Astana, Kazakhstan is one of the weirdest places I have ever visited. If you even just Google “Astana”, you will find several other people using the word “weird” as a word to describe the city of just over a million people in the middle of the Kazakh steppe. Despite it having a rather extensive history, most people know the modern Astana and not the Soviet city of Tselinograd.
In 1992, the government of Kazakhstan renamed Tselinograd Akmola and in December of 1997, Akmola became the new capital of Kazakhstan (Almaty previously held the honors). In May of 1998, Akmola was renamed Astana, a word that literally means ‘the capital city’ in the Kazakh language.
Astana, a planned city just like Washington D.C., Canberra, or Brasilia, was more or less build from the ground up. The city sits on the Ishim River / Esil River and you can find remnants of the old city on the right bank of the river… but the left bank is the bank that has gained international recognition.
The left bank is where the Baiterek tower is and where all the modern architecture calls home. The city ignited my curiosity years ago when I was reading up on the country of Kazakhstan and decided to travel there one day (I eventually moved there, but that is another story). Since I have traveled to Astana, I get heaps and heaps of questions from other travelers wondering if they should travel to Astana, Kazakstan. I decided to candidly write my experiences and opinions on my time spent in the Kazakh capital and hope you take the time to do some thorough research before heading there or having any expectations.
This post will tell you about my experiences in Astana, how it made me appreciate Almaty (and later move there!), and things to do in Astana if you so happen to find yourself there.
In this post...
How I Ended Up in Astana
If you’re from Astana, Kazakhstan and don’t have tough skin, you may want to stop reading this post now.
My trip to Central Asia was supposed to be mainly to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan was always a very high place on my mental travel bucket list because I’m obsessed with the food and I have a friend from there. Tashkent had cheap flights from Oslo, but Bishkek’s were cheaper, and Americans do not need a visa for Kyrgyzstan, which made it a better base at the time. So I planned to head to both in the month of travel I had allotted. (Update 2017: Americans and many other nationalities don’t need visas to Kazakhstan anymore if staying under 30 days).
After realizing I’d be spending a little over a day in Moscow and needing to pay for an expensive transit visa (they are $160 for Americans) in order to get out of the airport, my plans to head to Uzbekistan kind of diminished. For Americans traveling to Uzbekistan, you are required to have a letter of invitation and another $160 visa. The LOI can wind up being expensive because if you book through a tour company, you often need to book hotels through them, as well. And with my financial situation, I am in no position to be staying at nice hotels… only hostels.
When I realized all of that, I also discovered that two of my friends had just moved to Kazakhstan for their jobs. They moved to two completely different areas of the country. I figured that this trip would be an opportune time to visit them both and see a little bit of Kazakhstan in the process. Kazakhstan visas are also $160, but no LOI is required and I could stay wherever I wanted throughout the duration of the trip. In conclusion, the circumstances took me to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
One of my friends was in Kostanay and the other was in Almaty. Kostanay is a very remote city of around 200,000 up in the northern part of the country near the Siberian part of Russia. The cheapest way to get to Kostanay was to fly to Astana from Bishkek and then to take a 13+ hour train to the city. This was the first reason I had to pass through Astana. The second was on my way back from Kostanay before I headed to Karaganda (a city around 3 hours from Astana) to catch a flight down to Almaty.
For those of you who do not know, Kazakhstan is huge. It is the 9th largest country in the world and has very little in its vastness. The north of Kazakhstan (which is where Astana is) is known to be brutally cold in winter, with wind chills of -40C / -40F regularly as the wind blows across the Kazakh steppe. The south of Kazakhstan (which is where Almaty is), is a bit warmer and surrounded by tall mountains.
So, my itinerary in Kazakhstan ended up being Kostanay, Astana, Karaganda, and finally finishing off the Kazakhstan part of my trip with a full week in Almaty. I left other places out due to time and knowing that I’d like to travel back one day to see things during warmer months.
Kostanay and Karaganda were charming and places I really enjoyed my time at. That brings me to Astana and Almaty…
The two cities are on completely different planets. Almaty’s planet being one I’d like to live on and Astana’s planet being one I’d like to see sucked into a black hole forever.
