You are on page 1of 13

Destination

Kazakhstan: Ancient and Poetic

Kazakhstan is a country of vast


steppes, ancient culture, as
well as the first world’s cosmo-
drome – Baikonur. The coun-
try’s tourism industry has great
potential; however, consider-
able development is necessary.
Destination Ka za k h s t a n: A nc i e nt a nd P oe t i c

Tourism in Kazakhstan –
New Branding Strategy Needed
Kazakhstan, the 9th largest country in the
world, having a rich history of nomadic civiliza-
tions, a large natural diversity and being a part
of the famous Silk Road, still attracts few tour-
ists from around the world. How come?

Challenges
The low number of visitors has clear reasons.
First of all, Kazakhstan has two neighbors that
are promoting their tourism offer quite effec-
tively and have a very distinct brand: Uzbeki-
stan, taking advantage of its rich past with his-
torical and recently renovated Silk Road cities;
and the smaller brother Kyrgyzstan, with the
same nomadic past as Kazakhstan, and with an
abundance of high mountains, lakes and pre-
served nomadic lifestyle. Both countries have
managed to create a clear touristic brand and
attract many foreign visitors. Kazakhstan lacks
this distinct brand, has on offer ‘something of
everything’, which should be translated into a
new brand and a new branding strategy.

Trends and Successes


The inbound tourism in Kazakhstan is on the
rise, though slowly. To some extent this must be
related to the growing publicity that the country
is receiving due to its geopolitical position, with
an abundance of oil and other natural resources.
During the last five years a program to establish

April, 2011 — 48 —
Destination Ka za k h s t a n: A nc i e nt a nd P oe t i c

mountains up to 7,000 meters in border areas


with Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia; unusual
rock formations in several parts of the country,
including the very remote western peninsula of
Mangyshlak; nomadic traditions in the villages
and nomadic life in summer in the mountains;
traces of the Silk Road and the Turkestan Mau-
soleum of Ahmed Khoja Yasawi in the south;
rocky oasis and Soviet heritage in the center,
including remnants of prisoner camps and
nuclear test sites; the shrinking Aral Sea with its
notorious ship graveyards and the Baikanur Cos-
modrome in the center-west; the new capital
Astana with its modern and outstanding archi-
tecture; the cultural centre Almaty with a ski-
ing resort and surrounding varied landscapes…
Wherever one travels in Kazakhstan, due to
the small number of tourists and the vastness
of the country, one cannot but feel like a pio-
neer  – and a very welcomed pioneer.
Future
What is needed to increase the volume of tour-
ists to Kazakhstan? While we have focused on
how to bring foreign visitors to Kazakhstan, the

Ranking of the Tourism Potential


homestay opportunities across several parts of and welcome a growing number of visitors. in Kazakhstan
the country and in the vicinity of (potential) Finally, it is important to observe that Almaty Kazakhstan rated 93rd among 139 countries
tourist destinations has been successful, giv- has the region’s most important international in the World Economic Forum’s ‘Travel and
ing tourists the opportunity to observe and airport, with more and more international air Tourism Competitiveness Report 2011’. Russia
take part in local Kazakh village life. In such a companies offering flights for lower prices. was a leader among the CIS countries ranking
vast and empty land one cannot expect hotels 59 in the rating. It was followed by Georgia
Destinations (73), Azerbaijan (83), Ukraine (85), Armenia
everywhere, so this initiative is very welcome, (90), Kazakhstan (93), Moldova (99), Kyrgyzstan
in addition giving local communities a liveli- What exactly can a visitor expect to find in (107), and Tajikistan (118).
hood out of tourism. Therefore, programs that Kazakhstan? In general, something of every- En.trend.az
include these destinations are now on offer thing; steppe almost everywhere, and high

