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.
Ms. Megan, please calm down! There is no need to get so angry, if someone criticizes your own opinion. Criticism is normal all over the world – and the fatc that you are from America makes you no special at all, in my eyes at least. Why do you get so furious over my comments?
Why do you sticke to the word “backpacker” all the time& I was not a backpacker either, I travelled on Saturdays-Sundays across Europe like a normal student. It does have relevance to what you wrote above, because you are travelling, you’re staying at hostels, and you are lamenting over “expensive food” in Astana, and eventually summing up you call Astana a fake, appalling city – these are your words. How can a city be fake, if it stays in a cultural area much older than the US and Europe taken together, how can it be appalling when it is populated with hundreds of thousands of people of whom you seen maybe a couple of dozens?
How can anyone call a city fake or appaling just because its restaurants are “expensive”? I don’t worry about the number of tourists to Astana.
What has a police officer to do with common people on the street? American police officers are second to none in terms of violence, especially towards ethnic minorities in the US. Why didn’t you try to address someone in the street in KAZAKH – then thye woul probably invite you to their home and show the real KAZAKH life, but not that cosmopoitic bulshit (pizza, cannelloni, burgers, lasagnia etc in cafes and restaurants). It has nothing to do FREEDOM of speech, it has to do with basic respect towards the people of the country you travel to. When I fly to the US, I speak in English to Americans, not in Kazakh, or Ukrainian. Freedom of speech in the US is a FAKE and everyone in the world knows it, so your revelations are pretty out of date, sorry.
And you words about the “Kazakhs loathing the place” are especially despicable, you know.
best regards
‘ 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.’
nowhere in my initial post did I use the word ‘backpacker’. that was you dear.
your demeanor has done nothing to portray the people of astana in a different manner, in all do respect.
further comments from you that are stories about nothing will file into the spam folder. thanks for taking the time to justify my thoughts and others thoughts on the city, however ;)
Forget it guys. Ms. Megan would file away your opinions in her spam folder rather than bear to watch someone legitimately criticize her for her radical opinions. Her knowledge of a city she spent a few days in far outweighs your experience of living in it.
Remember, she’s American, and by default she has to be right. Even if her spelling and grammar are atrocious. Even if police brutality is normal in the US. Even if there is no true freedom of speech in the US, unless you are the Kim Kardashian spewing nonsense on TV because the American public is far more interested in that than cultural things.
Ms. Megan, we bow down to your superiority! All hail the USA, the great leader of the world and liberator of our opinions!
Forget it guys. Ms. Megan would file away your opinions in her spam folder rather than bear to watch someone legitimately criticize her for her radical opinions. Her knowledge of a city she spent a few days in far outweighs your experience of living in it.
Remember, she’s American, and by default she has to be right. Even if her spelling and grammar are atrocious. Even if police brutality is normal in the US. Even if there is no true freedom of speech in the US, unless you are the Kim Kardashian spewing nonsense on TV because the American public is far more interested in that than cultural things.
Ms. Megan, we bow down to your superiority! All hail the USA, the great leader of the world and liberator of our opinions!
LOL quit replying under different names from the same IP address trying to look like different people. I know you’re bored and all. Maybe you should actually travel to Kazakhstan? It’s a pretty cool place. Serbia is a cool place too. :)
Hey Megan, on the one hand you are quite beautiful a specimen…. try to model a bit your beautiful phot. Next, I totally agree with Jina/Jon/whatever. You have but proven your total intelligence about the fine art of getting to know a new place. Astana sucks! And please, you are awesome! Cheers!
*Don’t ever leave vile comments to someone who has the ability to edit them ;)
I am humbled by your lovely comment :) Many thanks!
Hi Megan,
Really interesting post about old and long battle called Astana vs Almaty! I was born in Almaty and I’m from Almaty 100%.
