Almaty is Kazakhstan’s culinary crossroads, where centuries of influence find contemporary expression.
On a day trip to the otherworldly Charyn Canyon, our guide casually notes, “An hour or two that way is the border with China." It’s a reminder of just how vast Kazakhstan is. Fly east to west and you’ll clock six hours; look down and you’ll see the arid, beautifully sparse expanse of the steppe, punctuated by natural wonders – from waterfalls to alpine lakes and even glaciers.
Locals often describe the capital, Astana, as a place to work and Almaty as the city in which to live. A lively brew of food, art and culture pulses through the vibrant metropolis. There’s an energy here that, like many post-Soviet cities, took time to find. But now it’s obvious.
Restaurants are emerging with a level of quality and service that rivals cosmopolitan European cities. With its name meaning apple in Kazakh, Almaty has always been destined to be a great food city. In fact, it has been genetically proven that this is where the fruit originated. Read on to discover the best Almaty food experiences.
1. Almaty Museum of Arts cafe
Almaty’s ornate Abai Kazakh National Opera building. (Credit: Simon Bajada)
The recently opened Almaty Museum of Arts is a prime example of the city’s contemporary creativity. World-class architecture, designed by British firm Chapman Taylor, is guarded by a striking 12-metre sculpture by Jaume Plensa called Nades: the serene face of a young woman greeting visitors.
Jaume Plensa’s graceful Nades sculpture. (Credit: Simon Bajada)
Inside, the exhibitions are equally arresting. We wander through Almagul Menlibayeva’s 30-year retrospective, a rich tapestry of mixed media reflecting identity, feminism, the Silk Road and Soviet history.
Next door, the Qonnaqtar exhibition explores hospitality and communal gatherings, concepts central to Kazakh culture. One could easily spend the day here, breaking up a heady intake of art with lunch at the museum cafe. Located on the ground floor, Cafe Alma cleverly balances Kazakh and Western flavours.
2. The Green Bazaar
Visit culturally rich Green Bazaar market. (Credit: Simon Bajada)
We contrast the museum experience with a visit to the Green Bazaar, Almaty’s vibrant food market. Rows of stalls sit within a Stalinist-era building where dairy, meat and vegetables remain unrefrigerated on marble benches thanks to ingeniously designed ventilation.
As sunlight beams through the skylights, it illuminates different sections of the market like a stage, telling the story of Almaty as a crossroads city. Women of Korean heritage proudly stack their kimchi; Uzbek men beckon customers to sample dried fruits; Russian vendors offer cheeses and baked goods. Hover over the ambience by taking lunch upstairs at one of the few restaurants.
Of particular interest are the Kazakh stalls where benchtops are laden with boxes of small, odd-shaped snacks. Kurt, a dried cheese, and irimshik, caramelised fermented milk, are legacies of nomadic life – portable sustenance for people on the move.
Kazakh cuisine, shaped by centuries of nomadism, leans heavily on dairy, grains and meat. Vegetables were a luxury; livestock, immediate sustenance. The national dish, beshbarmak, embodies this pragmatism: hand-pulled noodles bathed in a salty meat broth, tender slices of lamb or horse meat and a few rings of raw onion. Simple, hearty, utterly unforgettable.
3. Auyl restaurant
Head to Auyl for true destination dining. (Credit: Simon Bajada)
This tradition is honoured at Auyl. One of Almaty’s best restaurants, it is perched at 1700 metres in the Medeu mountains.
Auyl comes with mountain views. (Credit: Simon Bajada)
Here, chef Ruslan Zakirov serves beshbarmak as intended; perhaps the only flair is the amount of different meat cuts he uses.
The restaurant’s delicious neo-nomadic menu celebrates regional ingredients and techniques in a stunning setting that evokes the nomadic spirit. It’s rustic meets Michelin chic – without pretension.
4. Akku Central Cafe
Indulge your sweet tooth. (Credit: Simon Bajada)
Back in the city, a casual visit to Akku Central Cafe overlooking Golden Square reminds us that Almaty’s food culture isn’t only about heritage – it’s about accessibility, comfort and style.
