The 5 Stans of the Silk Road

[JohnM]

I was never worried about the behavior of our own drivers, although barreling along at 120-130 km/hr through the desert in the dark, coming back from the crater in Turkmenistan in 4WDs for a few hours on end, was a bit concerning.

I had a nice snooze on that sector .

 

[RooFlyer]

And then ... the very last stop of the tour - Republic Square, home to various celebratory statues and an ironwork mural depicting the history of the country up to (and including) the current President. The main statue on a tall obelisk s a warrior atop a flying leopard ... celebrating Kazakhstan's independence.











We then went to our Hotel, the Kazzhol, you might give it 4 stars on a good day.

JohnM and I repaired to the bar (or the restaurant, as the bar didn't open until 8pm!) for a few pre dinner drinks - it was the final, group dinner at the hotel restaurant.

This local Riesling was pretty good, as was the Saperavi we had over dinner (and another afterwards!!). There were both from areas close to Almaty.





Dinner was OK - service was bad (understaffed); trying to settle the bills took forever. The 'josper' meat menu; 3,500 Kazak tenge is A$13.40. I had a horse steak (when in Rome ...). it was pretty nice.







We went to the main bar for some post tour drinks.

 

[RooFlyer]

I stayed on in Almaty for a few days, as the Asiana flight to Seoul (LifeMiles) only flew a couple of times a week, and I also had a day in Seoul, so the TR will continue, but a post mortem of the tour.

Of the tour sights and experiences: 10/10. Few disappointments, and many unique experiences. I can't wait to go back to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

The tour organisation and execution by Exodus. I'd give it 7/10. At no time was it bad and the circumstances/environment were often trying and potentially changeable. Transport was always as good and comfortable as could be expected. The drivers were all pretty safe; some maybe a bit fast but I didn't feel scared or anything. Accommodation was probably the weakest point, but given the available infrastructure, understandable and we were well warned in the trip notes prior to booking AND as we went along. This is only the second year the tour has been run, and the hotels would have been locked in at the start of the year. I know the Ashgabat hotel is being 'upgraded' next year. The Western tour guide who was with us the whole time I think did more than many noticed - many meals were 'own organising', but the western guide nearly always arranged a place to go and accompanied those who wanted to go AND helped sort the bills, even though she would have been entitled to have a break from the group. I could nit-pick a few faults but we all got through and enjoyed ourselves. Of the country guides, I'd give Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan 9/10, Tajikistan 7/10, second Uzbekistan (just a day) 5/10 (language skills and schedule) and Kyrgyzstan (+Kazakhstan) 7/10 .

The group? As JohnM reminded me, if you can't name anyone in the group who was a 'problem, then its YOU' . Overall we all got on well; there was a couple that tried my patience a few times in but I'm sure I did with others, too. One lady distinguished herself when we had a photo stop by very frequently (almost always!!) walking out in front of the group and plonking herself in 'the view' and often stayed there until reminded to ah ... move a little. Mostly delightful people, of similar travel philosophy and seasoned travellers. I booked a tour immediately on return which had been recommend by one of the group.

If you are thinking of those awful Japanese or Italian tour groups you come across in Europe & elsewhere - these Exodus/Intrepid groups are quite different.

 

[JohnM]

We went to the main bar for some post tour drinks.

Another bottle of Riesling, or was that second bottle before the two bottles of Saperavi?

Anyway, two of each, to bed about midnight - and I had to get up at 0300h for my flight to DEL. Pffft.... easy .

 

[JohnM]

Overall we all got on well; there was a couple that tried my patience a few times in but I'm sure I did with others, too.

Bwaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...

 

[RooFlyer]

Ignoring the comments from the cheap seats ... whatever they may mean ...

I moved digs from the tour hotel to the new Novotel, not far away, and it was a great move. While was waiting for my taxi, the tour hotel reception told me that 'my friend' (ie JohnM) had said that I would pay for his early morning taxi to the airport. No! I thought. he wouldn't do that, would he?

Typical Novotel - staff all good, restaurant good to very good if you want it, a good bar (and 'welcome' drink chits for Accor gold ). Its also right next to the cable-car station, which intended to go on.









View across to the Kazakhstan Hotel.



Joined up with 6 from the tour who weren't flying out till tonght for a ride up the cable car to a hill and look-out.



