Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country, so getting around requires some strategy. For long distances, the Talgo high-speed trains are your best bet, connecting Almaty and Astana in about 12-15 hours. For shorter urban hops, download the Yandex Go app. It works seamlessly for taxis and is much more reliable than flagging down private cars on the street. To ensure you can hail a ride the moment you step off a train or plane, activate your Hello eSIM before you land. This keeps you connected to local 4G/5G networks immediately without the hassle of finding a physical SIM kiosk. Within cities like Almaty, the metro is stunning and incredibly affordable—a single ride costs just 100 KZT (about $0.22). If you’re traveling with friends, use the Hello app's expense splitting feature to manage those shared taxi fares and train tickets, ensuring everyone pays their fair share of the tenge without any awkward math.

Kazakh cuisine is a hearty reflection of its nomadic roots, centered heavily on meat and dough. You cannot leave without trying Beshbarmak, the national dish of boiled horse meat or lamb served over wide pasta sheets. For a snack, look for Baursak, delicious pillows of fried dough. In Almaty, the Green Bazaar (Zelyony Bazar) is a sensory explosion where you can sample smoked meats and local cheeses like Kurt. A solid meal at a local restaurant will typically cost between 4,000 and 7,000 KZT ($9 - $15). To keep your finances in check, log these meals in the Hello budget tracker. It allows you to record spending in KZT and see the conversion in real-time, so you know exactly how much that extra serving of Shashlik (skewered meat) actually cost. For group dinners at trendy spots like Navat, the Hello expense splitting tool is invaluable for divvying up the bill after a feast of plov and lagman.

While the cities are modern, Kazakhstan’s true soul lies in its rugged landscapes. A few hours from Almaty, you’ll find Charyn Canyon, often compared to the Grand Canyon for its dramatic red rock formations. Further east lie the turquoise Kolsai Lakes and the eerie sunken forest of Lake Kaindy. These spots are remote, so having a reliable connection is vital for safety and navigation. Use the Hello trip planning feature to map out your day trips and store your driver’s contact details. Since signal can be spotty in deep canyons, having your Hello eSIM active ensures you can catch a signal as soon as you return to higher ground or reach a nearby village. Most guided day tours from Almaty cost around 15,000 to 25,000 KZT ($33 - $55). By organizing your itinerary in the Hello app, you can keep your park permits and transport bookings in one accessible place, making the transition from the city to the wild Tian Shan mountains seamless.