Lovers Park

The sense of ritual is just moments after passing through the arch, officially entering the park with two large football fields. Both sides are different buildings, cramped or loose, and some scattered urban sculptures. It is a great place to walk, but don't be in direct sunlight because it is too open and almost nowhere to be wedged. The Nur Astana Mosque, built over three years, has become the largest mosque in Central Asia. If you are walking east along the square, you can see its dazzling golden dome and four 77-metre-high minaret on the right.

This is known as Khan Shatyr. It is listed as an “Entertainment Centre”. Typically of countries with extreme weather, it is a shopping centre with benefits. Free cloakrooms are widely used since internal temperature is kept between 20-25 degrees C. The basement carpark hosts a few little shops for key-cutting, shoe repairs, flowers, dry cleaning. The basement shopping area has more functional shops like housewares, electrical, stationary, sports and a good-quality supermarket selling foreign food as well as local. There is also a Currency Exchange kiosk. Floors 1 and 2 are crammed with a variety of shops - mainly clothes - often big international brands. Small kiosks are dotted selling tourist bits including traditional Kazak jewellry. There is usually home-grown entertainment - think kareoke/Kazakhstan has talent - often children performing. The centre is designed as a huge traditional tent and is in a line visible from the Presidential Palace. Upper stories have entertainments eg children’s fun fare, cinema and a beach ( though I did not vidit that!!). There are a few restaurants but food here is mainly branded fast food eg BurgerKing, McDonalds - all on the upper fllors - most on floor 3. Always a fun place to go shopping. Starbucks, of course, but do drop in on the little kiosk style cafe near the main entrance - small selection of good quality food - although a little expensive - and delicious cakes!!! They do takeaway too. In the winter, wrap up warm! Minus 35 to 45 degrees C - so places like this essential to get families out of the house - but in winter there is other fun - like this Ice Sculpture Park next to Khan Shatyr