Universally know as the country that will score you the most points in scrabble, Kyrgyzstan is the easiest of the Central Asian countries to visit. With easily accessible trekking, a partially intact nomadic life-style and a mixture of Soviet and Muslim cultures, it packs a lot of punch for it's diminutive geographic size. As I had just finished working in China, the most interesting entry 
point into KG was the infamous Torugart Pass. Infamous due to the fact it is illegal for foreigners to cross, except it isn't. Unfortunately, this Pass comes at a price. From Kashgar, in China, you need to arrange private transport to the border and pre-arrange transport on the Kyrgyz side. The only exception is to join a group tour, like Intrepid. There are no other exceptions!! There are NO cases of "But I knew this guy...". There are no examples of "I heard you
can take the public bus". I managed to get the price down to $300, but this took several days, countless cups of tea and speaking Chinese definitely helped. Some drivers started at $500. The pass itself is over-rated. The views are really nice, but not much different from Ishkrishim which is WAY cheaper. And of course there are often problems. I had a weird visa issue and the Kyrgyz were going to let me in. However, it would be impossible to re-enter China. I spent 3 1/2 hours in no-man's land, and had to pay a $40 bribe to the Kyrgyz officials. Otherwise i would have to resort to a life of sheep herding in the middle of nowhere.
point into KG was the infamous Torugart Pass. Infamous due to the fact it is illegal for foreigners to cross, except it isn't. Unfortunately, this Pass comes at a price. From Kashgar, in China, you need to arrange private transport to the border and pre-arrange transport on the Kyrgyz side. The only exception is to join a group tour, like Intrepid. There are no other exceptions!! There are NO cases of "But I knew this guy...". There are no examples of "I heard you
can take the public bus". I managed to get the price down to $300, but this took several days, countless cups of tea and speaking Chinese definitely helped. Some drivers started at $500. The pass itself is over-rated. The views are really nice, but not much different from Ishkrishim which is WAY cheaper. And of course there are often problems. I had a weird visa issue and the Kyrgyz were going to let me in. However, it would be impossible to re-enter China. I spent 3 1/2 hours in no-man's land, and had to pay a $40 bribe to the Kyrgyz officials. Otherwise i would have to resort to a life of sheep herding in the middle of nowhere. Most transport from the Torugart Pass will drop you off in the 
town of Naryn. It's a sizable town of around 40,000 wedged into a narrow valley. Only 2 kms at it's widest point, it is disproportionately stretch to 20 km long. There really isn't much reason to linger in the town itself. There a pretty mosque, a few statues (including Lenin) and a couple wall mosaics. As a stopover, or perhaps a day trip, Tash-Rabat, a deserted fortress lies half way between the Pass and town. The main bus station in Naryn, it's easy to catch a mini-bus or shared taxi to other points in the region. I headed to Bishkek.
town of Naryn. It's a sizable town of around 40,000 wedged into a narrow valley. Only 2 kms at it's widest point, it is disproportionately stretch to 20 km long. There really isn't much reason to linger in the town itself. There a pretty mosque, a few statues (including Lenin) and a couple wall mosaics. As a stopover, or perhaps a day trip, Tash-Rabat, a deserted fortress lies half way between the Pass and town. The main bus station in Naryn, it's easy to catch a mini-bus or shared taxi to other points in the region. I headed to Bishkek.
When locals are asked what the best place in Kyrgyzstan is, the answer will undoubtedly be 
Issyk-Kul. A large, alpine lake located in the north-east of Kyrgyzstan. In my opinion, it is unbelievably over-rated. The lake is too small to get a feeling of vastness, but too big to clearly see the mountains on the far side. Not to mention the north side of the lake (especially Cholpanata) is inundated with Russian, Kazakh and Kyrgyz tourists. There blinding winter paleness unfortunately exposed by undersized speedos. The south side of the lake, even with colder water, gives an opportunity to have some peace and quiet. There is far less development on the southern shore, but home stays are easy enough to arrange.