Light-filled spaces, flaky pastries and quality coffee pay homage to Soviet design while hinting at modern refinement. The menu leans on nostalgia and is dotted with modern spins on Soviet dishes.
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5. Fika cafe
Fika cafe is known for its tasty brunch staples. (Credit: Simon Bajada)
Fika, a cafe borrowing both its name and sense of design from Nordic culture, serves food that straddles breakfast and lunch. Whipped butter, sour breads and eggs done right make this a pleasant place to pass time in alongside locals on their laptops.
Sure, Kazakh cuisine can challenge a visitor’s palate. The food of traditional nomads – such as fermented mare’s or camel’s milk, horse meat and those chalky dried cheese snacks – isn’t for everyone. But that is the allure.
Nordic design influences at Fika. (Credit: Simon Bajada)
It’s an experience to try them: a story, a reason to travel. Across Almaty, you’ll find familiar favourites with a twist, and for the adventurous, authentic flavours remain largely intact. The proud delivery of these dishes, with light modern tweaks, attentive service and beautifully designed spaces, signals a city asserting its culinary identity to the world without foregoing its past.
Charyn Canyon calls for a road trip. (Credit: Simon Bajada)
Some travel for luxury, some to tick boxes, others to chase discovery. For those drawn to the unknown, new flavours and the subtle magic of a city modernising without losing its soul, Almaty’s food delivers. And with each bite taken from this glorious apple, it’s clear: this is a city ready to be tasted.
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After youth-led protests in 2025, this year Nepal elected a 35-year-old former rapper as Prime Minister. In a country where tourism is its biggest industry, what’s next for travellers?
In 1986, Nepal changed its clock. It had used India Standard Time since 1920 so, to differentiate, it wound its clock 15 minutes ahead of, not behind, its big-brother neighbour. Boss move. “Nepal is strongly opposed to the idea that our identity is connected to India,” says Community Homestay Network (CHN) guide Bikal Khanal.
Tharu dance is traditionally set to hand drums. (Credit: Kate Lewis)
Today, Nepal is the only independent country with a 45-minute deviation to universal time; an oddity that’s become a symbol of national pride. The quirk is nearly as endearing as Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan airport where carved varnished wood and shiny red bricks rule. One sign points to a ‘Travelator’ and another to a ‘Grievance Handling Desk’ while visas are noisily stamped at customs for US dollars, cash only. When am I?
Spot the endemic Nepal gray langur. (Credit: Simon Urwin)
The 15 or 45 minute anomaly sees me tap out completely on timezone calculations. Why bend my brain calculating if it’s quarter to or quarter past elsewhere when I’m in the honking here and now of Kathmandu where the air is high-altitude crisp, the prayer flags flutter and the street dogs howl?
How tourism is changing in Nepal
Bardiya National Park is rich with wildlife. (Credit: Simon Urwin)
India is not the only association many Nepalis would like to shake. With eight of the world’s 10 tallest mountains, including Mount Everest and Annapurna, Nepal has long attracted mountaineers and trekkers, and expedition numbers are continuing to rise.
Tourism is one of the country’s biggest sources of foreign currency, so this growth is not negative, per se. But according to Ang Tshering Lama, who co-founded Phaplu Mountain Bike Club, being reduced to a mere trekking destination is limiting.
“Trekking is just one layer of our identity,” says Ang. “When it becomes the dominant narrative, it limits how we’re seen and how we see ourselves.” Nepal’s recent success, however, in diverting trekkers to less-trafficked areas such as Manaslu mofuntain, where visitor numbers rose by 117 per cent last year, offers hope that tourism can diversify even more radically.
Local men in Bhada village. (Credit: Simon Urwin)
The founder of CHN, Shiva Dhakal, wants that change. “The whole idea of the Community Homestay Network is to promote experiences outside of trekking,” he says. “Community tourism changes lives and helps kids stay home instead of coming to the city or migrating to the Middle East.”