Yes, I would say you are right about Astana’s soulless buildings and some grey feelings which is lead you to feel your self lonely and kind of depression since your first minutes there. I think the biggest part of that feelings it’s a cold weather there during winter time and of course this is not a best time to be there! But let’s look little bit positive about Astana, I think Astana needs time to get that level and not all the people are bad there, as there a lot of people from Almaty, or Karagandy & Kostanay… who’s moved there 16-17 years ago when capital moved from Almaty… It’s like when I used to work with two guys from US and they both was from Texas, one from Austin and the other one from Houston. When you asking them about US they talking about Texas only, but when you asking them which is the best place in Texas San Antonio, Dallas, Austin or Houston? they putting their cities upfront in the list, like San Antonio and Dallas doesn’t exist in Texas and of course the guy who is from Houston says that Houston it’s better than Austin in spite of that Austin it’s a capital of Texas, and the other one says that nothing to do in Houston where you can’t even walk on the streets… to me was very funny to see that discussions and sit between of them… These days I’m away from Kazakhstan I’m living and working in Romania, and to be a honest with you, before coming here I heard a lot bad things about Romania like a lot of gypsies there, or Romania is very unsafe even to be there just for couple of hours! not even days. But this is absolutely not true! I’m here in about 1.5 year now, and only positive feelings in my heart! People here is very kind and peaceful willing to help you when you asking something and even if some of them doesn’t speak English they will help you anyway as much as they can. I’m not saying that Romania is perfect! here is also a lot things that needs to improve! cause nothing and nobody perfect in this life! but in general, yes I would say: Romania good country! BTW I’m leaving with my wife in Bucharest and here some parts of the city that reminds me Almaty! And we giving to that areas the names of Almaty’s parts, (like Aksai, Mamyr, Samal and etc..) so for us it’s easy to recognize and remember that blocks and areas, It doesn’t matter where you are, there’s no bad nation, it’s just a some bad individuals who can led you to see the wrong picture. I hope that you enjoyed your days in Almaty and tried Shashlyk, Lagman and Manty or some local delicious food, if not I suggest you to try if you’ll decide to comeback someday to Almaty.
Kind Regards,
Amankos
thanks for your comment amankos! and super cool youre living in romania now! havent been there but ive heard great things about the country! need to get there soon!
almaty was great and youre lucky to be from a city with such a pulse! my time in astana was actually pretty well spent and i had friends there and was never lonely or down in the literal sense. it was just the city being a turn off. i waited to write about my experience until i had been out of the city for a week to see if i could conjure up any love for the place and instead, i still despised it. typically i miss places once i leave even if i didnt enjoy it when there. this was not the case with astana ;) and KZ is NOT a bad nation…in fact it’s a really great one and i highly recommend people to go to (most) places in KZ!
had all of the foods you mentioned above and more ;) delicious! especially a fan of lagman!
thanks for your comment!!!
Oh really? You are a lucky! We miss Lagman and these things here in Bucharest… :-)
ill bet you do! ive had it at least 4 times on this trip LOL :) pretty sure its my fav central asian food
Hello Megan,
I’m Turkish and lived in Kazakhstan between 1998-2008.
I enjoyed every single day in Almaty and hated every single minute in Astana.
It’s been 5 years I’m back in Turkey and time to time I wish I could go back there. Still many friends working and living in Almaty and none of them is intending to leave as far as I know.
By the way, if you plan any trip to Turkey, I’d like to offer my assistance if needed.
thanks so much for your offered hospitality, sait!
very interesting you spent time in both places and left with the same impression i had after being there for just a few weeks. i assumed to live in astana was better than to visit, but maybe i was wrong ;) glad you enjoyed almaty though! i really loved the city a lot!
Dear Ms. Megan
Why was it hard for you to make sense of what I wrote? Or didn’t you just want to understand? You describe with enthusiasm a train station “”filled with entertainment” (???) and scornfully – the people inside (“vodka-smelling, sweaty, diapers etc.”). What is so special about “poor backpackers”? What harm did they do to you? Yes, I slept two-three times at train stations – accidentally stuck in little village train stations at the heart of civilized Europe – due to train failures – when I was a student. So what? I wasn’t poor in terms of money, but I say, the food in restaurants was prohibitively expensive in Europe. If comparison to a “poor backpacker” irritates you, OK – be a wealthy backpacker! It is brilliant, that you have money and you are 30! – it must be very important to you – to be 30 and have money.
