The old capital of Almaty, meaning valley of apples, sits nestled under the snowy peaks of the mighty Tien Shan (Celestial) Mountains. The markets are a delight and there is a fine museum of musical instruments as well as the splendid Zenkov Cathedral, made entirely of wood, interlocked with such skill that no nails have been used in the construction.
The cosmodrome at Baikonur, whose location was once the most highly classified secret, is now open to visitors so you can explore the world’s largest operational space launch facility, from where the first manned spaceflight was launched.
Balkhash Lake, which stretches from the Kazakh Hills in the northeast to desert steppes in the southwest, is half fresh water and half saline and home to many species of birds, including flamingos.