For the beauty of alpine meadows and snow peaks, Tien Shan and Pamir, Kyrgyzstan, was nicknamed “Asian Switzerland” and the country of “heavenly mountains”. The trip there will cost much cheaper than in Europe, but you will get impressions exactly no less. By the way, tourists from Europe in Kyrgyzstan are found almost more often than Russians. We tell you why you should go there, what to see and try.
Flight hotel
1. Bishkek
The capital of the country contained the remains of the Soviet past, modern architecture and Asian flavor. Bars and coffee houses are replaced by traditional teahns, shops with kumys and ayran, and among fashionable young people, old people in national headdresses – caps embroidered with eastern patterns are slowly walking.
For a large number of parks and gardens, Bishkek is called a “green” city. In the center of the capital is a long and wide boulevard of Erkindik with old tall oaks and a street year-round art gallery, where you can buy paintings by local artists. Near the oak park is the central and oldest park in the city. Some trees have been here for more than a hundred years. The Park is located in the St. Nicholas Church-a monument of architecture of the 19th century, and the Museum of Sculpture in the open air with statues of concrete, wood and metal.
You can see the panorama of the city against the backdrop of the peaks of Tien Shan from Mount Boz-Peldek, to which public transport goes. At her foot there is a curious attraction-the ancient Kyrgyz cemetery “Khan’s graves”, where one of the rulers of the valley, Baytyk Khan is buried. A stone mausoleum in the form of a dome tower was erected above his grave.
To plunge into eastern life, go to the Osh bazaar. Here you can buy felt hats with patterns, bright carpets, stock up on cheap dried fruits and nuts, spices, take fresh cakes with a variety of patterns and try a popular national dish from each counter – smoking. These dry salty sour -milk balls of the Kyrgyz are taken with them for long gravity in the mountains. A nutritious and long -preserved snack. Follow their example and take a smoking for upcoming travels to the mountains, which cover almost 90% of the country’s area.
2. National Park Ala-Archa
Ala-Archa National Park is located in the same mountain gorge only 40 kilometers from Bishkek. You can settle in the National Park itself at the Ala-Archa hotel or in the houses of the alpolger. The most popular route is the path to the Ak-Sai waterfall, the glacier of the same name and Ratsek’s hut, named after the Soviet climber Vladimir Ratsek, the organizer of expeditions and ascents in this region. Lightly, you can go the route in one day-the road there and back is 12.8 kilometers and taking into account the rise will take 8-10 hours. A faster and lightweight option-to walk along the same path to the Ak-Sai waterfall-this is 8 kilometers and about 4-5 hours round-trip. On the way there are viewing platforms from which dizzying views open.
If you decide to go to the end of the route, then in the rutsek hut – a two -story stone house, or in the tent next to it you can stay at night (you will be given a sleeping bag for a fee),
In order to make a simple ascent of a teacher with a height of 4,500 meters above sea level the next day. To do this, you need only good tourist shoes, trekking sticks and a desire to reach the top. Do not be scared when you meet a herd of clever mountain goats – they are harmless and afraid of yours. From the top of the mountain, there is a view of the steppes on the one hand and the Tien-Shan Mountain Massive-on the other. Together with the descent, the ascent will take 5-6 hours.
3. Lake Issyk-Kul
Issyk-Kul-the second largest salty lake in the world, surrounded by snow-covered peaks of Ala-Too. The lake never freezes, so tourists come here all year round. In winter, many hot thermal sources are available for bathing.
A huge number of resort towns, villages and sanatoriums stretched along the coast. One of the most popular resorts is the city of Cholpon-Ata with sandy beaches, mineral springs, the opportunity to engage in diving, snorkeling, tracking for nearby peaks.
For solitude, go to the southern coast. Here is a less developed infrastructure than on the northern, but empty quiet beaches and untouched nature.
Residents of the city in national costumes
4. Karakol
The city is located 12 kilometers from the coast of Lake Issyk-Kul, at the foot of the Tereski-Ala-Too ridge. It attracts travelers not only by picturesque mountain views, but also by historical attractions. Near Karakol, a Russian traveler and naturalist, Asian researcher Nikolai Przhevalsky, who died on the way to Karakol during his fifth expedition in Central Asia, was buried next to Karakol. A museum of Przhevalsky is working next to the grave, where you can find out about the life and travels of the geographer, see the exhibits brought by him from the expeditions.
Another attraction of Karakol is the Dungan mosque. Dungan is a people who moved to Central Asia from China in the 1880s. A mosque in the Chinese style, more like a Buddhist temple, was built more than a hundred years ago. At the end of the cultural trip to Karakol, visit the wooden cathedral of the Holy Trinity of the late XIX century, abundantly decorated with carvings.
