Are there any Americans that have landed a job working in Kazakhstan?

I am about to finish my business degree and wanted to see what advice you would have for me. Specifically it’s a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.

I am not from here, I am just curious.

I notice that on social media more people post about their holidays in Türkiye rather than Issyk Kul. Also, with the Kazakhs I spoke to in person said the visited Türkiye but no Issyk Kul (a lot of time times not even Kyrgyzstan itself). I know Türkiye and Issyk Kul are both supposed to be famous holiday places for Kazakh tourists but I wonder which place gets more visits (especially since Almaty is so close to Issyk Kul). I initially thought it was Issyk Kul but now I am not sure (especially since Turkey is actually quite far maybe except for those living in west Kazakhstan) Perhaps its a similar situation with the British seaside towns where more British people choose to go to Spain rather than Cornwall (due to price, more convinence and better weather).

Hello everyone,

My partner and I are planning to visit Almaty, Kazakhstan from May 6th to May 12th. We're both excited about exploring nature, trying local cuisine, and indulging in some adventure sports. Our budget is around $2000 for both of us excluding tickets, and I'd appreciate your help in planning an enjoyable and economical trip. Here are some specific areas where I could use your advice:

1. Affordable Attractions:

What are the best budget-friendly natural sites, restaurants, and adventure activities in Almaty?

2. Accommodation and Transportation:

Any recommendations for affordable places to stay? Also, what's the most efficient way to get around—public transport, taxis, or renting a car?

3. Language Preparedness:

I speak Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, and English. How essential is it to know basic Russian or Kazakh in Almaty, and what communication tips can you offer?

4. Weather and Clothing:

What kind of weather should we expect in early May, and what types of clothing should we pack?

5. Safety Tips:

What are common tourist traps or scams in Almaty, and how can we avoid them?

Any insights you can provide will be incredibly helpful for planning our trip. We're looking forward to an authentic and memorable experience in Almaty!

Thank you!

Hi all,

Together with 2 other friends, we want to travel from Shymkent to Tashkent. It seems there are no direct buses anymore and some people suggest taking a taxi to the border, then crossing on foot, then taking another taxi. I checked YandexGo app and it seems it's possible to do the entire route with the same taxi (for around 20000 tenge, which is pretty reasonable split between 3 people). Is this really an option? If so, I don't understand why people normally suggest splitting the trip, is it faster to pass the border on foot than car? Is it much cheaper in the trip is split?
Any suggestions on how to do this trip the fastes and most convenient way is welcome.

I bought this lapell pin from a souvenir shop. What does this bird mean? What's it's name? I didn't find any description

TL:DR. Cops in Almaty Airport are looking for tourists to scam, ( or they are scamming their country I don't know) don't be stupid and serve them the excuse on the silver plate, just like I did.

I went to Almaty on Tuesday and as a heavy smoker I lighted a cigarette just outside the airport gates, there were some other people smoking also. I know this is not an excuse and I should have checked for the signs. So again it was totally my fault. Fun starts here. 2 police officers came and asked me to follow them. They put me in a small room with another officer which was kinder ( good police) he said he doesn't want to write the ticket but he has to be cause it was on camera. Anyway long thing short. After some discussions ( via translate app) he said he would write the ticket for littering ( 18k tenge, smoking is 55k tenge) I said ok, after the procedure he told me to leave the money on the shelf and go. I said no. He said it would be easier because It would be hard to pay in the city for me. I insisted for the ticket and then he took me to a terminal to pay it. At the end it came out to be 9k tenge ( I think because early payment, as I saw it was 18k on the document.)
I believe the scam is: find an excuse to fine a tourist and then be a good cop, try to persuade him to leave the money on the shelf.

P.S: 1usd 450 tenge

Hey everyone,

I've been on a quest to track down a copy of the magazine "Мусульмане Советского Востока" (Muslims of the Soviet East) but it's proving to be quite the challenge. This magazine is a significant piece of historical and cultural documentation, offering insights into the lives and experiences of Muslim communities in the Soviet Union during a pivotal time period.

I've scoured libraries, online archives, and even reached out to collectors, but with no luck so far. It seems to be quite elusive. Yet, I'm determined to get my hands on it because I believe understanding this aspect of history is crucial.

If any of you have any tips, suggestions, or perhaps even a lead on where I could find a copy, I would be immensely grateful. Additionally, if you have any anecdotes or personal experiences related to this magazine or similar publications, I'd love to hear them.

i live i England and i looked for them online and in University can someone tell me if they are available in Kazakhstan?

Thank you all in advance for your help and support!

I realize this may be a controversial statement/ question...

I have worked in Almaty for the past year. While here, I noticed that it is very rare for someone who does not have two Kazakh-speaking parents to know anything beyond a few phrases in the Kazakh. This surprised me, as to my knowledge, Kazakh is taught as a class in all schools. It is also a bilingual society, so I thought kids would apply what they learned in class to their surroundings, whether they are at a Kazakh-speaking friend's house, listening into conversations, or reading instructions.

Does anyone have any idea on why this is? Is the Kazakh curriculum bad in school? Is it hard to learn Kazakh if Russian is your first language?

