🚨10 Things you must know for planning a trip to KAZAKHSTAN 🇰🇿 A beautiful, affordable and underrated gem of Central Asia 🌏
This Guide has everything from FOREX to VISA to BUDGET and will help plan your trip better💰
So let's delve in, shall we🤌
Last Summer we spent a few days in Gurez Valley - an offbeat Gem in Kashmir ⛅
Just a 5 hour drive from Srinagar, took us to this unexplored Paradise which is stunning beyond words and practically untouched by mass tourism 🏔️
Sharing my 4 day Travel Sojourn👇
Join Along ⬇️
🚨Ultimate Guide for Vegetarians in Japan 🥗🇯🇵
Finding Veg food in 🇯🇵isn't easy , but if you know the exact dishes to try, you'll love the cuisine and appreciate the art of making it 🤌
This 🧵with Vegan/ Veg dishes with Restaurant recos is all you need for your 🇯🇵 trip 👇
Visited Turkey last year exploring it's vibrant cities and beautiful landscapes 💜
A country where the East meets the West, quite literally 🤌
🇹🇷Sharing a 10 Day Turkey Itinerary, perfect for first time visitors ✈️
🧵Turkey Itinerary - a thread 👇
Fastest upgrade to Infinia Metal !
Got the email yesterday and the card today . Super quick
Also with news kicking in today, this came in at the right time :)
#ccgeek
By considering these points, you can ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip to 🇰🇿 from India 🇮🇳
Writing these 🧵take a lot of time and effort, so 🩷 Bookmark🔖 & Repost 🔁 if you found useful 💛
& Follow our journey on Insta for more such details 🙌
Here's how 10 days in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan looked like 🇰🇿🇺🇿
Both these countries offered a unique blend of stunning landscapes, rich history, and vibrant cultures. Kazakhstan's vast steppes and modern cities contrast with Uzbekistan's ancient Silk Road cities, featuring
Visa Free Countries for Indians 🇮🇳
I've compiled a list of 1️⃣0️⃣ Countries that you can visit w/o Visa Fee.
For some countries visa fee rebate is only for a short while, so make the best of it 📢
🧵below has details, tips & city suggestions for your 2024 plans✈️
Let's Go 👇
Final thoughts -
Hope these details help and convince you to plan a trip to 🇰🇿 soon 🙌
You can club it with Uzbekistan(like we did) and also add Kyrgyzstan to your itinerary if you are keen.
Given these countries are very closely located, it's easy to travel between them 🔁
Visited ITALY last September and had a great time indulging in the beautiful historical experiences and devouring some of the finest Pizzas 🍕 and Pastas🍝
🇮🇹Sharing a 10 day Itinerary which should be very useful for first time visitors 🫰🤌
🧵Italy Itinerary - Thread below ⬇️
I hope you liked the thread and it inspires you to travel to offbeat destinations in Kashmir
Once in a while we really like taking such trips for the soul . It feels very relaxing 😇 ✨
❤️ and 🔁 so that it makes someone's holiday memorable.
3) SIM Card 📱
Upon arrival, you can buy a local SIM card at the airport or within the city as well. Popular providers include Beeline, Kcell, and Tele2.
We opted for Tele 2 and paid ~INR 1000 for a 35GB pack for 30 days which also allowed unlimited data for social media apps
@vivekshukla
What a sad analogy ! The temple is now capable of handling a huge audience without any dakshina etc which earlier was the most inconvenient thing to do without the help of Pandas asking whatever rate they wanted to .Not opting for development is a very regressive ideology and
🏕️Gurez is famous for its scenic camping locations beside the Kishanganga River with a backdrop of the beautiful Habba Khatoon Peak.
We stayed at the 📍Cocoon Resort which had luxury Glamps with attached washrooms.
There are hotels as well that can be opted for.
Day 2️⃣
🏔️Depart for Gurez
🚘 Drive ideally takes 5 hours from Srinagar but practically goes upto 6-7 hrs with small breaks at the Manasbal Lake, Vular Lake, Razdan Pass and Kishanganga dam. The views en route are just too beautiful that you wouldn't wanna miss 🥹
2) Visa 🛂
Indians are offered a Free 14 day Visa on Arrival .
