Welcome to Kazakhstan! Foreign tourists in Almaty and Zhetisu regions increasingly prefer Kazakh yurts. This way, they absorb the culture and history of the country. Besides that, they take on the role of nomads, in which they are helped by local residents.
A teacher from a local school Ardak Omarova opened a guesthouse four years ago, which can accommodate 18 people at once. She set up a yurt in the courtyard, where she treats her visitors solely with national dishes, including Kazakh meat, kurt, bauyrsaks, kumys and shubat. Tourists from 60 countries have already been there.
“A few years ago, we noticed the increasing number of foreign nationals coming to our auyl. As it turned out, those were tourists, who regularly visit our national parks here. Then we came up with the idea to open a guesthouse. I really enjoy welcoming guests,” said Ardak Omarova, a resident of Basshi village.
“I have been enjoying this village for more than ten days, and I have never seen such hospitality anywhere else. As male elders explained, the Kazakhs believe that a person is considered as a guest only on the first day. He or she is already a relative the next day. Everyone treats me as a local here. I even began to understand the Kazakh language. The nature here is amazing. This is a paradise on Earth,” shared Giorgio Leoni, a tourist from Italy.
