Ek aur travelogue ho jaye? Let's visit Kazakhstan this time!!! When I told my parents ki I'm traveling to Kazakhstan, they were worried by the term "Stan" - but let me tell you, it's one of the most beautiful countries I have seen yet!!! You will get to see mountains like Switzerland, a really neat and clean city!!! Feels like Europe!!! What is covered in the travelogue: - Our Itinerary - Where to stay - What to do - Where to eat - How to travel - Visa and Flights - Internet and SIM cards - Currency (tag forex tweet) - Budget Like the content? Drop a Like Follow Bookmark and follow @RewardsMaverick Read more about Kazakhstan 👇Day 1: We reached Almaty early in the morning and checked into our Hostel (we didn't redeem points for Accor properties or look for a hotel on this trip) On the first day, we went to Kok Tobe Hill. One of the popular landmarks in Almaty, you can take a cable car to the top of the hill and enjoy views of the city and the mountains, enjoy in the amusement park atop the hill, and have some amazing food. We spent the entire day on the top of the hill and then returned to the hostel at night.On Day 2, we spent the day enjoying the Central Park Almaty!!! They have an amusement park in the Central Park as well. You can relax and relive your childhood with some rides or boating in a small lake inside the park. In the evening, we joined a group tour with 30 other folks to the village of Saty from where we would spend the next 2 days and take day trips to Kolsai/Kaindy lakes and Charyn Canyon. We reached Saty late night at 2AM and was a 4-5 hour bus ride from Almaty city. There are no hotels in Saty and you will be accommodated in guest houses of local people in the village. The tour includes accommodation and food prepared by the host.On day 3, Our hosts prepared an amazing breakfast and we were on our way to view the majestic lakes. The day was divided into 2 parts. Morning: Visit Kaindy Lake, and return to the village for lunch. Kaindy Lake is a thing of beauty, formed by earthquake activity in early 1900s, you can see many trees that fell upside down in the lake!!! From the base, you can trek to the lake, take a car or horses depending on your preference, enjoy amazing views of lake, relax and then head back to the village. Afternoon: Visit Kolsai Lake and return to village and call it a day There are 3 Kolsai lakes, of which we only saw Kolsai 1. Kolsai 2 was inaccessible during our visit because of snow and Kolsai 3 falls in China. Often called "Pearls of Tien Shan" these lakes were also formed because of tectonic activity and are simply mesmerizing to look at.On Day 4, after breakfast, we bid adieu to our hosts and headed to Charyn Canyon National Park which runs alongside the Charyn River. To get to the river you can either walk/trek for around 3-4km or take a car ride for 500 tenge (Rs. 100) On the way to the river, you will see some amazing red sedimentary rock formations formed over thousands of years, resembling the US Grand Canyon. In the evening, you will head back to Almaty city bidding farewell to the tour group and continue with your exploration of the Almaty city.On Day 5, we spent the entire day at Shymbulak Ski Resort which is just outside the city. You can take a bus for Rs. 20 for a 1-hour bus ride to reach the ski resort. We did not opt for skiing or skiing school but if you are interested you can do the following: - Join the Ski school where you can learn on a beginner's ski slope for 2 hours. - If you already know skiing, you can enjoy various slopes on the mountain. There are various beginner to expert-level slopes for one to explore!!! We spent our day reaching to the top using the cable car and enjoying some fun in the snow at various checkpoints on our way to the top. We also saw the majestic Bogdanovich Glacier.On day 6, we spent the day on local sightseeing and shopping in Almaty city. Places we visited: - In the morning we spent 2 hours relaxing in Arasan Baths. This was a first and unique experience - Ascension Cathedral, a cathedral made entirely of wood joints - Green Baazar, for local shopping, especially dry fruits - Lotte chocolate factory outlet for some chocolate shopping - Star Mall for branded shoppingKazakhstan Visa: - Kazakhstan offers visa-free access to Indians for trips up to 14 days Our experience at Immigration: - When we entered Almaty, the immigration officer checked all pages of the passport carefully - When exiting Almaty, the same thing. Checked all the pages of the passport. At the security check, asked me to turn on my laptop as well. Didn’t check any documentsFlights to Kazakhstan Del -> Almaty - Indigo return fares range from 20k-25k - Air Astana return fares range from 25k-28k No direct flights from Mumbai or BLR yet. One-stop flights available via Delhi for around 30k