Whilst we weren't asked any questions by the Immigration officer, but remember to carry your return tickets, hotel bookings etc as proof if asked 🙌
Day 1️⃣
✈️Landed in Srinagar
🛶Checked into a houseboat in Nigeen Lake which was very tastefully done.📍ITC Gurkha Houseboat
🌻Nigeen Lake is not only less crowded, but also more beautiful than the Dal Lake and a shikara ride is a must 🤌
10) Is it Safe/Worth visiting ?
YES 💯
🇰🇿 is quite underrated. Offers stunning landscapes and city life at almost 1/2 the price of the popular destinations.
It's safe, clean and very tourist friendly.
Launguage is a bit of a barrier but can be easily managed with G Translate💁
4) Forex 💱
🇰🇿 uses Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT) The current Exchange rate is around 5.3 Tenge for 1 INR
Most places accept Cash only so you'll definitely require a lot of 💵
Best is to get USD from 🇮🇳and get it exchanged at the airport for Tenge (rates offered are good !)
1) Flights✈️
Almaty is just a 3 hour direct flight from Delhi with Indigo and Air Astana. FlyArystan has direct flights from Mum.
Flights to 🇰🇿 are no longer very cheap as it was last year and shd be around INR 25-35k RT now as an estimate,+/- will be there
*Image from Google👇*
There is a cafe run by an Army Guy called Log Hut Cafe where you can relish some Coffee , Maggi and Sandwiches.
Restaurants here are mostly home-run but serve some of the most delectable Rajma Chawal and Mushroom Matar that I've had in my entire life 🤤
8. Best Time to Visit ⛅
Every season here has different things to offer 🤌
Whilst Winter(Dec-Feb) turns it into a Snowy Paradise❄️, the summer months (May/June) are great for hikes and to witness Turquoise blue lakes ☀️
Fall months (Sep/Oct) are equally popular for views 🍂🍁
7) Minimum No of Days for sightseeing 🏔️🚠
It's always subjective on what your interests are but min 4/5 days can give you a good glimpse of this beautiful country. This includes 2 days of Almaty and remaining to explore Kaindy Lake, Kolsai Lake and the beautiful canyons.
Posted a thread from one of my favourite travel destinations in India ✨💜
Since it's the perfect time to visit Kashmir in the upcoming months - do think of adding offbeat destinations like Gurez Valley to your list ✨
Last Summer we spent a few days in Gurez Valley - an offbeat Gem in Kashmir ⛅
Just a 5 hour drive from Srinagar, took us to this unexplored Paradise which is stunning beyond words and practically untouched by mass tourism 🏔️
Sharing my 4 day Travel Sojourn👇
Join Along ⬇️
Vegetarians and vegans may find fewer options, but there dishes always available to try from the local cuisine itself ! You just need to be open to try them :)
Moreover - there are many cafes and restaurants(incl Indian) so you'll not have much issue!
Fruits here are so good🤌
The entire road to these villages has the Kishanganga River flowing on one side. We decided to stop at this random place where we sat for hours and enjoy the views that surrounded us.
This was indeed the best part of this trip - having such beautiful places all to ourselves 💕
6) Travelling 🚗
Travelling within Kazakhastan is quite seamless.
They have a good network of public transport like trains and buses, however within Almaty, Cabs are conveniently available and quite affordable. Download apps like Yandex (similar to Uber) & you're good to go 🙌
On the way to Srinagar, we decided to take a stop at 📍Bagtore.
Again, this place is not at the tourist map at all.
Vast stretches of beautiful Meadows with Horses 🐴 grazing on the grass. Can give the famous Aru and Betaab Valley a tough competition ✨
Day 3️⃣
Headed out to explore the villages today.
Visited
🔹Tulail Valley
🔹 Sheikhpura Village - here you can interact with the locals and also get to experience thier way of living. They stay in beautiful Wooden houses thats truly one of a kind ✨🤌
🔹Chakwali - last village
For travelling to the countryside within 🇰🇿 to explore the lakes, Canyons and National Parks, you can either self drive using Car Rental(IDP required) or go for guided tours offering multiple options incl. 2 day trips.
