Kyrgyzstan – an undiscovered gem

A four-hour flight from Abu Dhabi finds us flying over dramatic looking mountains en route to the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek. We have no idea what to expect from central Asia – having never met anyone who has visited.

Formerly part of the Soviet block, Kyrgyzstan achieved independence in 1991, but still has a significant relationship with Russia. A land-locked country bordering Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and China to the east. Outside of basic geography we know very little about the history and culture of this part of the world and its c. 7 million inhabitants.

As we drive from the airport, the architecture is pretty much as one would expect. Blocks of concrete apartments with lots of right angles! Framing the austere looking buildings are the dramatic mountains of the Tian Shan range.

We’re knackered when we arrive after a very early start and so it’s an early night, although not before we meet our guide for the next three days, Abdi. After briefly running through the itinerary we bid farewell until the following morning.

The weather next day is surprisingly kind to us. Perhaps the travel Gods are rewarding us for visiting somewhere a little less mainstream.

We meet our driver, Alex, and off we head. It’s a long, but interesting day. If you look at a map, you’ll see a huge lake in the middle of Kyrgyzstan, Issyk Kul. It’s one of the largest alpine lakes in the world. In the summer it has become increasingly popular with tourists, but this is the off season and we feel fortunate to be seeing it at it’s rugged best.

There is relatively little physical history in the country, given that the nomadic traditional of the local people. Our first stop is at, one of the few exceptions to the rule, Burana tower. Dating from the 11^th century, the site was built by the Turks and makes for an interesting interlude. The tower was reduced from 45 metres by a series of earthquakes over the centuries to its current height of 25 metres. The staircase is steep and wide enough for a single person to pass. In its original splendour, the view must have been incredible.

The grounds hold a collection of Balbals collected from across the country, together with ancient petroglyphs (rock paintings). Can’t help but think that the latter should be under cover given that the elements will quickly erase these tokens from the past.

Kyrgyzstan is an interesting place – not quite four seasons in one day, but interesting mix of green fields and snow-capped mountains, with discernible changes of temperature as we move from one ecosystem to another.

We take a short boat trip on the lake. In the summer the boats are standing room only. At this time of year we have the boat to ourselves. The blankets proffered are most welcome and I regret leaving my coat in the car!

Our next stop is at a nearby gorge where an avalanche has blocked our intended path. A reminder that this is the off season, and that our route is dictated as much by the elements as by design.

We were slightly concerned about the cuisine before arriving, but an excellent lunch at a local café puts paid to that concern. There is a LOT of meat on the menu. In this country horses are revered. They also feature heavily on the menu! Our guide is fasting for Ramadam, and so can only look on as we eat. Islam is the dominant religion in the country, followed by Orthodox Christianity.

We eat all our meals with both driver and guide which is a great opportunity to get to know them better and to understand a little more about the local culture. Our guide is a mere sappling at 20 years old. He speaks excellent English, and is passionate about encouraging tourism in the area. He has recently returned from a Google sponsored trip to Singapore on the back on his content creation.

The average salary in Kyrgyzstan is around $200 a month, although people seem pretty contented with life, and the money stretches further than many places we’ve visited. Our driver by contrast is about to celebrate his 50th birthday and has been at the forefront of tourism for over 20 years. They are both excited to show us videos of places they’ve visited and over the course of our time together take as many pictures as we do. One of the great pleasures of being guided is watching how enthusiastic locals are about their own heritage.

It’s a long day and we are glad of yet another early night when we arrive at our hotel in Karakol, after the best part of 10 hours on the road.  

Next morning we visit the most unusual mosque we’ve ever seen. Designed and built by the Chinese, without the use of a single nail. The minaret is pretty cool and against the blue sky, is as aesthetic as any we’ve ever seen. This is swiftly followed by an Orthodox Christian church, built entirely from wood. Two of the most unique buildings we’ve seen on our travels.

Next we head to Jeti-Oguz. Beautiful alpine location in the middle of nowhere. Great place for hiking in the summer. We take a stroll up to a frozen waterfall, followed by a new found friend. Apparently this is a guard dog. Personally I’m not convinced, aside from being distracted by its outrageous soppiness, I’m not sure that it would prove much of a deterrent to a would be thief.

