Travellive 7 - 2018

Field of
golden
blooming
sunflowers
under the
sun
the house?", or "Why do you refuse to have dinner with us when we
have already cooked for you?" Once, when I was standing absentminded,
a nearby fruit vendor picked up a big bag full of fruit and
handed it to me. Turns out, we had met him a few days earlier and
we had to work very hard to convince him to let us pay for the two
big watermelons he wanted to gift us. The nomadic hospitality is the
highlight of Kyrgyz culture, which always strikes visitors. Although
it has been apart from the Soviet Union since 1991, most people
here still speak Russian (aside from the Kyrgyz and minority Uzbek
languages), so I was able to communicate with them a little.
With a vast natural landscape and hospitable foreign traveler
policies, Kyrgyzstan is increasingly welcoming to visitors. Unlike us,
struggling up a ferocious hill on "iron horses", are the smiling faces
of tourists on jeeps, motorcycles or the bikes rumbling downhill.
Aside from biking, trekking or horseback riding for a few days are
also favorite activities here.
Nearly two weeks after leaving Osh, we arrived in Bishkek, the
capital, and our last stop in Central Asia. Bishkek is an important
"hub" in the cycling community for relaxing, resting and preparing
for the next journey. Just over 3 weeks isn't much time but it was
enough to create lasting feelings and to fall in love with the country
and people of Kyrgyzstan. See you again!
VISA
‣ 45 countries qualify for
a 60-day travel period to
Kyrgyzstan without a visa.
More information can be
found at www.kgembassy.
org/en under the "Consular
and Visa Section".
‣ You can fly to Bishkek
with Aeroflot (with a stop
in Moscow), Turkish Airlines
(with a stop in Istanbul) or
China Southern (with two
stops, in Guangzhou and
Urumqi).
BEST TIME TO VISIT
‣ Kyrgyzstan follows a
continental climate with hot
summers and cold winters.
The climate is divided into
different regions. The high
and dry weather of the west,
the temperate weather in
the northern mountains. The
higher you go, the colder the
weather becomes.
TRANSPORTATION
‣ You can rent a jeep
to explore Kyrgyzstan or
contact a tour operator for
a motorbike or downhill
bike tour. Public transport
and long-distance bus
services in Kyrgyzstan are
very limited. You should
only choose this means if
you are a seasoned traveler
and not bound by time.
‣ If you have a lot of
time and want a real life
experience, you can buy a
donkey and roam all the way
through Kyrgyzstan.
SHOPPING
‣ You can easily find many
unique items.
Shops in Kyrgyzstan are
not only full of unique and
diverse items, but they also
contain products made in
Kyrgyzstan. You can find
anything from handicrafts
made from a variety of plants
to distinctive outfits and
more. You can find these
items at many souvenir shops
or in traditional markets.
ACCOMMODATION
‣ Traveling tents, or
homestays: In large cities, you
will easily find motels and
hotels. Around popular areas
like Song Kul Lake or Issyk
Kul, there are shuttle services
that pick you up and take
you to nomadic tents (yurts).
You can always set up a
tent or sleep at the home
of a local.
DESTINATION
‣ Hu Song Kul and Issyk
Kul: Apart from natural
sightseeing on the roads,
two famous rest spots in
Kyrgyzstan are Song Kul lake
and Issyk Kul lake. These
lakes are also the starting
point for many long journeys
by horse.
‣ Ala Archa National Park:
If you like trekking, you can
go to Ala Archa National
Park near Bishkek, or try your
hand at Tien Shan on the
Chinese border with peaks
above 7000 m such as Khan
Tengri or Podeba.
‣ Sulaiman-Too Sacred
Mountain: Located near the
city of Osh, this mountain is
a UNESCO World Heritage
site. It is not possible to go
to Kyrgyzstan without visiting
this sacred mountain.
‣ Tash Rabat: A snowcapped
mountain with
15 th century houses still
preserved today.
‣ World Nomad Games:
If you're lucky, you can
experience the World
Nomad Games, held every
two years in the summer.
This year, the competition
will take place between
September 2 to 8.
CUISINE
‣ Kyrgyz food is not that
varied but has similarities to
other Central Asian countries
with manti, salty cheese, or
fatty sheep meat. A speciality
worth tasting is "kumis",
made from fermented horse
milk. In our experience, you
should not drink "kumis" after
it's been out in the hot sun
for a few days.
TOUR YOU CAN BOOK
‣ You can refer to Beetours
Vietnam as an authorized
dealer for airfares to
Kyrgyzstan by international
airlines.
TRAVELLIVE
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