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SGN → ALA
Which side of the plane to sit from Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh City) to Almaty Airport (Alma-ata)?
Left Side of the Plane
The left side offers a more dramatic perspective of the vertical geography in the Hengduan Mountains and provides an exceptional view of the Tianshan range during the final descent into Almaty.
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Mekong River
Aerial views of the winding Mekong River as it carves through the rugged terrain of northern Laos and Thailand.
Hengduan Mountains
Spectacular deep-cut valleys and snow-capped peaks where the Tibetan Plateau meets the Yunnan highlands.
Kunlun Mountains
The massive, high-altitude spine of Central Asia, often covered in year-round snow and glaciers.
Taklamakan Desert
Intricate wind-sculpted sand dunes of one of the world's largest shifting-sand deserts in the Tarim Basin.
Almaty Cityscape
A breathtaking view of the former Kazakh capital nestled directly at the foot of the towering Trans-Ili Alatau mountains.
Choose a window seat forward of the wing to avoid engine heat haze. This route is most scenic during daytime flights; the transition from the lush tropical greens of SE Asia to the stark whites of the Tianshan is visually stunning. During winter, look for frozen lakes in the high-altitude regions of China.
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Annamite Range
Dense, mist-covered tropical rainforests along the border regions of Vietnam and Laos.
Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau
Unique karst topography and high-altitude plains characterized by reddish soil and terraced farming.
Qilian Mountains
Distant views of the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau with its sharp, icy ridgelines.
Gobi Desert Fringe
The transition zone between the rocky Gobi and the sandy basins of western China.
Tianshan Range
Glacial peaks and high-alpine meadows as the flight enters Kazakhstan airspace from the east.
If flying on a morning departure, the right side will receive direct sunlight early on; keep your window shade down initially to avoid glare. In the afternoon, the lighting on the Tianshan peaks to the right is exceptional for photography. Watch for the 'flaming' appearance of the mountains near Turpan if the route passes nearby.
Book Hotels in Alma-ataDistance: 4,606 km (2,862 miles)
Approximate Flight Time: 5 hrs 25 min
Departure: SGN (10.8187999725, 106.652000427)
Arrival: ALA (43.35210037231445, 77.04049682617188)
Route Type: International
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