Astaná: Guía de viajes, precios y alojamiento gratuito · 2026

АЖАрнат Жарылгапsnoud809 · 10 ene 2023Leer

Now and in the Future I would like to start my story with an introduction. My name is Arnat, and I am a first-year student at ENU in Astana. I found out about the contest from a close friend and decided to take a risk and try my luck. In general, as long as I can remember, I have always dreamed of visiting the USA. Perhaps this is connected to my childhood, as I grew up on American movies, listening to Western artists, and playing games. My entire perception of Western culture was built on this. Later, the desire to understand the meaning of the "American Dream" pushed me to fall in love with the USA. Wide highways, pickup trucks, Westerns, fast food, residential neighborhoods with beautiful lawns, the yellow school bus, and baseball began to be associated with American culture for me, but games made the biggest contribution. My favorite childhood game was GTA San Andreas. Every weekend I went to my brother's place to play it. I still remember the city map by heart, which is why when I watch vlogs from Los Angeles, warm memories often come to mind, and it feels like I have already been to these places. Santa Monica Beach, the Beverly Hills area, and the famous Rodeo Drive have already become something native to me. If I am ever lucky enough to end up in California, I hope to fulfill my dream. To take a car and drive along an endless highway, listening to Lana Del Rey songs in the background while watching a beautiful warm sunset. I found out about the Work and Travel USA program a couple of years ago on YouTube. A video appeared in my recommendations where an ordinary guy told his story and experience of working in a pizzeria on the California coast thanks to this program. This inspired me a lot, and I started searching for similar queries, watching dozens of videos about how young guys were able to get into the program and visit different cities in the USA. In the videos, the guys shared their emotions and invaluable work experience in another country, talking about how this program helped them change their mindset and get to know another culture better. For some, it even changed their understanding of the meaning of life. After all, being under the influence of something new, they wanted to achieve happiness more and more. To fulfill their own American dream. After all, the USA gives this opportunity to absolutely everyone; the country is filled with wonderful people from different parts of the world who flew across oceans and seas for the sake of their dream. With each new video, I realized that this is not a fairy tale, but reality. Up to this moment, I had absolutely no experience in youth travel or exchange programs, which is why I had doubts and fear in my soul. Self-suggestion that I would not succeed. But fortunately, the guys proved otherwise. I had hope that even I, an ordinary guy, could fulfill this opportunity. From that moment on, I started looking for more information about this program. Financial costs, having a good level of English, visa processing, and other requirements did not scare me at all. On the contrary, one can say that I finally found goals for myself in this life. Having told my parents about this, I received support and approval, which helped me cope with my doubts. I started my journey by learning the language. At that time, I had a low level of English, because in childhood I did not see any point in learning it. But thanks to daily practice, in the form of watching movies with original audio, foreign video bloggers, and changing the language in game settings, it helped me start learning perfectly without losing interest or being lazy. Of course, at first, I did not understand absolutely anything that was happening, but over time I was able to overcome these difficulties. Further study with a tutor consolidated my knowledge and helped me improve to a pre-intermediate level. Now I more or less understand speech, the grammar of the language, and am able to communicate with foreigners. Looking at

