Introduction
No whistles and bells, just friendly faces and some mighty big mountains. What Kyrgyzstan lacks in gracious buildings and fancy cakes it makes up for with nomadic traditions such as laid-back hospitality, a healthy distrust of authority and a fondness for drinking fermented mare's milk. It is perhaps the most accessible and welcoming of the Central Asian republics.
Destination Facts
Capital: Bishkek
President: Kurmanbek Bakiev
Prime Minister: Almazbek Atambayev
Government: republic
Time zone: GMT +6
Area: 198500
Population: 4700000
Languages: Also spelt Kirghiz.
75% Muslim, 20% Russian Orthodox
Currency: Som (som)
Country Dialing Code: 996
Getting There
At lower elevations, spring and autumn are probably the best seasons to visit weather-wise - in particular April to early June and September through October. In spring, the desert blooms briefly, while autumn is harvest time when the markets fill with fresh produce. Summer is ferociously hot in the lowlands, but July and August are the best months to visit the mountains. Cold rains begin in November and snow soon closes mountain passes. The ski season at the Upper Ala-Archa Mountain Ski Base lasts from December to April. Winters are bitterly cold.
Getting there and away
British Mediterranean has three flights a week from London to Bishkek. Bishkek is connected with Istanbul, Moscow, Kiev and Novosibirsk. It's also a possibility to fly into Almaty in Kazakstan and catch a bus for the three hour ride to Bishkek (a Kazakstan transit visa is required). Trains run from Bishkek a few times a week to Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Almaty and Krasnoyarsk (Siberia), and daily to Moscow. There are frequent buses between Bishkek and Tashkent and Almaty, though you often have to change buses at the border; a seasonal bus service links Osh and Kashgar via the Irkeshtam Pass and special jeep tours cross from Bishkek to Kashgar via the Torugart Pass.
Getting around
Flying is the least edifying and arguably the most dangerous mode of transport in Kyrgyzstan, but in winter it can be the only way to beat the snow. Bishkek-to-Osh is a popular flight. Shared taxis are the most frequent and convenient way to get between towns cheaply, and the best way to see what remains of the land of the nomads. There are also buses and minibuses, but journeys are slow and vehicles are prone to breakdowns. Shared taxis shuttle travellers between most towns. Larger towns have public buses and marshrutnoe minibuses buzzing around on fixed routes.
Visa:
Kyrgyz embassies now issue visas without letters of support. All foreigners staying in the country for more than three days are expected to register with the Office of Visas & Regulations (OVIR), preferably in Bishkek. A stamp from Bishkek is good for the whole country and normally lasts a month.
Weather
Altitude gives this country particularly dry weather, with harsh winters and punchy summers. A July summer's day typically begins at 30 ° C (89 ° F) and halves by nightfall. While in the midst of winter the mercury teeters and totters around 0 ° C (32 ° F) and gets as low as -24 ° C (-75 ° F), a deft spring soon warms things up.
No whistles and bells, just friendly faces and some mighty big mountains. What Kyrgyzstan lacks in gracious buildings and fancy cakes it makes up for with nomadic traditions such as laid-back hospitality, a healthy distrust of authority and a fondness for drinking fermented mare's milk. It is perhaps the most accessible and welcoming of the Central Asian republics.
Destination Facts
Capital: Bishkek
President: Kurmanbek Bakiev
Prime Minister: Almazbek Atambayev
Government: republic
Time zone: GMT +6
Area: 198500
Population: 4700000
Languages: Also spelt Kirghiz.
75% Muslim, 20% Russian Orthodox
Currency: Som (som)
Country Dialing Code: 996
Getting There
At lower elevations, spring and autumn are probably the best seasons to visit weather-wise - in particular April to early June and September through October. In spring, the desert blooms briefly, while autumn is harvest time when the markets fill with fresh produce. Summer is ferociously hot in the lowlands, but July and August are the best months to visit the mountains. Cold rains begin in November and snow soon closes mountain passes. The ski season at the Upper Ala-Archa Mountain Ski Base lasts from December to April. Winters are bitterly cold.
Getting there and away
British Mediterranean has three flights a week from London to Bishkek. Bishkek is connected with Istanbul, Moscow, Kiev and Novosibirsk. It's also a possibility to fly into Almaty in Kazakstan and catch a bus for the three hour ride to Bishkek (a Kazakstan transit visa is required). Trains run from Bishkek a few times a week to Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Almaty and Krasnoyarsk (Siberia), and daily to Moscow. There are frequent buses between Bishkek and Tashkent and Almaty, though you often have to change buses at the border; a seasonal bus service links Osh and Kashgar via the Irkeshtam Pass and special jeep tours cross from Bishkek to Kashgar via the Torugart Pass.
Getting around
Flying is the least edifying and arguably the most dangerous mode of transport in Kyrgyzstan, but in winter it can be the only way to beat the snow. Bishkek-to-Osh is a popular flight. Shared taxis are the most frequent and convenient way to get between towns cheaply, and the best way to see what remains of the land of the nomads. There are also buses and minibuses, but journeys are slow and vehicles are prone to breakdowns. Shared taxis shuttle travellers between most towns. Larger towns have public buses and marshrutnoe minibuses buzzing around on fixed routes.
Visa:
Kyrgyz embassies now issue visas without letters of support. All foreigners staying in the country for more than three days are expected to register with the Office of Visas & Regulations (OVIR), preferably in Bishkek. A stamp from Bishkek is good for the whole country and normally lasts a month.
Weather
Altitude gives this country particularly dry weather, with harsh winters and punchy summers. A July summer's day typically begins at 30 ° C (89 ° F) and halves by nightfall. While in the midst of winter the mercury teeters and totters around 0 ° C (32 ° F) and gets as low as -24 ° C (-75 ° F), a deft spring soon warms things up.
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