There are no great options available for points booking!!!Local Commute: - Almaty has a really good bus network and has a flat rate system. The bus fare is 100 tenge (Rs. 20) for any distance you want to travel. - If you want to book cabs, you will have to download the Yandex App, Cabs were not that expensive but we would recommend buses considering flat pricing and the network is amazing!!!Food in Almaty: - For vegetarians or someone looking for Indian food, in Almaty city, you will have good number of options for Indian food. - If you want to look for pizzas, there are quite a few places that serve great pizzas - The most famous Kazakh food is horse meat at Navat. One of the most famous restaurants in Almaty - If you are taking a 2-day tour outside Almaty, make sure your hosts know that you are vegetarian. There are no restaurants in the village and you will have to rely on what they offer. We as vegetarians took pre-cooked meals. @KartikaySadani bhai, rajma chawal supremacy!!!Hotels/Hostels in Almaty: We opted for hostels in Almaty and we would recommend Wanderlust Almaty. They have really huge and spacious rooms, a common kitchen and nice garden area to sit in. If you are looking for redemption hotel bookings: - Accor has many Accor properties - Ibis, Novotel, Mercure, Swissotel and Rixos - Marriott has only 1 property which is a Ritz Carlton - The most iconic hotel in Almaty is the Hotel Kazakhstan which is in the middle of the city (Revenue booking)Internet and SIM card: We opted for Flexiroam eSims during our Kazakhstan vacation. With Flexiroam you can install the eSim on your device and get data packs as per your need. If you require a number that requires local/international calling - you can activate roaming plans on your phone or buy an ALTEL local sim If you are traveling to remote areas, both options will give you a patchy internet connection.Our total cost for the trip: Rs. 50k (incl of flights, food, 2-day tour to Kolsai, Kaindy) Flights: Rs. 23k return from Delhi Hostels: Rs. 900 per person per day 2-day tour to Charyn Canyon and Kolsai Lake: Rs. 6k per person Local Commute: Rs. 20 per bus ride (flat-rate)Like the content? Drop a Like ♥️ Bookmark 🔖 and follow @RewardsMaverick Our DMs are always open for any queries or help you might need!!! @creditkeeda @imYadav31 @cards_wizard @AmazingCreditC btao bhai log, kaisa laga!!!

Ek aur travelogue ho jaye? Let's visit Kazakhstan this time!!! When I told my parents ki I'm traveling to Kazakhstan, they were worried by the term "Stan" - but let me tell you, it's one of the most beautiful countries I have seen yet!!! You will get to see mountains like Switzerland, a really neat and clean city!!! Feels like Europe!!! What is covered in the travelogue: - Our Itinerary - Where to stay - What to do - Where to eat - How to travel - Visa and Flights - Internet and SIM cards - Currency (tag forex tweet) - Budget Like the content? Drop a Like Follow Bookmark and follow @RewardsMaverick Read more about Kazakhstan ... Day 1: We reached Almaty early in the morning and checked into our Hostel (we didn't redeem points for Accor properties or look for a hotel on this trip) On the first day, we went to Kok Tobe Hill. One of the popular landmarks in Almaty, you can take a cable car to the top of the hill and enjoy views of the city and the mountains, enjoy in the amusement park atop the hill, and have some amazing food. We spent the entire day on the top of the hill and then returned to the hostel at night. ... On Day 2, we spent the day enjoying the Central Park Almaty!!! They have an amusement park in the Central Park as well. You can relax and relive your childhood with some rides or boating in a small lake inside the park. In the evening, we joined a group tour with 30 other folks to the village of Saty from where we would spend the next 2 days and take day trips to Kolsai/Kaindy lakes and Charyn Canyon. We reached Saty late night at 2AM and was a 4-5 hour bus ride from Almaty city. There are no hotels in Saty and you will be accommodated in guest houses of local people in the village. The tour includes accommodation and food prepared by the host. ... On day 3, Our hosts prepared an amazing breakfast and we were on our way to view the majestic lakes. The day was divided into 2 parts. Morning: Visit Kaindy Lake, and return to the village for lunch. Kaindy Lake is a thing of beauty, formed by earthquake activity in early 1900s, you can see many trees that fell upside down in the lake!!! From the base, you can trek to the lake, take a car or horses depending on your preference, enjoy amazing views of lake, relax and then head back to the village. Afternoon: Visit Kolsai Lake and return to village and call it a day There are 3 Kolsai lakes, of which we only saw Kolsai 1. Kolsai 2 was inaccessible