Hello adventurer,

Whether you are preparing for your umpteenth trip or first, this is the blog for you!

Welcome to a dialogue between two sisters who represent two totally different types of travellers. Kahmy is an adventure lover on her 32nd country and Kaya is a happy go lucky traveller who has travelled mostly in the Asia-Pacific region.

The two of us travelled together to Kazakhstan this Summer and we decided to capture both our insights by interviewing each other! This easy-to-read dialogue style blog is meant for you, the reader, to identify with one or both of us, and read about the expedition from different perspectives.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1: KAYA BY KAHMY

KM: Hi Kaya, please share your motivations to come on this adventure to Kazakhstan despite your limited outdoor travel experience?

KY: I've always loved the outdoors, and I like seeing nature that I cannot find in Singapore. Also, to celebrate the end of my university journey, I wanted to go to some place where I could immerse myself in nature and enjoy beautiful sights. And I knew that Kazakhstan is famous for that!

KM: It definitely is, so then what was your most memorable cultural experience in Kazakhstan?

KY: Besides the nature, we also managed to see some of Kazakh culture when we visited the Ethno Village on Day 3. They walked us through their different cultural practices like food making and horseriding and archery. My favourite part was when they invited us into a yurt and shared information on their nomadic history & culture. One especially touching moment happened when they were telling us about marriage traditions, where girls would be married off to other tribes and say goodbye to their mother with a song. One of the Kazakh ladies actually dressed up & sang the song for us, and it was such a touching moment that I even teared up. It was really sweet and sad to imagine myself in such a position.

The village experience was very immersive and even had crowd participation. They found a volunteer who was a mother herself to act as the mother saying farewell. Fortunately for us, our volunteer was a very good one, so she actually gave really sweet advice to the Kazakh lady and it really added to the authenticity of the moment. That was quite a memorable & emotional moment for me.

KM: Yea, that was a super touching moment for me too, her advice was great. Speaking of cultural exchange did you encounter any language barriers during this trip? How did you communicate effectively?

KY: Naturally yes, you do feel the barrier because they do speak a completely different language that I don't understand, like Kazakh or Russian. But thankfully, we are always with our helpful guides who also act as our translators. So, I felt that there weren't any major moments where I felt super lost or helpless. But also doing your part to learn a bit of Kazakh or even Russian, like simple things e.g. how to say thank you or hello, can help to break the barrier a little bit. So ya, I do highly recommend you try to pick up at least some helpful phrases just to break the ice a little bit whenever you travel.

KM: That’s great that you learnt some of the local words, what about some local dishes & cuisine? Did you have a favourite meal or was there anything that you didn't like?

KY: I don't think I can choose a favourite one just because I actually liked so many of them. The food was honestly one of the biggest highlights of the trip, because every meal was so delicious, like there was always something to eat and enjoy. I especially love their stews, like a lot of their meals come with some sort of stew with meat and gravy that you can soak up with your rice or bread. So that was really delicious. One of my favourite snacks there reminded me of You Tiao in Singapore! Like the fried dough dish. In the Ethno Village, they were making it fresh and serving it warm, so good. Oh, one thing was I didn't expect myself to like was mutton. It featured in quite some meals, and even though I don’t eat it so much in Singapore, I found it more enjoyable there. The taste was less strong, so that was something new for me!

KM: The food seriously was so filling! I loved the fresh cucumber & tomato salads at every meal and miss it already haha. Tell me more about accommodation? How was it and how did feel?

KY: Accommodations were smooth during the trip, there was never any accommodation that was too rough or dirty. All round decently comfortable. If I had to choose my favorite accommodation, it would be the place we stayed in at Turgen, simply because it was nestled in this valley sort of thing. So in the morning when you wake up, you're greeted with beautiful green views. It was higher in elevation too, so it was really cooling at night, which is always nice.

KM: I liked that one too, there were other locals staying there so it felt very homey and one evening they even lit a fire and had a cute dance party. Moving from that, was there anything unexpected that happened during the trip, and how did you learn to go with the flow?

KY: Truthfully, there was no major challenge that I found myself facing during the entire trip, because I came with an open mind and everything. So, I think I was able to take everything in my stride. Ya, there was truly nothing too difficult. But I think one memorable challenge, was during one of our day trips to Altyn Emel National Park as we actually got caught in heavy rains that caused muddy rivers that blocked our paths leading in and out, so we were stuck in the middle. The rains were still coming down, so at one point we kind of thought that we may actually have to stay the night. Although the situation did seem kind of serious for a while, I think our team managed to take it in our stride, and were staying positive and cracking jokes, like we started planning if we had to stay overnight who would sleep where, how to ration the little food we had. Eventually we were able to get out safely, but that was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

KM: Honestly same, and the crazy double rainbow & sunset after that was especially sweet. So overall, how did this trip impact your personal growth or perspective on life and the world, especially after just graduating?

