"Felt Kazakh Hospitality": Egyptian traveler's unusual journey turns him into a star
Kazakhstan is becoming increasingly popular among foreign tourists, attracting visitors with its rich culture, unique landscapes, and incredible hospitality. Recently, videos of an Egyptian traveler sharing his unusual train journey have gone viral. The tourist shared his impressions of Kazakhstan with Tengrinews.kz.
In today's world, where air travel has become the norm for long journeys, 29-year-old Omar from Egypt challenged this conventional mode of travel and embarked on a land journey from Egypt to Japan. His route spans multiple countries, with one key leg being a train journey through Kazakhstan.
Every day, Omar posts short videos about his travels on his page. Interestingly, he has over 328,000 followers on Instagram. Speaking to a correspondent, Omar noted that what impressed him the most in Kazakhstan was the hospitality. He emphasized that guests are received with exceptional warmth and importance.
"One of the most memorable aspects for me was the hospitality in Kazakh culture. The way guests are welcomed and what a guest means to Kazakhs is amazing. Guests are treated like VIPs. Such treatment is incredible," said Omar.
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Публикация от Omar Nok | عُمَر (@omar.nok)
During his journey, Omar planned to independently explore the desert and visit the natural attractions of Mangystau. Two Kazakh students, hearing about his plans, decided to help him.
"I was planning to go to the desert, hitchhike, or stay in a tent camp in Mangystau. But two students who accidentally heard my plans offered to help. They organized contact with a local tour company and arranged a tour for me. This was very important as it was my first days in Kazakhstan. They saved the situation and, probably, me from the inconveniences I would have faced if I had gone alone," he shared.
Omar tried camel and horse milk for the first time, as well as horse meat. He mentioned that he enjoyed the meat, which became his favorite dish in Kazakh cuisine.
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Публикация от Omar Nok | عُمَر (@omar.nok)
The traveler also remarked on the stunning landscapes of Kazakhstan.
"The landscape really captivates me. I think Kazakhstan has almost everything in terms of natural beauty and landscape. I haven't seen the mountainous regions yet, but I will soon go to the Almaty region, so I'm excited. I visited Mangystau and even traveled by train to Astana, and the steppe truly captivated me. The 46-hour train journey was an incredible experience. How such a large area remains so flat for such a long stretch amazed me, though some might find it boring. The rock formations in Mangystau also impressed me," Omar noted.
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Публикация от Omar Nok | عُمَر (@omar.nok)
He also mentioned that the biggest challenge for him was the language barrier, as well as being surprised by Kazakhstan's technological advancement and the convenience of electronic payments.
"The biggest challenge was the language barrier. Fortunately, I used an online translator and people didn't mind typing on my phone for slow conversations. They were happy to help and gladly used the app to communicate. I was also surprised by how advanced technology is here in terms of payments. Almost everywhere you can pay by card or through Kaspi, which I didn't expect," the traveler emphasized.
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Публикация от Omar Nok | عُمَر (@omar.nok)
Omar recommended that other travelers planning a trip to Kazakhstan visit Mangystau and enjoy a long train journey, noting it as one of his favorite activities in the country.
"Honestly, it's hard for me to highlight anything specific yet. I've been here for only 6-7 days, so I'm not deeply immersed yet. I think the fact that I passed through Tajikistan and Uzbekistan before arriving allowed me to get used to this type of culture. Therefore, nothing has made a huge impression on me because of this, I think. If I had flown directly from Egypt or somewhere else to Kazakhstan, I probably would have seen more obvious differences.
At this point, I would recommend visiting the Mangystau region in particular, as I've already seen it and took a tour. And I highly recommend a long train journey across the country. It doesn't matter the destination, just choose a very distant place and take a long train trip. Watching the landscapes and interacting with locals – this is one of my favorite activities in Kazakhstan so far," he concluded.
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Публикация от Omar Nok | عُمَر (@omar.nok)
Recently, more and more foreigners are visiting our country, eager to experience its traditions, cuisine, and picturesque landscapes. One such traveler is Hwang Chi Hun from South Korea, who came to Kazakhstan to discover a new country. He shared his impressions in more detail in the article.
Kazakhstan is becoming increasingly popular among travelers from around the world, including India. After the introduction of a 14-day visa-free regime, the ministry noted a threefold increase in visitors from India: from 28,000 people in 2022 to 78,000 people in 2023. One of the visitors from India, named Devika, shared her impressions of visiting Kazakhstan.