"ianrmillard's new Alma-Ata Page" a Almaty Travel Page by ianrmillard

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I lived and worked in Alma-Ata (Almaty) for a year, mostly in 1997.

See my Kazakhstan entry for extra details.

Here are a few more tips for those wishing to spend a while in Almaty:

Firstly, get a good street map. You'll probably find one in the bookstores of the main hotels: The Hyatt Regency (Rachat Palace), Dostyk, Ankara, Astana, etc. I am informed that the US Embassy will give one to American visitors.The US Embassy is on Furmanova, as are various other diplomatic missions, including those of the UK, France, Germany and China.<p> With its endless lovely greenery, grid system and lots of quite similar-looking Soviet-era apartment buildings, the town can be confusing at first without a map.

Secondly, unless you are stuck on the idea of fast intra-city travel by "wild" taxis (stick out your hand on any street for almost instant "taxi"..i.e. some private citizen wanting to make a little fuel money on the side) try the public transport. Trams are my preference, although they tend to be infrequent and slow. Buses are mostly going to areas outside the city or to the poorer areas in the north and west of the city. The backbone of public transport in Almaty/Alma Ata is the trolleybus system, which covers pretty much all of the central areas<p><img src= http://members.aol.com/EnchanteDjinar/BusPassengers.JPG><p> The fare when I was living in Almaty was about 15 tenge (then about 20 US cents). Inflation will undoubtedly have driven that up, but then the US dollar is now worth about double the 75 tenge it was worth back in 1997.

You can get unlimited public transport if you buy a monthly pass (again, probably a bit more than the 450 tenge I think I paid nearly four years ago). So for a few dollars you can travel for a month, if you are there that long. Kiosks sell these passes, as do elderly pensioners outside the Zilyony Bazaar (Green Market), formerly known in Soviet times as the Central Fruit and Vegetable Market or something similar.<p>By the way, the bazaar is well worth checking out...be brave and try the prepared salads made by white-coated Kazakhstan Korean ladies. I ate masses of these for a year and never had a problem. Also, for presents, buy caviar from KZ or Russia. The red is best value ($5-15 dollars depending on time of year, for a good-sized jar or tin. But be warned. It is technically illegal to export caviar, though I and friends have done it loads of times and never had a problem. In any event, a few dollars unofficial "fine" (paid directly to the customs official...) should take care of any problems on departure.

These salads and caviar come from the upper level of the bazaar; the lower level (both are on ground level in fact,thanks to the steep slope of Almaty's streets) is cheaper and sells unusual huge fish, lumps of odd-looking meat, unwashed fruit and veg. Watch your purse or wallet, especially on the lower level.

There is also a section outside the main building but still within the market precincts, mainly on the upper level, which contains dozens of stalls selling processed or manufactured goods, everything from beer (local and imported), vodka (likewise) and Kazakhstan "Cognac" (quite good, by the way) to Gillette razor systems and the same shampoos you might buy in supermarkets back home.

Try the local vodka and cognac. It costs around $1-$2 a bottle (half-litre) and is of quite consistent quality. The best local vodka is "Taraz", which cost $2 or so a bottle when I was there and is, I think, at least as good as the well known Russian makes like Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya. Strangely, there seems to be a market for imported vodka from the UK, Germany etc...why, I am not sure (as it costs a lot more and is of lesser quality) but it's probably a holdover from the days when people in the USSR thought everything from the West MUST be of higher quality. Not true then and not true now.

You can change money (dollars, sometimes German marks and Russian currency) from any of dozens, probably hundreds of kiosks scattered around the city. I never had a problem with any of them, even though they look like dirty holes in the wall half the time.

Go up to Medeo, the Olympic icerink complex, beautiful and verdant in summer (and it's cooler of course...a way to escape the 30-50C temperatures in the town (June and July are the hottest months). A "taxi" to Medeo will cost probably $20, or more. But the number 51 bus(maybe 52-- it's been 4 years) which leaves from nearly opposite the appalling Hotel Kazakhstan (don't stay or eat there but they do have a good bar) goes to Medeo for less than $1 US. Forget it if you are claustrophobic. It's usually packed with people going halfway. It's a good way of saving money though.

From Medeo, walk up the steps of the anti-earthslide barrier (like a large dam). There are, I think, about 1500 steps, so this is one for the fit or determined only. To do that (or via the road) and then on up to the Shymbulaq ski "resort" (a hotel and cafe and couple of kiosks) used to take me 2 hours. It is steep. Vehicles are only allowed up this road generally if they are 4WD and pay a toll.

Go to Panfilov Park<p><img src=http://members.aol.com/EnchanteDjinar/Almaty1.JPG><p>The pre-revolutionary cathedral has no nail in it, just wood. Sadly in need of maintenance but beautiful.<p>
On the eastern side of Panfilov Park is the Memorial to the Great Patriotic War 1941-45 (WW2). Traditionally, in Soviet times, brides would go there after the (civil) marriage ceremony. It still happens: mostly Kazakh young brides, pretty in white western wedding dresses go there with new husband, to be photographed, after which they speed off in convoy up Lenina to celebrate at Medeo<p><img src=http://members.aol.com/EnchanteDjinar/Almaty9WarMemorial.JPG><p>
Near the war memorial is the Museum of Musical Instruments, housed in one of the few old prerevolutionary wooden buildings left in the city (the concrete hulk behind being the former "Soviet Army Building", now a half empty collection of offices, banks (in view of their services, one might better say "banks") and other such set-ups.<p>In the Museum one can take a tour led by an elderly and eccentric curator (99% in Russian) which includes some music. Don't forget to slip the old guy some tenge...pay for that kind of job in Almaty is about $50 a month.<p>
<img src= http://members.aol.com/EnchanteDjinar/MusicalInstrumentsMuseum.JPG><p>
If you like the interesting old wooden buildings, there are a few scattered around the area and the bazaar area which is just north (downhill) of Panfilov Park. This one is a ministry or institute of some kind, I think the Ministry of Culture<p><img src=http://members.aol.com/EnchanteDjinar/OldAlmatyHouse.JPG><p>It is worth taking a stroll down Zhibek Zholy ("Silk Road"), the pedestrianized main shopping street of the town<p><img src=http://members.aol.com/EnchanteDjinar/Almaty2.JPG><p> Here you can get local colour in the main department store, formerly and often still known as TsUM (acronym in Russian for "Central Universal Store", by analogy with GUM in Moscow). There are designer shops here too, with outlandishly priced Italian goods such as Armani and Versace. I bought a lovely Italian silk tie in one of these, but it cost USD$60--and that was back in early 1997. There are a few beggars and other people you might not like to get to know too well, so just be alert, but the area is packed with plainclothes police and KNB (formerly, KGB) personnel, so your chance of a serious problem is slight.<p>Sometimes, on weekends, there are exhibitions or festivals held here, such as chess tournaments<p><img src=http://members.aol.com/EnchanteDjinar/AlmatyChess.JPG><p>