The Truth About Travelling in Kazakhstan

Borat didn’t do this country any favours. The real Kazakhstan is a sophisticated destination (horsemeat sausages aside), that will take you by surprise.

Mention Kazakhstan at a dinner party and you’re likely to elicit anything from a snicker to an uncontrollable belly laugh.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s movie, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, suggests a country rife with sexism, homophobia, anti-Semitism and toothless yokels who punch goats, drink horse urine and buy wives in exchange for 15 litres of pesticide.

Nothing, as it happens, could be further from the truth.

Extensive oil, mineral and gas reserves have made Kazakhstan the richest of Central Asia’s ’Stans and nowhere is the trickle-down wealth more obvious than in its two major cities: the flashy former capital, Almaty, and the new capital since 1997, Astana.

ALMATY

I fly into Almaty in spring when Kazakhs are smiling and gardens are flush with roses and tulips.

This is a modern, cosmopolitan city pulsing beneath the snowy Tien Shan Mountains.

It has a distinctly European feel with glitzy shopping malls, fussy nightclubs, swathes of green parks and tree-shaded avenues where a growing middle class cheerfully parades its latest Mercs, BMWs and Humvees.

In the centre, leafy Gogol Street sports flower-bedecked boutiques, cafés and grim old Soviet buildings cleverly garnished to house brands such as Swarovski, Ermenegildo Zegna and United Colors of Benetton.

In October last year, supermodel Eva Herzigova flew in to open the prestigious, Esentai Park complex; 52,000 square metres of yokel-free retail space housing 160 brands including Christian Dior, Gucci, Saks Fifth Avenue, Stella McCartney and Dolce & Gabbana.

A few blocks away, Arbat is a less bourgeois pedestrian mall where artists exhibit works outside TsUM, a department store with one entire floor devoted to the latest mobile phones.

Wandering around Arbat’s specialty shops, bars and open-air cafés I see an itinerant vendor trying to flog old Soviet medals, a jewellery store tout dressed like a harlequin, and street musicians and artists sketching portraits of passersby for a small fee.

Heading east along Abai Avenue, I stop on the corner of Dostyk Avenue where I catch the cable car up into the mountains, gliding above expensive hillside mansions to Kok Tobe – a tree-studded pleasure park with 360-degree views, souvenir and ice-cream vendors and, curiously, a life-sized bronze sculpture of The Beatles.

The park’s main restaurant is decked out like a plush yurt. Tapestries and wolf skins line the walls and a gold Russian samovar takes centre stage.

I sample a traditional Kazakh lunch of black caviar, horsemeat sausage, raw smoked horsemeat, shashlyks, rice plov (pilaf), and the national dish, beshbarmak: lamb or horse stew interleaved with ribbon pasta.

Horsemeat has been a staple here since Genghis Khan was boss; they’re farmed for meat and, if you can overcome the guilt, it tastes somewhere between beef and venison.

If you can’t, the tender mutton shashlyks with salad, rice and potato mash are to die for.

Back down at the cable car terminus, I catch the new Metro underground from Abai Station to Zhibek Zholy Station and walk east along Gogol Street to Panfilov Park – a large green space in the middle of the city with a war memorial and one of the country’s most astonishing buildings.

Zenkov Russian Orthodox Cathedral is a jaw-dropping, multi-coloured, 54 metre-high ‘wedding cake’ building with five domes – an absolute architectural gem made entirely of timber, which survived Soviet religious repression intact.

However, Almaty, of course, is no longer Soviet and it’s no longer the capital.

ASTANA

On the morning flight to the new capital, Astana, we pass over the vast Central Asian Steppe, once busier with the rampages of Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan and the Mongolian Golden Horde.

Winter-browned and seemingly infinite, the northern landscape is like a quilt of hardscrabble farms: sparse little hamlets and lakes still part-frozen in the spring thaw.

Rising out of this is Astana, a Disney-esque 21st century metropolis – brainchild of President Nursultan Nazarbayev and the world’s latest example of a capital city which seemingly spawned from nowhere.

At its heart is Nurzhol Boulevard and surrounding the rectangular neatness and swirling flowerbeds are some of Astana’s most astounding ornaments – sweeping arches, gushing fountains and multi-coloured high-rises clad with glass, gold and marble that dazzle in the emerging sunlight.

Replacing the soviet buildings that once dominated the skyline are some contemporary – somewhat psychedelic – new buildings.

These include Orda Presidential Palace, modelled on the White House with a blue dome added; the stark granite headquarters of state energy colossus, KazMunaiGas; the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation pyramid; the world’s biggest tent; and the 105-metre Bayterek Tower, dubbed Chupa Chup by the locals for its lollipop shape.