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Planning a trip for about 8 days to Almaty in June. Never been to Kazakhstan before. Looking for suggestions for things to do in Almaty for me and my wife. Sharing some details and our preferences below:

Preferences:

1. Try out local food
2. Travel by bus/metro where possible to save money
3. Stay at safe, clean hotels even if they don't have a lot of facilities

Things we have decided to do so far:

1. Kaindy, kolsay lakes
2. Charyn Canyon
3. Kok-Tobe
4. Arbat market
5. Zenkov Cathedral

Things we need help with:

1. Will Shymbulak and medeu ice rink have ice in june? I read somewhere that they opened a summer rink but need confirmation. Is it worth to go to these places at this time of the year?

2. Are there good resorts to stay around the chundzha hot springs? Is it better to stay in the hot spring area and go to the canyon and lakes or go from the city?

3. As a foreigner is it safe to hire a self drive car to roam around especially to the canyon and lakes? Or is it better to take 1/2 day tour packages for these places?

4. What other activities can we do apart from the ones mentioned above? Any interesting museums, cafes, parties to visit or local events happening in the last week of June in Almaty?

5. Between Ile-Alatau and Altyn Emel National park which one is worth visiting?

6. Any hotel recommendations for staying within the city? Ramada by Wyndham looked like a good location but is expensive for 8 days.

Apologies for the long post and thank you in advance for your inputs 🙏

Hi everyone, I am coming to Kazhakhstan this may. I am planning to stay more time in almaty (5 days) and 2 days in Astana. If I wanted to go to charyn canyon and kolsai lake, can I go there by taxi or do I have to book a private tour? Will yandex work if I wanted to go there?

Is anyone from there or is anyone coming there for vacation during May, do you want to link up?

If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

What is your favourite song of that era and why? This can include one song or multiple songs, or even the music group itself for if you enjoy a certain album from that music group! 🥰😍🎶

I am English (🇨🇦), but I have been doing three of the Slavic languages on Duolingo (plus two Germanic languages). You can see my flags for language learnings on Duolingo (and I still need to add French, since I want to relearn French since it’s needed in my country 🥲)

I love the music of the 1960-2000’s era, but particularly in the late 1980’s. I love country music (80-90’s), pop-music, Euro-pop, soft rock, pop-rock, synth-disco, and synth-pop! 😍🥰🎶

I think the cosmic-like keyboard sounds in the song Гранитный Город by Весёлые Ребята sounds magical & mystical at the same time! 😍🥰🎶

Plus the main singer for that song did an amazing job at making the song sound both magical & mystical at the same time! 😍🥰🎶

We are a group of 4 boys looking to have a good fun in Almaty. We appreciate any good suggestions to go drink and have some good time.

Всем привет! Хочу учить английский самостоятельно. У меня уровень А2. Есть желание поднять до В2. Какие есть у вас советы по поводу?

Здравствуйте!
Хотел бы спросить совета и выслушать мнения, насчёт того стоит ли поступать на МО в Россию (Университет СПБГУ) с нынешней полит. ситуацией в мире и невозможностью выезда за границу на практику/стажировку? Или же стоит остаться в Казахстане и отучиться здесь.

Hello everyone, I am in Almaty right now and looking for a place to watch the match tonight. Does anyone know a sports bar that shows UEFA by any chance?

Hello everyone! I am curious what the situation in KZ is about factory farmed meat, especially beef. My assumption is that chicken is most likely factory farmed, but beef, horse and sheep/lamb is mostly free roamed meat. I haven’t seen an huge meat production facilities and the quality of beef has mostly been excellent while relatively cheap compared to Europe. Hope someone can shed some light on it! Thanks

I live in the US (non-kazakh) and my soon-to-be wife is in Kazakhstan currently.

I want to send her gifts, flowers etc but seems like most instagram stores dont accept credit cards and ask for halyk / kaspi bank.

I have no idea how or if I can use Halyk/Kaspi payment methods as a non-Kazakh with no Kazakh phone number. Is there any way I can do so, by transferring money to Kaspi/Halyk from my US bank accounts?

I have a daughter with my ex gf who's lived in KZ for over 10yrs. Currently, our daughter who was born in KZ has her names and I would like to change it to mine. My ex who seems willing to change the name mentioned that it can be legally changed only if I'm within the country. I had some difficulty getting a visit visa last time so I suggested we do a power of attorney. Is this a viable option or does the law require that I'm within the country to effect this change?

I do a lot of international transfers and need to hold currencies in USD and Tenge. Any bank recommendations suited for internationals/expats?

I heard Kaspi is super slow for international transfers, and I’m fine to pay vendors in cash or Apple Pay/Credit Card without needing Kaspi transfer. Thanks in advance!

Я молодой человек, который в ближайшее время станет абитуриентом для университетов разных стран, и у меня есть определенный шанс того, что я получу грант/стипендию не в Казахстане. В самом Казахстане меня держит исключительно наличие родственников и часть культурного общества. Назовите плюсы (как для вас, так и в общем) жизни в Казахстане, или хотя бы причины не иммигрировать из страны, при наличии высшего образования.