On the hill are look-outs, restaurants, lots of stuff for kids, a pretty tacky small zoo (mainly birds), oh, and these guys:





Erected by some local fans, apparently and possibly the only 'memorial' with all 4 together.

The Almaty broadcast tower (no going up it). The mountains behind the city were unfortunately mostly shrouded this day; it rained later.



Some of the kids amusements. They dominate the upper part of the site.

 

[RooFlyer]

In the afternoon i visited a shopping centre that was close by - pretty 'normal' type of mall.



Supermarket, and i inspected the impressive grog section. this just a tiny part of what was on offer for wines, let alone the rest of it:





Some non-locals ... 8,000 tenge is A$30.50



Dinner that night at a small local restaurant.



A plov, of course. The drink was essentially fresh raspberry juice and mineral water.

 

[RooFlyer]

Next day was cloudy in the morning, which was disappointing as I was missing the views to the mountains behind the city again. I decided to do a bit of random exploring. The neighbourhood of the hotel is nice, and a university is close.







The metro is pretty good and efficient, and, not surprisingly, looks very much like the metros in Russia (and like them, is deep). I think the cost was about 40 cents to go anywhere, one way.

 

[RooFlyer]

The clouds cleared at lunch time, they revealed a fresh dump of snow on the mountains It continued to improve, so taking the lead from @henleybeach , I got the hotel to call me a 'Yandex' (Uber equivalent) and negotiated a price to take me up to 'Big Almaty Lake'. Abt A$35 for abt 2.5 hours time.

Its an hours drive to the lookout, and I saw a bit more of Almaty. A few glitzy office towers:



We whizzed past the Presidential Park, which is on the edge of the city, where the road turns off for the mountains:



The road is pretty winding, and there is an entrance fee to pay - not much. Unfortunately my Yandex driver had no English so it was a silent ride up.

 

[henleybeach]

A few hair pin corners on the way up!
I thought Almaty was beautiful with the mountains as the back drop to the city

 

[RooFlyer]

Dinner at the Novotel was fantastic. I started in the bar with a Saverapi from Georgia (cheap and delicious) and later took it into the restaurant with me.



A bell pepper (capsicum) soup, with immaculate presentation and a selection of dumplings from the regions (there was also a good selection of horse dishes!)





The next day the weather was bad again. With a flight around midnight, I asked for a late check-out and was given 6pm!! Didn't do much during the day - had a massage at the Novotel spa which was quite good, and went back to the mall.

I read henleybeach's comments re the lounge at Almaty airport so I decided to have a light dinner at the hotel. Just a club sandwich and a beer.



Then a taxi to the airport - the hotel recommended a taxi rather than yandex at that time of night, so I went with the flow. Still cheap, and this time I got one of the chatty taxi drivers that HB wrote about. He never stopped!! Student, wants to go to Australia ...

About an hour to the airport, even using a really good short cut the taxi guy used (I was following on maps.me). The outside is impressive:



... but inside its not. Small and not very well equipped. This is the single gate lounge.



I was flying Asiana J (LifeMiles redemption) and they (and everyone else) used a contract lounge. Basic selection of nuts, sweets, fruit and small cakes etc, plus water for free, everything else you had to pay for (eg US$3 for a coke). I was so glad I ate at the hotel. Wifi so slow it was useless.

 

[RooFlyer]

Boarded the Asiana flight on time ... I was pre-warned up-thread that it would probably be a coughpy 'regional' product, and it was. A330, with 2-2-2 config; angled flat bed, not much space and very dated IFE. Fortunately no-one beside me so i had that bit of space and also extra blanket and pillow.







I hope this is clear to you



I deployed my inflatable mini-mattress, and it was a failure. the angled bed, plus the 'slinky' nature of the Asiana blanket (one of which I used as a mattress cover), meant that it was always sliding down. I had an uncomfortable flight (OK, not as uncomfortable as those in whY!!).

No meal service after take-off, which, given the hour (post midnight), I heartily agreed with, so this became the breakfast selection.



I try to avoid aircraft omelettes, so ordered the ravioli. Mistake - it was inedible.