Augmenting the fantasy, Louis Armstrong songs waft from speakers concealed in bushes, and each night buildings and trees are illuminated with disco hues of purple, pink, green and yellow.

I join a tour of architect Lord Norman Foster’s Pyramid of Peace and Reconciliation, a 77 metre-high pyramid incorporating an opera house, a convention centre, an archaeological and ethnographic museum, two art galleries and disorienting elevators that whisk us diagonally up the sloping wall to the pyramid’s apex – a cosmos of blue windows and enormous, lifelike doves of peace.

But Astana’s latest, grandest effort is another Foster creation, Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre, the world’s largest tent-shaped structure, 150 metres high with a base larger than 10 football stadiums.

Inside are multi-storeyed shopping and entertainment areas with squares and cobbled streets, bars, plush hookah lounges, restaurants, a 37-metre drop-tower, a flume ride and a boating river, all air-conditioned to a balmy 24 degrees Celsius year-round.

And because Astana is more than 3000 kilometres from the nearest beach, Foster created a beach resort in the apex of his tent under a transparent roof, importing sand from the Black Sea set alongside a deep pool, sun lounges, ice-cream shop and a café.

Unlike most seaside resorts, this one hits its straps in mid-winter. Entry costs about $60 for a whole day but that might seem a pittance worth paying when outside temperatures can drop to a positively frosty -40 degrees Celsius.

Travelling to Kazakhstan

HOW TO GET TO KAZAKHSTAN:

Fly Malaysian Airlines to Kuala Lumpur (malaysiaairlines.com) and connect with Kazakhstan’s Air Astana (airastana.com) to Almaty.

WHEN TO GO TO KAZAKHSTAN:

May to September are the most pleasant months to travel, with temperatures reaching the high 20s.

WHERE TO STAY IN KAZAKHSTAN:

Where to stay in Almaty

Five-star Rixos Hotel Almaty is central, elegantly appointed with spacious rooms, free wi-fi, excellent service and full-service spa.
Doubles from $432. 506/99 Seifullina Avenue; +7 727 300 3300; rixos.com

Also central in Almaty is the Astana International Hotel – comfortable mid-range accommodation with doubles from $206 including breakfast and airport shuttle pick-up.
113 Baitursynov Street; +7 727 250 7050; almatyhotels.ru/eng

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Where to stay in Astana

Overlooking the river, Radisson Hotel Astana is close to Nurzhol Avenue with luxurious rooms and suites, satellite TV, free broadband and a full-service spa.
Doubles from $520. Sary Arka Street, 4; +7 717 299 0000; radissonblu.com/hotel-astana

Manhattan Astana Hotel is a 4-star boutique hotel with Italian furniture, lobby bar and restaurant. Doubles from $188 including breakfast.
Tauelsyzdyk Avenue 5; +7 717 236 1536; manastana.kz

WHERE TO EAT IN KAZAKHSTAN:

Almaty’s Alasha Restaurant is great value with shashlyks and more traditional cuisine, live music and costumed Uzbek dancers, including one bloke who balances a plate of plov on his head. An average bill is around $50-60. 20 Ospanov Street; +7 727 254 0700

Astana’s Grillage is a seriously chic Russian restaurant with chandeliers and a pricey wine list. Try the truffle spaghetti and the dark or white chocolate potato dessert. An average bill is usually $100+. 1 Zhenis Avenue; +7 717 232 5222

YOU CAN’T LEAVE KAZAKHSTAN WITHOUT:

Exploring Almaty’s huge covered Green Market brimming with fresh Central Asian produce, located on Pushkin Street, north of Panfilov Park.

The Presidential Centre of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana has a wealth of cultural and historical treasure. 1 Respublika Avenue.

Abay Kazakh State Opera and Ballet Theatre in Almaty stages quality performances Thursday through to Sunday. 110 Kabanbau Batyr.

Viewing the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Almaty

Swimming under Astana’s Khan Shatyr ‘tent’.

BEST THING ABOUT KAZAKHSTAN:

The buzz of these two increasingly wealthy cities is infectious.

WORST THING ABOUT KAZAKHSTAN:

Kazakhstan’s creaky visa system is under review but, while others can now obtain visas on arrival, Australians must still post passports to the Singapore consulate. Visas cost US$25. visitkazakhstan.kz

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR TRAVELLING IN KAZAKHSTAN:

Take US dollars or euros; they’re the easiest to exchange.

English is generally understood but a Russian phrasebook helps.

At airports, book taxis at the information desks.

Ask your hotel concierge to write down your destinations.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.