The hook
Kazakhstan's green former capital, sitting right under the snow peaks of the Tian Shan, in the region where the apple is thought to have first grown wild.
01Why it's worth it
Almaty is the most livable and likeable city in Central Asia, a tree-lined grid of parks, cafés, and Soviet and modern architecture backed by a wall of high mountains that you can reach by cable car or a short drive. Its name is tied to the apple, and the wild apple forests of this region are believed to be the ancestor of the fruit we eat. The real draw is what surrounds it: the alpine valleys and lakes of the Tian Shan, the turquoise Big Almaty Lake, ski slopes and the Medeu skating rink above town, and, a couple of hours east, the layered red rock of Charyn Canyon, sometimes likened to a small Grand Canyon. It makes a comfortable, well-fed base for mountain days, and a soft introduction to a region that can be hard travelling.
02How to experience it
Use the city as a base and head for the mountains: the cable car and slopes above town, Big Almaty Lake, and a day trip to Charyn Canyon. Enjoy the café and food scene, and try the horse-meat dishes and fermented mare's milk if you're game. Summer for hiking, winter for snow.