April, 2011 — 49 —
Destination Ka za k h s t a n: A nc i e nt a nd P oe t i c

this, and promote them heavily, with the aid


of Kazakhstani and foreign tour operators and
travel agencies.
One would think that the diversity of Kazakh-
stan should be the essence of this new brand,
incorporating in the (new) programs attrac-
tions like Astana with its architectural gems,
Almaty and its cultural life, remnants of the
Silk Road in the south, and of course the
natural diversity of the country, including
steppe, high mountains and mountain lakes,
all of which can be found in both the Almaty
and Altai region in relatively compact areas.
But, we cannot omit mentioning the famous
hospitality of the Kazakhs, preserved from
times when denying a stranger a place to stay
in ones yurt meant his or her death, and which
can still be felt everywhere.
These days Kazakhstan is a liberal country
with a peaceful, harmonious blend of people
and religions, both Asians and Europeans,
most important task for the Tourism Authorities Muslims and Christians. If nothing else, this
would be to make the local population more should be the reason to make a visit.
interested in its lands and its past. More domes-
tic visitors would greatly improve the facilities,
helping to attract foreigners in the process. By Ardjan Langedijk
The Tourist Authorities should establish a new Kazakhstan Tours, Heemstede, The Netherlands,
brand for Kazakhstan as a tourist destina- tel. (++) 31 6 47 12 64 09
tion; create a number of tours that relate to http://www.kazaktours.com

April, 2011 — 50 —
Destination Ka za k h s t a n: A nc i e nt a nd P oe t i c

Kazakhstan:
Building the Tourism Infrastructure
Excluding CIS countries*, China, Germany and
Turkey were the leading arrival source countries
in 2010. Currently, the majority of tourists from
non CIS countries visit Kazakhstan for business
purposes, as the country is a large oil, gas and
natural mineral supplier. Business tourists cre-
ate and maintain strong demand for high qual-
ity hotels, which resulted in the development of
a significant number of 4- and 5-star hotels in
the country over the last five years period.
Despite the entrance of large hotel chains to
the country, there still remains a shortage of
more affordable but quality accommodation
such as 3-star hotels. The void created by the
lack of inexpensive and quality hotels in the
country is being filled by rental apartments,
that are especially popular among visitors from
CIS countries.

On the world’s tourism map Kazakhstan, In 2010 Kazakhstan was visited by more than Domestic tourist expenditure
despite its large size, is only a small spot as an 6 million arrivals, which was a 6% increase com- in Kazakhstan
incoming tourism destination. The majority pared to 2009. The neighboring countries – (EUR per capita, retail value)
of the country’s tourism sights and destina- Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan – were the 2005 2010 2015
tions suffer from little awareness, lack of infra- leading source of tourists accounting for more Forecast
structure, limited accommodation availability, than 80% of all arrivals. The majority of trips by Domestic Tourist 12.8 19 32.6
inconsistent service quality and pricing. How- Expenditure
arrivals from these countries were not for tra-
ever, with the country’s rapidly growing eco- Incoming Tourist 34 58.5 112.9
ditional tourism purposes though, but for see- Receipts
nomic power this is starting to change as the
tourism is benefiting from large government ing relatives or friends, to seek employment, ©2011 Euromonitor International
and private investments. and for business purposes.

April, 2011 — 51 —
Destination Ka za k h s t a n: A nc i e nt a nd P oe t i c

In February 2011, Kazakhstan hosted a


huge international sport event – Winter Asian
Games. The event not only attracted a num-
ber of international tourists, but also gave a
strong boost to the country’s still small tour-
ist industry through increased international
awareness of Kazakhstan as a tourism des-
tination, especially in Asian countries. The
Winter Asian Games also boosted the tourism
sector through large – more than US$ 1 bil-
lion – investments in infrastructure in areas of
accommodation, public transport systems, air-
ports and improved service levels.