SSShalgyn Seifullashalgyn1 · 15 dic 2017Leer

Now for the most interesting part of my story: the travel!!! What I managed to see and feel was our first trip to the world-famous Niagara Falls. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America, located between Canada and the USA. Its height is 53 meters and its width is 323 meters. Just imagine the power of this natural energy; after this, the Turgen Waterfall will seem like a mere stream. And the night view of the waterfall, where various lanterns shine from the Canadian side at night, is simply an indescribable sight of indescribable beauty. We stayed at the “Days INN” hotel for 2 days, which was very cozy. On the first day, we walked through all the parks of Niagara Falls, and on the second day, we managed to fly in a helicopter over Niagara Falls. By the way, this was also a first in my life, and it is something I recommend to future participants. The second point of our trip was the capital of America, Washington, D.C., where we managed to visit museums and walk along the avenues of the capital. This city reminded me of Astana: everyone in suits, businessmen and representatives of various companies, everything seemed very official. The third point was the real roller coasters at “SIX FLAGS” in the state of New Jersey. We managed to ride all the scariest attractions in this park. Especially KINGDA KA, which is the tallest and second-fastest roller coaster in the world. It is a huge rush of adrenaline and unforgettable sensations that will remain for a lifetime. And finally, the last pre-departure point of our trip ended in New York City. When we arrived, we didn't manage to stay in the city for a couple of days because we immediately went to Bethany Beach, but at the end of the season, I specifically dedicated a week to this big city. I walked through Central Park, visited museums, and walked around the night city with friends. Times Square is especially beautiful at night, as well as the rooftops, the Statue of Liberty, and many, many other attractions that will remain in my memory forever. But this is just the beginning of my journey, as there is still the western part of America, where many have not been, including myself. So, friends, America is not going anywhere, and it is eagerly waiting for all of us. I am very happy for the opportunity provided by IEC to discover America, to discover the World. Thank you all and good luck.

DKDinara Kantbekkantbek_dinara · 29 nov 2015Leer

I am a Couchsurfing user. A day before my flight, I was looking for people in the city of Sandwich, where my job was located. I found an elderly gentleman and messaged him. I couldn't have imagined he would reply. Upon arriving in New York, I received a message from him. He and his wife were ready to host us for a while. The flight was quite long: Astana – Moscow – New York. I was traveling with a girl named Malika from EAGI. We started doing everything on our own from the airport, took an airbus, then the subway to the GREYHOUND station. It was already 14:35. We decided to stay until the evening, bought tickets for the latest bus to Boston, and went to explore New York until 10 PM. I couldn't wait to get out and finally see this dream city with my own eyes—the yellow taxis, the tall buildings, the crazy rhythm, the crowd of tourists. It was an indescribable feeling. Sleep-deprived and tired, we wandered the city looking for Wi-Fi; by the way, Wi-Fi is hard to find there. We went to Times Square, sleeping on our feet. Only after reaching the public library was I able to contact the gentleman, telling him about our flight and that we were heading to Boston in the evening. When he wrote back saying we must be very tired and hungry, and offered to pick us up from the Sagamore stop, I was pleasantly surprised. Unpleasant thoughts did cross my mind—why was a stranger so kind and worried about me? As they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. That was the principle I followed. The station staff didn't even know about the city of Sandwich; they were surprised and laughed, asking, 'Where is that?!' and 'Is that really the name of the city?!' After figuring it out on the map, we set off. The adventures began with losing our tickets while the bus was already moving. And this wasn't Kazakhstan, where you could ask the driver to wait. We left at 5 AM; I messaged him that we were on our way and would be there around 7. I sent the message quite late, or rather early at 4 AM, thinking he might not read it. At 7 AM, we were dropped off in the middle of nowhere. No buildings, no one around, only a McDonald's visible nearby. It was chilly. We didn't know what to do—no internet, no phone number. Just as we were about to head toward McDonald's, a car pulled up. It was him—Bill. He took us to his home. The house was gorgeous, just like in the movies; he introduced us to his wife, Trisha. Finally refreshed, we went to Dunkin' Donuts. Our manager advised us to go to Hyannis, a neighboring town, because this Dunkin' was small and they didn't have time to train us. At first, I was against it. But when Bill and Trisha took me there and I saw the city, I agreed to move. Bill and Trisha drove us around in their car, showed us the city, and we cooked barbecue and lasagna together. They were very kind. Soon, they became my American parents. I started calling them daddy and mommy.

