victory of the Soviet people. It was dedicated on May 8, 1975.

Museum of Musical Instruments

The Museum of Musical Instruments has over 200 instruments, many of which are specific to Kazakhstan. The collection also includes a sampling of unique instruments from all over the world.



These are dombras, stringed instruments made of fishing line and wood, which are plucked.

Similar to the dombra, the sherter is also a plucked string instrument.

Other traditional Kazakhstan stringed instruments. 

This painting shows the importance of stringed instruments in traditional Kazakhstan culture. 


Green Bazaar

The Green Bazaar is one of the cities top marketplaces. While we were there, a Bollywood film was being recorded. At one point, three people went running through the market, as part of an action scene in the movie.





As we recall from previous trips to Central Asia, the fresh cherries in July are second to none.

This may be hard for some of you to look at, but horse meat is incredibly popular here. One section of the market was dedicated to chicken, another to pork, another to lamb, and another to… HORSE. Notice the icon on the sign above.

Our first sighting of a yurt! Kazakhstan, and neighbouring Mongolia, are the two countries best known for the use of yurts in their cultures.

Arbat Street is Almaty’s main pedestrian street, lined with shops, cafés, and the like. 

A couple of examples of leftover Soviet architecture. They are almost a blight on the architectural ambiance of the city.

Central Mosque 

Central Mosque is built with white marble, gilded domes, ceramic calligraphy, and a towering minaret. 

Raiymbek Batyr was a symbol of the resistance against the Mongol occupation of Kazakhstan in the 18th century.

Georgian Meal

We were tired, but also excited to finish the day with a Georgian meal. Above is khinkali - Georgian dumplings. And below is khachapuri - a boat-shaped bread filled with butter, cheese and an egg, which you stir together.



Almaty at Night

On the way back to the hotel, Almaty’s modern buildings were lit up quite impressively.



Almaty’s new theatre.