Beginner's Guide to Almaty, Kazakhstan

The great thing about visiting a country with hardly any tourism apparatus or attractions to speak of is the remarkable lack of tourists. Maybe you'll see the occasional Borat fan in Kazakhstan, but on the whole, there aren't too many western tourists. Even the seemingly obvious tourist traps in Almaty -- crowded bazaars and restaurants with waiters in traditional garb -- are actually the genuine article. One of our favorite rustic charms of the city is their transportation. Buses are so slow and cabs so unreliable that most people just stick their hand up at passing cars when they need to get somewhere. Eventually a car will stop and negotiate a fare. Keep that in mind when navigating our suggestions for Almaty cultural spelunking.

Arasan Baths: Located within a large and impressive domed building, Almaty's main bathhouse offers Russian, Finnish, and Turkish-style baths. The Turkish baths consist of different water baths at different temperatures, while the Finnish bath is dry and the Russian bath uses more steam.

Bukhara Carpets: These incredible carpets are known around the world. The carpets are red, made of wool, and contain numerous mosaic-like designs. The main store that used to sell these carpets is no longer around, so the best place to get the genuine article is at the Republican Museum of Folk Musical Instruments.

Chimbulak: An incredible ski resort in the winter and a great place for hiking in the summer, the Chimbulak skiing center is located just outside the city at an impressive 2,300 meters. The hiking can be challenging, but the city views from the top of the mountains are just incredible. From Chimbulak, serious climbers can begin to climb to the Abai Peak, twice the height of Chimbulak.

Grand Aiser Hotel: Sure, it's no boutique hotel, but good luck finding any "hip" accommodations in Almaty. Instead we found the Grand Aiser which gets points for a city-center location without being absurdly expensive; plus, there's a pool table and gym. The decor is unremarkable, but the dark reds and stark walls seem to be a running theme in almost all of the city's hotels.

Koktyube Park: One of the main attractions the Kazakh government promotes with their new tourism arm is the natural wonder of the country. They are really banking on "eco-tourism" in the next few years. We're not sure how that's going to go, but the scenery really can be breathtaking. At Koktyube Park, you get great views of the city but can also see the looming mountain range. The park has a few cafes serving traditional and meaty Kazakh fare.

Medeo: Medeo is a year-round attraction with the locals. It's an Olympic-sized ice skating rink used when pro tournaments are held in the country. Every night when there aren't tournaments, the rink is open to the public, and locals skate under the flashing lights and loud pop music. In the summer, they also open a pool below the rink. The water is kept at a refreshing/shocking 60 degrees.

Restaurant Zheruik: Both a restaurant and a museum, the Zheruik offers traditional fare and displays historical artifacts. Walls are covered in ancient weapons, clothes, and dishware. The menu is of course meat-heavy, and the specialties include horse meat and horse flesh. Also excellent and non-horsey is the fresh caviar.

Stars Club: Among many eclectic choices in Almaty's growing nightlife scene, we like Stars, which features a different theme show every night. One night might offer men with machine guns firing blanks at each other from across the dance floor, while another night brings in strippers from the local strip clubs. On Thursdays, Stars holds sparring matches between pro fighters, while Fridays host a fashion show with body art and collections from local designers.

Zelyony Bazaar: Almaty has a few large markets, but the Zelyony is one of the best and a favorite with locals. It's a great place to get fresh fruit, vegetables, incredible spices, and crafts made by local artists. There's often a good selection of affordable tinned caviar as well. Even though there's no refrigeration, the market has rows and rows of hanging skinned meat. Avoid that section.

-- Amanda Kludt