Kyrgyzstan, also known as Kyrgyzstan, is located in Central Asia. For most people it is an unknown country, but the people who have been there do not want to go anywhere else. There are few places on earth where you will find so much pure natural beauty. Snow-capped mountain peaks, interspersed with meadows full of Edelweiss, sky-blue lakes and even deserts. Those who love nature and space can indulge themselves in Kyrgyzstan. Half of the country is above 3000 meters, with mountain peaks up to over 7000 meters. With 5 million inhabitants in a country five times the size of the Netherlands, you only encounter nomads outside the cities.
Until 1917, Kyrgyzstan was inhabited by nomads, and in 1936 it was annexed by the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Republic in 1991, Kyrgyzstan declared its independence. The capital Bishkek, with around 800,000 inhabitants, is the cultural and political heart of the country. It is a young city, like so many former Soviet cities. Here you will find wide boulevards, Stalin statues and typical Soviet buildings. If you really want to see something of the country, you have to leave the city. Because Kyrgyzstan has not yet been discovered by hordes of tourists, you have to arrange a lot yourself. But the people are hospitable and happy to help you.
What can you do in Kyrgyzstan?
Sleeping with nomads
You haven’t been to Kyrgyzstan if you haven’t slept in a yurt and tasted nomadic life. You spend one or more days with a family. You help with the horses and sheep, but you can also walk or ride horses. Various organizations arrange these so-called home-stays. This has several yurt camps, run by a nomadic family. Here you will meet other tourists, but you also have the conveniences of a toilet and shower.
Trekking in the mountains
Of course you go into the mountains. Trekking tours can be booked from half a day to more than two weeks. But more is possible in the mountains. How about rafting, abseiling, climbing, skiing (also in summer) or a helicopter flight above the mountain peaks? Make sure you always have a guide with you.
Lake Issyk Kul
Take a mud bath in Lake Issyk Kul. This mountain lake is located at an altitude of 1600 meters and is the second largest in the world. There are old Soviet resorts along the coast, where wealthy Russians and Chinese still go on holiday every year. Kyrgyz people smear themselves with mud from Lake Issyk Kul, because then you wouldn’t get sick for a year.
Horse riding
Kyrgyz people do everything on horseback. They transport their sheep and goats on horseback, drink mare’s milk and hold competitions. Travel agencies in the capital Bishkek can arrange a tour for you, and they can also tell you where horse events are taking place. A day of horseback riding through the mountains costs about 25 euros.
Hunting with an eagle
Traditionally, nomads hunt with trained eagles. Competitions are still held today. The best eagle hunter in Kyrgyzstan lives in Jeti-Oguz, near Karakol.
Discover the Silk Road
Kyrgyzstan is located along the Silk Road, the trade route that traditionally ran from Europe to China. Here and there you can still find remnants from that time, such as Tash Rabat. This ruin dates back to the Middle Ages and provided traders with shelter from bandits and bad weather. It was one of the most important stopping points on the Silk Road. Tash Rabat has recently been restored. There are also options to sleep in one of the surrounding houses or yurts.
Snow leopards
Until the 1990s, Kyrgyzstan had the largest snow leopard population in the world. But due to hunting, there are now only about 250 left in the wild. If you want to help protect snow leopards or see them in person, you can visit the rehabilitation center north of Lake Issyk Kul.
How do you arrange the trip?
To sleep
There are no guesthouses and hotels outside the cities. You can go to people’s homes (for example via home-stays) or you have to camp yourself.
Food and drink
In the cities you will find different types of restaurants and eateries. In addition to local dishes, you will find Russian, Chinese and Indian restaurants here. Local dishes consist of a lot of meat, especially lamb and mutton, soup and rice. Melons and apricots are sold along the road, and you will also find shaslik tents along the busier roads. If you stay at a family’s home, there is a chance that they will slaughter a sheep for you. The eye is seen as the delicacy and it is rude to refuse that morsel.
Jabs
DTP, hepatitis A and typhoid vaccination is recommended.
Paper
Kyrgyzstan is free to travel. Since July 2012, a visa is no longer required.
Pay
Kyrgyzstan is a relatively cheap country for Dutch people, especially food and transport cost little. As a guideline you can use approximately 50 euros per week per person. The currency is the sum. American dollars can be exchanged in many places, there are only ATMs in Bishkek.
To travel
Several airlines fly to Bishkek, including Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Aeroflot and British Airways. There are a number of domestic flights, but these are infrequent and the quality of the aircraft leaves much to be desired. Domestic transport is best done by bus. It is important to speak some Russian. Please note that the roads are impassable in bad weather.
Read
There are several travel guides for Central Asia or the Silk Road that focus on Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan entdecken is a good travel guide that only deals with Kyrgyzstan. Chingiz Aimatov is the most famous writer of Kyrgyzstan, his book Dzjamilja has also been translated into Dutch.
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- Sleeping with nomads in Kyrgyzstan