My Time in Astana (& Why it Made Me Love Almaty)
Astana is, hands down, the worst city I have ever visited in my life. I hated my time there.
The cold had nothing to do with it. Quite frankly, Almaty has been colder than Astana was when I was there. Astana was just fake, rude, and uninviting. I visited both the left bank (the newer, Dubai– like part of Astana) and the right bank (the old part of the city). Both were uninspiring and left a lot to be desired, in my opinion.
I’ll admit, my time spent there before heading to Kostanay was filled with entertainment in the train station as I had to wait around 12 hours to catch my night train out of the place. In this train station, I witnessed an old beggar lady being kicked hard on the ground by a female police officer for what looked like the lady eating a block of cheese (my Russian skills are obviously pretty poor).
I also witnessed a woman pull out a training potty for her son in the middle of the train station, have him pee in it, and then she dumped the pee back in his diaper, missing the diaper with the majority of it. I had someone careen over to me violently to stop me from dare charging my phone in a power outlet (if only I had brought a portable solar panel charger with me, ugh). Needless to say, she never cleaned it up off the floor. I also was pushed and beaten trying to buy the train ticket in the first place by vodka-smelling, sweaty men. I left Astana appalled.
I got back to the city about four days later with a completely open mind and was ready to enjoy the place.
And I still didn’t like it. I asked people for restaurant recommendations and was treated to some overpriced, horrific food in the process. I still believe that people were playing a joke on me. There were a couple of local girls in my hostel who were nice, but the rudest people I’ve ever met when it came to the living situation.
I often asked people what there was to do in Astana besides go shopping, and was often told that there was an indoor ‘beach’ on the roof of Khan Shatyr, a large shopping mall. When I told them that wasn’t my thing, it was often addressed with, “But the sand has been imported from Dubai”. I later found out that the sand is from the Maldives, just to update you.
The city also thought it would be charming to replicate famous buildings around the world like Moscow’s famous Seven Sisters buildings. Or the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation resembling a pyramid. Or the Presidential Palace resembling Washington D.C.’s White House. Or the Kay Munay Gaz building resembling Atlantis in the Bahamas. And now there is major construction happening in the left bank to build a high tower like some of the ones gracing Dubai’s skyline.
My last day in Astana was spent making an intentional venture around the city to find three things I liked about it. I honestly came up blank. The only thing that came remotely close was my discovery of a business lounge in the train station that was free, had good beer and decent samsas, and didn’t yell at me for trying to charge my computer or phone with the outlets inside. It also acted as a refuge from the police officers harassing people in the main train station.
Astana had no soul. No heart. No charm. I don’t have any desire to return to the city. Unless I am sent on some type of work duty, which would be more or less out of my control.
I left Astana with such disgust that I just wasn’t sure if Kazakhstan as a whole could redeem itself. Thankfully, the job was left up to Almaty, the largest city by population and the former capital city.
Arriving in Almaty
Almaty rocks. In every way possible. I really, really love it here (I’m still here!) The people are kind and helpful, the buildings have stories to tell, and there are no indoor beaches with sand imported from Dubai or the Maldives, that I know of. Every meal I have had in Almaty has been delicious. Seeing the late sunrise reflect on the majestic mountains that decorate the city’s skyline makes me eager to wake up every single morning. And this city definitely knows a good cafe.
Almaty is one of those cities that actually inspires me to write. Not many places I’ve visited in the past year have had that impact on me. Many of my trips in 2013 have actually not even been written about on here because they have left me completely uninspired and apathetic after visiting. Thankfully, Almaty has broken the streak and has inspired me to even write about those cities that I, at once, couldn’t conjure up any words about.
Perhaps Almaty isn’t really all that great and I just arrived here at the right time, giving me the impression that it is grander than what it actually is. Or perhaps it is just a really incredible city. Whatever it is, Almaty has easily become one of my favorite cities in the world. It is developed enough to feel comfortable, but foreign enough to feel intriguing. It is large enough to feel like an important metropolis but small enough to walk around without getting dangerously lost.
