Kazakhstan is the world’s 9th biggest country by size and the biggest landlocked. It boasts with a vast diversity of nature and is a melting pot of different cultural elements. Persian, Mongol and Russian conquerors reigned Kazakhstan in different epochs. Originally the Kazakhs were mostly […]
Traveling through Central Asia can be a bit of a challenge when it comes to transportation. Roads are often in bad shape and long distance busses are not very common. The two most convenient means of travel are trains (especially for long distances where overnight […]
Another intriguing characteristic of the cultural city of Almaty is its location on the northern end of the many glaciers and snow-covered summits of the up to 5000m high northern Tian Shan mountains. They are also called Zailiysky Alatau mountains. You can see them from […]
We meet up for the night with three very kind and curious English teachers from Almaty, and have a lot of fun talking about everything that you are not supposed to talk about. It is impressing how open they are. With an honest interest to […]
Arriving in Almaty We arrive in Almaty by night train from Shymkent. After a small Odyssey, we find a great hostel called Almaty Backpackers. Please be aware that we are Germans so that the term “great” usually translates into ”amazingly awesome”! Attention: Lonely Planet also […]
Shymkent: Kazakhstan’s most Kazakh city Only 100 km away from Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent, Shymkent is a thriving trade center and is said to be the most Kazakh city in the whole country with regard to the people’s ethnic origins. Well, regarding the city’s outlooks, it […]
Arriving in Turkistan The platform in Turkistan’s train station is a lively and welcoming place. Crowded with old, amiably round grannies who sell melons, shashlik barbecues and fresh samsas (pastry stuffed with greasy meat, mushrooms and onions: mmmmh!) for giveaway prices, it radiates a sympathetic […]
