ALA-KUL

Sat 8/6/24

We woke up as usual for Subuh prayer at 3.30am and then prepared our bags for check out at 6am. On the way to the airport, we filled up the tank prior to returning our rental car to Avis at the airport. We arrived at the airport at 6.30am and proceeded to check in our bags and returned the car. Avis asked for some money to wash the car, this was the first time this happened, but since we have already changed back all our cash to MYR, we gave the remaining cash on hand of KZT 2000 to Avis. Amazingly there is MYR available in cash to be exchanged at the airport which we exchanged from KZT 239990 to MYR 2330.

There is no Qatar airways or One World lounge at Almaty airport, so we had to use the shared lounge. The lounge is small, and only the sweets, nuts, coffee and tea is available for free at the lounge. The food in the enclosures need be paid for. There is also no wifi in the lounge. 

the lounge section that is free is the outside spread

We waited longer than the scheduled time of departure and finally boarded the plane at 9am. On the plane from ALA to DOH, we we served with scrambled eggs with grilled tomato and frittata with tomato ragout for breakfast. 

scrambled eggs with grilled tomato

 frittata with tomato ragout

mountain views on the way back

We landed at Doha for transit of 7 hours. We walked around at the garden area, and then went to the C lounge to rest, bathe and eat while waiting for our connecting flight back to KUL at 1915 hours. 

garden at Doha airport

shower facilities at the lounge

For the DOH to KUL sector, we were served with Irish beef stew for dinner (we both opted for the same meal). We arrived at KUL on time at 7.50am. Home sweet home.

Irish beef stew

Almaty

Fri 7/6/24

Since Kazakhstan didn't have daylight saving, we had to wait a few hours from sunrise at 4.15am until cafes open for breakfast at the earliest at 8am. While waiting, we had tea that we takeaway from yesterday, reheated with the jug kettle that we brought from home. Our room didn't have tea making facilities, as hot water is provided outside via the water dispenser. 

We ventured out at 8am and chose the nearby Vanilla café to have breakfast of latte, cappuccino and pastries for KZT 3300. After breakfast, we walked to the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen. We sat and enjoyed the views of the park, then walked to the Ascension Cathedral, a wooden Russian Orthodox cathedral.

breakfast of latte and pastries

Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen

Ascension Orthodox Cathedral

Ascension Orthodox Cathedral

From the cathedral, we then walked to the Almaty Central mosque and performed prayers there. 

Almaty central mosque

inside the mosque

inside the mosque

From the mosque, we walked to Green Bazaar to do some shopping. We bought keychains and fridge magnets as souvenirs for KZT 10000, 4 types of local honey for KZT 5000, 700g of cherry for KZT 1000 (RM15 /kg) very cheap!, local fruit tea for KZT 5000, macadamia nuts for KZT 5000 and 2 types of apricot for KZT 2000 each. It was getting really hot outside and our stuff was getting heavy already, so we decided to walk back to our hotel. On the way back to the hotel, we bought 2 samosas or самса for KZT 350 each.

strawberry and honey in Green bazaar

samosa

We rested in our room for scorching hot sun and ventured out again at 1.30pm to take the metro to Rumi restaurant to have lunch. We walked to the Zhibek Zholy metro station (which means Silk Road). The metro stations in Almaty are beautifully decorated with chandeliers and stained glass windows. It only costs KZT 100 per ride per person, regardless of how many stations. We took the metro from Zhibek Zholy to Almaly (1 station), then walked to Rumi restaurant. For lunch, we had plov and dumplings in tomato soup with a pot of tea for KZT 7337. 

Almaly station

Zhibek Zholy station

plov

dumpling in tomato soup

It was actually just a short distance from the restaurant back to our hotel, so we decided to just walk back. At the hotel, we enjoyed the welcoming drink of hot latte and cappuccino. For the rest of the day, we spent by packing our backpacks with the souvenirs (mostly food). We would be heading out early to the airport tomorrow to catch our flight at 9am. 

welcoming drink

Unfortunately that night, we were rudely awakened by a man who banged on our door in the middle of the night asking strange questions such as who were in the room. We complained this later to the hotel during check out. The hotel did not have security measures such as lift access to only hotel guests. 

Shymbulak

Thurs 6/6/24

Our room booked at hotel Edelveis did not come with breakfast, so we ate some dates that we brought with us and would have breakfast later at Shymbulak mountain. Our hotel is located only 2km from Medeu cable car station that would take us up Shymbulak mountain. We left the hotel at 8.30am and drove to Medeu and parked at the outdoor parking which cost 500 KZT per entry. 

