Best pool in the region. An eight-lane 50m heated outdoor pool at the foot of the jagged Tien Shan mountains. An oasis of clear blue water and some peace in the heat of Central Asia's busiest city. Great for laps, sunbathing, watching the national teams train and local beauties parade. Bring flip flops and shower before swimming - the attendants are old Soviet sticklers for cleanliness.

On Abay Avenue next to the Central Stadium (bus stop 'Centralni Stadion'). tel Almaty 2924053.

Google map: tinyurl.com/3xh4e7f

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The name says it all. On Fridays and Saturdays some good live music bands can be found here too, playing a mixture of salsa, funk, jazz and soul covers. Fantastic atmosphere, not too crowded and always friendly.

Bogenbai Batyr St., corner Dostyk St., Almaty, Kazakhstan - easily spotted by the murals on the outside, and well known by all taxi drivers as the place seems to be a bit of an Almaty institution!
Salsa and other live music Friday–Sunday
Thursdays - free entrance and salsa classes at 9pm

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Conveniently located just 25 minutes from Almaty (the former capital of Kazakhstan in the south east of the country), Chimbulak currently boasts the best facilities Kazakhstan, and some say Central Asia, has to offer. Popular with the President and often overcrowded at weekends, Chimbulak's four chairlifts and pisted slopes offer an enjoyable day out for skiers and snowboarders alike. From the Talgar Pass at 3,613m to the main lodge at 2,260m, the resort offers a respectable vertical drop of nearly 1,000m. A steaming samovar, a cup of hot chocolate or a quick shot of warming vodka greet you on a welcoming bench at the top of the highest slope before skiing down to the bottom with magnificent views towards Almaty and across the Kazakh steppe.

Almaty is in south east Kazakhstan. There are direct flights there from London.

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