Amanzhol Kellett, a 25-year-old Briton, biked over 10,000 kilometers to reconnect with his Kazakh family. His incredible five-month journey across continents is a testament to the power of discovering one’s roots.
Kursiv LifeStyle has the privilege of sharing his story, which began when our editor met Amanzhol at an art gallery in Almaty. He was attending a screening of Anuar Raibayev’s documentaries about life in Kazakh auls (villages).
A family history
Amanzhol’s mother is Kazakh and his father is English. Their story began in Almaty in the late 1990s, where they met while working at the same company.
«About a year later, they decided to move to London. I was born in July 1999,» Amanzhol shared.
Although he grew up in the U.K., Amanzhol has always felt a strong connection to his mother’s homeland. His last visit to Kazakhstan, however, was 16 years ago when he was still a child.
«I have grown up feeling rather disconnected from my Kazakh heritage, so I chose to travel to see and understand the country,» he admitted.
The London-to-Almaty bike journey
Amanzhol opted for an extraordinary way to reach Kazakhstan — cycling across continents. On June 2, 2024, he departed from London. His ambitious route spanned 19 countries: France, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Russia and finally Kazakhstan. After 146 days on the road, Amanzhol completed his remarkable journey.
«I chose to travel by bicycle to experience the country at a slower pace, connecting eye-to-eye with the people who inhabit its vast territory. What could have been a simple flight instead became an adventure, a quest driven by my desire to know my second homeland,» he said.
Amanzhol crossed the border into Kazakhstan nearly four months after starting his journey. Traveling across the country took him another month. He pedaled through the steppes of the Atyrau, Aktobe and Kyzylorda regions, visited Turkestan and Shymkent, and finally arrived in Almaty on Oct. 25.
The journey was far from easy. The traveler endured strong headwinds in western Kazakhstan and even a sandstorm.
«As soon as I crossed the border, one of the guards exclaimed in English, ‘Welcome to Kazakhstan!’ and waved at me with a beaming smile. That first interaction is something I’ll remember for a very long time,» Amanzhol said.
Open-air nights and local cuisine
During his journey, Amanzhol slept in tents, abandoned buildings and even bus stops. As the weather turned colder, he often sought shelter in roadside inns.
«I soon became very familiar with the roadside hotels and their truck-stop canteens, where I almost exclusively ate plov, lagman and manti on rotation. I think I ate more meat here than in all the other countries combined!» he joked.
Along the way, Amanzhol met countless kind people who were fascinated by his story and surprised by his mode of travel.
«When I told people where I had cycled from and where I was headed, they thought I was either mad, brave, or both. But when I told them my name and explained that my mother is Kazakh, I usually made an instant friend. They’d often want to take a photo or exchange contact details to stay in touch,» Amanzhol said.
In Kazakhstan, the traveler was met with remarkable generosity from locals. They shared food, water and shelter with him, but more importantly, they helped him gain a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be Kazakh.
«Nowhere else did I meet such consistently kind, friendly people who simply wanted to help in whatever way they could. As someone still trying to connect with my Kazakh identity, it was deeply heartwarming to feel so welcomed in a country that once seemed distant but now feels like home,» he shared.
During his five-month journey, Amanzhol encountered challenging moments that tested his resolve and made him question whether he should continue. In those difficult times, he reminded himself of his ultimate goal: reuniting with his Kazakh family. Turning back, he realized, was never an option.
«That was my motivation the whole way. The closest I came to ‘giving up’ was when I decided to take the train from Kandyagash to Aral instead of cycling. But after 10 days of riding against the wind in such a remote region, it was definitely the right choice,» he said.
Amanzhol has decided against cycling back to London, despite his dislike of flying. Instead, he plans to return to Britain using a combination of trains, buses and ferries. Looking ahead, he’s certain he’ll revisit Kazakhstan, a country where he’s already made many friends.
