Kyrgyzstan is very much a place for community-centric tourism and exploring the great outdoors, with lots of hiking and trekking, plus traditional, homely accommodation in yurts and guesthouses in mountain villages. That translates into plenty of opportunities to spend time with locals and learn directly from them about their lives, traditions and customs, as our travel specialist Chelsea found out when she recently travelled to Kyrgyzstan – a trip she talks about in this piece.
What makes Kyrgyzstan travel so special?
Bedding down for the night in a yurt on the shores of Lake Song Kul, meeting an eagle hunter and learning about their ancient art, hiking to Kok Bel waterfall and visiting 15th-century caravanserai Rabat. These are just some of the thrilling and unique experiences that await you in what many see as the most welcoming of the Central Asian republics, yet one that is only just beginning to appear on most travellers’ radars.
What stands out most about this part of Central Asia – aside from the staggering landscapes of snowcapped peaks, glittering alpine lakes, pine forests and vast summer pastures – is the nomadic way of life. Having rebounded since liberation from Soviet rule, this remains largely unchanged from the days when Marco Polo first travelled here.
Then, there are remnants of ancient dynasties on one-time trade routes in towns such as Osh, which is said to be one of the planet’s oldest continually inhabited settlements.
How does Kyrgyzstan fit into ‘the 5 Stans’?
The Persian suffix ‘stan’ means ‘land of’, and the Central Asia region is made up of five of them – in order of size: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
The nations have existed side by side for thousands of years, and share ancestors and many traditions, so are similar on some levels. However, in terms of development, Kazakhstan is quite a way ahead of the others, and Kyrgyzstan comes in fourth. Kyrgyzstan is one of the most rural nations in the world, with more than 60% of people living in rural settlements, and horses still the main way of getting around for many.
Farming, including walnuts (it has the world’s largest walnut forest at Arslanbob), is its largest export, but natural minerals, including gold, are mined. And now there’s tourism, in its infancy – making this a brilliant time to visit.
Even existing travellers to Central Asia have tended to miss out on Kyrgyzstan. On our Central Asia Encompassed multi-country small-group tour, however, you visit all five ‘stans’, including Kyrgyzstan. Each of these countries offers something different, making this one of the world’s great journeys.
How to travel to Kyrgyzstan and why choose a Native Eye tour for your Kyrgyzstan travel?
Our Kyrgyzstan holidays take you, in the company of a tour leader and expert English-speaking local guides, to Kyrgyzstan’s must-see places. A small group size means lots of scope or questions and conversations that will immerse you in Kyrgyzstan’s daily life as well as its rich history and natural wonders. And of course, we take charge of all travel arrangements.
That goes equally whether you pick our epic, 26-day Central Asia itinerary (see above), our 16-day Kyrgyzstan Mountains, Lakes & Nomads trip or our 18-day Pamir Highway trip, which also embraces the landscapes and cultures of similarly little-visited Tajikistan.
Where do you stay when you travel to Kyrgyzstan?
Accommodation on our Kyrgyzstan trips is down to earth and full of character. To take just two examples from Chelsea’s recent trip, there are warm welcomes in a riverside ‘glamping’ yurt camp owned by our local team (with ensuite bathrooms for each yurt) and in the externally unassuming Matsunoki Guesthouse, with wooden floors, high ceilings and decorative rugs, run by a Kyrgyz–Japanese couple.
Chelsea has shared her Kyrgyzstan travel advice and inspiration with us in the following rundown of her best places to go in Kyrgyzstan.
Where to visit in Kyrgyzstan
Song Kul
Says Chelsea: “Song Kul Lake is a must-see for any first-time visitor to Kyrgyzstan. We drove up via the Kalmak Ashuu pass (at 3447m) and continued on via vast open plains (jailoos) sparsely dotted with traditional yurts inhabited by seasonal nomads. This was a special experience and one that had me glued to the window for the entire journey to our camp. There are few tourist camps by the lake and those that exist here are spread out.
“I visited in June, just as the passes were clearing, with snow still visible on the higher peaks, and with wildflowers blooming in all their glory across the jailoos. The lake had a permanent peaceful stillness, with the blue sky beautifully reflected in its tranquil waters. As you walked towards the lake and away from the camp, it was so soothingly quiet, enough to hear a pin drop.
You could easily while away a few days at Song Kul, soaking up the views and taking time for relaxation and reflection. I would recommend a full day at the very least and perhaps a bit longer if you’d like to walk up to one of the nearby ridges, some of which are scattered with ancient petroglyphs. It’s possible to meet and talk with nomads who live around the lake during the summer and to ride a horse. Otherwise, the scenery alone is enough to keep anyone occupied for a day or two.”