The original plan had been to ride by horse back to the waterfall. But given that it’s frozen and somewhat inaccessible, we head instead to a scenic view point. Health and safety in this part of the world is somewhat lax, and the idea of a helmet seems to be alien. Glad to be led on my horse. The scenery is stunning and at the top of the plateau, we are treated to red cliffs surrounded by looming mountains. It is a serene place and although personally I am happy to cling on to my ride, it’s fun watching as our guide gallops a somewhat unruly horse across the meadow. Rather him that me…

From alpine, snow-capped mountains we head to Skazka Canyon. This place is incredible and reminds us vividly of the Kimberley in Western Australia. Stunning red rock and wind-carved sculptures abound. Remote, unspoiled, and at this time of year, completely deserted. We love the contrast with our previous stop. It’s like being on Mars.     

By now it’s late in the day and we have yet to have lunch. The off-season has resulted in a number of cafes closing early. Hence we head to a street vendor to buy a grilled chicken, before eating said feast out the back of our car on the lake shore. The roughly made chicken sandwiches are delicious and despite the cold, it’s a beautiful and rugged spot for a makeshift picnic.

Our accommodation for the evening is a traditional yurt. Very cool, both literally and figuratively! Beautiful, but decidedly chilly. We look at the stove in the hope that it will subsequently be lit. After a traditional dinner, we return to a room that is so hot that you could probably roast a chicken in it! Clearly yurts are pretty extreme at this time of year – either hot or cold. Have to leave the door open in an attempt to reduce the temperature. The stars are pretty stunning on our way to the communal toilet, ahead of the power going off at 22.00. Basic, but very authentic.  

Come the morning, we are back to the former temperature extreme. Shiver in my blankets before finding the courage to get up!

After breakfast we head to Ak-sai Canyon. A short hike finds us looking at an incredible desert-scape. One side, lake. On the other, as far as the eye can see, are sculptured canyons. In the background, the ever present mountains. Feels like a composite of many of the places we’ve visited on our trip – but all brought together in one stunning aesthetic masterpiece. Again, the lack of other people adds to the experience. Feels like a well-kept secret, which of course it is.

The next stop is the the one I’ve most been looking forward to. In this part of the world, locals have used golden eagles to hunt for hundreds of years. We learn that females (stronger than males and easier to train) are taken from the nests when they are young. They are trained to hunt, targeting rabbits, foxes, ibex, and even wolves. The birds are rewarded with the meat of their victims, whilst the hunters collect the skins. Birds are flown for some twenty years, before being released into the wild for the rest of their lives (they live to around 60). The adjustment to life in the wild comes very naturally. After all, the birds have all the skills they need to survive in the wild. The birds are well looked after and clearly adore their trainers.

A father and son team introduce us to two eagles. Incredible birds. We’ve seen them in the wild, from a distance, but up close they are utterly superb. They weigh c.6kg and the photos below give a reasonable indication of scale (wingspans of over two metres).

Watching them fly is pretty mesmerising. The talons are ridiculously strong and grow back annually.

With the eagles looking on, we attempt archery with a traditional bow. Quickly realise that I’d need an eagle if I were to eat in this environment! My skills as an archer would see me starve.

Our final stop is at Kok-Moinok. Having now run out of superlatives to describe the landscape, I will suffice with pictures.

With that it’s back to Bishkek for the night. Feel a little sad that our tour has come to an end. It’s nice when a location surprises you. Nowadays so many places feel familiar when you arrive. The array of media images available make the majority of places feel very accessible, even from afar. So it’s nice to arrive in a place with few preconceptions and to have every expectation exceeded. We’ve only scratched the surface in Kyrgyzstan, and would like more time here (although perhaps in the summer when sleeping outdoors is a little more comfortable).

Fully expect Kyrgyzstan to become more mainstream in the coming years. Stunning spot with something for everyone. Feel very fortunate to have seen it with excellent guides, in stunning weather, and in splendid isolation.

Next stop is Uzbekistan. It has a lot to live up to!