Recommended operators are Banana, KK Tours & Steppe Spirit.
You can also use Forex Debit Cards like Go Niyo/FI etc but from my experience the charges of withdrawal/ATM were quite high !
Wherever Card was accepted, we preferred to use our credit card 💳 but mostly it was only Hotels/Restaurants.
⚠️ With places like Kashmir , It's always best to go with a local agent who does bookings for you .
For my last two trips I've used services of a Travel Advisor who has given lower hotel rates than online and also the best drivers .
DM if you need his number.
Towards the sunset, we head to the Habba Hatoon Springs for which you need to take a short hike 🏔️
The sunset here was very beautiful and we experienced very gorgeous skies that day.
Also having water from the spring was such a luxury !
Budget is a very subjective term. I've seen folks do a backpack Trip here for as low as INR 40k pp and that's completely doable too 🙌
Depends on your travel style.
We are mid range travellers who like to have a few luxury experiences and still found everything very affordable.
5) Food 🍽️🍲
Kazakh cuisine features meat-based dishes, dairy products and breads. Popular dishes include Beshbarmak (boiled meat with noodles) and Kazy (horse meat sausage).
Video and pics below from food cooked by our host at Saty Village
That noodle soup is meat based.
Day5️⃣ we took our flight back 🥹
Although this was my second trip to Kashmir but the choice of destination, i.e Gurez Valley truly made it one of a kind ✨
No doubt this place is extremely beautiful but what makes it even more special is the warmth of the locals 🤌✨
ℹ️ cont'd
🔹I have a trusted travel advisor in Kashmir who did the bookings etc for me (DM for his details if you need).
🔹Gurez doesn't have luxury stay options. It's very similar to Pangong Tso in Ladakh so expect to get only tents(luxury as well) and basic Hotels.
By the time we reached our camp, we were already quite tired so the guys at the camp set up a bonfire for us and we had some beautiful conversations with the fellow folks at the camp and also stargazed for a long long time ✨ (This is true luxury that city life doesn't offer us)
Firstly some basics ℹ️
🔹You can visit Gurez only in Summer Months of Apr-Oct. Due to heavy snow at Razdan Pass it's closed during winters.
🔹You'll need to hire a car for travels here and 2/3 days RT from Srinagar costs approx 15-20k
🔹Day Trip isn't possible from Srinagar.
If you have more than 4/5 days then also suggest visiting
🔹Bangus Valley
🔹 Yousmarg
🔹 Pahalgam
🔹 Gulmarg
Whilst the first two are off beat destinations, Gulmarg and Pahalgam are popular tourist attractions ✨
9) Budget 💰
One of the MOST AFFORDABLE countries 🙌
From Transport to Tours to Stays- everything was quite affordable.
Good hotels are available from 3/5k INR onwards, and budget is even lower.
Tour prices are also quite affordable ranging from 3-6k pp for 1 or 2 day tours.
You can also travel to other stan countries like Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. There are direct flights, trains and even buses that will make this Inter Country Travel quite affordable and seamless.
For example - Uzbekistan is a 16 hour 🚂 away from Almaty for just 3/4k INR !
🔹Gurez was only opened for tourism only a few years back and there are various Army checkpoints that need to be crossed as this place is quite close to LOC.
However it was very well managed and felt completely safe ✨
Let's get to the Itinerary now 🤌
Day 4️⃣
Our Camp had a beautiful deck overlooking the river where they served amazing Breakfast. Today we decided to sit there at peace and enjoy the views.
Later we checked out and with a heavy heart but adieu to the wonderful folks we met at the camp, including the staff.
🔸Inari Sushi🔸
Inari sushi is a vinegered rice ball rolled in fried Tofu skin. It's a popular snack and can be found in many convenience stores and restaurants.
Loved this even more than the traditional sushi - was so good 🤤
📍7/11 Stores
📍Local Japanese Eateries
Ladakh - One of the most beautiful travel destinations in India 🇮🇳
With vivid landscapes, picturesque views and wonderful roads - this place truly leaves you mesmerized and in awe of its beauty 🏞️
Here's a perfect 9 Day Itinerary for Ladakh.