The cashier for the cable car only opens at 9am but there was already a queue, although not that long yet just before 9am. We purchased the cable car up which includes Combi-1 and "Combi-2 ,up to the Shymbulak peak for return trip which cost KZT 5000 per person. There are 2 cable car rides per way, the first ride takes you to Shymbulak Resort, the second ride takes you to the top. 

view from the cable car

view of another cable car

We got off the first cable car to Shymbulak resort and had our breakfast at one of the cafes there - Café gusto. We had cheese and chocolate croissants, latte and mocha which cost KZT 7920. The food is pricey up here.

croissant, latter and mocha

After breakfast, we took the second cable car ride up to the Shymbulak top where we walked a bit towards the start of the hike path. We didn't plan to hike today and just wanted to have a relaxing day up at the mountains. It was really hot this morning, even at the top. There is still remaining ice, which reminded us of our trip to Dachstein mountain in September when it was also hot, but there were remaining ice at the top. 

remaining ice at the top

Unfortunately we didn't bring our drone today, thinking there would be many tourists, but there were actually no one at the hiking path and there were flat surfaces for the drone to take off and land. It would have been beautiful to take the drone videos and pictures from up here.

hiking path at Shymbulak

no one here

Then we proceeded to the Chimbulachka Yuzhnaya peak trail where I only climbed halfway and waited for Partner In Crime who continued to the peak. It was getting colder at 1pm, probably the wind have brought in the clouds. Luckily we brought our jackets although it was really hot this morning and didn't need to wear it.

Chimbulachka Yuzhnaya peak

Chimbulachka Yuzhnaya peak

view from the peak

another view from the peak

From there, we climbed down to have tea and baursak at a yurt restaurant up there, which cost KZT 4200 while enjoying the views. 

enjoying tea and baursak

baursak

We originally planned to have lunch here, but the restaurant only had chicken soup today. So we decided to go to yesterday's restaurant Bauyrdaq. We descended via the cable car using the same ticket that we purchased in the morning and reached back down around 3pm.

For late lunch / early dinner today, we had Naryn (horse meat jerky with beef broth and home made noodles) and roast kuyrdak with lamb ribs and a pot of mint tea which all cost KZT 11000. 

Naryn (horse meat jerky with beef broth and home made noodles)

what's left of the roast kuyrdak with lamb ribs (forgot to take pic before eating) 

what it's supposed to look like 

We then drove to our hotel Ibis Almaty, but were confused to find the hotel parking. We ended up circling the hotel a few times, then decided to ask for help from reception. There was indeed a basement parking in the hotel area which is free of charge for hotel guests. We booked our room through the Accors app which cost KZT 52637 (or RM 520) per night without breakfast. 

We didn't go out tonight, only rested in our room.

Saryozek -Alma Arasan

Wed 5/6/24

Breakfast is served at 7am as usual in Kazakhstan, so after Subuh we did some files copying of the photos and videos from the previous day while waiting. Breakfast was just a simple cheese omelette, sausages, tomato and toasted bread for KZT 2500 per person and KZT 1200 for black tea which we booked through the Caravanserai campsite manager the day before. We paid by cash.

our breakfast

After breakfast, it was time to head to the city of Almaty where we would be spending the remaining 3 nights. We departed at 8.30am. The drive to Almaty would cover 277km and would take 3 hour 30 minutes. On the way, we stumbled upon pretty lavender fields near Saryozek so we decided to stop to fly the drone. 

lavender field

lavender field

Not far from Saryozek, we entered the highway. Along the way, we also passed the casino strip near Kapchagay. The toll cost KZT 1390 which we paid by cash at the toll booth. The highway has camera systems that detect the car's plate registration number so we only stopped during exit to pay for the toll charges.

highway

casino near Kapchagay

toll booth

we paid toll by cash

We arrived at Eidelveis hotel in Almaty at at 1.30pm and checked in to our room as I have not yet fully recovered from diarrhea and we rested for a while and made instant noodle. We booked our hotel through Booking.com which costs KZT 12900 without breakfast. Our hotel is located near to Shymbulak mountain which we would be visit the next day.

After resting, we set out again to Alma Arasan hot spring located about 30km from our hotel and took about an hour's drive. The entrance to Alma Arasan cost KZT 1000. We walked the short trail to the hot spring pool and waterfall and spent about an hour there.

river at Alma Arasan

Alma Arasan

hot spring pool below

We then decided to try some Kazakhstan dish and found the halal Bauyrdaq restaurant. We tried the beshbarmaq (horse meat with pasta sheet and meat broth) and dumplings. Dinner cost KZT 7504 for both dishes and a pot of tea. After dinner we headed back to our hotel and called it a day.

dumplings in soup

beshbarmaq