during our visit because of snow and Kolsai 3 falls in China. Often called "Pearls of Tien Shan" these lakes were also formed because of tectonic activity and are simply mesmerizing to look at. ... On Day 4, after breakfast, we bid adieu to our hosts and headed to Charyn Canyon National Park which runs alongside the Charyn River. To get to the river you can either walk/trek for around 3-4km or take a car ride for 500 tenge (Rs. 100) On the way to the river, you will see some amazing red sedimentary rock formations formed over thousands of years, resembling the US Grand Canyon. In the evening, you will head back to Almaty city bidding farewell to the tour group and continue with your exploration of the Almaty city. ... On Day 5, we spent the entire day at Shymbulak Ski Resort which is just outside the city. You can take a bus for Rs. 20 for a 1-hour bus ride to reach the ski resort. We did not opt for skiing or skiing school but if you are interested you can do the following: - Join the Ski school where you can learn on a beginner's ski slope for 2 hours. - If you already know skiing, you can enjoy various slopes on the mountain. There are various beginner to expert-level slopes for one to explore!!! We spent our day reaching to the top using the cable car and enjoying some fun in the snow at various checkpoints on our way to the top. We also saw the majestic Bogdanovich Glacier. ... On day 6, we spent the day on local sightseeing and shopping in Almaty city. Places we visited: - In the morning we spent 2 hours relaxing in Arasan Baths. This was a first and unique experience - Ascension Cathedral, a cathedral made entirely of wood joints - Green Baazar, for local shopping, especially dry fruits - Lotte chocolate factory outlet for some chocolate shopping - Star Mall for branded shopping ... Kazakhstan Visa: - Kazakhstan offers visa-free access to Indians for trips up to 14 days Our experience at Immigration: - When we entered Almaty, the immigration officer checked all pages of the passport carefully - When exiting Almaty, the same thing. Checked all the pages of the passport. At the security check, asked me to turn on my laptop as well. Didn’t check any documents ... Flights to Kazakhstan Del -> Almaty - Indigo return fares range from 20k-25k - Air Astana return fares range from 25k-28k No direct flights from Mumbai or BLR yet. One-stop flights available via Delhi for around 30k There are no great options available for points booking!!! ... Local Commute: - Almaty has a really good bus network and has a flat rate system. The bus fare is 100 tenge (Rs. 20) for any distance you want to travel. - If you want to book cabs, you will have to download the Yandex App, Cabs were not that expensive but we would recommend buses considering flat pricing and the network is amazing!!! ... Food in Almaty: - For vegetarians or someone looking for Indian food, in Almaty city, you will have good number of options for Indian food. - If you want to look for pizzas, there are quite a few places that serve great pizzas - The most famous Kazakh food is horse meat at Navat. One of the most famous restaurants in Almaty - If you are taking a 2-day tour outside Almaty, make sure your hosts know that you are vegetarian. There are no restaurants in the village and you will have to rely on what they offer. We as vegetarians took pre-cooked meals. @KartikaySadani bhai, rajma chawal supremacy!!! ... Hotels/Hostels in Almaty: We opted for hostels in Almaty and we would recommend Wanderlust Almaty. They have really huge and spacious rooms, a common kitchen and nice garden area to sit in. If you are looking for redemption hotel bookings: - Accor has many Accor properties - Ibis, Novotel, Mercure, Swissotel and Rixos - Marriott has only 1 property which is a Ritz Carlton - The most iconic hotel in Almaty is the Hotel Kazakhstan which is in the middle of the city (Revenue booking) ... Internet and SIM card: We opted for Flexiroam eSims during our Kazakhstan vacation. With Flexiroam you can install the eSim on your device and get data packs as per your need. If you require a number that requires local/international calling - you can activate roaming plans on your phone or buy an ALTEL local sim If you are traveling to remote areas, both options will give you a patchy internet connection. ... Our total cost for the trip: Rs. 50k (incl of flights, food, 2-day tour to Kolsai, Kaindy) Flights: Rs. 23k return from Delhi Hostels: Rs. 900 per person per day 2-day tour to Charyn Canyon and Kolsai Lake: Rs. 6k per person Local Commute: Rs. 20 per bus ride (flat-rate) ... Like the content? Drop a Like ️ Bookmark and follow @RewardsMaverick Our DMs are always open for any queries or help you might need!!! @creditkeeda @imYadav31 @cards_wizard @AmazingCreditC btao bhai log, kaisa laga!!!