The most popular leisure tourism destina- Kazakhstan’s accessibility for international
tions for visitors are Alakol, Borovoe, Kulsaj visitors is constantly improving as well, as more
and Issyk lakes, Charyn canyon, the mountain- Inbound Tourism in Kazakhstan international air carriers include Kazakhstan
ous landscape of Zailijsky Ala Tau, areas located (‘000 trips) cities in their destination maps. The local air-
2005 2010 2015 ways route map is rapidly expanding and new
on the Kazakhstan portion of the Silk Road
Forecast land border crossings with neighboring coun-
such as the ancient cities of Taraz and Turke-
Arrivals from 3820.6 6131.4 8131.7 tries are planned to be opened.
stan with Ahmed Yasavi's mausoleum, and the
world’s first spaceport at Baikonur. However, Kyrgyzstan 741.7 1648.5 2408.8 The consistent investments in the develop-
the leisure tourism in Kazakhstan is still largely Uzbekistan 1068.9 1701.8 2146.5 ment of all areas of tourism sector indicate
underdeveloped and retains significant future Russia 1332.8 1721.5 2071 that in long term Kazakhstan will be attracting
growth potential. Tajikistan 198.8 297.5 325.6 increasing numbers of international visitors.
China 85.7 182.5 308.1 Over the next five years, the number of incom-
The government tries to boost tourism in a ing visitors in Kazakhstan is expected to grow
variety of ways, such as through passing favor- Other Countries 52.7 130.1 231.2
of Origin by annual rate of 6%, while incoming tourism
able legislation for private investments in tour- receipts are expected to see 9% annual growth.
ism industry, investing in the development Turkey 58 84.1 136.1
of tourism infrastructure and hosting large Germany 84.5 93.1 127.4 * CIS countries – Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan,
international events. Until 2014, Kazakhstan Ukraine 44.5 72.1 97.7 Belarus, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan,
committed to develop tourism infrastructure, Azerbaijan 42.7 39.5 58.1 Georgia, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mol-
which includes new roads, railways, construc- Turkmenistan 21.1 32.5 41 dova
tion of new and renovation of old accommoda- United Kingdom 19.7 29.1 39.6
tion outlets, near the main recreational zones, USA 25.3 25.5 28.9 By Mantas Kaluina (Euromonitor International’s Senior
World Heritage Sites, as well as other cultural, ©2011 Euromonitor International Research Analyst)
historical and business centers. http://www.euromonitor.com

April, 2011 — 52 —
Destination Ka za k h s t a n: A nc i e nt a nd P oe t i c

Almaty: The Cosmopolitan


Center of Kazakhstan
Almaty has perhaps one of the most striking
and beautiful locations of any city in the world.
Located in the spectacular foothills of the Zil-
ishkiy Alatau Mountains, Almaty is a pleasant
city to live in, vibrant, green, and with thriving
cosmopolitan culture. The impressive moun-
tains are only half an hour’s drive from the city
center. Almaty’s population is 1.5 million.
The name Almaty comes from the Kazakh
word 'alma', which means 'apple'. It used to be
claimed that Almaty was home to the sweetest
fruit in the world, and its former name, 'Alma-
Ata,' means ‘father of apples.’
One of the first reactions experienced by
many foreigners arriving in the city is that it
is the most 'European' in its architecture of
all the Central Asian cities. 'Almaty' was the
original name of a small Kazakh town, which
was renamed 'Fort Vernyi' or 'Loyal Fort' by the financial and cultural center not just of Kazakh- to -13°C (9°F), and the hottest months are
Cossacks of the Russian Empire in the 18th and stan but of the whole Central Asian region. July and August, when the mercury aver-
19th centuries. In the early twentieth century, Almaty is surrounded by the Alatau Moun- ages around +27°C (80°F). The low rainfall is
the capital of the Soviet Socialist Republic of tains. Alatau means 'colorful' in Kazakh. The reflected by low humidity, which moderates
Kazakhstan was established in the city, which mountains can be seen from every corner of both the heat of Almaty's summer and the
was renamed Alma-Ata. Since then, the city the city making it common for the locals to cold of its winter.
has become the center of the economic, cul- use phrases 'to go up' or 'to go down' a road in Almaty is a haven for fans of the great out-
tural, and political life in Kazakhstan. their direct meaning. doors. In the winter you can go figure skating
In 1997 the capital was moved to Astana, Almaty’s climate is continental: it is hot at Medeu, the highest skating rink in the world,
which is located further to the North, in the in summer and can get very cold in winter. go skiing at one of several ski resorts within an
geographical center of Kazakhstan. However, The coldest months are January and Febru- hour's drive of the city, or go hiking or climbing
Almaty remains the ‘Southern Capital,’ and the ary, when the average temperature drops in the mountains.