 

[RooFlyer]

We landed at Seoul ICN about on time, 8am. I'd been through the airport before, but this would be my first visit to the city. Readers will know my great interest in history, but east Asia I've never gotten into - China, Japan, Korea, for some reason just doesn't tweak my interest, Never known why. South-east Asia - Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand etc, yes, but not east Asia. That's a way of saying that I only planned 24 hours here - just enough to have a look at Seoul and see if it could interest me.

I knew I would arrive tired, so I booked into the Grand Hyatt at the airport, in a Club room. I don't remember anything about the airport arrival process, so i guess it was painless, then it was on the hotel shuttle and thankfully I remembered which of the two buildings they occupy 'West tower' and 'East Tower', that I was booked into.

I got to reception at about 9:15am and wondered if they'd allow me to check-in (I'm only a basic Hyatt member). I was hoping for just a shower in the gym, and then I'd take the subway into the city for a day's sightseeing. My room wasn't ready (expected), but then the reception person said that they would upgrade me to a suite, same cost, but I would have to pay the standard early check-in fee of equivalent of A$100. Only needed a second to think about it and agree. I would have been up for the fee even if my room was ready - fair enough, its an extra half-day occupancy.

Usually, I only ever get upgraded when I check in late at night, so don't usually benefit much from the upgrade. But here was my room, in all its glory:









Loo with 'the works' :

 

[henleybeach]

You’re Sending shivers down my spine reading and looking at those pics @RooFlyer
The most uncomfortable flight I’ve ever taken, I remember there was virtually no padding left and felt metal sticking into my back. But like you said Better then Y ....

 

[RooFlyer]

I succumbed to my suite and put my head down for a minute.

...a few hours later I headed back to the airport via the shuttle to get the metro to Gyeongbokung, a royal palace originally built in the 1300s, but variously burnt down, bombed etc (esp when the Japanese occupied), so that its essentially just a replica today. Never mind ... a bit of history ...

With my Seoul metro phone app, I plotted the route - two changes, including the first at Seoul station. App told me an hour to my destination. I found the metro pretty efficient, with good signage, but very crowded on this Saturday. The change of lines across Seoul Station felt like I was changing time zones, the walk was so long.

An hour and a half after leaving the airport, I reached my destination. Dunno why it was so out in the time ... even at the end, it still was predicting an hour return to the airport.

So I rocked up at Gyeongbokung. and was lucky enough to be just in time for the 'changing of the guard'.













This guy could really rip out a note!





I'm pretty sure they were just actors in costume (as opposed to actual guards) ... given away, I think, but the obvious false beards on many of the guys and, I'm pretty sure, women!

With that done, I paid the admission and went into the main palace.

 

[RooFlyer]

...where the most striking thing was the number of people in traditional dress. Many, probably the vast majority of locals, but even tour groups. Must be some sort of tradition.

 

[RooFlyer]

As to the palace ... I took a few pics but again, the history didn't interest me. Could have been Disneyland.













With duty done, I returned to the airport and hotel - about 90 minutes, again.

 

[RooFlyer]

Back at the hotel, I went to the Club and started a few Trip Report updates . The Club was reasonably big (this pic taken later, when it started to fill up), and had a view out to the airport terminal:





After the evening snacks and drinks were laid out (pretty nice spreads, well replenished) the Club started filling up and then I noticed something which I hadn't come across in any Club lounge before. Just about every group was a family group - ie 2 or 3 children in tow. Soon every seat was taken and it got pretty noisy and boisterous - you know, kids running up and down the walk areas, calling out to each other. I'm not saying that was terrible - but it was really distinctive - the place resembled a resort Kids Club more than an 'executive lounge'. I, and a couple of other 'unaccompanied' types, retreated to the meeting room at the end of the lounge, for some (relative) peace and quiet. (This taken early on when I was in there working on my laptop)



I had enough snacks that I though would last me until a light dinner, so I went exploring some more of the hotel.



Came across this bar, which would give an Ashgabat ministerial building a run for its marble:






A nice coldie, and a snack off the menu, and that was me fed & watered for the night.



More exploring found the huge spa (no extra charge). Wet sauna, pools of various temperatures, the whole bit. That was me for the next hour or so, then toddled off to bed for tomorrow's flight. SQ First to SIN and the Melbourne.

 

[drron]

The Spicy Beef soup from that bar is both mouth watering and eye watering.I loved it.

 

[RooFlyer]

Did you have the same experience in the lounge, drron?