KY: I think this trip definitely has been one of the most peaceful and healing trips, just because of the sheer amount of nature that I managed to enjoy. Even the long rides, like yes, they were long hours stuck in a bumpy car, but you know, you were surrounded by these vast planes and majestic mountains so even the car rides were like experiences by themselves. Being able to look out the window and see all this nature you know you don't get to see in Singapore is really healing. As cliche as it sounds, it really reminds you that the world is so big, and there's really so much to see and do.

Especially after being crammed in my university dorm room studying for my finals, being able to celebrate the end of Uni with this trip reminded me that stress is temporary and that life is so much more than just your screens. That you can get so much satisfaction from just being outdoors and doing nothing or enjoying being around these mountains can be so fulfilling. And now, as I start my first full time job, this trip serves as motivation for me to work hard to be able to go on my next trip.

KM: That’s awesome, so what kind of adventures would you like to pursue in the future?

KY: I would definitely like to pursue more trips where I'm truly surrounded by nature, and not in the bustling city. I would love to visit the outskirts more, and maybe even take it a step further, like do some camping outdoors, cook my own food and everything. Would love to wake up to the mountains!

Chapter 2: KAHMY BY KAYA

KY: Hi Kahmy, so as a more experienced traveller, could you share some tips for preparing for a trip to a less familiar country like Kazakhstan?

KM: Preparation is definitely a big one, especially for first time travellers who may be a bit nervous about going somewhere a bit more off the popular path. The good thing is, with information at your fingertips online, you realize that packing for such destinations is not that drastically different or difficult. In fact, you don’t have to look very far, Beyond Expeditions has a lot of information on these destinations on their website, so you can actually look at the pictures of what previous groups were wearing to get a sense of the weather. So yea, definitely do your homework, but it’s super easy, like reading the blogs, watching the videos, looking at the photos, that already gives you a lot of context. Tips in general is to be more resourceful in terms of sanitation, like bringing wet wipes, soap etc. Make sure that your shoes are in good condition, because you don't want it to break on you there. Bring clothes that you can layer easily to adapt to changing weather. Essentially stay versatile and agile and be open to adapting on the fly!

KY: That’s good advice, yea BE gave guides pre-trip to help with packing which was great. So, after being all prepared, what was your favourite adventure activity during the trip, and why?

KM: My favourite activity of the trip was definitely hiking Lake Kolsai. We spent an entire day there and it felt like a true wonderland. When we arrived it was very touristy, there were a lot of people taking photos and all, but once we started hiking further in, the people faded away and the landscape opened up like Narnia. There were steep paths, which was great as I personally enjoy a more challenging hike that is not just a walk. Sometimes we even had to be like, scrambling on our butts or hands, and that just makes the experience more fun. And also, it was just beautiful. The water was blue, wildflowers were colourful, marshes were green. We started hiking from the water level, then super high to enjoy a bird's eye view of the lake, then we were down to water level again and even drank from it. I really enjoyed that day, being able to soak and immerse in that magical landscape. At one point it even started raining, so it was super peaceful, surreal, and it felt like we were in a movie.

KY: Awesome, ya that hike was next level haha. Did you have any memorable interactions with locals, and how did they contribute to your experience?

KM: Absolutely. BE has great local guides who are super friendly & knowledgeable. I genuinely enjoyed our two outdoor drivers very much; their company was so fun yet also very careful and caring. They would crack jokes and let us stop at petrol station stores to get snacks or drinks. Being locals themselves, they would of course also tell us stories and share information about the places we were visiting. Having a local guide is so key & luckily BE does the vetting for you!

KY: Ya, they were fun indeed, especially one night when one of them drove us out just to try see stars because we asked, that was so nice. Well, did you learn something new on this trip and were there some cultural nuances or customs that you found interesting or surprising?