Leave suggestion -5 days off+weekend✅
📝Most of these villages in Gurez are near the LOC and hence require permits from the Indian Army to enter and exit. Our driver managed this for us.
Experiencing LOC upclose was definitely something that gave me goosebumps as I had only read of these places on news channels.
We reached Srinagar at night crossing some interesting towns and most of these places had been completely cut off from tourists all this while.
It was interesting to see these local markets en route where we also bought some fresh fruits and spices.
Stayed O/N at Srinagar.
Back to the camp and had a homely dinner once again ✨
Later also had some Maggi and heard stories from fellow travellers about Wild Bears that are very frequent visitors' to these river side camps.
Although scared, we wanted to see the 🐻, but we didn't 😅
🌌
🔸Okonomiyaki🔸
Famous in Osaka and Hiroshima, this savory pancake is made with a variety of ingredients, including cabbage, flour, eggs, and meat or seafood. The vegan version is typically made with veggies and is topped with vegan sauces
📍Nagataya, Hiroshima
📍OKO, Osaka.
This guide is all you need if you're worried about traveling as a Vegetarian in Japan 🥗✴️
I wish I had something like this when I was planning!
Took a lot of time to compile this so pls do Repost 🔁 and DM for the Google Maps link with over 30 trusted Veg restaurant reccos ✨
🚨Ultimate Guide for Vegetarians in Japan 🥗🇯🇵
Finding Veg food in 🇯🇵isn't easy , but if you know the exact dishes to try, you'll love the cuisine and appreciate the art of making it 🤌
This 🧵with Vegan/ Veg dishes with Restaurant recos is all you need for your 🇯🇵 trip 👇
Hope this Kazakhastan Thread/Guide is useful for folks to plan a trip 🇰🇿🙌
Shall post an Itinerary soon but until then do have a read at the basics and do share with someone planning to visit 💛🔖🔁
🚨10 Things you must know for planning a trip to KAZAKHSTAN 🇰🇿 A beautiful, affordable and underrated gem of Central Asia 🌏
This Guide has everything from FOREX to VISA to BUDGET and will help plan your trip better💰
So let's delve in, shall we🤌
Will not renew my Vistara Infinite this year ❌
Got it last year at the time when they waived off Annual fee on certain spends . Accrued 4 business class tickets as well of which 2 are already used.
But the Annual fee of 11800 isn't justified anymore for me and here's why 👇
🚨 𝟳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻🚨
Japan is a dream destination for many travelers and now in one of the Top 3 countries I've visited.
Easy to plan & navigate if you know few basics
The below 🧵should be helpful for some Key Tips ✴️
I hope the Vegetarians and also the ones who are not 😅 find this thread useful 🤗✨
Compiling them takes a lot of time and Effort so pls :
♥️Like
🔖 Bookmark
and
🔁 Repost
Also let me know in comments on what next should I post to make your Japan trip planning easy 🇯🇵
Nothing like travelling in India 🇮🇳
Here are my Top 7️⃣ from travels across my country.
When it comes to stunning landscapes, diverse cultures, culinary delight and impeccable hospitality - India truly is exceptional.
I'm yet to explore more so Part 2 will definitely come soon 🤌
🔸Japanese Set Meal 🔸
Known as teishoku, this is a complete meal that consists of a Tempura, a Tofu Hot Pot, Rice, miso soup, and a few side dishes including pickles. A popular choice for lunch and dinner, and often served at Japanese restaurants and cafes.
📍Klover Tei, Kyoto
@BDUTT
We are also glad that you're not associated with the industry anymore !
You're no less than a gossipmonker
@BDUTT
!
Your game is also biased and you've swimmed the dirty waters too !
So you actually don't have the right to comment all this 🤣
🔸Vegan Ramen🔸
You can't come back from Japan without having a good Ramen.
This is a soupy Noodle dish, the veggie version of which is often made with Soy Broth, grilled veggies and mock meat.
You'll love this for sure 🍜
📍Vegan Bistro Jangara
📍Ts tantan
🔸Sando🔸
This Japanese sandwich is made with shokupan, a soft, fluffy bread. The fillings for sandos can vary widely, but some popular veg choices include Whipped Cream and Fruits 🥝
If you have 🥚, do not forget to have the Egg Sando.