Update: I ended up loving Almaty so much back when I traveled there that I opted to move there for three months at the end of 2016 when I didn’t have a visa for Schengen. I can confirm that the city is still incredible and deserves every bit of recognition and love that it receives.
Is Astana Worth Your Time?
I have never once on this blog attempted to steer people away from a destination. I’m a firm believer that people can have different experiences in different places and that you should make your own judgments about a place. However, it is very difficult for me to suggest Astana as a city for travelers to the region and it is for a few reasons:
The first reason is that Central Asia has no shortage of historical places and things to see. The region is historically one of the most important on the planet. If you’re curious about the modern state of Kazakhstan, perhaps a visit to Astana is a good idea. But if you’re seeking out Silk Road history, you should make your way to Shymkent and the south.
The second reason is its location. If you don’t have the means to fly to Astana, you will have to really put in some effort to travel there. The trains from Almaty can be an entire day long. That is an entire day that you can spend elsewhere. If Astana was a city located within an eight-hour journey of Almaty or other places in Central Asia, I would highly encourage the trip there as it offers contrasts and varying architecture. But would I take a 20-hour train there if I only have two weeks in the city? No way.
The third reason is the weather. When I was there, it was a comfortable -20C or even warmer. As I mentioned above, it can get to -40C and you’re on the steppe. The wind blows and can physically bring pain to your entire body. I was used to cold temperatures having lived in Oslo, so this factor didn’t really bother me, but if you’re not a winter traveler or love cold temperatures, maybe a trip to Astana during colder months isn’t for you. With that said, I found Almaty’s weather to be far worse temperature-wise than Astana’s. Perhaps it was the humidity…
In 2013, I would have said to steer clear of Astana at all costs. Having lived in Kazakhstan in 2016, however, I would encourage you to go if you have the time. I almost even booked a ticket back there for this November (and still might!) as Wizz Air is offering cheap deals from Budapest currently. I always said I wouldn’t go back, but the city has 2017 Expo and it seems to have done well with it and it appears to have infused a new life and optimism in the people of the city. Plus, there is nothing more I love than proving myself wrong about a place.
What To Do in Astana
So you have found yourself in Astana… now, what are you going to do there?
The city has quite a few buildings that worth noting for the architectural savvy traveler. The food has apparently come a lot way from when I was there. The parks are in abundance and museums are teaching travelers and their visitors about the history of the city. You can also check out the right bank, where the Soviet-side of the city still exists. Basically, there are definitely some things to do in Astana if you happen to find yourself there.
Architecture
The most obvious thing to do in Astana is to check out the modern and futuristic architecture the city boasts. There is no shortage of cool buildings in the city, but the ones listed below are the ones I found to be most worthwhile.
Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center
This is a giant mall and entertainment center located in a building that looks like a tent. Ugh yes, I am suggesting you check out the mall. But this mall is different. It supports quite a few businesses, but the inside of it is interesting and the design is absolutely remarkable. There are rides inside, a nice food court, and even the indoor beach I mentioned above. The shopping mecca was a project announced by President Nursultan Nazarbayev on December 9, 2006, and the doors finally opened on July 5, 2010.
Nur-Astana Mosque
The third largest mosque in Central Asia, the Nur-Astana is a sight to behold with one’s own eyes. Something about the white color of it situated against the steppe and clear skies just make it standout. The mosque was a gift as a result of an agreement between Nursultan Nazarbayev and Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa. The capacity is 5,000 on the inside and another 2,000 on the outside… making it a must-see, even if just for size, when in Astana.
Ak Orda Presidential Palace
The Presidential Palace in Astana is a grandiose palace that is the official workplace of the President of Kazakhstan. It was constructed quickly and opened in 2004. The palace can be found on the 10,000 Tenge note.
Northern Lights Astana
Some people will tell you to go to the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation or to the Triumph of Astana over this building, but I really liked this one because of the way it glistened under pristine and blue skies. It was simple, yet visually complex and beautiful. This office and residential building opened in early 2010.
