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Astana
Location
Country	Republic of Kazakhstan
Latitude	51°10'
Longitude	71°26'
Time Zone	GMT/UTC +6 (Standard Time)
Statistics
Population	550,000
Area	711 km² (approximate)
Currency	Tenge (KZT)
Electricity	220V/50Hz
Language	Kazakh, Russian

Astana Layover

City Overview

Astana replaced Almaty as the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 1998. Almaty, however, remains the largest city in Kazakhstan and the country's major commercial center.

The Airport

Astana International Airport

www.astanaairport.kz

• Watch out for fog and other flight delays.

Hotels

Radisson SAS Hotel

• Expensive, but modern, well-equipped rooms and a reliable Italian restaurant. Free internet, although the wireless signal in the rooms is dodgy. Best to use cable in the room, wifi in the lobby and lounge.

Getting Around

• Taxi: Hotel runs a car service to and from the airport (about KZT 3,000). Trips across town are KZT 1,000. Yellow cabs with checkered signs cost about KZT 500 from the airport and maybe KZT 200 across town, but you need to haggle, preferably in Russian.

Things to see

Lots of new buildings in expensive marble, steel and glass. A pyramid concert hall designed by Norman Foster. The presidential palace. The parliament building. The high court. Um.

Things to Do

• Look at all the new buildings

Shopping

Where to Eat

Clubs, Bars, Nightlife

Safety Advisories

US Department of State Kazakhstan Information Sheet

As with most of these regions, you will find corrupt police and customs inspectors. Do what you can to avoid problems, as paying bribes is not the best long-term solution. Never let them search your pockets, always step back and turn them inside-out yourself. If they want to take you to a room out of public view, protest loudly (sometimes the babushkas will come to your assistance!). In all cases, make sure that all of your passport/paperwork is in order.