kazakhstan

The world is a big, sloppy, messy place. It’s so tempting to think that just by being generally familiar with the history and culture of a large region, that you know it. Or that you’ll know what it will be like to see it in person. But that’s not actually the way the world works, … Read more

Almaty is an exciting city, but you probably aren’t planning to come to Kazakhstan just to see city life. The country is enormous, and there are so many great day trips from Almaty that you can take while you’re here. The hardest part will be to choose which one. Okay, actually the hardest part will … Read more

After spending a week in the country, I learned so many interesting facts about Kazakhstan that I had no idea about before setting foot there. For such a large country, its history is obscured by that of the Soviet Union and the general romanticization of the steppe. But Kazakhstan is a fascinating country with its … Read more

During my week in Almaty, I took two-day trips. One to Big Almaty Lake and one to Tamgaly Tas, the Buddhist petroglyphs, which included a stop at the super cool abandoned film set called Nomad’s Land. Like most of the activities, I did while in Kazakhstan, I didn’t really know what to expect before I … Read more

During my time in Almaty, Kazakhstan, I relished the opportunity to get some fresh air outside of the city. Besides visiting Big Almaty Lake, an absolute must while in Almaty, I also went on a day trip to Tamgaly to see the Buddhist petroglyphs known as Tamgaly Tas. While getting to Tamgaly is a bit … Read more

The drive up to Big Almaty Lake was breathtaking. The trees wrapped in autumn foliage, boasting bright yellow amid the hunter greens of the pine trees. As our taxi climbed up the mountains, I didn’t know what was awaiting me. Pictures of Big Almaty Lake don’t do it justice (though obviously the point of this … Read more

For anyone who’s ever glimpsed a picture of Big Almaty Lake on Instagram or the pages of Nat Geo, it’s nearly impossible to get the vibrant blue color out of your head. While most visitors to Almaty will have a day trip out to the lake on their itinerary, getting there and back isn’t quite as … Read more