Issyk-Kul. A large, alpine lake located in the north-east of Kyrgyzstan. In my opinion, it is unbelievably over-rated. The lake is too small to get a feeling of vastness, but too big to clearly see the mountains on the far side. Not to mention the north side of the lake (especially Cholpanata) is inundated with Russian, Kazakh and Kyrgyz tourists. There blinding winter paleness unfortunately exposed by undersized speedos. The south side of the lake, even with colder water, gives an opportunity to have some peace and quiet. There is far less development on the southern shore, but home stays are easy enough to arrange.But the best part of Kyrgyzstan lies in the mountains of the shores of Kyrgyzstan. Easily 
accessible from villages like Naryn, Kochkor or Karakol, it's where the heart of Kyrgyzstan is. It's referred to as the jailoo. The high mountain pasture where the nomadic people still bring there sheep for the summer. Locals pitch Yurts, the traditional felt tent which has been used in these parts for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The people up here are super friendly. And being invited by some locals I'd met through work in Bishkek, i was treated like family. There is no English spoken up here, and hardly any Russian, so it was a great experience to
have someone along with me who could translate. There are very defined roles here. Men do nothing and women do everything. One of the women's duties is to cook (of course). Massive vats of Plov (rice), sheep kababs and enough tea to drown half the population of China, the food never ended. And you need to work up an appetite, which other than singing "national" songs, was horse riding. The Kyrgyz are expert horse riders. many national games revolve around this idea. "Kyz kuumai" were a man chases a girl, trying to kiss her. "At-chabysh" (horse racing), "oodarysh" (wrestling on horseback), tiyin enmey (picking up a coin from the ground I at full gallop from the photo) just to name a few others. But my favourite is "Buzkashi" (or "Kok boru") where teams on horse back battle for a headless sheep carcass!!
accessible from villages like Naryn, Kochkor or Karakol, it's where the heart of Kyrgyzstan is. It's referred to as the jailoo. The high mountain pasture where the nomadic people still bring there sheep for the summer. Locals pitch Yurts, the traditional felt tent which has been used in these parts for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The people up here are super friendly. And being invited by some locals I'd met through work in Bishkek, i was treated like family. There is no English spoken up here, and hardly any Russian, so it was a great experience to
have someone along with me who could translate. There are very defined roles here. Men do nothing and women do everything. One of the women's duties is to cook (of course). Massive vats of Plov (rice), sheep kababs and enough tea to drown half the population of China, the food never ended. And you need to work up an appetite, which other than singing "national" songs, was horse riding. The Kyrgyz are expert horse riders. many national games revolve around this idea. "Kyz kuumai" were a man chases a girl, trying to kiss her. "At-chabysh" (horse racing), "oodarysh" (wrestling on horseback), tiyin enmey (picking up a coin from the ground I at full gallop from the photo) just to name a few others. But my favourite is "Buzkashi" (or "Kok boru") where teams on horse back battle for a headless sheep carcass!!Northern Kyrgyzstan is wonderfully photogenic. I find that it's getting harder and harder these 
day to find places where you can see such a unique culture so close up. However, with an exponential increase in tourism, scams and unsavoury-type characters are starting to pop-up. Some people even come away from the time in Kyrgyzstan with a negative opinion. But I don't think there's anywherein the world immune frm those types. With a spectacular nature, unique culture and welcoming people, Kyrgyzstan is an absolute treat. But all good things come to an end. I'll miss my time in Kyrgyzstan. Had some cool experiences, met some intesting people and visited some beautiful places. But it's a big world out there with lots more to explore. On the road again...
day to find places where you can see such a unique culture so close up. However, with an exponential increase in tourism, scams and unsavoury-type characters are starting to pop-up. Some people even come away from the time in Kyrgyzstan with a negative opinion. But I don't think there's anywherein the world immune frm those types. With a spectacular nature, unique culture and welcoming people, Kyrgyzstan is an absolute treat. But all good things come to an end. I'll miss my time in Kyrgyzstan. Had some cool experiences, met some intesting people and visited some beautiful places. But it's a big world out there with lots more to explore. On the road again...