Passengers on the left side can enjoy expansive views of the Pavlodar city skyline and the industrial landscape bordering the vast Kazakh steppe.
While both sides offer views of the massive Lake Balkhash, the right side provides a more dramatic perspective of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains and the Almaty city skyline as you descend from the north.
The right side offers superior views of the Irtysh River winding away from Pavlodar, better angles of the Volga-Kama confluence near Kazan, and avoids the direct glare of the southern sun on this westbound route.
The left side provides a front-row seat to the massive Ekibastuz coal mines and generally offers a more direct view of the iconic Astana skyline and the glass EXPO sphere during the southern approach.