Kazakhstan Diaries, Part 1: Landing in Almaty — Snow Peaks, Slow SIMs, and a Very Confusing Taxi App

When I told people I was travelling to Kazakhstan, the most common reaction was,

“But… what’s there?”

Nine days later, I had my answer.

Snow-capped mountains, turquoise lakes, dramatic canyons that looked like deserts, endless grasslands, golden dunes, and fields full of wildflowers. Honestly, I still can’t believe one country has all of that.

And my love for Kazakhstan began the moment we landed in Almaty.

Flying to Almaty

We flew directly from Mumbai to Almaty with Air Astana. At the time of our trip, direct flights weren’t available every day, so we planned our itinerary around the flight schedule.

The flight was comfortable, the food was decent, and they even handed out a small amenity kit with socks, an eye mask, earplugs, a pen, and a notepad. It’s a small gesture, but somehow it makes you feel like you’ve got your life together… at least until you land.

As the plane started descending, I looked out of the window and completely forgot about everything else. Snow-covered mountains surrounded the city from every direction.

I actually said to myself,

“How can a city be this pretty?”

That view alone made me excited for everything that was about to come.

My first glimpse of Almaty — where a bustling city meets the snow-capped Tian Shan Mountains.

Immigration: Surprisingly Easy

As Indian travelers, immigration was probably the smoothest part of our arrival.

The entire process was quick, and the immigration officers didn’t ask us a single question before stamping our passports.

Travel Tip: At the time of our visit in May 2026, Indian passport holders could enter Kazakhstan visa-free for up to 14 days per visit. Since visa policies can change, always check the latest government regulations before booking your trip.

First Stop: SIM Card and Currency Exchange

After collecting our luggage, we headed straight for two essentials:

• Exchanging currency
• Buying a local SIM card

We exchanged 100 USD at the airport, which was enough to get us started without having to immediately look for an exchange office in the city.

For the SIM card, we chose Beeline because we had read that it offers good coverage, especially if you’re planning to visit remote areas around Almaty.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go exactly as planned.

After inserting the SIM, there was absolutely no network.

The staff member at the counter told us not to worry and explained that it sometimes takes a while for the SIM to activate.

About 1.5–2 hours later, the internet finally started working — but the connection was still quite slow.

That small delay ended up creating a much bigger problem.

The Taxi App That Refused to Work

Like many travelers visiting Kazakhstan, we planned to use Yandex Go for getting around the city. We had already installed the app before leaving India.

The only thing left was logging in.

Simple… or so we thought.

No matter what we tried, the OTP never arrived.

We tried on three different phones.

Nothing.

Meanwhile, plenty of taxi drivers approached us, offering rides. We had also heard stories from other travelers about being quoted inflated prices at airports, so we decided not to accept any offers until we had another option.

Thankfully, we remembered another app that people had recommended — inDrive.

This time, registration worked immediately.

The only challenge was that the destination names appeared in Kazakh instead of English.

Our solution?

Google Translate.

We simply translated the place names before confirming the booking.

It added a few extra minutes, but it worked perfectly.

The driver arrived on time, and within a short while, we were on our way to our Airbnb.

Our First Airbnb in Almaty

Check-in couldn’t have gone more smoothly.

Our host didn’t speak English, but thanks to Google Translate, communication was effortless.

It’s amazing how technology can completely remove a language barrier.

I’ll share the exact Airbnb we stayed in, its location, pricing, and whether I’d recommend it in a separate post.

A Quick Grocery Run

One thing we learned immediately after arriving was that tap water isn’t generally recommended for drinking. We decided to stick with bottled drinking water throughout our stay.

Our Airbnb host told us there were a few convenience stores located just below the apartment building.

Within minutes, we had picked up everything we needed for our first breakfast:

• Bottled water
• Eggs
• Bread
• Butter
• Some Veggies

The stores were surprisingly well-stocked, making it easy to buy daily essentials without having to search for a supermarket.

Coming up in Part 2

We explored Almaty using public transport instead of renting a car. It was incredibly affordable, surprisingly efficient… and came with a story I definitely wasn’t expecting.