It's like a Windows desktop screensaver'

Take in picturesque views while in Kazakhstan, the world's largest landlocked country

- Kolette Lim

ALMATY - I am strolling on a plateau 2,500m above sea level, stopping every minute to take in the view.

From the Assy Plateau, a stretch of highland nestled in Kazakhstan's Ile-Alatau National Park, I gaze at a picture of pastoral harmony. Cattle graze on boundless pastures against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains. I hear only the wind.

Zhantore, a Kazakhstani guide, speaks my mind: "It's like a Windows desktop screensaver."

The beady eyes of two brown cows follow my every step as I skirt around the edge of the plain. There seems to be no end to the vast land before me.

Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world, and the ninth-largest overall. According to data from the World Bank, 98 per cent of the country's land is rural - vast swathes of countryside with few human habitants.

"Nature is what we have to offer tourists," says Zhantore.

In recent years, Kazakhstan has rolled out a series of policies and campaigns to boost tourist numbers. In January, for instance, it abolished a tourist tax of between $1.80 and $4.60 a day after implementing it for a year, reducing travel expenses and hassle.

And in March, low-cost carrier AirAsia launched non-stop flights from Kuala Lumpur to Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city. My journey from Singapore took slightly more than 11 hours, inclusive of a layover.

The Almaty region, once a stop along the Silk Road, is now home to countless nationalities. In the city centre, a hole-in-the-wall doner kebab stall is wedged between a Korean restaurant and a modest eatery serving local dishes. Streets are tranquil and stray pigeons are fed generously by locals.

Winters bring layers of pristine snow and biting sub-zero temperatures. The city previously made two bids to host the Winter Olympics for the 2014 and 2022 Games. Although it has yet to win, Shymbulak ski resort and Medeu skating rink, both on the outskirts of Almaty, are first-rate.