Baiterek Tower
Perhaps the most famous landmark in Astana, this 97-meter high tower (and yes, you can visit its top!) is nicknamed “Chupa Chups” like the lollipop by local residents. The queue can be long, so make sure you plan ahead.
<Baiterek is on the left>
If you’re looking to get out of the city a bit, I ended up back in Astana during the autumn and can highly recommend a day trip or overnight trip to Borovoe. I absolutely loved this area of Kazakhstan and it was a nice retreat from the city life.
Where to Eat in Astana
Do not eat at the rotating restaurant no matter how many people tell you to go up there. The building was located right beside the residential building I was staying at and it was a major mistake. The restaurant is Chinese and Kazakh and the rotating nature of it made me feel ill. But not nearly as ill as the food made me ill after eating it. I ordered the national dish of Kazakhstan, beshbarmak, and it was just awful. Below are some recommended suggestions from other sources:
Astana, Kazakhstan restaurants
The Ultimate Guide Where to Eat in Astana (please ignore the Revolving Restaurant recommendation they give you)
I will also add Line Brew to this list. Line Brew is a place I’ve been too many times to count in Almaty and they brew their own beer and cook tasty Kazakh and international food right in front of you. It isn’t really the best place for vegan or vegetarians in Almaty or Astana, but it is worth a try- and their beer is good! You can find the Astana location at Kenesary St 20.
Specialty Coffee in Astana
When I was in Astana, no specialty coffee existed! So imagine my excitement when my friends report back that there is good coffee to be found in the capital city. The Ministry of Coffee (or Министерство Кофе) has been serving up superb coffee since they opened their doors in Astana. They have everything from V60 pourovers to Syphon to long blacks and flat whites. You can find them at Kuneyeva Street 35.
Where to Stay in Astana
The place I previously stayed seems to no longer be in business (not really surprising- such is life in Kazakhstan). Astana has the standard Marriotts and the luxurious Rixos Hotel, but plenty of affordable hostels and rooms are available these days (definitely different than when I was there!) and you can search for them on Booking.com.
Final Thoughts on Astana
So, I didn’t like the city. Obviously not a secret if you’ve read this far. And years ago, I would have concluded that I’d never, ever make it back to the place unless someone pulled my teeth out. But I have since lived in Kazakhstan. I’ve chatted with some of my Kazakh friends about the city and I even have some friends that reside in the city.
It may not have been my cup of tea that time around, but with the Expo and everything else that has transformed the place since, I would actually give it another shot in hopes of being able to slap myself in the face from having such hateful thoughts about it the first time around. If you have any suggestions of what to see or do in the city or want to share an opinion about your time spent there, please do so in the comments! And stick around- one day I’ll certainly be writing a sequel to this.
Megan is a travel blogger and writer with a background in digital marketing. Originally from Richmond, VA, she now splits her time between Frankfurt, Germany and Arctic Finland after also living in Norway, Armenia, and Kazakhstan. She has a passion for winter travel, as well as the Nordic countries, but you can also find her eating her way through Italy, perusing perfume stores in Paris, or taking road trips through the USA. Megan has written for or been featured by National Geographic, Forbes, Lonely Planet, the New York Times, and more. She co-authored Fodor’s Travel ‘Essential Norway’ and has visited 45 US states and 100+ countries.
Hi, Megan! Really interesting review. I got dual imperssion as I lived in both cities and quite often feel the same as you. But I have to tell this.
Back in 2003 I came to Almaty to study. I left my hometown Semey, a reeeally charming city in the east of Kazakhstan, and I fell in love with Almaty at once.. In 2008 when I was finishing my degree, there was still a lot in Almaty and its surroundings that I still wished to try and discover. I left abroad after getting Bolashak state scholarship for my Masters at Imperial. After coming back I spent halfyear in Almaty.. and eventually left for Astana, as I got serious job here.
I didn’t like Astana then, and I can’t say I love it now. I dream of building wooden house somewhere in Butakovka – halfway from Almaty to Shimbulak. But I know I will have time to do it.
In 1996, 5 yrs after getting independence, our capital was moved to small provincial town of Tselinograd – former a base for Communist Party’s global plans of turning steppes into wheat plantations. It’s became obvious to me now – the central position in the coutry was not the only reason.
