Capital: Astana | Language: Kazakh, Russian | Currency: Tenge | Religion: Islam, Christian | Population: 18 million

On my first trip here I came by train from Uzbekistan, a nearly 30 hour trip through endless dusty, grassy steppe. But that’s all good – I like train journeys. Then I lurked around in Aktau waiting for a cargo ferry across the Caspian Sea. Basically I’d say there is always an unusual adventure awaiting in Kazakhstan.