Ust-Kamenogorsk

Стрелка (Strelka) Strelka is the arrow of land where the Irtysh and Ulba rivers meet. It is also the site of the Great Patriotic War Memorial. A nice place to stroll and have a "Limonad" on a warm evening, usually plenty of people hanging around.

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• Набережна (Naberezhna) – This is simply the promenade along the Irtysch river leading up to Strelka. Have a beer, find a spot or stroll, and hang out by the water as the sun goes down.

• Go to an ice hockey game – Ust-Kamenogorsk is home to Kazakhstan's most famous team: Kazzinc-Torpedo. This is where NHL-players Nik Antropov and Evgeny Nabokov started their careers. The team plays in the Russian 2nd league.

• • • Ust-Kamenogorsk experienced the unfortunate discharge of a radioactive beryllium cloud in 1990 and has some rather serious heavy metal pollution levels stemming from significant industrialization and mining over the years, resulting in health adversities and cancer. Thus, it is probably best to pass on mud baths along the Irtysh River here.

• Some hotels also have restaurants. !--if the Sleep listings are accurate--

The eastern oblast of Kazakhstan is at the base of the Altai Mountains and known for its honey. If you are in Ust in September ask around for the local honey fair, where vendors from surrounding villages show off their wares.

There are several hotels such as Irtysh and Tourist, but these usually provide poor value for the price. An old favorite is a small hotel in the large bright green "Nursat" building on Abai street, about 1 km east of the bus station. A room there can cost as little as 1,200 tenge per night.

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Air Astana and also SCAT airways have several flights to Ust from Almaty every week. SCAT also flies to Semipalatinsk and Bayaan Olgi, Mongolia, once a week.

Ust has an old but very pleasant tram system and buses move easily around the city.