Just thought of some more things to add, general tips really:
1) I mentioned the weekend trip to Kyrgyzstan, but on reflection, I'd advise against it if you can't speak Russian. Whilst some people in Almaty speak English, it's virtually non-existent in Bishkek (hence why the city is said to be the only surviving relic of the Soviet Union). And if you can't understand Russian then the border crossing would be an awful experience, I was subject to bribes/delays even when arguing back in fluent Russian to the corrupt officials. The border guards earn £3 a day, so extracting £20 from a Westerner is quite a favourite hobby of theirs, especially as they rarely get these exotic, rich Westerners crossing.
2) Almaty is a funny place. Some things are dirt cheap, for example a single ride on the metro is 15 pence. But hotels are ridiculously expensive. A particularly good "girl-friendly" hotel is Kazzhol, they have no security on the door and the lifts can be accessed without walking past reception. Eating out can either break the bank or be amazing value - the biggest trick is getting you to buy expensive drinks. Always best to enjoy the cheap food but refuse any drinks they offer. Don't even ask for tap water, they'll give you a massively overpriced bottle of water and claim you asked for it.
External Link/Members Only3) Walking around the city centre is a nightmare. Drivers rarely stop at traffic lights, and there are so many boy racers from Saudi Arabia, UAE etc. with their imported sports cars. Kazakhstan relies on oil wealth and it shows, there are lots of rich kids of oil barons there. In addition, the roads are quite wide, and the green signal to cross a road lasts about 5 seconds which isn't enough time to cross. So be constantly alert.
4) The law says you must carry your passport on you at all times. The police enforce this very strictly with anyone who looks like they're not Kazakh, and they loiter outside hotels to catch people leaving. They're so corrupt that I've known people who got fined for standing outside their hotel having a cigarette, with their passport left in their room.
5) ATMs are a bit temperamental and only about 1 in 3 would accept my British cards to take out cash. The other annoying thing is that ATMs always give the largest notes, for example take out £120 and you'd get 4x 10,000 tenge notes (worth about £30 each). These are rarely accepted anywhere and they're a pain to get rid of. Even a large supermarket chain wouldn't accept them.
It's a great place to visit/live/work if you make an attempt to learn a bit of Russian and fit in. The girls are stunning, you walk down the street and every girl is a 10/10