We dont have much nature diversity here like in Almaty, this time of year we mostly spend weekends and evenings in cafes, or closed skating rings, or on the top-floor beach in the “unique mall designed by Sir Norman Foster” (though I’ve never been to the latter). But there is really this unique working atmosphere. Maybe this is what causes people to behave rude sometimes – like when crossing London Bridge at 8am – you’d hardly see a single smiling face.
Hating weather, many people like to spend weekends in Borovoe or Almaty, and come back on Monday mornings to work hard again. Sometimes I think of it like a fieldcamp. Not the best way to live life. But city is developing. This summer when I was landing in Astana, I realized how much greener steppes around became just in 3 years – they called it “Green belt” around the city. The challenge is also to become more eco-friendly – for the EXPO-2017 “Future Energy”, it will be held here.
Astana skyline may remind Dubai, Giza or Beijing. But, perhaps, the problem is that kazakhs didn’t built skycrappers before 2000s, and were not using concrete before XX century.. Or maybe we did, but I don’t know. I was taught kazakh history in Russian, and ever wondered why mongol man had a kazak name Shyngys Khan.
OK, I think I went to far, but what I’m trying to say is that if you think of sigthseeing you surely shouldn’t plan return trip to Astana. But if you found cheaper itinerary thought Astana or somehow passed the customs in our airport, (and you are on a budget) don’t waste money on the restaurants dedicated to entertain drivers of big dad’s Lexus or expats from multinational corporations working here for 3 times bigger salary, like in Uganda… Just start from thinking what the city is all about. Possibly you’ll find something interesting in seeing the way how recent nomadic-communist nation is adapting to world capitalist system.)
With all respect,
Bakhytzhan
thanks so much for your comment an insight bakhytzhan! it really is nice to see different perspectives from the residents of kazakhstan who are from somewhere else in KZ to see a different side to things.
i agree that astana needs time. i just really, REALLY hope that it grows in the right direction. i love seeing the environmental side to the city (i love when cities are built green). i assumed it was being built that way because in this day and age, to spend billions on extravagant architecture and offer nothing environmentally is a sin ;) i did visit a few cafes in the city when i was there, but didnt stay for too long as i wanted to see as much of the right bank as i could (oddly enough, i didnt really take many photos of it). the cafes themselves were quaint and enjoyable, but the food and coffee was not very good. i just chalked that up to taste differences (on the other hand, the actual restaurants should have been better as they were a bit pricy).
i really appreciate your comment and hope that you get the chance to build that wooden house in butakovka someday :) and by the way, i never made it to semey, but i had a friend who had traveled there a few years back and said it was a very charming place. i was sad i couldnt make it up that way! there is always next time…
First-comers are always the sly ones, building “ugly” and “soulless” buildings and overpriced restaurants with bad food, etc.. But these don’t stand the time. Catching the world’s latest trends, Astana may look chaotic, but it’s being shaped with time, like anything else.
And there are many nice places to go to for the tasty food. And usually, these are not the expensive places on the highstreets or in big shopping malls. If you come once again to Astana I’m sure you’ll enjoy more ;)
i hope your right :):) thanks again for the suggestions…if i, for some reason, do find myself back there, ill take advantage of these places!
1. History
I was born and raised in Astana and if you look back into town’s history, it was first created as a fortress and wasn’t meant to be a city, then due to its nodal location it was slowly turning into a trade point and during WW2 a place to shift several of russian factories. So during the next 100 years it didn’t see prominent changes that were aimed at making the town livable…it just wasn’t necessary and no one thought of it. And then shortly after WW2 the town experienced huge inflow of people, many of whom were uneducated outsiders from different parts of USSR who were moved here to fulfill Khruschev’s Virgin Lands exploration program which was supposed to turn the pastures around the town into vast agricultural fields to propel wheat production (again no intent to make it a city), and now the same after the city was proclaimed a new capital (1997) you see hundreds of thousands of uneducated country men filling up the streets many of whom are desperate for jobs (literally out of 800 000 ppl living here you wouldn’t find a quarter of natives who are much loyal and friendly believe me). And again the capital doesn’t mean a livable city, Astana simply wasn’t meant to be the second Almaty, it was meant to be a pure administrative city like Putrajaya in Malaysia or Brasilia in Brasil. And if you’ve been to those cities you’ll know what I am talking about.
