Kazakstan
The information below is provided by Lonely Planet readers and is not verified by Lonely Planet. For the official lowdown, contact your nearest embassy or check out our Travel Links.
Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings
We applied for the visa in Delhi. The procedure is straight at all, based on the fact you have invitation letter. No chance without it. If you have the invitation letter, it takes only one hour for getting your visa. Notice that the Kazakhstan Embassy in Delhi is open every working day from 9 am to 12 pm. Getting an invitation letter is also very easy. Many agencies found on Internet can send you the letter for some tenth of US dollars, most of them provided that you book at least one night in one of their hotel (some of them are middle budget range).
Carlo & Emanuela Paschetto, Italy (Sep 02)
Chinese customs: First counter, first bagage inspection. After 1 hour: "Thanks for inspection!". Second counter: "Please bring all baggage to the room behind the counter!". We were seated in sofas around a party table, together with 6 Chinese officials. I thought they wanted to serve tea, but no: "Inspection again". Rather an English course than real inspection, they wanted to know the names of all our stuff, "Contact Lenses", "Stove", "Tent poles" etc. After 1 hour: "You have to hurry, Kazakh customs closes in 30 min!". We got the exit stamp, but there was still the third counter, health inspection: "Where's your AIDS certificate? You can't leave China without!". After 30 min (while one of the officials made a dozen pictures of us with their new digital camera, they said "It's ok for this time. But next time, get an AIDS certificate before leaving China!" (I think there is no such rule?!). And another official said "Too late, Kazakhstan tomorrow". So we got our exit stamp stamped again: "Cancelled". "Come back tomorrow morning". They just laughed when I joked "will their be an inspection again?". Next morning: New exit stamp within 5 minutes, through the gate: "Good bye, see you again in China" and "Welcome to Kazakhstan!", nice officials on both sides. Kazakh customs: No problem there, declaration ok, no real bagage inspection.
Andreas Voegelin, Switzerland (Sep 02)
There are some military zones in the mountains towards China that require military 'permissions' to enter. These can be arranged through the various tour agencies for varying sums. You will need them when you enter and leave these areas if travelling by vehicle. We were also woken in our tents by concerned officials who had seen our Range Rover and wanted to check passports etc.
Shiriin Barakzai, UK (Aug 02)
Kazakh visa at Kazakh consulate in Urumchi: We today wanted to get our visa (after having got our "queue nmber" yesterday. They told us to be there today at 8:00. We thought they meant 8;30. When we arrived, people told us they were asking for us at 8:00, special treatment for tourists. Since we messed it up, we then had to queue up for 2.5 hours, so it's worth being on time. For a 30 day single entry tourist visa, we paid 45 Yuan and 30 USD which seems reasonable. We then, however, were told we would also need an AIDS test. This test can be obtained at some medical institute close to the consulate. There we were told that we would get the results only on next Monday (today is Thursday) and that the test costs 260 Yuan per person. We went back to the consulate and told them we could not get the result until tomorrow morning and that we would need to get back our passports for the weekend. After some minutes, we were told that they would give us the visa tomorrow without AIDS test!!
Andreas Voegelin, Switzerland (Aug 02)
The Uzbek embassy had no problem with us wanting a different date on our visas than that on our invitation. Our application took 15 minutes. We were a bit confused and nervous arriving into Kazakstan in the middle of the night with no passport / visa checks. However, we registered within the three days and had no problems.
The Australian embassy is no longer in Almaty.
Daina Padgett & Richard Thomas, Australia (Jul 02)
You can buy a transit visa at Almaty Airport. Costs $30 or $35, expect to wait for it several hours.
Johanna Louise Houtekamer, Netherlands (Jul 02)
From well informed international sources working with the Kyrgyz borderguards I have learned that the Irkeshtam Pass (from Osh to Naryn) has been opened for foreigners recently. However, I have no information on transport yet and I haven't met anybody who has done it so far.
