Askhat created
Almaty (Kazakh: Алматы) formerly known as Alma-Ata and Verny, is the largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of 1,703,481 people, containing 9% of the country's total population. It served as capital of the Kazakh state in its various forms from 1929 to 1997, under the influence of the then Soviet Union and its appointees. Alma-Ata was the host city for a 1978 international conference on Primary Health Care where the Alma Ata Declaration was adopted, marking a paradigm shift in global public health. In 1997, the government relocated the capital to Astana in the north of the country. Almaty continues as the major commercial and cultural centre of Kazakhstan, as well as its biggest population center. The city is located in the mountainous area of southern Kazakhstan in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau at an elevation of 2,300–3,000 feet (700–900 m), where the Large and Small Almatinka rivers run into the plain. Programme: 10:00 - 12:00 Medeo and Shymbulak 12:30 - Lunch at local restaurant in Almaty 14:00 - BAL, Observatory 17:00 - Sunkar Falconry center 18:30 - Dinner in Kazakh cuisine 19:30 - Drive to Kok-Tobe by gondola, night Almaty 15,500+ VND