April, 2011 — 53 —
Destination Ka za k h s t a n: A nc i e nt a nd P oe t i c

In the center of the square stands the


18-meter-high monument of Independence
designed by Shota Valikhanov, а well-known
Kаzаkh architect. President Nazarbayev had the
idea for the monument while on а diplomatic
visit to Egypt. The obelisk is topped with the
figure of а Sacae warrior with а winged snow
leopard in flight, and flanked by metal panels
depicting key events in Kazakhstan's history.
А plaque at the foot of the obelisk bears the
palm-print the President made on the Consti-
tution when he was sworn in.
Svyato-Voznesenski Orthodox
Cathedral
The cathedral (also called the Zenkov Cathe-
dral) is located in the 28 Panfilov’s Guardsmen
Park. It was designed by a local architect A.P.
Zenkov and was built in 1904 of wood, entirely
In summer you can go sailing, swimming, lish as well as a range of art galleries, muse- without nails. Its wall paintings and screens
and sunbathing at Kapshagai, an artificially ums and even permanent circus. As well as a were painted by local artist Nicholai Chludov
created lake in an hour distance from the city. great number of restaurants offering both local while the interior decorations were made in
Small boats can be rented for the day, as well and international cuisine, the city is home to a art workshops in Moscow and Kiev. Its height
as larger boats for longer excursions. You can large and constantly evolving catalog of cafes, is about 50 meters. The building strikes one’s
go horseback riding at Almaty's hippodrome or bars, bowling alleys and nightclubs. imagination with its beauty and splendor. It is
in one of the valleys in the mountains outside one of the eight most unique wooden build-
the city. Landmarks ings in the world. Of special interest is the fact
that it survived the 1911 earthquake with a
Almaty is well-equipped with sports centers The Republic Square magnitude of 10 on the Richter scale. Used as
and gyms offering a wide range of facilities Аlmaty's main square is the largest and the a museum of local lore, history, and economy
including classes in yoga, pilates and martial most picturesque in the city, with its magnifi- during the Soviet period, in May 1995 the
arts. cent ensemble of modern architecture. To the Cathedral has been returned to the Russian
For lovers of culture, Almaty has several per- south-east there is the President's Southern Orthodox Church and restored. Since 1997,
manent theaters including the Kazakh National Residence, the former government building Orthodox services have been carried out there.
Opera and Ballet Theatre, the State Drama (now the Akimat, or City Hall) and the national
Theater, and several others that offer daily per- television centre. The Central State Museum The Central (Green) Bazaar
formances in different languages. There are a is situated east of the square, and the Regent The Central Market, otherwise known as the
number of cinemas that show movies in Eng- Ankara Hotel is on the western side. Green Bazaar, brings to life the finest traditions

April, 2011 — 54 —
Destination Ka za k h s t a n: A nc i e nt a nd P oe t i c

of the Asian bazaar. Неrе you can experience the opposite the Раnfilov Park. Тhrее types of
true taste of the East. This is not just а market, bath are available at Arasan: Russian, Finnish
but а meeting-place of various Asian cultures in and Turkish. The Russian and Finnish baths
miniature. You can sample the wealth of pro- share the same plunge pool and you can try
duce grown throughout Central Asia as many of both on one ticket. The Finnish bath is dry
the farmers have come from neighboring coun- while the Russian version is a sea of steam.
tries. In the bazaar's open courtyard there are Тhe Turkish bath consists of stone platforms
numerous shashlyk stands, а flea market, flower heated to three different temperatures and а
stalls and а restaurant serving local dishes. The plunge pool. Various kinds of massage are on
fruit and vegetables at the Green Bazaar are of offer.
extremely good value in summer.
Arasan Baths
Almaty's central bath-house is situated in http://www.kimep.kz
а large, impressive dome-shaped building http://tourasia.kz

April, 2011 — 55 —
Destination Ka za k h s t a n: A nc i e nt a nd P oe t i c

Back to the Soviet Era:


