Climate
Kazakhstan has an extreme continental climate, meaning the summers are very hot, and the winters are very cold. Winter, which can start at any time from mid- October onwards, often lasts until late April, when the buds and leaves on the trees develop seemingly overnight. In the winter, you will find that Almaty is milder than Astana, with temperatures generally just below zero, although they occasionally plummet to -10 or -15 degrees Celsius. Almaty, with its many trees, is like a magical fairyland when the snow falls. In Astana, temperatures are lower, and routinely fall as low as -30 degrees Celsius, a fact compounded by windchill. Conversely, summer temperatures, especially in July and August, can reach 35 degrees Celsius. If you want to do any trekking in the mountains around Almaty, the season lasts from June to mid–September. Perhaps the most pleasant season is autumn (September and October) when the bazaars are stocked full of local fruits and the leaves on Almaty’s many trees turn gold.

Dangers
Almaty and Astana are friendly towns and walking around on your own is rarely a problem. That said it is always best to take precautions and not to walk in dark places alone. Emergency service telephone numbers are: Fire Brigade – 01, Police - 02,Ambulance – 03.

Money
The Kazakh unit of currency is called the tenge and the exchange rate is roughly £1 = 240 tenge, $1 = 122 tenge and 1 euro = 170 tenge. ATM machines generally dispense tenge, although certain machines (such as the one in Mad Murphy’s Irish Pub in Almaty) dispense dollars too. It is occasionally possible to pay in dollars, but the tenge is the legal unit of currency. If you do have dollars, it is worth ensuring that they are in good condition: over-officious currency exchange cashiers often reject notes with small tears. It is now possible to pay at most places with a credit card (visa and mastercard are more common than American Express) although it is not uncommon for the credit card terminal to be out of order.

Public Transport
Buses and trolley buses run all over Almaty from 6am to 9pm, with a few services running later. The fare is 40 tenge. The number and the main stops of the route are written on the side of the bus and announced by the instructor. In Astana, the only form of public transport is the bus, which runs on a similar timetable to that in Almaty. In the absence of information about destinations at public transport stops, and because the information on public transport is in Cyrillic, it may be easier to take taxis in both towns.

Taxis
Taxis on call are reliable and safe, but they’ll charge a minimum of 1,500 tenge. In Almaty, call 002 or 058; in Astana, call 22 22 22 or 39 79 79 (no English spoken). You can also flag down gypsy taxis / private cars in the street starting from 300 tenge to go anywhere in the city. However, take care, especially at night, and do not get into a car with more than one person already in it. In Astana, taxis tend to be a bit more expensive, so be prepared to pay up to 500 tenge.

Telephones
The country code for Kazakhstan is +7. The Almaty city code is 7272 and the Astana city code is 7172. If you are dialling out of town, or to a mobile, put an 8 in front of the code.

Tipping
It is worth bearing in mind that the majority of restaurants will include a 10% service charge at the end of your bill. Do check, though, especially if the service has been good as many waiters and waitresses are students who are trying to pay their way through college, and don’t be shy to tip on top if you are satisfied. A similar percentage works well for guides and drivers who have done a good job.

Visas
It is now possible to get a one-month single entry private, business or tourist visa for Kazakhstan without needing a letter of invitation. Instead, you need to present a letter of introduction explaining the purpose of your visit, and take this, with forms, photos, passport and money to your local consulate.