KM: Yes actually! My favourite cultural takeaway from this trip to Kazakhstan was definitely what our local guide in Almaty shared about their ancestral religion Tengrism. It is a minority religion in the country, which is now majority Muslim, however, it was the religion that originated in the Eurasian steppes. It's a shamanistic, indigenous pagan religion of the Turkic people that involves the titular sky god Tengri. What I love is that the key message is reverence for nature. It's about worshiping your ancestors, living in harmony with the universe, ecosystems, and with yourself. I just found it really, really beautiful. It feels like a belief system and way of life. Actually, after the trip, I ended up researching more about Tengrism and even talking to some of my friends about it. It's wonderful to learn about beautiful new concepts from cultures, especially one as ancient & old as this.

KY: Wow I didn’t remember her mention this, very cool that it resonated with you. So actually, having been to so many countries, do you prefer bustling cities or peaceful nature?

KM: I definitely prefer traveling to nature because I live in a city of Singapore. However, I do also very much enjoy a good city. This expedition gives a good balance of seeing Almaty city and also the grand landscapes of Kazakhstan. The interesting thing is because Kazakhstan is the richest country in Central Asia, you actually see how modern the city is and how that modernity and wealth is next to a lot of heritage and historical sites, like war memorials and commemorative sculptures that hark back to the long history of Almaty being on the Silk Road. I think it achieves a really nice tapestry of both.

KY: Yes, the city tour was interesting to see WWII from the Soviet Union perspectives. Next, what essential item did you pack that you couldn't have lived without?

KM: Honestly, in terms of packing, I first recommend using a large backpack instead of a wheeled luggage as you will be moving around every few days. So having something you can carry is better as you cannot expect perfect, smooth or clean ground to roll the luggage on everywhere. Essential items include wet wipes, for me personally small tripods to film content and capture memories. Other essential items for people could also be comfort food. I didn’t bring any, as I wanted to save my stomach for the local food, but some people on our trip brought instant noodles, which was actually really nice, because they could enjoy it as a comfort snack, but also share it with the locals. Like there was one meal where we made it for our drivers, which was quite a cute moment and everyone enjoyed sharing it. So, yeah, bring anything that brings you comfort really, but my advice is to be minimal, you can survive with less things than you think, take this as a personal challenge.

KY: Ya for sure, I surprised myself too. So, what advice would you give to other first-time travellers considering a similar adventure?

KM: Definitely if it's your first time, I would recommend going with a group. Advice would be to read up if you are scared, and look at videos if you are missing context. Like there's honestly so much information out there that that it's very easy to get your concerns addressed before flying. And I know these countries sound really far away and they sound really different from your normal destinations, but that's just because they don’t get the same amount of mainstream media attention. But it doesn't mean that they are not worth discovering or not worth your time and money. I think if anything, it's even more so deserving to be experienced, because then you have a unique story and it will be a special place you'll always have a connection to. Travel with an open mind and heart and be willing to compromise a bit on comfort. To expect the same level of convenience, speed, comfort, as going to a place like Japan or Korea is not constructive. So, open yourself up to more spontaneous adventure and you may just very well fall in love with that too.

KY: That’s a good reminder to go out of your comfort zones, especially as not everywhere is convenient like the Singapore bubble. So, to round up, what other destinations are still on your bucket list, and would you consider returning to Kazakhstan?

KM: For sure, in general, I really enjoy the Central Asian region. I love the food and how they use so much dill in the cuisine, it's so refreshing. I love how the people are so hospitable and generous. I would actually love to see more countries in the Central Asian region, like Uzbekistan or Tajikistan. Of course, I'm open to visiting Kazakhstan again but perhaps in a different season for a new experience. Other destinations on my bucket list would definitely be Canada or Norway or even Iceland to see even more raw, untouched nature. And I really, really want to see the northern lights. Personally, I enjoy any destinations at altitude, like we went up 2000 - 3000 meters above sea level, in both Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and it just feels different. The air is different, the views are different. I really enjoy that, especially given that Singapore is at sea level haha. So yes, definitely would consider returning to the Central Asian region.

Chapter 3: Epilogue

We hope you enjoyed this reflective sisterly dialogue and learnt a bit more about Kazakhstan!

Everyone will have their own unique motivations and takeaways from the same expedition, so we hope you take the leap of faith to go experience it for yourself. And hey, maybe bring your sibling with you! 😉

Sisters on the Silk Road, An Insightful & Personal Dialogue

Chapter 1: KAYA BY KAHMY

Chapter 2: KAHMY BY KAYA

Chapter 3: Epilogue

The warmth of Kyrgyzstan – through the eyes of A BEYOND EXpeditions local guide

Kyrgyzstan vs. Kazakhstan: A Winter vs. Summer Adventure?