Kyrgyzstan

Overview

Kyrgyzstan ( Kyrgyz and Russian : Кыргызстан), a Central Asian country, is often called as the "Switzerland" of Central Asia due to its mountainous terrain. The country offers breathtaking landscapes, including the Tien Shan Mountains, crystal-clear lakes such as Issyk-Kul and Song Kol, and beautiful valleys like the Ala-Archa National Park. These areas provide excellent hiking, trekking, horseback riding, and camping opportunities.

You can experience the hospitality of Kyrgyz nomads by staying in yurts, sample Kyrgyz cuisine, featuring hearty dishes like beshbarmak and manti, and sip on fragrant tea while listening to traditional music and folklore. The country celebrates cultural events and festivals throughout the year which showcase the country's traditions, arts, and sports.

Annexed by Russia in 1876, Kyrgyzstan, formally the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyz: Кыргыз Республикасы, Russian: Кыргызская Республика), became an independent nation in 1991. Long hobbled by political instability, Kyrgyzstan is now one of the most progressive post-Soviet countries.

The ancient Scyths inhabited much of present-day Kyrgyzstan. With their disappearance the Kyrgyz people moved from Siberia. The Kyrgyz are descendants of tribes from the Tuvan region of Russia , which migrated to the area now known as Kyrgyzstan in the 13th century, during the rise of the Mongol empire.

In 1876, with the destruction of the Khanate of Kokand, the area of today's Kyrgyzstan was incorporated into the Russian Empire. The natives of the region were known to the Russians (and, through them, to the Westerners) as the "Kara Kirghiz", the name "Kirghiz" being used to refer to the people who are now known as the Kazakhs. At about the same time, a widespread Muslim Rebellion against the Qing rule failed in the northwestern China, and a number of Uighur and Dungan people (Chinese Muslims) fled to the Russian Empire, finding new homes in what is now Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

With the tsarist annexation came numerous Slavic immigrants that displaced many of the Kyrgyz and planted crops on their pasture lands. During World War I, many Kyrgyz refused to support the tsarist troops and many were massacred.

Experiences

There are many great hiking opportunities in Kyrgyzstan, ranging from easy walks to proper mountain climbing. The most popular destinations are Ala Kul near Karakol , peak Lenin (7,134 m) south of Osh , the Grigorievskoe Trail near Cholpon-Ata , the Alamedin Gorge high routes , the Kyzyl Suu River Valley high routes , and the eastern border region towards Kazakhstan near Jyrgalan .

The Trekking Union of Kyrgyzstan organizes one day or longer public treks or hikes, e.g. in the mountains around Bishkek, for just few hundreds som a day, including transport to/from the start of the trek and guide. Usually size of the group is 10 people or more, both locals and expats. They mostly have treks on weekends or holidays. Sometimes they have other outdoor activities like rafting. Their website has events schedule in English.

Likewise the Community Based Tourism (CBT) office will also gladly organise guides and treks for you. But you can also just rely on them for information. The maps of CBT are not very detailed and often out of date. So, it is important that you have a good map like OpenStreetMap, which has up to date trails and supports contour-lines, hillshades and GPS—see #On foot and navigation .

Sometimes, in more isolated areas, CBTs will advise you to just "wander". Much of Kyrgyzstan is public land unlike the west, and no one will bat an eye if you just wander throughout the mountains. It can be quite a great way to experience feelings of remoteness and adventure.

Culture and food

Kyrgyz food is the product of a long history of pastoral nomadism and is overwhelmingly meat-based, which means that virtually all of the traditional dishes contain meat. If you are vegetarian you can, however, ask for vegetarian food and in many cases will receive a tasty vegetarian meal without much hassle, or you can purchase your own fresh fruit, vegetables and fresh bread from one of the many small stands or food bazaars that are ubiquitous in every city. While some people from the West think of large vegetables as desirable, small and flavourful is the rule. The same approach is valid for pistachios and almonds as well. Washing vegetables before consumption is recommended.

Planning your route

Minibuses, called marshrutka , in Kyrgyzstan are basically cargo vans (like Mercedes Sprinter) converted into buses with windows and seats. They are amazingly inexpensive and congregate at every village center or bus station. The prices for them are set and straightforward, but sometimes they will not leave until full. However, nowadays it seems that timetable are much more reliable and enforced than in the past.

Sights and landscapes

Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordering Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It lies between latitudes 39° and 44° N , and longitudes 69° and 81° E . It is farther from the sea than any other individual country and is an endorheic basin in which all its rivers flow into closed drainage systems which do not reach the sea. The mountainous region of the Tian Shan covers over 80% of the country (Kyrgyzstan is occasionally referred to as "the Switzerland of Central Asia" as a result), with the remainder made up of valleys and basins.

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors) and Wikipedia article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.