5 Wonderful Asia Off-The-Beaten-Track Destinations
Travel Begins at 40 spills the beans about five themed and truly off-the-beaten-track destinations in different parts of Asia. When travelling in Asia, you may feel it’s getting increasingly hard…
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Travel Begins at 40 spills the beans about five themed and truly off-the-beaten-track destinations in different parts of Asia. When travelling in Asia, you may feel it’s getting increasingly hard…
Johan Smits explores Kazakhstan’s former capital Almaty and discovers an overlooked city destination full of cafe culture and a respect for its former Soviet heritage waiting to be discovered by…
Escaping from thatched roof chocolate-box cottages, Johan Smits tries out the unassuming ski slopes of Shymbulak and ice rink of Medeu in Kazakhstan. The view from the 2,840-metre ski mid-station…
From tomato fighting, to dead goat polo and glamping in the Cambodian jungle, our travel experts have come up with their alternative travel tips for 2018. Glamp in the Cambodian…
One of the world’s largest countries, Kazakhstan stretches from the Caspian Sea in Eastern Europe to the Altai Mountains on the border with China, a vast and mysterious territory to explore by the intrepid traveller.
Historical Almaty is the country’s biggest and most European city while the capital Astana is a fascinating futuristic creation in the middle of the empty steppe. But the greatest travel adventures are to be found in its snowy mountains, lush valleys and wild steppe.
No less than 131 ethnicities make up the country’s small population of 18 million of which Kazakhs form the dominant group, followed by Russians and others. Nowruz or Persian New Year, held in March and a national holida, is a good moment to enjoy the rich Persian cultural heritage of some of Kazakhstan’s population.
Warm summers and very cold winters make for an extreme continental climate – come prepared and wrap up well in winter.
A recently established visa-free regime for 45 nationalities including the EU, US, Australia and New Zealand make it easy to go and discover this huge, little known country.