WINDS OF THE TIEN SHAN

From Almaty's mountain charm to Astana's futuristic skyline, Kazakhstan offers a beguiling mix of warmth, wilderness, and wonder; writes Vinod K

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India has lately discovered a new favourite getaway —and that destination is Kazakhstan.

In 2024 alone, some 146,000 Indian tourists visited Kazakhstan, marking one of the fastest rises among non-CIS countries. Direct flights from Delhi to Almaty and a 14-day visa free regime introduced for Indian citizens in 2022 have opened the doors wide. So when I left Bangalore for Kazakhstan, I wasn't just chasing landscapes —I was joining a quietly growing wave of Indian travellers seeking something beyond the usual.

I left Bangalore on a drizzly October evening, the kind that makes you want to stay in and order filter coffee. But wanderlust has its own pull. The Air Astana flight via Delhi felt like stepping through a portal from India’s urban sprawl into a land that, at least in my imagination, was a poetic blend of Soviet legacy and Central Asian wilderness. By the time I landed in Almaty, dawn was just creeping over the snow-dusted Tien Shan mountains. It looked like a watercolour painting — gentle, silent, and impossibly vast.

The first thing that struck me in Kazakhstan was the air—crisp, clean, and so sharp it almost startled my lungs. Coming from Bangalore’ urban hum, I found the quiet disorienting in the best way. The city of Almaty still bears traces of its Soviet past: broad boulevards, stoic architecture, and tree-lined streets that seem designed for unhurried walks. Yet, there's something youthful and artistic about it— jazz cafés tucked into corners, murals blooming across old walls, and a quiet confidence in its pace.