'You won’t find this in London': how Almaty surprised a British traveler
Why Kazakhstan
Georgiana studied linguistics and learned Russian at university, which sparked her interest in the post-Soviet space. After last year’s trip to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan became her main destination.
“I went to Kazakhstan because I’m fascinated by Central Asian countries. I also love nature and had heard that Kazakhstan has incredible canyons and lakes,” the traveler said.
Photo: instagram.com/@hrhgeorgiana
Almaty, mountains, and canyons
Georgiana’s week-long trip was packed: from Almaty’s nightlife to the scenic views of Charyn Canyon. She also visited Kaindy and Kolsai Lakes and went up to Shymbulak. The blogger believes Kazakhstan is underestimated as a winter travel destination.
“Kazakhstan probably isn’t the first place you think of for a ski holiday, but it should be because it’s far cheaper than Europe,” Georgiana said.
@hrhgeorgiana Let’s go skiing at the largest ski resort in Central Asia. This is Shymbulak in Kazakhstan; a 40-minute journey from Almaty’s city centre at 2200m above sea level. Kazakhstan probably isn’t the first place you think of for a ski holiday, but it should be because it’s far cheaper than Europe. A half-day pass is £25, and ski hire only £12 - but the process was chaotic and half the helmets were broken. Despite poor visibility and an avalanche earlier that morning, I still wanted to see what the skiing was like. I’ve skied in France and Italy; the skiing culture here is chaotic because people often skip lessons and head straight for red runs so end up falling over all over the slopes. Shymbulak is a 30-minute taxi from the centre followed by a gondola to the slopes. There are 25km of runs, mostly red and black. Only a few were open when I went, including a wide red that felt closer to a steep blue in Courchevel. I visited on a Tuesday and the slopes were far quieter than the Alps. The resort was discovered by amateur skiers in the 1940s. By 1983 it had lifts and became the Olympic training centre for the USSR. Today you can stop halfway up the mountain for a pastry at Paul, drink hot chocolate with marshmallows, or take a photo with an eagle while wearing traditional Kazakh clothing. #kazakhstan #solotrip #kazakhstan???????? #skiing #shymbulak ♬ Cooking, bossa nova, adults, light(950693) - Kids Sound
The blogger admitted that she would like to return — in the summer, to see the lakes in another season, ride horses, and visit Astana.
“I would like to come back and see the lakes in summer, I’d love to go horse riding and visit Astana. I’d also like to visit vineyards, because I tried Kazakh wine and it was delicious!” the tourist noted.
Horse meat, beshbarmak, and a gamey taste
The British traveler’s visit to an ordinary Almaty supermarket attracted a lot of attention online. Her followers were both alarmed and intrigued by bottles of kumys, shubat, and tan. Because of natural carbonation, the drinks foamed dramatically when opened.
“You never find this stuff anywhere in the UK. So this is really exciting to be able to try it for the first time,” she noted.
@hrhgeorgiana Kazakhstan supermarket shopping, trying and finding local products including meant caramel milk, fermented white bread drink and horse meat sausage ???? ##kazakhfood##russianfood##kazakhstan????????##tastetest##solotravel ♬ What Floor? - idokay
Her main gastronomic discovery was horse meat.
“It’s a very traditional part of Kazakh cuisine. I’ll give anything a go, but this will be my first time ever trying horse. This is what it looks like. Oh my God, that is so nice — it’s really gamey, it’s similar to venison or boar,” the foreign visitor shared.
@hrhgeorgiana Trying food from a supermarket in Kazakhstan. Fermented camel milk, horse meat, caviar and salted tomatoes #kazakhfood #russianfood #kazakhstan???????? #tastetest #solotrip ♬ Sakura-lined street - KCNX
The blogger also highly praised traditional dishes, noting that Kazakh cuisine turned out to be unexpectedly interesting for her.
She also did not leave empty-handed: at the Green Bazaar, she bought dried fruits and pickled mushrooms. The traveler also visited the A. Kasteyev State Museum of Arts.
Reaction online
The blogger’s content about Kazakhstan resonated strongly with her audience. Followers actively discussed what they saw. Some shared their own experiences of eating horse meat, others mentioned relatives from Kazakhstan, and some became seriously interested in following her route.
According to the blogger, the trip left a very warm impression — and a strong desire to return.
“My viewers really loved it, and many wrote that they would definitely consider visiting Kazakhstan after watching my videos. I really didn’t expect that, but I think the content reflects how amazing a time I had, and people felt inspired!” she concluded.