NUR-SULTAN – A family of three from Normandy, France sold everything they owned to go on a trip around the world in a campervan they lovingly named Le Daciel Tour. Like true nomads in a mobile house not unlike the yurt, the Pereira family travelled around the south of Kazakhstan on their way to Mongolia, and on their way back from Russia they decided to see the north of Kazakhstan, including its capital.
Photo credit: Diana Vassilenko.
“The first two letters in DACIEL stand for David, my husband, CI stands for Cindy, that is me, and El stands from Eloise, our daughter,” explained Cindy Pereira.
The Pereira family embarked on their journey in April this year, starting with a tour around Belgium followed by Germany, Poland, Italy, Estonia, and Russia.
“We visited Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Novgorod, Volgograd, after Astrakhan, we came to Kazakhstan. We visited Aralsk, Shymkent, Almaty, and Semey. Afterwards we went all the way to Mongolia, travelled around the Gobi Desert. Setting forth in the northern direction from there, we reached Baikal, then Novosibirsk, and now we are here, in Nur-Sultan,” Pereira. The family arrived in the capital Sept. 8.
Photo credit: Diana Vassilenko.
“It is a very good city, the people here are very happy, always smiling, and really friendly. It is my favourite place in Kazakhstan so far. The nature, the interesting design of the buildings, the architecture, are all very fascinating. There are many kids’ parks, too. We have Kazakh friends in Nur-Sultan, they treated us to Kazakh food,” said Pereira.
The family was initially planning to stay in the city for another day before embarking on to Uralsk, where they also have friends waiting for them, and stopping in Aktobe on the way. However, the Astana Convention Bureau employees on behalf of the Nur-Sultan akimat (city administration) welcomed the travelling family and presented them City Pass tourist smart cards for visiting the attractions and landmarks of the city, tour guides and books about the history of Nur-Sultan and Kazakhstan. So, the family decided to stay in the city for two more days and fully experience the capital life.
Photo credit: Diana Vassilenko.
“It is known that there are many countries outside France where life never stops. The shops, businesses, banks and others are open seven days a week, some 24/7. Constructions go on non-stop, but workers here are a thousand times less stressed than in life, in general,” commented David Pereira.
“Nur-Sultan, the host of EXPO 2017 is incredible, so grandiose. The shopping centres here are of an extraordinary dimension,” wrote David Pereira on Facebook. The family was also impressed by the size of all the attractions, and the vastness of the city.
Photo credit: Diana Vassilenko.
Cindy Pereira said that before starting to travel, they sold everything they had, including the house, their cars, all of the furniture, and even their clothes. It was a necessary sacrifice for the unforgettable adventure.
“It has always been our dream to travel around the world. It’s a very amazing experience for us, for the kid,” Cindy Pereira said.
The Pereira family is not planning to end their adventure with the Eurasian tour. They are planning to go all around Africa and the Americas, and South Asia in the near future.
