University years in Kazakhstan, the me before I became a traveler

In 2018 I went to Kazakhstan to study at university. The school was Ahmet Yesevi University and my major was history. University took five years in total, and I spent one of them in Kyrgyzstan on an exchange program.

Prep year in Kentau and the forbidden flat

We did the prep year in the city of Kentau. Kentau is a small city about 35 km from Turkistan. During the prep year we weren't allowed to rent a flat, we had to live in the dorm. After a month we moved into a flat.

Turkistan and school

When people hear Turkistan, most of them think of the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, it's the symbol of the city. My school is named after Ahmet Yesevi too.

I liked my school, I liked my friends, I wasn't unhappy. But the city was boring. For someone who wanted to see new places, after a while there was nothing left to do.

Staying in Kazakhstan during Covid

Then Covid hit. I didn't go back to Türkiye, I stayed in Kazakhstan with two friends. During that time we hung around Turkistan and the area around it.

I could do that too, but

In those years I was watching travel videos on YouTube. The more I watched, the more I told myself I could do that too. But I didn't have the courage to hit the road.

What you need to know before going to Kazakhstan

Visa

Turkish citizens can enter Kazakhstan visa free. You can stay up to 30 days per entry and 90 days in total within 180 days. Check the rules for your own passport. Rules can change, check with the consulate before you go.

Electronic travel authorization, QazETA

• Kazakhstan introduced an electronic travel authorization called QazETA for foreigners who enter visa free. Turkish citizens are included.
• You apply online at least 72 hours before you travel. The permit is valid for 180 days.
• It becomes mandatory from 1 July 2027, and people without it can be turned back at the border. Until then they only inform you at the border, but I recommend getting it already.
• The official application is free for now. Only apply through the official site qazeta.kz or the QazETA app. You can download the app from the App Store and Google Play. Other sites that ask you for money may be middlemen or scammers.
• Under 16s, over 65s and people with a residence permit in Kazakhstan are exempt.

Exchanging money

• The currency of Kazakhstan is the tenge. Bring dollars or euros, they're the easiest to exchange.
• Your bills should be clean, not torn and not folded. Old and worn bills are either refused or taken at a worse rate.
• Exchange offices are everywhere and they don't charge commission. But even two offices on the same street can have different rates. Check two or three places before you exchange, and look at the bank rate too.
• At the airport only exchange enough for a taxi, the rate there is worse than in the city.
• They may ask for your passport when you exchange, keep it with you.

Cards and ATMs

• Halyk Bank and Kaspi Bank ATMs usually don't charge extra for foreign cards. But your own bank at home charges its own foreign fee on top. Ask your bank about fees for withdrawals and card payments abroad before you go.
• If the ATM screen shows a withdrawal fee, cancel and try another bank's ATM.
• When paying by card or withdrawing cash, if it asks whether to charge in your home currency or tenge, always choose tenge. If you choose your home currency, a worse rate is applied in between.
• In the cities most shops, cafes and hotels take cards. At markets, for street food, in minibuses and small places you need cash.
• The payment method Kazakhs use most is Kaspi QR. But as a tourist you can't use it right away, you need a local bank account. Stick with card and cash.

SIM card and internet

• The operators are Beeline, Kcell and Tele2. Beeline has the widest coverage, Tele2 is the cheapest.
• You need your original passport to buy a SIM, they don't accept copies. SIMs sold at the airport are a bit more expensive than in stores.
• Because your phone is foreign it may need to be registered, and on an unregistered phone the SIM can stop working after 30 days. Ask for help in the store when you buy it.

Taxis and maps

• For taxis people use Yandex Go.
• For maps, 2GIS is very good, it shows bus routes and shops too. Download it before you go.

Language

People speak Kazakh and Russian. A little Russian makes things much easier. If you speak Turkish, you can guess some Kazakh words too.

Getting to Turkistan

• The city has its own airport, Hazrat Sultan International Airport. It's about 16 km from the city center. Flights can change, so check when you look for tickets.
• From Turkistan to Kentau it's about 40 minutes by bus or taxi.

Place to see

The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2003. Don't leave Turkistan without seeing it.