Originally Posted by
gnargel
Think the cheapest way of getting to Kazakhstan (from Europe) is with Air Baltic. Used them to fly to Uzbekistan last October (one way $ 150 from Amsterdam).
If you are looking for a more well-known airline, Lufthansa flies to both Almaty and Astana as does Turkish.
I went to Almaty for business, so didn't do any sightseeing to speak of. There are beautiful mountains just to the south of Almaty which you could probably hike in, and across the border in Kyrgyzstan is Issyk Kul, one of the highest lakes (and deepest) lakes in the world.