Destination: Kyrgyzstan

Odyssey travels by coach and occasionally uses local transport, including trains and ferries. Specifics are always outlined in your tour itinerary. Coach services operate between Bishkek and several major towns in Kyrgyzstan. Train services are fairly limited, so might not constitute the best option for transportation while in Kyrgyzstan. Taxis are generally inexpensive and can be found in all major towns, though fares should be agreed upon in advance.

In major cities, Odyssey stays in centrally located 3-4 star hotels, with easy access to public transport. In smaller towns or rural areas, we usually stay in family-run hotels or guesthouses.

Odyssey always engages local guides with regional knowledge to ensure an authentic experience during which you can learn as much as possible about the history and culture of places you visit.

Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country, with a total area of 199,951 square kilometres. Mountains dominate the country, with the Tian Shan and Pamir mountain systems together making up about 65% of the national territory. Almost 90% of the country lies at an elevation of more than 1,500 metres above sea level, with an average elevation of 2,750 metres. There is considerable glaciation in Kyrgyzstan, with glaciers covering 8,048 square kilometres of Kyrgyzstan’s surface area, while a further 7,000 square kilometres are covered by lakes.

The climate in Kyrgyzstan varies from region to region, including temperate, dry continental, and polar climates. Temperatures can drop well below freezing in winter, especially in the mountain valleys, so depending on when and where you intend to travel, check the weather reports and dress accordingly.

Kyrgyzstan has 3 properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List. You can view the official list of the sites here (https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/kg). The World Heritage Sites in Kyrgyzstan include:

Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor, the historic former trade route linking China and Central Asia
Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain, which features 17 places of worship and over 100 archaelogical sites decorated with ancient petroglyphs
Western Tien-Shan, the towering mountains that dominate the Kyrgyzstan landscape

Kyrgyzstan’s numerous festivals and events celebrate the unique culture and traditions of the nation. As a Muslim majority country, Ramadan is observed across the nation with fasting and prayer, the end of which is celebrated with the Eid al-Fitr holiday, featuring family parties and feasting. The nomadic traditions of Kyrgyzstan are celebrated in events such as the Bird of Prey Festival, where falconers and their birds take part in falconry contests, and the Kyrgyz Kochu Festival, which marks the traditional annual migration of nomadic herders and their flocks with national games, horse races, music, dancing, and celebrating.

Roaming Kyrgyzstan: Beyond the Tourist Track by Jessica Jacobson
The Silk Road in World History by Xinru Liu
Inside Central Asia by Dilip Hiro
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan

The nomadic and pastoral traditions of Kyrgyzstan has heavily shaped the country’s cuisine, with meat a central part of Kyrgyzstani diet. Noodles often supplement meat in Kygyzstani dishes, including besh barmak (shaved lamb served with noodles and onions), laghman (meat, vegetables and noodles served with a spicy vinegary sauce) and ashlyam fu (a cold, spicy soup made of meat, vegetables and noodles). Like elsewhere in Central Asia, paloo (plov, or pilaf) is a popular dish, which features rice, carrots, onions and shredded meat. Breads and pastries also play an important part in Kygyzstan’s cuisine, with popular dishes including samsa (pastries filled with meat and onions) and borsok (small pieces of dough fried in oil).

Although Kyrgyzstan is a Muslim majority country, alcohol is consumed and is available in Kyrgyzstan, with popular alcoholic beverages including arak (vodka) and kymyz (fermented mare’s milk). Tea is widely consumed, with tea often offered to guests at meals.

As of writing, smartraveller.gov.au advises a degree of caution when travelling through Kyrgyzstan. There is a potential for civil unrest in certain areas, so avoid demonstrations and street rallies. It is advised to reconsider travelling to the Kyrgyz-Uzbek and Kyrgyz-Tajik border areas and the Ferghana Valley due to a potentially volatile security situation.

Whenever you travel overseas, it’s always wise to take an appropriate travel adaptor. Kyrgyzstan’s electricity supply runs at 220V and 50Hz. Kyrgyzstan uses Type C and Type F electric plugs, so make sure you have the right travel adaptor with you.