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Where I come from, when someone mentions a country ending with the suffix “-stan,” many people’s minds immediately jump to images of war, poverty, and backwardness. 

 

Yet through traveling, I’ve discovered just how deeply distorted this perception is.

A chance encounter that sparked curiosity

Giuseppe Bocchino.

My encounter with Kazakhstan happened by chance, when  I met a Kazakh girl on the distant land of northeastern Europe. I knew almost nothing about her homeland — neither where it lay exactly on the map, nor what its flag or traditions were.

Still, that conversation sparked a curiosity in me that, months later, took me on one of the most beautiful journeys of my life.

Arriving in an unexpectedly modern land

At 24, I’ve already visited 45 countries, as a student, worker and travel coordinator for remote destinations. I certainly wasn’t a novice traveler, yet Kazakhstan managed to surprise me in ways some other countries never had. 

I landed in Almaty at night with a backpack on my shoulders and no internet connection. The airport was quiet, the air still. I looked around until, among the few faces left, I finally spotted my friend and her sister. We got in the car and, exhausted from the trip, I gazed out the window at an unexpectedly tidy and bright city.

I hadn’t looked for information before leaving: I prefer my reactions to be authentic. And authentic was my amazement at seeing well-maintained and clean streets, modern buildings, and an atmosphere more European than Asian in the stereotypical sense.

The sacred art of Kazakh hospitality

Soon after, I was invited to have dinner. In Kazakhstan, hospitality is not just a value: it’s a sacred principle. As an Italian, used to considering the guest an important figure, I was also struck by the warmth and generosity with which I was welcomed. I learnt that the guest is not only welcomed but almost sacred.

During the trip, I realized I was in a world profoundly different from Europe. Everything seemed more genuine, more real. Even in Almaty, the former capital and a big metropolis, I felt a simplicity in people that was not naivety; it was a distinctive trait, a cultural richness.

Hospitality manifested itself in a thousand ways, such as the desire to share places, food, traditions, and also in mutual respect.

Traveling between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, even reaching a checkpoint where language barriers could lead to misunderstandings, I realized how wonderful and precious it is to have locals by your side. 

There, people are always open to help you in times of need, offering advice and making you feel like a part of that place, without asking for anything in return.

A land of endless landscapes and contrasts

But Kazakhstan is not just about the people. Kazakhstan has so much more to offer – from the majestic Charyn Canyon to the endless steppes, every landscape seemed to tell a different story. 

I still remember reaching the singing dunes in the Altyn Emel national park after a long day, standing at their peak and taking in that unique scene – desert sands ahead, protective mountains on one side, while steppes on the other, and a lush river below. As for me, that place captures Kazakhstan’s diverse yet harmonious beauty. 

As I stood there, admiring the view, I spoke the words I’m most proud of as the culmination of all that place stirred in me.

“Every step and decision in your life has led you here, right now. Be proud of yourself,” these were the thoughts that Kazakhstan’s stunning nature evoked in me. 

I still recall my awe when gazing at Lake Kaindy in the Almaty region , reaching aboard an old Soviet truck, or traveling twenty hours by train – the distance, which on the map looked like nothing more than a tiny stretch of line.

Kazakhstan is also a country of contrasts. There are cities where the Soviet past coexists with the modern drive of Astana and Almaty; languages intertwine and nomadic traditions survive alongside global influences.

The hidden gem few expect

When I speak with someone, sharing my travel experiences, there’s always one question: what is the most beautiful country I’ve visited? 

To this day, everyone is surprised when I answer that it is Kazakhstan. No one expects it. Where I come from, it’s just one of the -stans.

Yet for me, it is a land that contains strength and fragility, pride and sweetness.

It is the country of the dried-up Aral Sea, a symbol of wounded nature, but also of a society looking forward. It is a place where the ancient Tengrism background leaves space for all religions to coexist harmoniously, where traditions meet progress, and conservatism embraces the future. 

Kazakhstan is a hidden gem in plain sight. A land that, like few others, gives back to those who visit it the true meaning of traveling: stepping beyond your limits to encounter humanity, wonder, and truth.

The author is Giuseppe Bocchino, a project coordinator specialized in strategic communication, based in Portugal. He holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Communication Management.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Astana Times.