📍7/11
🔸Tempura🔸
Vegetable tempura is a popular Japanese dish made with battered and deep-fried vegetables. Some popular vegetables for tempura include aubergine (eggplant), kabocha (winter squash), and piman (green bell pepper).
📍Tendon Tenya
🗺️ 📍Have created a Google Maps link with more than 30 trusted Vegan and Veg eateries all across Japan 🇯🇵
Do Repost this thread 🔁 and DM once done, I'll share the link with you 🤗.
Trust me , it would be super handy for your Japan Trip 💎
🔸Sushi 🔸
It's no surprise that Japan has some of the best Sushi Itamae(Chef's) in the World.
Although not the best but you'll find some amazing veg sushi options here in 🥒,🥑, pickled raddish and 🌽
📍Gonpachi Sushi
📍Kura Sushi Outlets
Mumbai's Loyalty Lounge might probably be the most shabby and poorly managed Lounges of all the major cities in India.
Could never really understand why a city like Mumbai cant have one good decent lounge for non business passengers?
If Blr/Del can, why can't Mumbai 🤔
Christmas in London coming to Life 🇬🇧
Although I'm well travelled, this one was special as it was my first 10+ hours flight ! Generally prefer layovers but this time chose a direct flight from MUM to LHR and it was super smooth via
@VirginAtlantic
🤌
Drop in your London reccos 💛
What's the most charming city you've been to ?
For me It's Florence in Italy🇮🇹
I was in awe as soon as I saw the Duomo. So beautiful 🤌
The buildings and monuments in Florence are so well preserved that the entire city feels like an open air museum ✨
Serene Lake Views midst the Mumbai Madness 🏝️🏙️
Our stay at the Westin Mumbai Powai Lake has been much better than previous Marriot stays in Mumbai(Regis and Marriot Juhu) and mostly because the property was less crowded & quite Service focused 🎯
Redemption details below ⬇️
🔸Yakisoba🔸
This stir-fried noodle dish is
primarily made with meat, but ask the restaurant to make it with Veggies , with No MEAT/ NO Egg as per your preference!
Be careful of Sauces as some have fish too.
Ask them to use simple soy sauce and spices!
📍Nishiki Market, Kyoto
🔸Udon🔸
Thick Japanese noodle that can be stir-fried with a variety of vegetables and tofu. This is a delicious dish that is perfect for a cold day.
Most Japanese outlets serve udon but check particularly for Vegan options as the broth often has meat/fish.
📍 Injoy, Tokyo
I had tweeted this a few months back that it's really difficult to put trust in the new age CCs.
@getscapia
reducing limits and cancelling cards at its own whim is so absurd !
When travelling internationally you need a reliable and trustworthy CC and best to always have backups!
#ccgeek
community,
Thoughts on this Credit Card ?
After Slice , I personally don't trust any random card but since this one rewards for Travel + zero Forex mark up - need to see what's in store .
🔸Indian Restaurants 🍛🔸
For people who need Indian Food on their trips - Japan has many options.
While Tokyo has many, Osaka and Kyoto had fewer options.
They serve decent Indian food but their Naan's are excellent and extremely fluffy !
📍Downtown B's Indian, Tokyo
🔸Ready to Eat Food - Back Up 🔸
We always carry Ready to Eat Curries, Rice and also Wai Wai (can be eaten raw as well as cooked ) on days when we want a quick fix and I suggest you should too.
🍙Salted cooked rice is available in Convenience stores so that' a Win !
Meet and Greet Service for the one last time yesterday at RGIA, Hyderabad.
Everything was so smooth and Impeccable Service by both these ladies ✨🙏
Will definitely miss this perk that came with a few Axis Cards.
Was very convenient when travelling with Senior Parents 🤍
🔸Gyoza🔸
Gyoza (餃子) are Japanese dumplings made with a thin dough wrapper. The veggie ones are usually made with cabbage and mushrooms, are pan-fried and served with a dipping sauce .