Exploring the Baikonur
Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome, the world's first One year before that, on 12 August 1953, the
and largest operational space launch facility, first soviet hydrogen bomb had been tested
situated in the middle of Kazakhstan’s steppes in Semipalatinsk at the nuclear experimental
had tremendous historic significance. It was range. Viacheslav Malyshev, the Vice Chairman
the launch pad for a whole new chapter of of the Cabinet, understanding the destructive
civilization. In 2000, from June 2 to 4, the 45th power of the bomb and envisioning the creation
anniversary of Baikonur cosmodrome was cel- of a rocket, invited Sergei Korolev to discuss the
ebrated with great fanfare. matter and he and scientist Sergei Krukov came
The location of the base of Soviet space pro- up with a sketch of the legendary R-7, which
gram was of prime strategic importance, and would ultimately carry up to 4.5 megatons of
after much consideration, an ideal spot was nuclear energy to a target. Malyshev never did
found in the vast steppes of Kazakhstan close get to see the first rocket, as he died from seri-
to the mining town of Baikonur. The name in ous radiation he was exposed to while watching
Kazakh means "wealthy brown", i.e. "fertile the detonation of the hydrogen bomb.
land with many herbs". Marshall Georgyi Jukov was commissioned
In 1954, when the project was conceived, it to find the ideal site for the testing ground.
was referred to as an "experimental range", The town of Baikonur was remote, in the end-
since no such word as cosmodrome existed in less steppes of Kazakhstan, yet thanks to its
the Russian language. When one of the con- name of Baikonur) in 1955, about 300 km
location close to the then still intact Aral Sea further north another project was realized  –
struction workers asked Sergei Korolev, the and its bustling ports accessible by rail and
Soviet rocket engineer, what was going to be namely the construction of a fake wooden
road, the location allowed for the easy ship- rocket model and launch pad to detract the
built here in the middle of nowhere he was
ment of building materials. Also, during the attention of foreign secret service agencies.
told "Stadium I – the biggest stadium in the
entire launch process, rockets would have to And indeed, on 21 August 1957, as a complete
world". It was the period of the so called "cold
war" and great secrecy surrounded the site. stay above Soviet territory so their trajectories surprise to the world, the first R-7 was success-
The USA was keeping track of the number of could be monitored. fully launched, and on 4 October of that same
nuclear weapons in the USSR, and trying to Border areas would not do. Parallel to the year, the R-7 catapulted the first "sputnik" sat-
maintain an equal or greater stockpile. construction of the base at Tyura-Tam (old ellite onto the orbit.

April, 2011 — 56 —
Destination Ka za k h s t a n: A nc i e nt a nd P oe t i c

Baikonur’s Firsts
Many historic flights lifted off from Baikonur:
the first operational intercontinental ballistic
missile (ICBM); the first man-made satellite,
Sputnik 1, on October 4, 1957; the first space-
craft to travel close to the Moon, Luna 1, on
January 2, 1959; the first manned orbital flight
by Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961; and the
flight of the first woman in space, Valentina
Tereshkova, in 1963. 14 cosmonauts of 13 other
nations, such as Czechoslovakia, East Germany
and France, started their historic journeys from
here as well under the Interkosmos program. In
1960, a prototype R-16 ICBM exploded before
launch, killing over 100 people.
Wikipedia.org

With the secret out at last, the name Cosmo- unmanned spacecraft. It supports several gen- For several years now it is possible to visit
drome was established and on 12 April 1961 erations of Russian spacecraft: Soyuz, Proton, Baikonur as a tourist and to explore the vast-
Yuryi Gagarin blasted off from here to become Tsyklon, Dnepr, Zenit and Buran. During the ness of the Kazakh steppes around the cos-
the first man to orbit the Earth in his space- temporary lapse of the United States' Space modrome which is a fantastic and memorable
ship "Vostok". The flight lasted for 108 min. By Shuttle program after the Columbia Disaster experience for all adventurous travelers, not
then, the space industry had attracted a great in 2003 it played an essential role in operating only for those interested in the history of space
workforce, so the town of Baikonur, having and resupplying of the International Space Sta- technology. Visitors can walk around the Bai-
grown into a city, was renamed Leninsk and tion (ISS) with Soyuz and Progress spacecraft. konur city, and tour the cosmodrome and its
the rocket site was referred to as Baikonur. At present, Russia has a rent agreement sights. At the world’s oldest and largest cos-
There were not only moments of triumph with Kazakhstan allowing them to use the site modrome the travelers can see all the Russian
though. Prior to Gagarin's first journey to until 2050. It is managed jointly by the Russian rockets, all launching pads, all assembly build-
space, a rocket exploded on the ground, and Federal Space Agency and the Russian Space ing vehicles. Among the most popular land-
over 100 victims perished. After the successful Forces. The shape of the area rented is an marks are the "Proton" launch complex, space
journey in space of the first female cosmonaut ellipse, measuring 90 kilometers east to west, shuttle "Buran", Gagarin's launch site, the test
in June 1963, another rocket explosion took by 85 kilometers north to south, with the cos- complex of the heavy transport rocket "Soyuz",
place, again at the cost of human life. modrome at the centre. memorial house of Yuri Gagarin and visionary
In 1994, Russia re-launched its space pro- Thanks to the Russian space program, the Sergey Korolev, the launch complex "Zenit"
gram at Baikonur. Baikonur is fully equipped city and the cosmodrome are growing and and much more.
with facilities for launching both manned and developing. http://www.orexca.com

