As of yesterday, 1 June, Air Astana, the largest airline in Kazakhstan, and one of the biggest in Central Asia, has restarted its flights to Podgorica in the beautiful Balkan country of Montenegro. Air Astana first served this these routes last summer.
From personal experience, Podgorica is merely the hub from where you plan travel to the rest of the country. Bar and Budva are two popular spots for Adriatic cruises, as is Kotor. I spent a few hours in the first two places, and a long weekend in Kotor, taking in the natural beauty for which Montenegro has become popular.
Connecting the two largest Kazakh cities, Almaty and Nur-Sultan (also the capital), with Podgorica, the Montenegrin capital, the schedules will be thus:
| Days of Service | Flight No. | Departure | Arrival | AC Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nur-Sultan – Podgorica | |||||
| Thu, Sun | KC 637 | 08:50 | 10:55 | A321LR | 6h 55m |
| Podgorica – Nur-Sultan | |||||
| Thu, Sun | KC 638 | 12:00 | 21:20 | A321LR | 5h 20m |
| Days of Service | Flight No. | Departure | Arrival | AC Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almaty – Podgorica | |||||
| Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat | KC 635 | 07:30 | 10:25 | A321LR | 6h 55m |
| Podgorica – Almaty | |||||
| Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat | KC 636 | 11:30 | 21:25 | A321LR | 5h 55m |
I’ve also visited both of these Kazakh cities (Nur-Sultan while it was still called Astana), though really should try to get to Charyn Canyon next time. Almaty, which means “rich with apples” in Kazakh, is thought to be close to where the first apple originated. If you visit, you might notice an apple theme around the city.
As for Nur-Sultan (the city formerly known as Astana, Tselinograd, and Aqmola, and Aqmolinsk), if you’re a fan of bizarre architecture, or what I like to call bizarrchitecture, it’s quite a trip:
Perhaps I should write about that architecture-focused trip another time.
Have you been to Montenegro or Kazakhstan?
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