The 33 Parrots Pass
“For a different perspective on the return journey from Song Kul Lake, drive down via this route with 33 bends, for yet more breathtaking scenery and the chance to spot marmots and different species of birds. There’s a waterfall to stop at on the way down, which is easy enough to get to for most and doesn’t involve any strenuous hiking. The walk to the waterfall is around fifteen minutes in each direction.”
Karkara Valley
“Karkara was one of the highlights of my Kyrgyzstan trip. Spending a day hiking here was enchanting, passing gushing rivers and pine forests with snow-capped peaks on the horizon. The two resident dogs from our yurt camp accompanied us – me and Russian/Tartar guide Mariya – on the whole hike, always checking we were still with them. A path stretches along the river for miles for anyone who prefers a more leisurely walk, and you can turn and follow the same route back to camp at any point”
“We decided to continue further, hiking up to a ridge with lovely views of the valley below, passing over hills carpeted with purple wildflowers. Around 30 minutes in, before we turned off the dusty, little-frequented road to the main hiking route, we came across a group of women visiting Karkara with their children, who had just finished school for the summer. Their mothers had brought them to play in nature, setting out an extensive picnic on the grassy verge alongside the road. They beckoned us over for a cup of Kyrgyz tea and sent us on our way with a bag full of baked goods for our hike.”
“Kyrgyz people are extremely friendly and hospitable and love nothing more than to welcome guests to join them for tea and snacks. It was nice to experience this kindness and sit with them, finding out a bit more about their lives and families. They were intrigued to see an English tourist in the area and asked if we could take some pictures together. The group was full of smiles and one lady even referred to me as her English sister. I think they were a bit surprised when they found out I am 30 and still unmarried though…”
Karakol
This town’s melting pot of peoples, cultures and religions is evident in its two most prominent religious buildings, the wood-built Christian cathedral and the vibrant Dungan mosque.
The cathedral now oversees the entire Russian Orthodox population of the Issyk Kul region, having first been a yurt and the first place of Orthodox worship in the town, later being replaced by a stone structure that was subsequently destroyed during an earthquake, then wood, which is the pretty façade we see today. The cathedral has seen various uses and revivals over the years, even having been used – perhaps inappropriately – as a dance hall and social space during the Soviet period, when it was stripped of its five green domes.
“The mosque, originally used only by Chinese Muslims known as Dungans, and having been closed down by Soviet authorities for 10 years from 1933, reopened for worship and today is open to Kyrgyz Muslims as well. It’s worth a visit to both places of worship to see the contrast and to learn more about the role these buildings have played and the transformations they have had over many, many years.”
Skazka Canyon
You’ll need hiking shoes with a good grip on this as it involves some climbing, but if you’re confident, it’s well worth the trip. The canyon’s red sandstone and multicoloured rock provide a stark contrast to the pastures and forests you see throughout the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
This is otherwise known as Fairytale Canyon, with some pinnacles reminiscent of Central Anatolia and others not dissimilar to those you would find in parts of the Sahara Desert. From the highest points, you can see a vast stretch of Issyk Kul Lake, the second-biggest alpine lake after Lake Titicaca. This was an impromptu stop on the drive from Karakol to Kochkor and one I’m really glad to have added.”
Bokonbaevo
We met with Ruslan at a remote pasture in this area. He is one of the last remaining eagle-hunting practitioners in Kyrgyzstan, now practising this ancient art as a hobby rather than a means of obtaining food and fur.
As a keen wildlife conservationist, I had a lot of questions about this, particularly when he described taking the infant eagles from their nests. Ruslan explained that the golden eagles had started to nest in villages and were prone to killing local people’s livestock for food, which in turn meant the villagers would kill the eagles. He said that retrieving the infant eagles from the nest encourages the adult eagles to nest further away in the safety of the mountains.
Ruslan prefers to train female golden eagles as they are bigger and can hunt larger prey such as foxes, wolves and jackals, although nowadays it’s much more common for the eagles to catch jackals as wolves aren’t as populous and tend to stay up in the mountains. The eagles, which have an approximate lifespan of 60 years, stay with Ruslan for 15 years learning how to hunt and are then released into the wild.
Whilst I was initially a little unsure about the hunting, given that it’s no longer needed as a means of subsistence and survival for the trainer, I must admit that the majestic birds looked extremely healthy and well looked after. It was clear that Ruslan treats them with delicate care and affection, and that it takes a particular set of complex skills to train these birds – skills that have been honed over many generations.
Next steps for Kyrgyzstan travel
Find out more about Kyrgyzstan travel in our Kyrgyzstan section and check out the finer details of our Kyrgyzstan, Mountains, Lakes & Nomads tour. For more comprehensive trips that include the five ‘stans’ see Central Asia Encompassed. If Chelsea’s post has piqued your interest, ring us on 01473 328 546 during office hours, or use our contact form.
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