NKNurdana Kabylkhannurdanakabylkhan · 12 dic 2025Leer

DANA | MOBILEGRAPHER ASTANA on Instagram: "Summer with @iec.kazakhstan" Video: https://www.instagram.com/mnxnmad/reel/DDkdjfpoVee/

DBDimash Bulatovdimash8x8 · 10 ene 2023Leer

Let's take it from the top, starting from my life up until the moment I decided to write this story. Travel, money, living in the moment, and simply being and doing things the right way were the core components of my life—that was my worldview. I was always taught to do everything properly and with quality, not just anyhow, and as I got older, I realized that this is truly a good trait. But there are moments when I'm too lazy to do everything; my motto, so to speak, is "work smart, not hard." Since childhood, I have been very curious, asking many questions and being interested in literally everything. Starting from my teenage years, I began to take an interest in other countries, their cultures, and simply their beauty; I always liked trying new things and learning. It all started in childhood when I watched cartoons and read books; I was drawn to the world on the screen. I wanted to see everything with my own eyes: the depths of the jungle, the hot desert, the ocean, etc. As for money, I didn't think about it at all; the only thing I wanted was to see the world and travel. Back then, I didn't think about money at all—in a word, it came and went, and I didn't understand its value. But as I grew older, I began to understand what it means in the modern world. That was exactly when we moved to the city, and I started 6th grade there. Living in the suburbs, I was surprised by how the city was bustling with life—so many houses, streets, cars, everything you need. That's when everything changed, and I started to change. Moving to the city influenced me: I changed my style, my goals, and my life in general, becoming more open and sociable. That's how I started to understand the value of money; money was always needed, and we lived like an average family. By 9th grade, I wanted to go abroad, but due to financial problems, nothing came of it, and that's when I realized that money would always be needed, so I started earning my own at 16. One day, I learned from a friend that her sister had flown to America and brought back about $10,000. At that very moment, I started to get interested, because I knew she was 19 at the time, and that's how I found out about the Work and Travel USA program. After that, I started looking into this program; her sister told me about it, saying she earned that much money and managed to see other cities and visit them at the end. The Work and Travel USA program sends participants to America and provides them with a job, all during their vacation. I heard about this program and thought, "It's just the perfect program," and decided to go for it, but the cost was beyond what my family and I could afford. This program was perfect for me: life abroad, income, and work. I always wanted to learn to live and study independently, especially in America. From this program, I wanted to gain the experience of independent living, where you are solely responsible for yourself, and it seemed to me that starting over in another country was the ideal option. The only travel in my life had been within this country, to the cities of Kostanay and Astana. Even such travel sparked something in me that kept pulling me toward other countries. As a teenager, I was already a fan of America and its culture. I listened to their artists, dreamed of going to a concert, and started watching American series and shows, which fueled the idea of living there. After such emotions from ordinary movies, books, and series, I dreamed of visiting America, and a new goal appeared. Even before that, I had a dream: travel. I didn't plan to stay in my country forever; I wanted to travel and see the world. I was sure that my career as a programmer would be built on this. I didn't plan to work in my country at all; I wanted to live in another, more developed country where programming is valued more. For me, IT is a very interesting world, and before my master's degree, I wanted to visit other countries and find out what it's like, to gain experience, so t

