Categories
Asia central asia Kazakhstan

Shymkent

Stories and Photos from my travel to the third largest city in Kazakhstan.

Destination 》Asia 》Central Asia 》Kazakhstan 》Shymkent

Year Visited: 2019 – July

Nur-Sultan to Shymkent was the longest bus ride of my life––29 hours to travel a distance of 1,700 km. The originally scheduled travel time was 26 hours, but three breakdowns added an additional three hours to our trip. There are overnight trains and non-stop flights available; however, these options are expensive for last-minute travel. If you are travelling during the summer months, which are peak tourism seasons for Kazakhstan, I highly recommend booking these forms of transportation in advance.

Shymkent, a city in the Kazakh Steppe, is the third largest city in Kazakhstan, but still maintains a small-town feeling. The city is just 120 kilometers from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The city is also close to Turkestan, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is just 170 kilometers (or three hours) away, an easy day trip. I’ve found the locals in Shymkent to be incredibly friendly, and I was fortunate to make few new friends during my visit. 

The pictures below are from my 29 hour bus ride from Nur-Sultan to Shymkent. Given that most of the journey was through the Kazakh Steppe, the scenery didn’t change much, although the sunset was amazing.

Our bus broke-down two times, driver is fixing the flat tire.
One of the Bio-Break during 29 hours bus-ride. That hand-pump was pouring cold water, very refreshing in the desert heat.
The Kazakh Steppe is not a good place if your car breaks down, it is too hot and too windy.
Amazing Sunset on the way.

Shymkent has a small-town feeling. I spent most of my time there relaxing, eating and drinking with friends. It’s a lovely place to spend couple of days. 

Shanyrak, a cross-shaped top of the Kazakh yurt, is the National Emblem of Kazakhstan. It is a symbol of life and eternity that was especially valued among the nomads of the Great Steppes.
Traditional Kazak cuisine, Shashlik with salads and sauces, Shelpek (flat bread), Ayran (Yogurt drink, like Indian Lassi).
Traditional Kazak Soup prepared in a Tandoor
Drinking Georgian wine with my local friends, all of them come from different cultural backgrounds––Russian Kazakh, Kazakh, and Korean-Russian-Kazakh. Central Asia has a rich cultural diversity, with many Russian and Korean communities living in Kazakhstan for generations. 
Drinking Kazakh beer with a local friend and some other backpackers from my hostel. 
Tashkent, Capital of Uzbekistan is just 120 kilometres away! 

After making a day trip to Turkestan to explore the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a UNESCO world heritage site, it was time to continue my journey to Almaty (Alma-Ata), former capital of Kazakhstan. For this journey, I was able to secure a train ticket. It was a very comfortable overnight journey.

Window on The World's avatar

By Window on The World

In May 2017, 23 days before I was going to complete 50 years, grabbed an opportunity and took an early retirement.. Picked up a backpack and traveling ever since.. Love to travel around the world, experience different culture, local cuisine & drinks .. and take pictures.. so far been to 108 countries and still counting...

Leave a comment