It is not all work in Kazakhstan – To Almaty – 14 August 2022

To stimulate the economy via the tourism and trade sectors, the Kazakhstan government made it visa free for Indians, Iranians and Chinese to travel to their country for 14 days in one trip from July of this year. Moreover, the intended traveller can travel thrice in a span of 180 days for 14 days each. Prior to this policy change getting a Kazakh visa was time consuming and expensive. An invitation from the country and over USD 200 in costs obtaining the visa from Delhi, travel to Kazakhstan was forbidding. Considering the vastness of the country and what it has to offer it was indeed a pity that the visa process was a dampener. I first travelled through Kazakhstan in 2014 when I was on the drive from Cochin to London. I had to obtain 15 visas for the entire three month journey; the most difficult was Kazakhstan and it was obtained in time with some payment under the table too! Now all that is a thing of the past and travel has been freed up with this new order. I am sure many will avail the relaxed visa regime to travel and enjoy the beauty of the ninth largest country and the second largest land-locked country in the world.

A direct flight from India to Kazakhstan is offered only from Delhi by Air Astana to Almaty, the country’s former capital. Hence, as a resident of Chennai I had to take a late evening flight on 14 August to Delhi to take the Air Astana flight to Almaty. Prior to taking the flight to Delhi I had had a word with the Air Astana booking office in Delhi to reconfirm the operation of the relaxed visa regime. They confirmed that it was visa free for Indian citizens and said that in case of any difficulty with India Immigration at the airport I could seek the assistance of the Air Astana airport staff. I was nervous, to say the least, because of previous experiences.

I had a couple of hours to wait out before the Air Astana check-in counters opened. The separate counter for web checked in passengers was a big help. I was first in that queue and the check-in was smoothly handled. However, it was an excruciating experience at Security and Immigration. The queues were long and snaking. Passengers nearing the boarding deadlines were getting exasperated and desperate; understaffed counters, staff on social interaction and passengers stressed out. I was in the security line for an hour and half, slowly inching my way.

Once that was done I had Immigration to contend with – the final frontier, so to say, before I boarded the flight. Naturally, as I had anticipated, at the immigration counter I was asked for the Kazakhstan visa. The officer was not quite convinced that Kazakhstan has decreed free visa for travellers from India. He seemed surprised and not very willing to speak to the airline staff, when I requested him to cross-check. Fortunately, a senior official passing by confirmed the current status of visa for Indians travelling to Kazakhstan. Another gentleman was delayed at the counter because the immigration official did not know that Indonesia has visa on arrival for Indian citizens. I wondered what sort of updation processes are in place to ensure that immigration officials who man the counters are up to speed on the latest instructions. Urgent overhaul is called for in this area to speed up counter clearances.

Boarding for the Air Astana flight to Almaty from Delhi began twenty minutes late in the early hours of 15 August 2022. When it was my turn to present the boarding pass I was handed another one upgrading my seat to Business Class. To say that I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. Even though I am entitled to travel Business Class while on duty I never avail that privilege. So, here I was travelling Business Class, courtesy the airline. How they chose the passengers to upgrade I was not quite sure, but certainly, I was not displeased. Not plush, but comfortable was the BC seat with a choice of beverages and food. I opted for grilled trout and shrimps for the mains while watching a Liam Neeson flick on the entertainment system.

Sleep was fitful and I was glad to arrive Almaty International Airport ahead of the scheduled time by twenty minutes. With the visa free regime for Indian tourists my stay at the Immigration was short with just a question about the places I intended to visit during the stay in Kazakhstan. The baggage carousels at the airport looked like toy systems. However, I didn't have to wait too long for the baggage.

Kazakhstan is experiencing unprecedented rush of tourists from Russia owing to the war in Ukraine. While this has benefited the system price rise has been relentless in the past few months stressing common citizens quite a bit. I checked into the Uyut Hotel, seemingly a Soviet era relic but, at the same time, well maintained and cheap. The breakfast was substantial in the quaint little dining area. After a heavy breakfast I decided to foot it to the office to burn some of the calories.