Ang grew up seeing people leave, “not because they wanted to but because there weren’t enough opportunities to stay”, he states. Yet from remote villages to living traditions; food, art, music and emerging subcultures, “there’s so much that’s not being seen.”
CHN is opening some of those doors. It doesn’t own, or fund, any homes. Rather, it promotes homestays to travellers on a single, slick platform, while fostering entrepreneurship in places where women, marginalised castes, Indigenous people and the youth stand to benefit the most.
A new generation demanding more
Dalla Town Hall, where volunteers discuss anti-poaching tactics. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)
The future prospects of next-gen Nepalis can no longer be ignored. On a Kathmandu tour with 33-year-old guide Monica K.C, we pass buildings torched in the September 2025 ‘Gen Z protests’, including the Supreme Court and Parliament House. Seventy-two people died. “They were anti-corruption protests,” says Monica. “Politicians’ children are living a lavish life but the airports are crowded with youngsters leaving to find work.”
We stop in ‘little Tibet’ at the wondrous sixth-century Boudha Stupa. “The wheel of life is Buddhism in a nutshell,” says Monica. “Things such as hate, ignorance and anger keep you rotating around the wheel, so you must follow the principles of Buddhism to detach. If you can’t, there’s no nirvana for you.”
Boudha Stupa’s prayer wheels are used to recite Buddhist prayers. (Credit: Kate Lewis)
In a sun-drenched twist to the usual temple visit, we ascend the stupa’s sloping plinth and roam its whitewashed dome. Tendrils of diaphanous prayer flags stream from a steeple-like structure where the Buddha’s unblinking eyes stare out. No nirvana for you…
Tibetan-style prayer flags embellish the whitewashed dome of Bouda Stupa, a Buddhist temple. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)
The dome is delightfully free of guard rails or chiding from security. There is, however, a stern ‘No TikTok’ sign, perhaps in response to the youth’s newly flexed power. The booted-out Prime Minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, was replaced in a resounding election victory in March by 35-year-old Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) – a former rapper and mayor of Kathmandu. The RSP’s manifesto indicates tourism is a priority, and that Nepal’s cultural identity in areas such as gastronomy will be strengthened.
Vibrant souvenir shops and cafes around Boudha Stupa. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)
A more confronting stop awaits at Pashupatinath Temple. Today is Bala Chaturdashi, a Hindu festival where thousands of devotees gather to honour their dead ancestors. Vendors hauling foam mattresses do a lucrative trade as people set up for a night of vigil. This includes burning the bodies of recently deceased relatives on bamboo pyres in the Bagmati River, which flows into the sacred Ganges.
A woman at annual Hindu festival Bala Chaturdashi, in Kathmandu. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)
Wrapped in a shroud, the bodies are positioned with their heads facing north to the Himalayas where Lord Shiva resides. They’re covered with flowers and straw and set alight by male family members.
Hours later, the ashes are swept into the river where devotees will take a holy dip the next day. As much as Monica assures us it’s not voyeuristic to watch, I struggle to do so. “Here you see the reality of life because everyone ends up there,” she says, gesturing to the river.
Life unfiltered in the Terai region
Tharu woman and master weaver Parbati Chaudhary in Bhada Village. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)
The reality of life needs processing time, which the western Terai region delivers in spades. The Terai is largely separated from India by the Karnali River and Bardiya National Park, where elephants, rhinos and the elusive Bengal tiger roam.
Once a nomadic tribe, the Indigenous Tharu people are now the largest ethnic group here. “They didn’t know their daily life was interesting for international travellers but they’re starting to understand now,” says CHN founder Shiva.
Take a Jeep safari through Bardiya National Park. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)
We fly Buddha Air to Dhangadhi airport and drive five hours to stay in Tharu homes. The journey to Bhada village is a blur of roadside fruit stalls, traffic-stopping sacred cows and fields sown with wheat, rice, mustard, spinach, cauliflower and potatoes. Nepal’s agriculture feeds only Nepal.