April, 2011 — 57 —
Destination Ka za k h s t a n: A nc i e nt a nd P oe t i c

Turkistan: The Archeological


Treasure
Turkistan – a sacred place, a place of wor-
ship and pilgrimage for Muslims, one of the
oldest cities in the world. It has a population
of 85,600 and is situated 160 km (100 miles)
north-west of Shymkent on the Trans-Aral Rail-
way between Kyzylorda to the north and Tash-
kent to the south.
The site of ancient settlement Turkistan is
an important archeological monument of the
urban culture of South Kazakhstan. The major
role this town played in the Late Middle Ages
in Kazakhstan is widely known. It was the cen-
ter of the economic and political development
of various states, a trade and cultural centre on
the junction of vast steppes and ancient agri-
cultural areas, the place of preaching activi-
ties of the Turkic Sufi Khodja Akhmed Yasawi,
the political centre of the Kazakh Statehood
and the "second Mecca" of the Moslem East.
Medieval Turkistan experienced a stormy his-
tory with periods of flourishing and decline.
This town absorbed cultural traditions of vari-
ous origins. In 2000, Turkistan celebrated its
1500th anniversary.
A huge amount of ancient monuments, more
than 800, remained there. Turkistan used to
be one of the most significant trade and polit- the 15th century. Many ancient monuments The ancient buildings of Yasi suggest the life-
ical centers of the whole Central Asian region are retained in the city; striking architecture style of people of the city. Turkistan as a city set
for many centuries. Until the 18th century, of the city surprisingly passed through a mil- on a trade route, certainly had a big advantage
Turkistan, or Yasi, as it used to be called, was lennium with practically unchanged appear- over other cities in the sense that it naturally
the capital of the Kazakh Khanate formed in ance. attracted labor, funds, advanced technology,

April, 2011 — 58 —
Destination Ka za k h s t a n: A nc i e nt a nd P oe t i c

Take the chance to


welcome new
Russian travellers

famous scientists and philosophers. Turkistan dron was a symbol of unity and hospitality for
was also a center of education: there were the Turks. Therefore, special significance was
large libraries in the city. attached to its size and appearance.
The humanist and preacher Ahmed Yassaui Among historical places, Ordabasy natu- Join My Planet Travel Awards
founded a theological school there. When the ral boundary is particularly interesting. It www.myplanetawards.com
famous Sufi Hoja Ahmed Yassaui read a ser- was recently awarded the status of a Historic
mon in the city Turkistan became quite well Reserve. It is here where formerly scattered Moscow September 2011
known. In his honor a temple was built here – a Kazakh tribes united, transcending all differ-
masterpiece of medieval architecture, mauso- ences, to confront the powerful and danger- International travel awards voted for exclusively
by the Russian public and organised in
leum, consisting of a complex of palaces and ous invader, Dzungaria. Among other famous partnership with Moya Planeta TV, Russia’s
temples. Fine furnishings and interior decora- places around Turkistan are Hanaka, the tomb leading travel and leisure network. The
tions of walls, roofs and ceilings will impress of the Kazakh khans Esimhana, Ablai Khan Awards offer participating companies a unique
opportunity to reach millions of Russian
anyone. Abulhairhana, the burial place of Kazybek, one consumers directly, as well as hundreds of
Even by modern standards, the building of of the founders of the first set of Kazakh laws potential industry partners.
the mausoleum is considered very large (40 "Zhety Zhargy".
meters in height); it has several domes. The Supported by
central dome of the mausoleum, Kazanlak, http://www.visitkazakhstan.kz
unifies more than 35 different rooms. The caul- http://www.natcom.unesco.kz

Media partners

April, 2011 — 59 —

You might also like