Several travellers received 1 month extensions on Kyrgyz visas within a few hours at the main OVIR office for 250 som. OVIR registration is not necessary anymore for travellers of most western countries. I got my visas for Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Russia without major problems. This is how i succeeded: the Uzbek embassy only receives people that are on their list. You have to call the day before after 2pm and ask them to put your name down (66 30 78). Even if they tell a precise time, go a bit earlier, as they normally tell the same time to everybody. You definitely need an invitation and if the travel agency has done its work correctly your visa will be ready by the afternoon. It cost me (Swiss citizen) US$60 (US$ accepted only).
The Kazakh embassy is open in the mornings from 9.30am to 11.30 am. It's best to go on a friday when there are much less people. Go an hour or so early and write down your name on the list. The list is normally with the guard at the entrance. You need an invitation and the visa is ready within about 10 days, on the next day if you pay double. Visa cost depends on the duration of the visa and the urgency. If you have time to wait, tell them. You do not have to leave the passport, just bring it in at the appointed day in the morning and pick it up with the visa in the afternoon. For a 14 day visa i paid 35 usd (som equivalent or usd accepted). Transit visas are reportedly available within one day without invitation for 20usd.
Patrick Zoll, Switzerland (Jul 02)
Visa: No letter of invitation needed for Germans in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan OVIR: no longer required for 26 nations beeing members of WTO in Kyrgyzstan. Customs at Bishkek airport: when arriving at Manas airport a group of young men helped those guests who were not able to read Cyrillic letters to fill in customs declaration. After a short reading of the customs declaration the form was collected which made me insecure for the first moment. When leaving Bishkek I had to fill in a second declaration which was collected without being read. This was a difference to Tashkent were travellers have to fill in two decalarations (English available) and the collect one of them. But every staff member was very friendly in both towns.
Marlies Kriegenherdt, Germany (Jun 02)
The Kazakstan embassy in Tashkent is now at Chekhov 23 (not far from the Taj restaurant). The phone number has changed, it is now 152 15 54. Hours are Mondays 10-12:30, and Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9-12. Closed Wednesday.
Cheryl Collins, USA (Dec 01)
Travel Tips
ATMs in Central Asia are pretty fickle. I was fortunate to carry a number of cards and when one didn't work, usually another one did. There are now ATMs all over the place in Kazakhstan. Check the ATM locater on Mastercard and Visa sites. Most will dispense either tenge or US dollars.
Jason Man-Kai Yeung, Canada (Oct 03)
At the House of Mercy in Petropavlovsk, there is a free restaurant on Sundays, a soup kitchen, sponsored by Peace Corps USA volunteers and local English students. We serve 50 meals every Sunday from 11 am to 1 pm to anyone who arrives, including travellers (we had two travellers from Alaska just this past Sunday). The red brick building is behind the main North Kazakhstan University building with the round light blue dome.
Also at the House of Mercy is Peace Corps' 1000 book English language library with several copies of Lonely Planet Central Asia, Lonely Planet Mongolia, and Lonely Planet Russia for travellers who may need those resources as well as other travel books and reference materials useful for travellers. It is open to the public 7-days per week, normally afternoons but all morning and afternoon on Sundays.
John Leathers, USA (Oct 03)
Unexpected 'fees': If you are suddenly asked for an unexpected 'entrance fee' or 'tax' (eg. at border crossings, nature parks, etc.), there's a quick way to see if it's a legal one or merely a bribe: ask for a receipt. Normally, an official receipt (which is 'kvi-TAN-tsia' in Russian) should be printed and stamped by the concerned authority, not merely hand-written on a grotty piece of paper. Of course, if they're reluctant to give you one it's more likely that they're just out for backsheesh.