Perfect as starter, loved these the most on my trip 🥟
📍T's tantan
📍Izakaya Masaka
I have accrued 2 Business Class tickets through Axis Vistara Infinite .
However I'm planning to close that Card by December.
My question is - Can I use the business Class ticket even after closing the card ? Will it still reflect on my Vistara Account ?
#ccgeek
One More to the Visa Free List 🎉🦁Kenya to become Visa Free from Jan, 2024 🇮🇳
🚨Few things to note -
➕Yellow Fever Vaccine is mandatory
➕Masai Mara Park Charges are 100 USD pp from Jan,24 and set to increase to 200 USD pp from July,24
➕Direct flights from Mumbai and Delhi
Thanks so much for the appreciation and love on the Turkey and Italy Itinerary threads .
Next planning to do an Itinerary for one of my favourite Travel destinations in India 🇮🇳
I was mind blown after I visited this place.Can you guess which one ?
Hint - It's a Union territory ☺️
🔸Familar Veg Dishes 1/2🔸
🥙Falafel Pita Wraps - There were quite many Turkish Kebap outlets in Tokyo serving delish Pita Falafel wraps.
We tried📍Falafel Brothers
🍕 Pizza - There Italian Joints all across 🇯🇵.
Margarita Pizza and basic Pasta is available almost everywhere.
The ultimate food guide to eating out in Italy 🇮🇹🍕
As someone who travels for the love of food , fell in love with the cuisine all the more on our trip here. The ingredients, the texture and the taste - all spot on🤌
Here's everything we ate as Vegetarians in Italy 🇮🇹🌿
🔸 Familar Veg Dishes 2/2🔸
🍔Vegan Burgers are available in a few places. Not the best but helps with craving .
📍MOS Burger outlets across 🇯🇵
📍 Doutour
This was our staple breakfast for which we often grabbed from Dotour(Coffee outlet chain almost everywhere in 🇯🇵)
Japan has tons of Sweet Treats and Cakes so if you have a sweet tooth , you'll love trying the wide variety of desserts here .
Let me know in the comments if you want me to do a thread on Sweets and desserts too ✨🤤
Offbeat destination in India🇮🇳
Amazed at the pure untouched beauty we experienced last week.
Hello from "Gurez Valley" in Kashmir ⛰️
The thrill of being so close to LOC and going to places with few to no tourists felt absolutely Surreal 🙌
Elated and Very Happy to see this thread reach so many folks
So many of you found it useful and more than 2000 people have bookmarked 🔖
So what should we do next - Desserts to try in Japan 🍡🤤?
🚨Ultimate Guide for Vegetarians in Japan 🥗🇯🇵
Finding Veg food in 🇯🇵isn't easy , but if you know the exact dishes to try, you'll love the cuisine and appreciate the art of making it 🤌
This 🧵with Vegan/ Veg dishes with Restaurant recos is all you need for your 🇯🇵 trip 👇
It's been a little more than a month that I'm back from Japan 🇯🇵 but the travel memories will remain forever ♾️
Japan left us inspired with its unique blend of Culture and Technology - a place like no other!
I hope to share useful information from my trip in the coming days
@ShenazTreasury
What is this irresponsible behaviour where you are following a Geisha in Japan, leave aside just taking pics ? 😵💫
No respect for their privacy - have you stopped so low ?
Coz of people like her that certain districts in Gion,Kyoto have been banned from Tourists !
@EncalmIndia
Your lounge entry at the Delhi International Airport is highly mismanaged !
What's the point of making an app and generating the QR for lounge access when ultimately the customer has to queue up ?
This is really very inefficient way of managing the entry.
7️⃣ Kazakhstan 🇰🇿
🔹14 day Free Visa on Arrival. Direct flights from Del and Mum
🔹 Beautiful landscapes that turns into Snowland ❄️ during winters
🔹Almaty City > Big Almaty Lake >Kolsai and Kandy Lakes > Charyn Canyons are some of the must visits for first time travellers 🧳
Hello
#ccgeeks
Has anyone accessed the Encalm Arrival Lounge in Delhi ? Any specific points to note ?
I have a very long transit in Delhi which would require terminals change. I plan to use for the same.
Any restriction on the number of hours you can use the lounge for ?