Almaty is the former capital of Kazakhstan, and is still its largest city. Being a financial and cultural center of Central Asia, Almaty boasts large tourist and expatriate communities.

A small mountain range borders the city to the east and in the far south on a clear day you can see the beautifully rugged, snow capped mountains, right at the city's doorstep. The city, in general, slopes from south to north. It means that you are going south, if you are traveling uphill.

Almaty is in top 50 most expensive cities worldwide. Even if Almaty has jumped from 30th place in 2007 to 44th in 2008, it's still more expensive than Toronto, Los Angeles or Hamburg. However, it is a wonderful gateway to the undiscovered and distinctive country. Kazakh people are very kind and welcoming and you will be pleasantly surprised by the hospitality.