Taxi scams: It has already happened, especially with more sleazy taxi types around the large hotels, airports and railway stations, that the driver only releases you bags from the trunk after you pay up to double the agreed price. The best way to avoid this, is not to put your luggage in the trunk. If there is no other option and it happens, one possible way to deal with it is to conspicuously write down his license plate number and the number of his technical passport (which mostly appears on the front window) and threaten to call the police ('militsia' or 'politsia'). That usually works.
Bruno De Cordier, Belgium (Sep 03)
When I visited southern Kazakhstan with its many mausoleums, I felt more comfortable after I had bought a white scarf just to cover my head/hair when visiting the holy places. All of the places I went were very low key (Sayram, Arystan Bab and even Turkestan) not at all like the tourist places, and I felt very much like an invited guest and that it was important to show respect, which was very easily done by just wearing a white scarf near and in the mausoleums. I know it was appreciated by my hosts.
Also important, by the way, is to show respect when people are praying - which they do a lot, in particular at the smaller places - preferably sit down and don't talk until the prayer has finished. You will know people are praying by the way they hold their hands out in front of them like an open book - unless of course you understand Kazakh or Russian.
Annette Magnusson, Sweden (Jul 02)
Moneychangers take both US $ and Euro.
Marlies Kriegenherdt, Germany (Jun 02)
Central Asia has a big problem with change, mostly because the only cash reserve available in shops, markets, cafés etc... is the income of the day and if you're one of the first customers there might be none at all. Sometimes it can take up to half an hour before change is found. Pretending to have no change is also a common scam by taxi drivers and waiters to keep the change. Have enough small denominations all the time.
Bruno De Cordier (Belgium, Jun 02)
If you plan to explore the countryside, avoid the winter. We visited in October, and were confined to Almaty because of snow and fog.
Vio Barco and Andrew Dier, Colombia (Feb 02)
Almaty:
Email and Internet Access: The cheapest access that I found was the Fight Club chain, filled with young men playing war with each other on video screens. The cost was 250 tenge an hour -- cheaper than the Stalker Café. Fight Club 3 is at Shevchenko and Dostyk; Fight Club 2 is north of Tole Bi, (although I couldn't tell you exactly where).
Cheryl Collins, USA (Dec 01)
Moving About
Instead of taking the 69-hour train ride to Moscow via Astana (which is south of Pavlodar), it's better to fly for US $170 one-way or take a bus to Omsk, Russia (8 hours) and catch the Trans-Siberian Express, which is only 38 hours to Moscow. You'll cut your train time in half for about the same price (US $100). If possible, check the Omsk/Moscow train schedule (every other day, I think) before departing from Pavlodar.
Sue Kennedy, Kazakhstan (Feb 03)
Once you cross the border from China, taxis can take you to Almaty within 3 hours. A taxi will cost around US10 shared between four. A warning though, the drivers at the border are experts at driving between the border and Almaty - but once you get into the city they don't know where anything is, so best to get out of the car near the train station or the bus station.
Ryan Pyle, Canada (Jan 03)
The train Almaty - Bukhara has just recently been cancelled. Mind it.
Larissa Pak (Apr 02)
Scams & Warnings
Almaty and Bishkek airports - There is an occasional scam whereby customs officers won't let you pass if they see that you have computer disks or videotapes with you. Typically, they'll pretend that the materials could contain 'propaganda footage' and 'state secrets' and have to be cleared by the KGB first. It happened to me and to a Turkish acquaintance who was forced to leave his Turkish folk music CDs behind! All nonsense of course. Just an attempt to squeeze money out of you when you are about to catch your flight. Should it happen, ask to see the law or instruction in writing.
