DIY Guide: 10D/9N Kazakhstan for less than P60,000 from Manila

 Kazakhstan is honestly one of the best countries to travel to, especially in this economy 😂🇰🇿

Diesel here is only around ₱43 per liter, and almost everything is so affordable—from Uber rides to food and tours.

It’s also visa-free for Filipino passport holders 🇵🇭 and you get to see so much nature in just one country. Some places literally feel like Africa, Italy, Vancouver, and Utah all in one trip. 😂

It also feels like one of the safest and most progressive countries in Central Asia. Even though Kazakhstan is a Muslim-majority country, it’s very secular and doesn’t feel overly religious or conservative. You don’t see that many women wearing hijab either, especially compared to what people might expect from a Muslim country.

The food though… meh 😭😂 Not really a fan of white-people food, so we still ended up eating Chinese food.

But overall, I highly recommend Kazakhstan. Affordable, safe, visa-free, beautiful, and super underrated. 🇰🇿🏔️

Kazakhstan Travel Tips 🇰🇿✈️

1. Book your flights way in advance. I booked mine almost a year ahead and got a round-trip AirAsia ticket for only ₱22,000.
2. Get a window seat! The views on the flight to Kazakhstan are insane—you can see huge mountain ranges from the plane. 🏔️
3. For cooler, pleasant weather, I’d recommend going around late August to October.
4. I booked most of my tours through Getyouguide App
5. For Big Almaty Lake, choose a NO HIKING TOUR. Don’t torture yourself with an 8-hour hike when you can get much closer by car. 😂Check out NeoTours on Instagram for a cheaper option
6. Put rest days between major tours. Kazakhstan tours can involve HOURS of driving, so don’t schedule a full-day tour every single day.
7. Ride the colorful slides in Ayusai! It was only around 1,000 tenge and surprisingly fun. 😂
8. Ride the Kok Tobe roller coaster around sunset for the city view. 🎢🌇
9. The Almaty Museum of Arts is a must if you are cultured.
10. I had trouble getting the OTP for Yandex Go, so I ended up not using it.
11. Download inDrive instead for getting around Almaty.
12. Download Glovo for food and grocery deliveries.
13. Kazakh food wasn’t really my thing—I’m Asian and eventually started craving Asian food 😭😂 But try the plov/rice pilaf. If you’re adventurous, horse meat is also traditional, but I felt bad for the horse so I skipped it. 🐴😭
14. Try a camel milk cappuccino at least once. ☕️🐪
15. If you have a long layover in Malaysia like we did, booking an airport hotel is worth it. Rest instead of suffering in the terminal for hours. 😂
16. If you’re staying in Almaty, I liked the Bostandyk District—just make sure your hotel/Airbnb is close to the places you actually want to visit.
17. Kazakhstan isn’t super English-friendly, especially once you leave the tourist areas. Download Google Translate and the Russian/Kazakh offline languages before your trip.
18 . Keep some cash in tenge, even if you mostly use cards. Small attractions, markets, and stops outside the city can be easier with cash.

19.  Withdraw at least 100,000 tenge for your trip. Some establishments still accept cash only, and you’ll also need cash for tips and some inDrive rides. 💸
20. When shopping at Green Bazaar, don’t just buy from the stalls you see first. Go down to the basement—a lot of the goods are much cheaper there. 😂🛍️
21. When booking the charyn and kolsai lake book an overnight stay to experience living in a yurt. the beds are quite comfortable but the bathroom is clean. But if you want a private bathroom get the more expensive tour if you don’t like shared bathroom.