Welcome to Kazakhstan!
Here are some tips for those who are travelling to Kazakhstan for the first time:
1. To plan your trip effectively, it's advisable to check the weather conditions for the dates of your travel. During the winter months, you can expect snowy and cold weather. In fall and spring, it's not uncommon to experience some rainfall. As for summer, be prepared for scorching hot temperatures. The local unit of measurement for temperature is Celsius.
2. If you haven't arranged your transportation yet, it's a good idea to take care of it in advance. While the taxi drivers at the airport may appear friendly, some of them can be quite "tricky and inventive." To avoid any potential issues, I recommend downloading apps like "Uber KZ" or "Yandex Go Kazakhstan" from the App Store or Play Market before your arrival. This way, you can conveniently book a ride. For a journey of around 13-15 kilometres, an Uber Black ride would cost you approximately 8-10 USD.
There is a misconception among some individuals that the Uber app doesn't function in Kazakhstan, but that's not true. In fact, the Uber service operates seamlessly in the country through the "Yandex Go" service provider. As a matter of fact, I personally use the app on a daily basis and can attest to its reliability.
3. When it comes to currency exchange, the airport exchanger doesn't significantly differ from other exchange services. The current exchange rate is 1 USD = 470 tenge. You can conveniently exchange a variety of currencies, including USD, EUR, GBP, CNY, and RUB.
4. Moving on, acquiring local SIM cards is a breeze as they are plug-and-play. The average cost for a 10 GB internet package ranges from 10 to 15 USD, depending on the type of operator you choose. You can conveniently purchase these SIM cards at any grocery store or kiosk within the airport premises.
Additionally, there is an E-SIM operator called "IZI mobile" available. To access their services, simply download their app from either the App Store or Play Market.
5. Language is an important aspect to consider when visiting Kazakhstan. The primary language spoken in the country is Kazakh. However, it's worth noting that Russian is also widely used and understood throughout Kazakhstan. If you rely on translation tools like Google Translator, it's often more reliable to switch between English and Russian, as Google tends to identify the Russian language more accurately than Kazakh. This can help facilitate smoother communication during your time in Kazakhstan.
Here are some phrases in Kazakh: Hey - Salem (informal), Hello - Salemetsizbe (formal), Thank you - Rakhmet, Sau bol - Bye.