2. Lagging urban planning
Now imagine a city which in the beginning was never meant to be a city or let alone capital is enjoying one of the world’s largest inflow of foreign direct investment…and soviet minded urban planners who never had an idea of how to make a city more livable, vibrant and comfortable…and a government’ rushing goal to create a new symbol of the country…and on top of that a “small” thing like one of the harshest winters on earth (-40F can really sustain for several weeks here). Of course city’s construction pace, invigorated by the desire to show off new capital, was far ahead of adjustment of urban planning.
3. Charm and soul
Now speaking of the soul and charm of the city. Back in USSR pretty much all the northern industrial cities of Russia east of Ural river were built in the same way, that hit Kazakhstan as well. You wouldn’t expect much from cities like Tomsk, Omsk, Tyumen, Kurgan and even Yekaterinburg, so why would Tselinograd (former name of Astana) would be different? Moreover, as a tourism expert I can state that only people make city livable and thus attractive unless there is a nature setting around the city (like mountains of Almaty), so in this blistering cold you’d hardly see people in the street, no events happening, no crowds on major promenades…meaning that Astana can be enjoyable ONLY during warmer seasons (late spring up to early fall): there are nice promenades (riverfront and Nurzhol boulevard connecting Khan Shatyr and Ak Orda), there is an old city center with old houses of 19 century (around Congress Hall); there is a Bazaar; numerous parks and green areas; restaurant rows. I have to admit that cultural program is indeed a drawback (theaters and art galleries) however it’s picking up: there are at least 6 museums (including Alzhir – Stalin’s camp for wives of political exiles for those interested in dark tourism) and 3 theaters including Opera and Ballet house. Whatever you saw in Almaty can be found here except for mountains and variety of food outlets, but mind that Almaty has a longer and richer history of urban development, hosting expats and by far it’s the largest and richest city in Kazakhstan (huge demand for entertainment).
4. Astana 2017
Astana will see big changes with more construction and urban restructuring due to upcoming EXPO 2017. Projects like botanical garden, aqua park, zoo, passage and more indoor attractions are underway including improvements to public transportation. It is still unfinished city so please don’t judge the house by it’s foundation =)
5. Washington and New York city
I inevitably have to speak of these two cities of the US just let you know that cities around the world have gone through same phases of development or growth pains. I chose these two because I used to live there from half year (DC) to 1,5 years (NY). Look at NYC now and 15 years ago, I am not even mentioning NYC of 60s-70s much of what you could see in Taxi Driver with Robert De Niro: drugs, hookers, rood taxi drivers and most of it right on Times Square, dodgy neighborhoods like Harlem, smelling subway …in short city for rats, not people…and it still would be if not for Rudi Gulliani and Michael Bloomberg who were brave, smart and rich enough to change the city… Look at DC with one of the highest crime rates in the US, unwelcoming people, tomb white architecture and very few attractions besides museums (whatever attraction you’d find is outside of DC administrative area).
5. Conclusion
My own opinion is that wherever you have rapid growth and influx of people the city would be lacking well thought out urban planning and mix of people…be it New York, Moscow, Rio, Bangkok or Astana…So please give Astana time if not credit.
very validated information and i completely thank you for it. i really, sincerely hope that astana is a changed place in 5 years. i really do. on the other hand, im a firm believer that once the people living in astana appreciate and love the city, tourists coming through will love it too. sadly, every person i met from astana didnt even like their own city, whether it be in the dead of winter, or in the height of summer. the only person i met that had anything positive to say about astana (and it was a bit halfheartedly) was a guy living there from kostanay.
all cities evolve over time…i just hope that astana evolves in the right direction and not the wrong one. its not fair to the people living there if it does the latter.
anyways, thanks so much for your insight and i hope to read a lot of positive updates about astana over the next five years. stay warm this winter (although when i was recently in astana, it wasnt cold at all!)