Matthieu Kravos, Canada (Jul 03)
I was in Almaty and I was rushing for my train to Chimkent. A few blocks from the station on Ablay Khan street I saw some militsia. Obviously they noticed me as I was probably the only person the had seen that day with a large backpack on. They asked to see my passport and they told me to follow them. There were three of them in all. I know I should have asked their names and ID numbers but all I could think about was making my train. I presumed they were taking me to the station. But they didn't. That was me being optimistic. I tried to defuse any possible tension by offering my salaam aleikums. That went down well with the two Kazaks. However I didn't offer them to the Russian officer who seemed to be their leader. They eventually stopped beside some benches behind some houses in a backstreet. Now I had quite a lot of cash on me as I am going to be travelling through Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey in an attempt to make it home for Christmas. So I had wads of dollars stashed in different places. One of those many places was in a kind of front waist pocket (I'm not sure what the technical term for that is). Anyway they got me to take out the contents of my pockets and hand them to them. After one officer had examined each of the contents in detail he would pass it on to the next one to do the same. Then they got me to empty my waist pocket. Each of them had to count the number of dollars there were in the envelope where I had hidden them. To start out with there had been USD500. While they were counting individually they distracted me by getting me to take out the contents of my bag. If had had time I would have told them to wait as I watched them go though the things they already had in their hands. After about fifteen minutes they seemed to have had enough, gave me back my things and let me go. So I rushed off to the station. In order to get there I had to go though an underpass. In the underpass, you've guessed it, I met some more militsia. I kinda reckonned at this stage that a backpack makes you stand out on the streets of Almaty. However these guys were much more professional and asked about drugs and arms (using sign language). They checked some of my things including the same envelope of dollars. After five minutes they let me go and I made a dash to the station and managed to catch my train. While on the train I had a chance to check my things. I found out that they had taken 300 Tenge and 150 Dollars. If I had to do it again I would have caught a taxi in order to be inconspicious (as I'm doing here in Tashkent). I would also have avoided any underpasses just in case the militsia may have been lurking. But above all I would have walked the other way as soon as I saw anything that looked remotely like a uniform. Oh and of course I would have put the cash that was in my waist pocket into my hidden pocket. I hope this advice can help others in the future. I'd just like to add that apart from that I found Almaty a beautiful and charming town.
Brian Connellan, Ireland (Aug 02)
There exists a taxi scam at Almaty airport, which goes as follows: the taxi drivers involved drive ignorant passengers (naturally, always foreigners and westerners) from late night flights out of the city in the complete opposite direction than the one they were asked to go. Then, they offer the passenger the 'choice' to come up with an additional fee of $100 or more, or be left behind in the middle of nowhere.
If you arrive at 3 or 4 am, like several international flights do, and are on your own or/and don't have someone to pick you up, you could consider waiting inside the airport until regular taxis and public transport start running again around 7 am.
Ilja Fedoruk, Slovakia (Apr 02)
Gems, Highlights & Attractions
Train journeys are an essential part of the Kazakhstan adventure. One possibility is the historical Turksib (Turkistan-Siberia) Railway between Almaty, Semipalatinsk, and Novosibirsk in Russia. Good stopovers en route are the Zhungar Alatau (east of Taldykurgan and Tekely) and the Kazakh Altaj (near Ust-Kamenogorsk). Information and timetables of the Turksib are on the web at http://turksib.com/
Bruno De Cordier, Belgium (Apr 02)
By all means try to go to a performance at the Opera and Ballet Theatre. We saw wonderful ballet and classic music performances there. The building is very beautiful and the interior is decorated with Scythian motifs. It is a dressy affair: the lady selling tickets advised us not to wear jeans or sneakers.
Vio Barco and Andrew Dier, Colombia (Feb 02)
Yarns, Fables & Anecdotes
In the markets of Almaty and Bishkek, you have a big chance of bumping into colourfully dressed and quite South Asian-looking women and children who are begging or working as fortune-tellers. In case you wonder, most are not Afghan refugees (as some believe) but Central Asian gypsies. Called 'luli' (loo-LEE) or 'chuki' (choo-KEY), they originally come from the surroundings of Samarkand, the Vaksh valley in southern Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. They number 20,000 to 30,000 in the region and mostly speak Tajik (Persian).
Bruno De Cordier, Belgium (Oct 03)
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