Among lovers of outdoor activities, Karakol is known for the ski resort of the same name. Soft climate-in winter the temperature rarely drops below minus 5 degrees-and a large amount of snow make skating along the slopes of the Tien Shan comfortable and popular among tourists. From a height of 3,040 meters above the sea, where the lift goes, views of Issyk-Kul and the next five thousand are opened.
5. Canyon “Fairy Tale”
Canyon “Fairy Tale” is located on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, 4 kilometers from the village of Toror. Under the influence of the wind, the rocks formed stone labyrinths, walls and towers, and some took the forms of animals and mythical creatures. Bright orange, and at sunset, the fiery red color of the rocks resembles the famous Grand Canyon in the USA.
6. Radon and hydrogen sulfide sources in the Altyn-Arashan gorge
Altyn Arashan is translated from Kyrgyz as a “golden source”. Radon and hydrogen sulfide thermal springs in the gorge are famous for their healing properties and are especially popular among foreign tourists.
It is better to go here for a few days. To get to the resort “Arashan” in the upper reaches of the river of the same name, by buying a finished tour in Karakol. Yourself can be reached by the resort by a rented SUV or by public transport to the village of Ak-Suu, and from there to walk 4-5 hours. The long road will be rewarded with hot baths at an altitude of 2,600 meters surrounded by mountain landscapes. In addition to paid pools, almost in the river itself there is a small free bathroom with hot water, as well as right in the rocks free natural baths.
Lovers of outdoor activities can go from Arashan to the high-mountain Lake Ala-Kol or to small nearby lakes at a distance of a couple of hours of walking. Near the resort there are many beautiful waterfalls.
7. Museum of Petroglyphs
The open-air museum is a “garden of stones”, once randomly brought by a glacier to the foot of the Tien Shan foothills. On many boulders, ancient rock -like images of animals and hunting scenes dated to the second millennium BC are preserved. Historians associate these drawings with the holding of religious rites. In 2002, with the assistance of specialists from Germany, Petroglyphs were restored. In addition to rock images, the museum presents Turkic stone sculptures – Balbals, and the relics of ancient stone walls.
It is believed that it is better to go to the museum early in the morning or late in the evening, when the outlines of ancient drawings are clearly visible in the rays of the rising and setting sun.
8. Caravan-Saray Tash Rabat
The mystical and unique monument of the Middle Ages Tash-slate is located at an altitude of 3,000 thousand meters above sea level in the Kara-Koyun gorge. The building is entirely – even the roof – built of stone and lime. Inside is a labyrinth connecting 31 rooms. Moreover, most of them are without a single window. Under the fortress, many transitions and secret outputs have been preserved. According to one version, the building served as a Nestorian monastery, lost in a mountain gorge away from the Gentiles. Another version – Tash Rabat served as an inn, a hotel for merchants and travelers along the roads of the Great Silk Road.
You can get here only by car, so it is better to purchase an organized tour. You don’t have to spend the night in the Medieval Hotel – several guest yurts were built nearby specially for tourists.
9. Gorge of Jeta-Oguz
The main attraction of the gorge located on the southern coast of Issyk-Kul is the rocks of the seven bulls. The large rocks of a brick color, built in a long chain, really resemble bulls lying on the ground. A sad story is connected with them – the evil khan sacrificed seven bulls at the commemoration of his beloved, whom he himself killed so that she would not go to another. The blood spilled by her stained the bodies of animals, and they turned into magnificent rocks. In addition to this legend, the first “broken heart” is also greeted in the travelers in the gorge of travelers – also red.
You can walk from the gorge on foot or take an equestrian excursion to the “girlish hair” waterfall. Another popular local attraction is the resort of the same name, known for its thermal springs and therapeutic mud. In Soviet times, the astronauts after flights were rehabilitated here, and now the resort is open to everyone.
10. High -mountain pastures “Jailo”
From the Kyrgyz “Gilo” is translated as a “mountain pasture”. Relatively recently in Kyrgyzstan, a new and now fashionable direction among the wealthy tourists has developed-“Jailo-Turism”. You are taken to a high-mountain pasture, where you spend the night in a real shepherd Yurt, wash yourself in an ice mountain river, fry at the stake of a ram, which the owners will climb specifically for you, drink koumiss-in general, live the traditional life of the nomadic Kyrgyz. Not everyone will decide on such an experiment, but whoever decides will be ready to pay a decent amount for this. The cost of such a tour often depends on the number of people in the group – the more there are, the cheaper. The average price of a person in a group of two or three participants for several days begins from about 35 thousand rubles (taking into account the casting to the Jiloo). The most popular Gilo in Kyrgyzstan, where tourists are transporting, are in the Semenovsky gorge, on Lake Son Kul, Giloo Sarala-Saz, Jaman Echki, Kilekov.
Searching for a hotel, booking rooms and payment will not take much time if you do it on the site or in the OneTwotrip application.
The author of the text: Gaysina Denmark