thanks, Megan! You stay warm in Oslo too =)
Dear Megan,
Thanks for providing us with a chance to read your opinion about Astana… I’ve had a frog in my throat – your comments are so very much filled with arrogance inherent perhaps only to people indoctrinating America in its quintessence. The most frustrating about your essay is that you heartily proliferate things like this across the globe making so many people believe in fake things about the Kazakh capital, Kazakh people. In this regard you did not less work than Sasha Baron Kogan did! I have been to many places around Europe, and I can say that there were different towns and different people there – as a backpacker student on holiday I had to sleep in horrifically cold, unheated train stations and could not buy prohibitively expensive food in tran station cafes while on trips in Germany, France and UK – but I would never ever cover with dirt those towsn and their people. Are there no rude people in America? Lovely food, hypocritical smiles on metrdhotels’ faces – thst is too little to make an image of a country in your brain, I guess. And how you unstoppably refrain the words “rude, horrific” and their like across your writing is just disgusting. Kazakhstan is like a planet, with its own borderless nature, people who went through many trials along their lifepath. You know, your ugly comments were instantly propped up by people who live in Kazakhstan since fairly long but who hate the very idea about Kazakh independence, sovereignty, uniqueness, who want that Kazakhstan dissolves as a unique country and becomes another cosmopolitic face-less state. But your comments were countered by those who love their ancient country and will keep our traditions. The whole world knows how hypocritical people like you are. And accordingly they will evaluate your posts. O, I have nearly forgotten to write down – I guess, your mood was especially spoiled by the brilliant mosque in the heart of Astana.
Regards,
im going to try to respond to your comment in the best way i can, but i had to reread it a few times because it was hard to make sense of what you were trying to say.
i have traveled quite extensively and have found no other place quite like astana. makes me an arrogant american? perhaps in your eyes, but i beg to differ.
what you failed to see is that im not a backpacker. you compared me to a poor backpacker having to sleep at train stations in UK, france, and germany. how that was a relevant, or even pertinent, comparison is beyond me. i have money and am 30. i dont travel to places to be stuck in cold train stations. i stayed in a train station for a day because i arrived with a flight at 5am to astana and couldnt get a train until 5pm to kostanay. kind of found it unnecessary to get a hotel for a few hours during the day. while i try to be semi-frugal with my money, i spend all i want when i travel. astana was one of the first places i went on this trip, so i was a little more frugal there than i am now here in bishkek (which is at the end of my trip).
of course there are rude people and non-rude people in every city in the world. i interacted with probably around a thousand people during my time in astana (restaurants, malls, my friends, people at hostel, people at train station, etc), and to your surprise, around 90% of them were absolutely, downright rude. and you know how i know these people werent just all having a bad day on the same day? the rest of the comments above where the majority of people said the same. so, you may want to call me hypocritical, but perhaps you can take a little bit of criticism and realize your city may have some efforts and strides to make in the friendliness department. it’s not a horrible thing. i have been to many other cities in the world that suffer from not being that friendly. in fact, i LIVE in one in oslo, norway. but the difference between oslo and astana is light years in other departments.
hyp·o·crite
[hip-uh-krit]
noun
1. a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
2. a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.
i left you the definition of hypocrite above. based on your usage of the word above, im not sure you know the definition. to put things into easier terms for ya:
1) id be a hypocrite if i called people in astana ‘rude’ and was rude myself. spoiler: im not rude, and am far from it. you just think im rude because im a person with an opinion and the opinion happens to be negative of a city that is rightfully deserving of the negative opinion (which, if you read above, im not the only person with this opinion).
2) id be a hypocrite if i called astana ‘fake’ and was from a city that imitates architecture from all over the world and spends billions of dollars on it while trying to extinguish the homeless by kicking them instead of giving them food and politely asking them to leave the train station.
but i digress…
your concern shouldnt be about an american’s opinion of your city. it should be about the kazakh people, both from astana and afar, who all share the same opinions of the capital city. when those people start to find need and purpose in having a capital built up the way astana is, the heart and soul will slowly start to fill the place. until then, it will stay void of it and i will advise other travelers to stay away if they are looking to take a trip to astana.