DYDinara Yeleshdinarayelesh · 9 ene 2023Leer

Work and Travel In our time, when everything changes at the speed of light every day, it is sometimes difficult for people to find their place in life. But right now, there are many opportunities for people like me who are just starting their life journey. Work and Travel is a unique international exchange program created for students who want to get acquainted with the culture and traditions of the American nation, improve their conversational English, gain work experience abroad, have fun with new friends, and travel across the vastness of America! Thanks to this program, students can develop their knowledge of the English language and broaden their horizons. I, Elesh Dinara Tolegen kyzy, a second-year student at Astana IT University, am studying Information Security. I love to travel, broaden my horizons, and communicate in English. I dream of visiting the country of the language in the future – England, and if there is an opportunity, other countries as well. By participating in this program, I hope to learn about the culture of other countries, the development of information technologies, and discover something new for myself. From a very young age, I always wanted something more; all the goals I achieved seemed insignificant to me. Even then, I was looking for something that would help me develop not only myself but also help me develop my homeland, Kazakhstan, where I live and study. Among all exchange programs, Work and Travel is what would suit me perfectly. This program characterizes all my goals and desires. Perhaps, having received the opportunity that this program would give me, I will also encounter many problems and obstacles. But despite this, I hope that Work and Travel will help me find solutions to all my problems. Having gone through difficulties like the language barrier and the fear of communicating with strangers, specifically foreigners, I am sure that by the end of the program, I will become a better version of myself. By working and traveling at the same time, I will be able to learn responsibility and adapt to any environment with different people. These are the very qualities that my country and I need. But the purpose of the trip is not only spiritual development. For a long time, I have been actively studying the language that led me to a new culture and this program. But when you live in an environment where English is not used, it becomes increasingly difficult to master it. Therefore, participating in the program would help me improve my English skills. After all, what my teachers taught me and what I learned myself differs from the real conversational English of native speakers. Only by hearing it with my own ears will I be able to work through all my mistakes and things that are unclear to me. I have not had the chance to travel to other countries through this program, but I hope that thanks to Work and Travel, I will be able to share my experience with my classmates in the future. But if I were given the opportunity to go to another country, I would represent my Kazakhstan, as we have our own beautiful traditions and culture, the spacious and wide steppe, and vacation spots like Borovoe, Kapshagay, the Altai Mountains, and the Charyn Canyon. Folk traditions play an important role in our lives. Traditions unite generations, passing on the customs and spirituality of peoples. I know many people, and this amazing program has played an important role in their lives. The way they talk about themselves before and after the program seems amazing to me. Before the Work and Travel program, those people did not yet know that they were actually capable of many things that would help not only themselves but everything around them. Only during and after the program, through their own efforts and the opportunity received, did they realize that they are capable of conquering peaks. After all, at that moment, being in a foreign country, even if it is the country of your dreams, all alone without your loved

DYDinara Yeleshdinarayelesh · 9 ene 2023Leer

Work and Travel Nowadays, when everything changes at the speed of light every day, people sometimes find it difficult to find their place in life. But right now there are many opportunities for people like me, who are only beginning their life journey. «Work and Travel» - this is a unique international exchange program created for students who wish to get acquainted with the culture and traditions of the American nation, improve their spoken English, gain work experience abroad, have fun in the company of new friends and travel across the expanses of America! Thanks to this program students can develop their English skills and broaden their horizons of thinking. I, Elesh Dinara Tolegen kyzy, am a II-year student at Astana IT University, studying «Information Security». I love to travel, broaden my horizons and communicate in English. I dream of traveling in the future to the country of the language – England, and if there is an opportunity, to other countries as well. By participating in this program, I hope to learn about the cultures of other countries, about the development of information technologies and to discover something new for myself. From a very young age I always wanted something greater; all the goals I achieved seemed insignificant to me. Even then I was looking for something that would help me develop not only myself, but also help me develop my homeland Kazakhstan, where I live and study. Among all exchange programs, «Work and Travel» is what would suit me perfectly. This program exactly reflects all my goals and desires. Possibly, having received the opportunity that this program would give me, I will also encounter many problems and obstacles. But, despite this, I hope that «Work and Travel» will help me find solutions to all my problems. Having gone through difficulties such as the language barrier, the fear of communicating with people unfamiliar to me, namely foreigners, I am sure that by the end of the program I will become a better version of myself. By working and traveling at the same time, I will learn responsibility and adapt to any environment with different people. These are the very qualities that my country and I need. But the purpose of the trip is not only spiritual development. For a long time I have been actively studying the language that led me to a new culture and to this program. But when you live in an environment where English is not used, it becomes increasingly difficult to master it. Therefore participation in the program would help me improve my English knowledge. After all, what my teachers taught me and what I learned myself differ from the real spoken English of native speakers. Only by hearing it with my own ears will I be able to work out all my mistakes and the things that are unclear to me. Under this program I have not had the chance to travel to other countries, but I hope that thanks to «Work & Travel» I will later be able to share the experience with my classmates. But, if I had the opportunity to go to another country, I would present my Kazakhstan, since we have our own wonderful traditions and culture, a vast and wide steppe, recreational places such as Borovoe, Kapshagai, the Altai Mountains and the Charyn Canyon. Folk traditions play an important role in our lives. Traditions unite generations, passing down customs and the spirituality of peoples. I am acquainted with many people, and in their lives this amazing program has played an important role. The way they tell about themselves before the program and after it seems amazing to me. Before the «Work and Travel» program those people did not yet know that they were actually capable of many things that would help not only themselves, but also everything that surrounded them. Only during the program and after it, through their efforts and the opportunity they received, did they realize that they are capable of conquering peaks. After all, at that moment, being even in a foreign but dream country, completely alone wit

