Vagabond Series - Kazakhstan, Almaty

Presets from the road Kazakhstan. Five days in Almaty, from an unfamiliar city that initially overwhelmed me to one I unexpectedly grew to love. This time, I brought two very different looks: C8 Sepia Ten and Pop Art 200.

The Big Almaty Lake

I crossed the border from Yining, China, into Kazakhstan on August 30. By the time I finally reached my hostel in Almaty, it was already past 9 PM.

I remember feeling genuinely overwhelmed. After traveling through China, where I could communicate easily and navigate almost everything without thinking twice, Kazakhstan felt like an entirely different level of backpacking. I couldn't understand the language, everything was unfamiliar, and even the simplest things suddenly required more effort.

But that's part of traveling, isn't it? Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.

The next day, I unexpectedly joined a Chinese traveler I'd met at the hostel, Uncle Wei, for a trip to Big Almaty Lake. We shared a ride, bought some oranges and snacks, and headed into the mountains.

The scenery was beautiful, but the hike turned out to be more challenging than I expected. At one point, some hikers started climbing along a steep pipeline route. I thought my experience hiking Mount Rinjani in Indonesia had already helped me overcome my fear of heights. Apparently not.

With Uncle Wei's encouragement, I managed to keep going. After around three hours, we finally reached the viewpoint overlooking the lake. The turquoise water surrounded by mountains made the effort worthwhile.

On the way down, it started raining.

C8 Sepia Ten

The following day was much quieter. I stayed at the hostel, worked on my app, and organized my photos. I only went outside in the evening for a plate of plov, which cost 4,000 tenge, around RM35. Definitely one of my more expensive meals on this backpacking trip.

It rained again that evening, and I brought out C8 Sepia Ten.

There's something about capturing an unfamiliar city in sepia. The muted colors take away some of the distractions, leaving behind the buildings, streets, and atmosphere. Looking through those photographs, Almaty felt less like a foreign city and more like a memory I had already lived through.

Good for: Nostalgic street photography, architecture, quiet urban scenes, and creating a vintage atmosphere where mood matters more than realistic colors.

Not for: Colorful landscapes, vibrant street markets, or scenes where the original colors are an important part of the story.

Pop Art 200

September 2 was probably my favorite day in Almaty.

I originally planned to take the bus straight to Ascension Cathedral. But somewhere along the way, I noticed a cluster of modern glass buildings that looked surprisingly futuristic. I was curious, so I got off the bus.

That spontaneous decision completely changed my impression of Almaty.

As I wandered through the streets, I started noticing how beautiful the city actually was. There were plenty of trees, clean sidewalks, public benches, and colorful buildings painted in warm shades of yellow, orange, and red.

I also came across a strangely shaped, flattened human-like sculpture. It turned out to be part of the Almaty Museum of Arts.

Before this, most of what I'd seen of Kazakhstan was the bus station, my hostel, and the mountains. I hadn't really given the city a chance.

Now, walking around with no particular destination, I was genuinely enjoying it.

This is the kind of day that makes me appreciate backpacking. Sometimes the best experiences aren't the famous attractions. They're the unexpected discoveries you make simply because you decided to get off a bus.

For the colorful side of the city, Pop Art 200 felt like an interesting creative direction.

Unlike the nostalgic mood of C8 Sepia Ten, Pop Art 200 is about embracing color and visual energy. Almaty's warm-colored buildings, modern architecture, and bright daylight gave me plenty of opportunities to experiment with a more expressive look.

Later that afternoon, I finally reached Ascension Cathedral, a beautiful Russian Orthodox cathedral surrounded by greenery.

Inside, I noticed that the religious decorations were mostly paintings rather than the three-dimensional sculptures I'd expected. I ended up sitting on a bench in the nearby park, reading about Christianity and wondering how a religion could remain so influential for nearly two thousand years.

That evening, I walked around four kilometers back to my hostel, grabbed a samsa along the way, and bought a small burger for dinner.

Nothing particularly extraordinary happened. But somehow, it was one of the most enjoyable days of my trip.

Good for: Colorful architecture, bright urban scenes, street photography, and subjects that benefit from a bold, playful visual style.

Not for: Subtle, naturally colored documentary photography, quiet and melancholic scenes, or situations where accurate color reproduction is essential.

What's Next

Kazakhstan surprised me.

I arrived in Almaty feeling uncomfortable and overwhelmed by the language barrier. Five days later, I was wandering through its streets, appreciating the architecture, enjoying the greenery, and wishing I'd spent a little more time exploring.

I also learned that hiking Mount Rinjani hadn't magically cured my fear of heights. But with a little encouragement from someone I'd only just met, I managed to push myself further than I expected.

Looking back, I didn't take as many photos as I thought I would. I spent quite a bit of time working on my app, resting, and simply living through the journey. And that's fine.

Not every day needs to be an adventure, and not every beautiful moment needs to become a photograph.

On September 3, I boarded a train out of Almaty, leaving behind a city that had slowly grown on me.

Next in this series: Uzbekistan, as my 110-day backpacking journey continues across Central Asia.