Hey, don’t try and make it look like Mrgan bashed Kazakhstan. She never did; she’d been to FOUR of our cities and was only dissapointed by ONE. Astana. And it is, in fact, THE one to be dissapointed with. You’re just twisting her post by making it look like “Americans rock, Kazakhs suck” while it actually was “Almaty rocks, Astana sucks”. Very different premise. And a very true ine, might I add as a Kazakhstani)
Also, your attempt to impress – I don’t know, anyone? – by oversaturating your comment with long and complicated words is JUST. SO. CHEAP.
My personal experiences in KZ — from Astana to Almaty, to Turkestan, etc. — were *all* positive. In fact, I’m planning to go back. The winter weather in Astana can be severe, it’s true, but the folks that I met there were, to a person, warm-hearted and kind. And everyone knows that Almaty is a city with a deeper cultural history. I’m an American and I don’t agree with Megan ;)
KZ is a success story in progress. It’s a relatively new nation, still defining itself post-CCCP. Astana-as-the-capital is less than two decades old! Twenty years ago there were only provincial dachas where there are now high-rise office, residential, shopping malls selling top Euro designers. I always think of Brasilia. It’s a capital being built from nothing — imagine St. Petersburg, Brasilia, or Washington!
it’s nice to see someone who had a positive experience there that is not from astana! (every comment or email ive had has said otherwise!) :) the winter wasnt so bad when i was there and had no impact on my opinion of the place. i live in oslo, norway, so winter travel isn’t a struggle for me ;) in fact, almaty was much colder than astana when i was traveling through the two places!
while summer travel would have been perhaps a better choice, i am not still sure i would have enjoyed the place and found it worthwhile of my time and money. but to each their own :) im just glad to see at least ONE person on here who isnt from astana have a good opinion of the place. thanks so much for your comment :)
Hi Megan,
Thanks for responding to my comment. As an American (OK, Canadians: I’m a “US-born” citizen; forgive the vernacular), I am very impressed with your travels and interest in the world. We Americans are not well known for this stuff, according to stereotype :) So already you’ve acquitted yourself well, and you’re ahead of the game. Heck, you went from VA to Norway, which is pretty cool, if not completely irrational. But…
Please, more objectivity, Megan! :-)
hi william!
unfortunately, this is a blog…so i write exactly how i feel. if you retrace all of my previous posts, you will notice that i have more or less enjoyed every place ive visited. and if i didnt enjoy it, i just wrote the reasons that others will enjoy it. i could not come up with any reasons that people would genuinely enjoy astana. i know many people who have lived there over the years and even they couldnt give me any. i know many kazakh’s and foreigners currently living there and they were not able to give me any reasons either…despite many being FROM astana. until the locals begin loving their their own city as a whole, i think it is going to be difficult for any one else traveling through to enjoy it. every comment of people that are not from astana personally that has been (aside from yours) has shared similar thoughts to mine. dont get me wrong, id love nothing more than this city to develop the right way and prove me wrong.
thanks for your comments of course :) its funny that people always say that americans are so poorly traveled. i meet americans EVERYWHERE i go. im in a hostel now in bishkek and the only other person here is american. the only people ive meet in kyrgyzstan that were not locals or russians skiing have been americans. usually the criticism i get saying americans dont travel comes from canadians lol. and i rarely meet canadians around the world. most canadians i met were in backpacker heavy places like se asia…but never anywhere else. was recently in central america for a month and met only americans and germans…not a single canadian or brit or australian. i worked at a popular tourist cafe for a whlie in oslo and met american travelers everyday there, but never any canadians except the ones working at the canadian embassy next door. it’s so interesting how people build perceptions and then force themselves into believing them when they are on the road. i love meeting people from all over the world so when i come into hostels and nearly everyone staying there is american, i kind of groan b/c i like a little diversity LOL :) love my fellow countrymen though, dont get me wrong!
hope you have a great day!!! its my last day in bishkek and its kind of ‘warm’ out. gonna make the most of this :)