Learn to accept criticism, otherwise you will not go far… Perhaps, 400-500 years ago the pristine landscapes of the Nothern America were somewhat quaint, and their aborigines (Indeans) were downright rude to persons like you. But people are different across the globe, and you are learning it, and this is a shock for you! You say – “my Russian skills are obviously pretty poor” , but why not learn a couple of phrases in Kazakh – the state language of the Kazakh Republic? – Perhaps, then you would be invited into a warm home of a Kazakh and served a legendary “besbarmak” – completely free of charge! Or didn’t you know that this unique land is a sovereign country with its own language? Of course, you looked in the eyes of the local people like an “awkward tourist” from God knows where! But I guarantee, if you said a couple of words in Kazakh you would be served like Marco Polo or Rubruk in times of Genghiskhan.
I perfectly know the terms and definitions, Ms. Megan. I have just tried to respond to your very aggressive attitude towards Astana and its people. In fact common people have bery little impact on architectural decisions in Astana, if they had they OF COURSE would suggest to form Astana in the style of GREAT American buildings – GAG!)) People in Astana and around it (especially in Kazakh auls) are lovely, but at the same time they are rough, due to climatic conditions, to policy etc. Descendants of Genghiskah cannot look like a tribe falling down on their knees in front of a foreigner.
Please don’t’ accept the laurels of a second Borat!
Regards
the reason i struggled reading the first comment you left is because it was all over the place and had little relevance to what i wrote. you referenced your time as a backpacker through europe which had zero relevance or meaning to what i wrote above. that is why i responded with talking about that i am not currently a backpacker. doesnt mean i think im better than anyone…i am just at a different point in my life. sorry you didnt seem to read my comment thoroughly enough and assumed i felt like i was better than a backpacker (im 30 and did the backpacking stuff earlier on in my travels).
‘What is so special about “poor backpackers”? What harm did they do to you?’ I cant help but laugh at this…the post had nothing to do with backpackers and it just seems as though youre on the defense with everything you write. finding it hard to actually take it seriously. perhaps telling me to take criticism on MY blog is unfounded…especially coming from someone who cant write in a tactful manner. i have no issues taking criticism and if you read through most of the other comments, you will easily recognize that.
i loved kazakhstan. i visited kostanay, astana, karaganda, and almaty. the only place i didnt love was astana. so before jumping to conclusions about my time in kazakhstan, you should reread the post and conclude that i enjoyed my time with the exception of one place. i will tell everyone i know to travel to KZ. that tourism money will end up in astana regardless of whether or not people visit that city. so dont you worry about that ;)
in addition, how dare you make remarks like ‘maybe you should learn kazakh as it is the national language’. in no way, shape, or form did i mention learning russian over kazakh when traveling there. the female police officer who was beating the homeless person was screaming in RUSSIAN, not kazakh, and yes, i can distinguish the difference between the two, so that is why it is noted that my russian skills were not up to par to understand what the cause was. i learned ample kazakh when traveling, but SHOCK…as you know, most people are more comfortable with russian than they are kazakh. i stayed with a kazakh family in karaganda and met numerous kazakhs in EACH city i visited who taught me language, food, and culture. so, before you make yourself sound more ridiculous, why dont you just take a breather and realize this is a blog from a gal who is from a county who allows freedom of speech. i feel as someone who writes about travel that it is my duty to write accurate depictions of each and every place i visit if worthy of it. and astana was well worthy of my POV. but in reality, you should be less concerned with my opinion of astana and spread your concern over the kazakhs who are from there and loathe the place. in the grand scheme of things, they are really the opinions who matter, not mine.
if you would like to continue conversing, by all means, leave more comments. but if they go off on tangents completely irrelevant to the initial post or initial discussion, i will not waste my time replying to anything you (or someone from your IP address) writes. thanks for the discussion though ;) really persuading me to think that my initial impression of the people of astana was not that far off ;)