Almaty

No! Indian passport holders get 14 days visa-free entry on arrival. Just get your passport stamped at immigration. If you stay longer than 3 days, your hotel must register you with the migration police.

Yes, very safe. Violent crime is rare. Just use Yandex Go for cabs instead of hailing them off the street, and exercise standard nighttime caution around bars.

In Almaty city, it's easy. There are Indian restaurants (Spice Mantra, Tandoor), and Georgian restaurants are a lifesaver (order Khachapuri - cheese bread). Outside the city on day trips, pack your own snacks or ready-to-eat meals.

INR is useless there. Carry crisp, uncreased, new USD bills (post-2013) to exchange for Kazakh Tenge (KZT) at the airport or city exchange booths. A Zero Forex card (like Niyo) works beautifully at most city establishments.

5 to 6 days is the sweet spot. 2 days for the city and Shymbulak, 2 days for a Kolsai/Charyn Canyon trip, and 1 buffer day for shopping and nightlife.

You need an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside your Indian license. However, Yandex cabs are so incredibly cheap that renting a car is often more hassle than it's worth.

Kaspi is Kazakhstan's version of UPI, used for everything. Unfortunately, tourists can't easily get a Kaspi account without a local tax number (IIN). Stick to cash and international credit/forex cards.

No, stick to bottled water. When buying water, say 'bez gaza' (without gas/still) unless you want sparkling water ('s gazom').