Marigolds are an important part of Hindu rituals. (Credit: Simon Urwin)
“The only thing we export is young people,” says our guide Bikal. As the light dims and we plunge evermore rural, mysterious mounds of compacted hay – some house-sized – loom like the creatures from Where The Wild Things Are. Even our trusty driver gets flummoxed by a dirt road that abruptly ends and we find ourselves hurtling across a paddock.
On arrival, some are ferried to mud-walled cottages greened by gourd creepers, with thatched roofs and rustic-chic mosquito nets. Myself and two others are ushered to the home of corner store owner, mechanic and mushroom farmer Man Kumar Chilaruwa and his wife Rajkumari.
A warm welcome at a community homestay. (Credit: Simon Urwin)
They escort us to a bunker-esque back building with steel doors and a folding security gate, behind which is gleaming linoleum, dolphin-printed tiles and a shower cavity that must be gingerly stepped through to reach the toilet.
The ceiling lights emit a rainbow of colours (the bathroom light gets stuck in, frankly, a quite frightening red). We’re nevertheless touched that our hosts invested in all this bling when the average salary is around $275 a month.
In the coming days, we participate in Tharu traditions such as making moonshine, dancing, weaving straw handicrafts and gold-panning. We’re fed well with staples of rice, mustard greens, lentil pancakes, daal, curried chicken and tomato chutney served on antibacterial saal leaves.
Dig in. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)
Sonara community homestay president Indradevi Tharu tells us river snails are often served, and the boiled and pickled flesh of rats hunted in the rice fields. “Perhaps next time?” we say and all have a laugh.
The power of community homestays
Barda community homestay owners Parbati Chaudhary and Ram Krishni Devi Chaudhary. (Credit: Simon Urwin)
Immersing Western visitors in foreign cultural practices is not new. But with the Tharu, I never get that uneasy sensation that I’m being performed for. Despite being the only tourists, there’s no ‘othering’; just warm, composed and ultra-dignified welcomes. Like we’ve always been here.
“I love to have travellers in my village so I can see the world,” says local woman Parbati Chaudhary. “Why would I travel the world when the world comes to me?”
The graceful acceptance the Tharu offer, as well as the slow pace, works miracles on my frazzled nervous system. One day I even take a nap on a vacant homestay bed.
An authentic stay in the Sonara community. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)
Roosters strut and goats bray as we sit on the ground in al fresco kitchens, rolling rice flour into cylinders steamed to make dhikri (dumplings). When water is needed, we fetch it using a hand-operated pump as a family of ducks strolls by, side-eying us like curious neighbours.
Animal lovers will delight in Tharu villages. Kind and resourceful inventions are everywhere, such as snacking stations where two posts lean together, with leafy boughs dangling on rope for baby goats to forage from.
CHN’s CEO, Aayusha Prasain, nods knowingly when one in our group says she cried when she left her host, Shayam Chaudhary, in Bhada. Shayam’s 17-year-old son, Prashant, had translated, which deepened the connection.
“Community tourism turns travel into a relationship, not a transaction,” says Aayusha. “It places decision-making power in the hands of local communities, especially women and youth.” Since 2018, CHN has hosted more than 4000 travellers from 52 countries in 408 households, and estimates women’s participation has increased by 381 per cent.
Elephant watch. (Credit: Simon Urwin)
In the Bardiya community, where vexing human-animal conflict has been a balancing act for decades due to elephants raiding crops, long-time homestay operator Salik Ram Chaudhary says young people keep the older ones on their toes.
Gathering greens. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)
“We can’t keep homestays stagnant,” he says. “We have to upgrade our service and redefine our product or young people won’t see it as an attractive business. If we can keep evolving with this travelling trend we’re confident the youths will stay and continue it.”
Back in Kathmandu, Monica explains that after the deaths of young protestors in September, a determination had spread to not let their sacrifice be in vain. “We want to keep holding the government accountable,” she says. “We don’t know what situation we’re facing, but we’re ready to face it.”
Interested in Nepal but prefer to experience it in total comfort? Read our guide to luxury travel in Nepal.
