The Oi Qaragai mountain resort, named after the gorge which dominates its territory, dates back 15 years, in its current form, and is a comprehensive leisure facility that operates all year round.
Almaty is also a comprehensive leisure facility, in a manner of speaking, but a city defined in part by the mountains that dominate the southern views, so for anybody inclined to the great outdoors, these options, a short hop from the busy city, are worth checking out.
A bus ride, bike ride, or short car journey will get people to Oi Qaragai (as will a hike, if more time is available), but in this case, we might disagree with the Buddhists who claim that happiness is a journey rather than a destination, given the number of things to do when you get there.
Over half a million visitors come to Oi Qaragai each year, with 10% or more from other countries, notably Arab states or India, but westerners show their faces with regularity, too.
As the resort sees itself as a tourist destination, the influx of this latter 10% is a crucial part of its plans, to which end the complex is being developed with their custom in mind, not merely the activities, which tend to appeal across the board, but English-speaking staff and more information being made available in English.
This may not be a new commitment, in truth, but it’s part of the whole international focus, which means a lot to Artyom Yakupov, who has been part of the marketing team at Oi Qaragai since May 2025. He confirmed what I noticed about their pledge to welcome people from all over the world:
“Yes, we have an international focus. We’re a tourism structure, a tourist destination. And accordingly, we have domestic tourism. These are people who come from Kazakhstan. But there’s also international tourism, inbound tourism.
“Many of our guests are from the local area, and they come up in summer to cool off a bit, as you know how hot Almaty gets in summer.”
Artyom accepts that many people still call the resort Lesnaya Skazka, which in English roughly translates as Forest Fairytale, but the whole complex covers far more territory than the former Soviet destination, therefore should correctly be known as Oi Qaragai, but whatever people choose to call it, the end result means more to the 1,000 staff, half of which seasonal, so people leaving happy is what matters most.
Oi Qaragai is 15 years old in its current form, Lesnaya Skazka dating back much further, as mentioned, but the current complex has its origins a decade and a half ago, not least because the former park was abandoned after the Soviet Union wound up operations in 1991.
“Officially, it’s 15 years since the resort opened, and this summer, in July, we’ll be celebrating the resort’s anniversary. And it all started where I picked you up.”
I had travelled up by bus, and as it was my first time, I hadn’t checked where to get off.
Put simply, I underestimated the scale of the operation, and it would have been half an hour to walk back to Artyom’s office. I was grateful for the lift and, not quite acclimatised to the cool mountain breezes, rolled my sleeves down as Artyom told me the story of how the all-season resort came back into being.
“After the previous site was closed, it was redundant for some time, and then our owner acquired this land. He built a recreation area on this site, probably similar to the previous park to begin with, but then it started to grow.
“Accommodation and restaurants came first. Then several quality ski slopes for all levels of ability. And then came the realisation that all this could expand. A lot can be done here, so over time, over the years, new land began to be added.
“There is a restaurant here, and there is a kitchen centre here. This is another location. It opened a little later, in 2014-2015. And then, in early 2025, a little over a year and a half ago, we opened another location – Aqtas.
“Aqtas has been open to visitors since early 2025, and will feature a new cable car, new viewing platforms, a restaurant complex, and apartments. A bar, glamping areas, and activities, along with the new slopes, have been available for over a year.
“Aqtas is currently being actively developed and built. There are also new ski slopes there, separate from the original ones. There’s a new restaurant there. Apartments are being built there as we speak.”
Oi Qaragai changes every month, in truth, as funds are invested by many people, and the owners themselves, so even for guests who went there a month or so ago, they are likely to find something new next time they go.
Kazakhstan is widely known for being a country whose culinary options revolve around meat, so no surprise when you learn that such sustenance is a rich feature of Oi Qaragai, Kazakh food, grill, European cuisine – but vegetarians will be able to find something to suit them, too.
Clever planning enables this leisure complex to stay open all year round, rather than focus on a handful of activities requiring snow. Artyom gave me a list:
“Horseback riding. Aport Coaster, like a roller coaster. Then we have a catapult, swings, archery, a rope course, and a zipline park with a whole network of ziplines running through the gorge.”
“Plus, a lot for children. There are two centres for them; one centre and one club where educators work with kids from three years old. You can find children’s activities and programmes. And in the summer, a children’s camp starts each Monday. Every week, there will be a new intake, the youngsters will come, and they will be kept busy, for sure.
“Then, for those who enjoy a more relaxing vacation, there’s a spa complex and a sauna. And for those who enjoy hiking, this location has always been popular with hikers and trekkers because we offer a large network of hiking trails here. From here, you can walk to Medeu, Shymbulak, and Bukreev Peak.”
There is also a social programme, perhaps for people to enjoy after the outdoor stuff, but also for those who come purposefully for concerts at the Panorama Plaza. Of special note is the Spekto Electronic Music Festival, which was a success, in spite of the thunderstorm, when held for the first time in 2025. The 4,000 guests are looking forward to this year’s event, coming up on 20 June.
The calendar also inspires events, Hallowe’en and Oktoberfest, both held at the resort.
Like any mountain resort, most people come in winter, so the busiest months are from mid-December to mid-March because of the abundance of snow.
“Generally, visiting the resort is free. If you want to use the cable cars, you can purchase a single ticket, either for one lift or for all of them. We have a combination ticket, which allows you to use different parts of the resort and travel between them using the cable cars.
“And in winter, there’s a pass for skiers and snowboarders. There’s a day pass for morning, evening, and full-day passes. Then also a pass which you can buy for the entire season. We start selling this seasonal ski pass at the end of summer as a pre-sale, and it is valid for all cable cars throughout the season.
“We also have a team, and we take part in international Alpine skiing competitions,” explained Artyom, adding that over 100 ski and snowboard coaches are active during the winter months.
“And in the summer, several competitions are held here in trail running. We host the Irbis Race and Race Nation, an obstacle course race”
Two equestrian centres will shortly be joined by a third, where up to 20 people at any one time will be able to ride out on the well-trained horses for miles. Shorter rides may take 5 minutes, but some may take six hours, covering the entire area. This is one of the main attractions for foreigners, according to statistics.
Across various countries in the region, there is a combined initiative to improve the experience of visiting mountains, and the Eurasian Mountain Resort Alliance involves the contribution of resorts in Kazakhstan, as well as those from Azerbaijan, Russia, and Uzbekistan.
Representatives recently got together for a week in Oi Qaragai with many officials present to discuss the challenges and opportunities, and in terms of official liaison, there is an active tourist board called Visit Almaty and Visit Alatau.
“Almaty is the city’s tourism bureau, Alatau is the tourism bureau of the Almaty Region. We are technically located in the region, rather than the city, but we work with both.”
