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 a little about the little Central Asian country with the big impact.

Where is Kyrgyzstan?

So first things first, where is Kyrgyzstan geographically?

Kyrgyzstan is a small landlocked country in the middle of the continent of Asia. It shares borders with China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Traditionally the region has been home to nomadic people. However in the late 1800s the region came under the control of the Russians and ultimately the USSR (as did the other Central Asian countries).

Today Kyrgyzstan is a relatively young country having only gained independence in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Kyrgyzstan’s Travel Highlights

For me the following came to represent Kyrgyzstan and were some of the best adventures I had.

• Yurt Stays – yurt stays are a quintessential Kyrgyzstan experience. Despite years of soviet collectivisation and modernisation the remnants of a nomadic culture remain. This nomadic culture can still be experienced as a visitor today by staying in a yurt, a traditional portable dwelling of the nomads made of felt. It is also a wonderful way to experience the mountain hospitality of the reserved but kind Kyrgyz people. My top tip, there is no better place to stay in a yurt than the beautiful Lake Song-Kol or the caravanserai Tash Rabat.

  

  Yurt stay at Tash Rabat

• Mountains & Hiking – A staggering 94% of the country is mountainous and this defines the country. It also has a large impact on roads, transportation, and relations between various areas within the country. With so many mountains in such a relatively small country it’s no wonder Kyrgyzstan is starting to develop a reputation for wonderful and remote trekking. My favourite mountain experience was my four day trek to Ala-Kol. My day hike in Ala-Archa was also a standout adventure.

  

  Mountains heading to Tash Rabat, Kyrgyzstan

  

  Hiking to Ala-Kol

  

  On top of the world hiking in Kyrgyzstan

  

  Beautiful mountain views high above Lake Ala-Kol

  

  Ala Archa Canyon

• Lakes – Kyrgyzstan is blessed with some beautiful lakes. The most well-known and beautiful lakes are Lake Ala-Kol, Lake Issky-Kol and Song-Kol.

  Lake Ala-Kol 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 a glacier sprawled down the sides of a mountain.

  

  Lake Issky-Kol is the second-largest alpine lake in the world (after Lake Titicaca in South America) and it never freezes due to it’s extreme depth, thermal activity and mild salinity. But more importantly Lake Issky-kol has a wonderful setting. The lake itself is huge stretching over 170km with mountain ranges rising from both the northern and southern shores

  

  Lake Issyk-Kol

  High in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan at 3,016m is the beautiful Lake Song-Kol. Its a huge lake surrounded by sprawling grasslands as far as the eye can see.

  

  Lake Song-Kol

• Horses – with nomadic roots horses are a strong part of the nomadic tradition of the Kyrgyz people. While travelling in Kyrgyzstan you will see horses everywhere. For those interested it’s also possible to organise horse treks in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan.

• Hats – the Kyrgyz men wear tradition tall hats made of felt. A sight unique to Kyrgyzstan

• Reserved but kind people – the Kyrgyz people are kind, hospitable people and are another highlight of your travels in their country. My favourite memory of this was the kind local woman who I met on the bus from Karakol to Lake Issyk-Kol. She was a local university professor who befriended me, feed me the feast below and hung out with me on the beach. What an incredible day!

  

  Kind, local Kyrgyz people

  

  An unexpected local feast in Kyrgyzstan

• Homestays – There is no better way to truly experience the hospitable kindness of the Kyrgyz people and gain a glimpse into their life than a homestay. Not only do you stay in their home and interact with local people but you also have the opportunity to try home-cooked traditional meals! My two favourite homestay whilst in Kyrgyzstan were in Karakol and in Kochkor.

  

  My homestay host in Karakol

  

  Homestay garden retreat

  

  Traditional Kyrgyzstan food while at a homestay in Kochkor

  

  Traditional food in Kyrgyzstan

• Roadtrips – Being such a mountainous country results in some memorable road trips with incredible views. But no road trip stands out more than my shared-taxi ride from Bishkek to Osh.

• Laid-back Communist Style Capital of Bishkek – As Kyrgyzstan was formerly part of the USSR it’s no surprise there are old ex-soviet buildings everywhere. But there were also lots of parks and most of the streets were lined with trees. The city was mostly low-rise, laid-back and low-key. It had a really nice relaxing atmosphere. After some exploring I also discovered there were some lovely little coffee shops, cafes and restaurants.

  

  

  Bishkek

Practicalities

Below are a few tips I picked up from my travels in Uzbekistan.

• Visas – For many nationalities, including Australians, no visa is required making Kyrgyzstan the easiest ‘stan to visit.

• Accomodation – For accommodation homestays and yurts are the best option and offer a unique insight into the local culture.

I stayed at USSR Hostel in Bishkek. It has a very central location and is set in an old topical Soviet style apartment block, ie. a big concrete box with dingy concrete stairwells. However, inside is two modern apartments which are very comfortable and not at all what you expect from the outside. The owners are also very helpful, although they’re not always at the hostel itself.

In Karakol I stayed at Gulnara’s B&B. It was a lovely homestay owned by Gulnara, an older local woman, who takes great pride in looking after ‘her tourists’ as she called them. She was very sweet and her home was impeccably looked after, and her cooking was outstanding. I definitely recommend having dinner here and staying at Gulnara’s homestay!

At Cholpon Ata I stayed at Pegasus Guesthouse. A more basic homestay than Gulnara’s with a drop toilet at the far end of the garden and bucket showers. But the rooms and beds were comfortable, and the breakfasts were still the typical homestay spread of all kinds of jams, honey, bread and of course tea.

I stayed at Biy Ordo Guesthouse while in Osh. A good guesthouse/hostel despite it being slightly out of the centre of town. However, minivans pass right by the guesthouse making it extremely easy to get to and from the centre. The guesthouse can also help organise taxis to the border with Uzbekistan.

• Getting Around – Shared Taxi or mashrutka are the best way to travel around the country

• Female Travellers – I travelled in Kyrgyzstan as a solo female and believe Kyrgyzstan is a safe country for other solo female travellers provided a few precautions are kept in mind. Outside of the capital Kyrgyzstan is a conservative country where traditional gender roles remain. I recommend modest clothes for female travellers. I would also be wary of walking around late at night on your own.

Experiences that make a visit to Kyrgyzstan special include yurt stays, hiking, horse treks and community-based tourism. To find out more about each of these I recommend you visit http://www.cbtkyrgyzstan.kg

For more useful tips and helpful information I recommend http://caravanistan.com

So there you have it, my Kyrgyzstan Destination Guide. I hope you found it helpful. If you liked it why not pin it!