ZAZhubanysh Aidarkhanovjocker_obweniya · 16 abr 2016Leer

Our trip to Astana or how I got my visa Our interview was scheduled for April 15th at 10:00-10:30 AM. Checking the train schedule, we bought tickets for April 13th, giving us an extra day. The train was Uralsk-Astana. The travel time was 28 hours. Since we had plenty of time, we went over the questions almost 20 times. Luckily, there were students from the Foreign Languages faculty traveling with us, so we were able to easily refine our answers to several questions. That same evening, it turned out that the interview time had been moved to 1:00-1:30 PM. The whole carriage was happy that we would have time to sleep after arriving. Upon arrival, everyone went to stay with relatives or friends, and some rented an apartment for 2 days. My classmate and I stayed with relatives. Honestly, we went over the questions 3-4 times there, reviewed the pamphlet, and went out to conquer the night capital. We remembered Astana for its "spicy wings and bites" (those who have been to KFC will understand). We walked along the embankment and popped into Khan Shatyr. Morning of April 15th. At 11:00 AM, we went to the pre-visa meeting. There, they handed out passport stickers and explained our rights in the workplace in the USA. Zhuldyz wished us all luck, and we caught a taxi to the consulate. Upon arriving at the consulate, we gave our IDs to the guard sitting in the booth so he could record our details. By the time we arrived at the consulate, a live queue had formed. They were letting people into the consulate building 5 at a time. There, we went through a metal detector arch (back and forth), then the guard checked us with a handheld metal detector for any metal objects. Then he directed us to the neighboring building, where we left our cell phones (they had to be turned off) and ID cards. Further on is the third building, where the interview itself takes place. In the third building, right at the entrance, we were given a ticket, and the guard asked us to wait for our turn at the first window. If you look closely, you can see a yellow line. This line is the boundary between the person answering questions (1st window) and the person standing in line behind them. Do not cross it. At this window, a girl requested three documents (ticket, grade book, student ID, passport). Then she asked questions: - Have you received a US visa before? - No; - Do you remember your parents' phone numbers? - ...; Then she directed me to the second window, where they took my fingerprints. For a good fingerprint scan, you need to keep your fingers together. I liked that even though she is American, she speaks Russian perfectly;) And by the way, she radiates positivity; after this window, my fear of the interview disappeared. Then I waited for my turn. At first, only Alan was working (3rd window). After accepting 15-17 people, they gradually started inviting people to the 6th window, where Yan was working. The difference with this window is that it's not a window at all, but an office where you sit opposite the consul. This was a big plus for me. Let's move on to the long-awaited interview... - Hello, how are you? (it was strange when he greeted me first) - I'm fine, and you? - Not bad. - Where are you from? - I'm from Aktobe. And then he said, surprised: Oh, so it's your first time in Astana) (in English, of course) - How did you get to the consulate? - By train. - How much is the ticket to Astana? - 6560 KZT. - Where do you study? - ... - What year are you in? - 3rd. - What is your favorite subject at university? - Physical education. - Why? - I love running, working out in the gym, and I like playing volleyball. - Where is your job located in the USA? - Orleans, MA - What is the name of your establishment in the USA? - ... - What is your position? - Dishwasher and kitchen help. - What salary do you get? - $10 per hour. - Why did you choose this specific state? - Historical symbols are perfectly preserved in Massachusetts. There was a pause, he looked at my document