Almaty's long, straight streets are easy to understand once you get to know the key north-south and east-west routes but lack of landmarks can be confusing. As long as you keep in mind that the mountains are to the south, and that the city slopes upward from the north to the south you should be OK.

Street names are generally Kazakh spellings but if asking directions, locals are more familiar with the old Soviet names which could baffle you even more.

The long-distance bus station is 5Km west of the centre and the main train station, Almaty II and the Sayakhat regional bus station are on the northern edge of the centre.

In the centre, the key north-south streets are Dostyk, Qoneav, Furmanov, Abylay Khan and Seyfillin. The main east-west streets are Zhibek Zholy, Gogol, Tole Bi, Abay & Satpaev.

ACCOMMODATION
Almaty has a limited supply of reasonable accommodation and it is advisable to make reservations well in advance, either directly or through a travel agent. Most of the hotels are of a basic level of comfort, do not expect western standards. Instead, turbazas are an alternative to hotels. For a small fee you have access to basic accommodation and three meals a day.

Budget Accommodation

• Third Dormitory, 3 Obshchezhitie, corner of Ualikhanov & Satpeav. This is a section of university accommodation that functions as a cheap hotel. It is very basic with shared bathrooms but it is clean. Tel: 262 0161
• Gostinitsa, Almaty II - this is upstairs from the international hall of Almaty II train station, on the left as you enter the building. Dorms are small with hard beds and shared bathrooms, but acceptible if you are struggling for somewhere to stay. You can have a room for an hour, or for a half day. Tel: 260-4213
• Hotel Tranzit, 12 Zheltoqsan - just outside Almaty II train station, the Tranzit has clean but tired-looking rooms with private bathroom, TV and phone. Half-day rates are available on request. Tel: 233 0438/233 0416

Apartments
Stantours are a low-key travel agents that can also arrange accommodation including apartments. Renting apartments require a two-night minimum stay and obligatory airport transfers for an extra fee. Tel: 297 7072

TO SEE AND DO 
The city is full of modern architecture, fountains, parks, squares and amazing mountain views. Attractions include Panfilov Park, which houses the world’s second-tallest wooden building, built at the turn of the 20th Century without using a single nail! Central (Gorky) Park is the largest recreation area in Almaty and is located at the eastern end of Gogol. It has an aquapark, boating lakes, funfair rides and a zoo as well as several cafes and beer stalls.

North of Panfilov Park is the main bazaar which has a market atmosphere but contains little of interest unless you are looking for cheap Chinese goods. Do watch your possessions in the bazaars as they are key areas for pickpockets to strike!

There are two rather impressive cathedrals - the Zenkov Cathedral and St. Nicholas or there are several museums to while away a few hours.

Please note that if you are visiting mosques, women must cover their heads and arms, and shorts are usually unacceptable.

The more famous landmarks include the Oblisk of Independence and the City Hall in New Square which is the location for national ceremonies and parades. If there are guards outside the hall then it means the President is in residence.

The Kok-Tobe Cable Car is an ideal way to see panoramic views of the city. It runs from beside the Palace of the Republik on Dostyk up to Kok-Tobe on the city's southeast edge. At the top is the telecommunications tower, a viewing platform, craft & gift shops and a cafe.

If you fancy a nice relaxing day, head for the Arasan Baths in the western area of Panfilov Park where you can experience Eastern, Finnish and Russian saunas. Each sauna has a men's and women's section just bring some soap, a towel and flip-flops or buy them at the on-site shop. You can also buy veniki (bunches of oak and birch leaves) from the sellers outside if you fancy stimulating your circulation with a damn good thrashing.

For the cultured among us (ed - you, surely?) there is the Almaty Ballet Theatre which also offers orchestral performances.

If you’re feeling sporty you can head for the Zaili Alatau Mountains which offer numerous ski-slopes or if you want something a little less strenuous visit the Medeo ice-skating rink. It’s the world’s largest speed-skating rink and is to be the venue for the 2011 Asian Winter Games. Ice hockey is popular and you can see a game at the Ust-Kamenogorsk rink.

Due to the rugged landscape surrounding Almaty, mountain climbing and trekking are also very popular with tourists as is horse riding.

If you are taking children with you to Almaty, then a visit to Fantasy World is apparently a must. It's an extremely popular amusement park with plenty of thrill rides although we couldn't really find a website to back this opinion up! You might want to check out further details at your hotel.

 
TRANSPORT
A vast network of bus, trolleybus, trams and marshrutka (small buses) are availabe and fares are usually around KZT50. They can get extremely crowded so if you have large baggage it may be as well to get a taxi. All modes of public transport follow the same routes in both directions. Buses #35 and #139 go to Central Stadium as does trolleybus #19.

Offical taxis are marked with checkerboard logos but many private cars also act as taxis. Agree a price before your jorney starts, you have been warned.

On average, a ride to the centre of Almaty costs between KZT250-450, possibly a little more at night. If you are struggling for a taxi it would be best to get hotel staff to ring one for you as we've been unable to find any companies that offer an English-speaking service or have English speaking operators. 

Most long-distance trains stop at Almaty I train station which is situated approximately 8km north of the centre and terminate at Almaty II which is more convenient for the city centre. Almaty II is situated at the end of Abylay Khan on the northern edge of the central area.

Train ticket offices are in the city centre, in the Gorodskoy Aerovokzal (an air ticket agency) corner of Zhibek Zholy & Zheltoqsan as well as inside the train stations. You will need to show your passport when buying tickets.

POLICING
There is a possibility of being stopped by unscrupulous officers demanding to see your paperwork and then request money for the return of documents. If this does happen our advice is to keep calm and stay firm, ask the officer for his details (i.e. name and number) and say you are going to to call the British Embassy for advice. If the officer is genuine he won’t mind giving his details but if it is a scam he is likely to back off.