Top Ten Tips on Business Trips to Kazakhstan
Posted 03/06/2014
What the Guide books won’t tell you…!!
- Before you go: Make sure you pack plenty of mosquito repellant – Atyrau has a high population of mosquitos and good repellant is essential. Despite the heat, long sleeves provide further protection when mosquito levels are high.
- Take a copy of your passport/visa/photo, notarised if possible to keep in your hotel safe on arrival.
- When flying to Aktau, go via Russia or Baku for cost effective flights.
- On arrival: When passing through immigration, get two stamps on the immigration/landing card handed to you on the plane. Keep this clipped to your passport in the visa page (good idea to take a paperclip for this)
- Keep your luggage retrieval labels (attached to your boarding card) as you will need this to leave the airport arrivals area.
- During your stay:Keep your passport with you at all times, together with your visa.
- Always agree taxi fares before getting into cabs – if you don’t speak Kazakh or Russian, avoid being fleeced as a foreigner by asking your hotel or host organisation to call a taxi from reception, establishing the fare first. (N.B. current rates in Atyrau are 500-1500 tenge (£2-£5), depending on the length of the journey and time of the day). When arriving for the first time, ensure your hotel or host orders you the taxi and they meet you at the airport.
- Currency – You can only get Tenge in country, so if travelling for the first time, take dollars and get the hotel to book you the place and add to your bill, as you can often get cash in the hotel.
- Be attentive after dark – there are many uneven road surfaces In Kazakhstan, potholes and bumps!
- When leaving the country, use the toilet before travelling to the airport – toilets in Departures are often fall short – don’t get caught short!
