I visited Kazakhstan for the first time in 2007 when Borat jokes were very much in the air. On one hand, Borat has nothing to do with the real Kazakhstan. On th

I visited Kazakhstan for the first time in 2007 when Borat jokes were very much in the air. On one hand, Borat has nothing to do with the real Kazakhstan. On the other hand, without the film maybe I wouldn’t have decided to go through Kazakhstan while traveling overland between Europe and Asia, and then I wouldn’t have discovered the real Kazakhstan with its authentic culture that has made me visit the country again several times since. Several other backpackers I have met in Central Asia told me the same. Borat maybe has done more good than harm.