View from Koktobe, Almaty

Almaty

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June 21st 2006
Saturday 10th June and we arrive into Almaty at 5am; tired and filthy after not being able to shower for 6 days! One of the ladies on our bus who spoke english was coming to Almaty for work and kindly offered us a lift to a hotel we had earmarked in the guidebook. Apparently rooms were 10 pounds a night. On arrival though, we found that once again Lonely Planet was out of date and that Hotel Almat ... read more

Asia » Kazakhstan

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Native Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th century and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. D... ... read more