Arriving in Istanbul represented the end of my Silk Road adventure and it was an incredibly emotional experience for so many reasons. I first travelled to Istanbul ten years beforehand when it was my first time in the Middle East. That was an overwhelming visit where I was mesmerised by the incredible history and architecture of
With my Kyrgyzstan Destination Guide I hope to show you a glimpse of all the incredible adventures that can be found in this small, mountainous Central Asian country. From mid August 2014 I spent just over three weeks travelling around my first ‘stan, Kyrgyzstan solo. Those three weeks were full of unique experiences. So here’s
One of the most common ways of travelling in Kyrgyzstan is to travel by shared taxi. A shared taxi is a taxi, or sometimes a private car, which charges a set rate for each of the four seats. The taxi/car won’t leave for it’s destination until the car is full. The impressive mountains of Kyrgyzstan
High in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan is the beautiful Lake Song-Kol. At 3,016m it should have been no surprise the weather can be changeable. From Cholpon Ata I travelled by taxi to the small town of Kochkor. Famous for its shyrdak handicrafts (felt carpets) it’s also a great base to organise a trip to Lake Song-Kol.
Homestays were one of my favourite experiences while traveling in Kyrgyzstan. Not only did homestays offer a unique glimpse into the lives and homes of local people they were also a fantastic opportunity to try some delicious home-cooking. My first homestay was in the small town of Karakol near Lake Issky-Kol. Lake Issky-Kol is the
As my guide and porter prepared lunch I sat and watched the sunlight dance and sparkle across the surface of the brilliant turquoise that is Lake Ala-Kol. It made me think of an extraordinary turquoise gem. The colour was stunning and the lake itself was huge with massive mountains surrounding it. At the far end
Organising, coordinating and actually getting visas is one the most problematic, time-consuming and frustrating things about traveling in Central Asia. My visa dramas started in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. From the tranquil valley of Tash Rabat I headed to Bishkek to start organising my visas for the rest of my Central Asian travels. It
The Torugart Pass is the classic Silk Road route from infamous Kashgar in far western China into Kyrgyzstan. The pass is notoriously difficult as it is high in the Tian Shan mountains (3,752m) and sometimes snow closes the road. This border is also considered a special crossing. Meaning it has extra security needs and as a