Kyrgyzstan:

A mountainous paradise, is nestled between Uzbek desserts, the Kazakh steppe, tumultuous Tadjikistan and the outback of Western China. Across Kyrgyzstan stretch the majestic Tian-Shan and Pamir mountain ranges with some of the highest mountain peaks in the world such as Pobeda Peak, 7439 meters & the 7134 meters Lenin Peak. Such magnificent mountains have transformed Kyrgyzstan into snowfields, glaciers, mountain rivers & streams, rich green Alpine meadows and lush and fertile valleys. Once off limits even to the people of Kyrgyzstan, the widest valleys of the Tian-Shan are now accessible offering serene walks, treks and climbs through pristine forests of juniper and walnut trees, sweeping meadows of medicinal herb and other rare plants, over Crystal clear mountain streams which are stormy bringing the glacial waters to the valley below, to secluded mountain lakes, and to the unexplored snow-covered mountain peaks. Also accessible are the mountains and unending serene shorelines flanking Lake Issyk-Kul, the Kyrgyz inland sea. For fifteen centuries the Kyrgyz people have inhabited these mountains. Originally nomads, many Kyrgyz continue to tend vast flocks of sheep, and breed horses while living in the remote yurt encampments high in the mountains. Once a caravan crossing rout of the Silk-Road, Kyrgyzstan is now endowed with an abundant cultural and historical legacy. Besides the ancient towns of Osh, Uzgen and At-Bashi, scattered throughout the mountains and valley are numerous Zoroastrian, Buddhist and Nestorian Christian ruins of monuments, and ritualistic rock paintings of the 2nd century BC. Along the ancient rout of Silk-Road visitors can expect to find the Kyrgyzstan people carrying on their traditional musical instruments, making intricate jewelry, and taking part in their ancestral sport and horse racing.Discovering the land known as Kyrgyzstan is an unforgettable journey and an exotic adventure. Come to Kyrgyzstan to revel in the wonders of the glorious and magnificent mountains, come to uncover the mysteries of the Kyrgyz people and the land know as Kyrgyzstan. The approach to Kyrgyzstan is possible mainly through Almaty, Kazakhstan, 250 km away from Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, which is 3,5-4 hours by car.

Issyk-Kul Lake:

The Lake Issyk-Kul is another popular destination in Kyrgyzstan. "It’s a Dream! It’s a Fairy Tail! It’s a Mystery!" - usually you can hear from the man, who look at the lake in the first time.
It is a blue aquamarine in the silver frame of high mountains, covered with eternal snows. The most popular trekking tours (mild and hard) in the Issyk-Kul region, especially at the eastern end of the lake near by Karakol and the highest Peaks of Tien-Shan, introduce tourists with the magic beauty of mountain panoramas, the noise of fast rivers, the fury of a mountain stream with cool icy water, the turquoise surface of mountain lakes, the juicy greenery of alpine meadows in the frame of the inaccessible rocks, the snow in the middle of the summer, the racket of the wonderful waterfalls, glaciers with ice falls and flat areas where you can ski in July, various flora and fauna, numerous mineral springs. At the Lake Issyk-Kul you can find Stone inscriptions of Cholpon-Ata (II millennium BC) picturesque gorges in the environs of the lake, the memorial Complex of Przhevalski, the famous traveler and explorer of Central Asia, Altyn-Arashan springs (“Golden springs”) near by Karakol town, the yaks in the high mountain Sary-Jaz valley, the helicopter flights in the region of Pobeda, 7439 m. and Khan-Tengri, 6995 m (See the Photogallery section). Peaks, yachting, diving in search of the mysterious ancient settlements submerged at the bottom of the lake, a sea voyage on a steamer, rafting, acquaintance with yurta, the dwelling of the Kyrgyz nomads, folklore, horseback riding, Kyrgyz stunt show with horses and a sheep on a spit and so on.

Karakol:

Karakol is a town of about 75,000 people but you'd never know it. It is spread out over many kilometers so it has the feel of a small town, but has the resources of a city. It is located at the southeastern corner of Lake Issyk Kul and is sandwiched between the lake and mountains. There's a large regional bazaar as well as smaller bazaar serving the town. It is the administrative center of the oblast (state) and has all the accompanying offices, ministries, etc. It also has a lot of universities and institutes (mix Boulder, Colorado and Boston and you're getting close) It has two large micro rayons (large Soviet apartment complexes) Voshod and Kashka-Suu. Kashka-Suu (pictured to the right) and if you've ever seen the movie "Escape from New York", with Kurt Russell you get the idea of a micro rayon. But even more interesting is the fact that village life is intermixed with 'city' life. Horse drawn carts and herds of sheep are everywhere.
The mountains, however, are what make Karakol special. This town still has the frontier feeling for which it was originally founded. The Terskey Ala Too mountains start about 5 kilometers from town and offer mountain biking, horseback riding, climbing, skiing and more hiking than there are days in a lifetime. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable parts of the mountains around Karakol are the hot springs at Altyn Arashan. After freezing your tail off coming down the Ala Kul pass, it's pure ecstasy to soak in the hot springs as a fresh blanket of snow covers the valley. And it costs 10 cents for as long as you want.Peak Karakol (in the background in the picture to the left), the highest in the region at 5271 meters, is only 40 km from town and offers fantastic mountaineering on its flanks. But be forewarned: there is only one "road" into the mountains and it is passable only in the high summer. You have to earn your view from the summit around here. And that's one of the reasons Karakol is 30 years from being the world's greatest mountain town: there is a tremendous amount of infrastructure work to be done before the masses start to come. The mountains are raw and so is the town. Driving in town is like playing one big game of chicken and pedestrians are fair game. The bazaar is a blast, if you like shopping at one of the world's largest tag sales every day.
(by Chris Pemberton 1999, http://www.pembertons.net)
 

We will be glad to see you here!

Click on the flag for a map of Kyrgyzstan

Tourist & Transit Visas

Visas for Kyrgyzstan generally may be obtained - without official invitation - from a consulate or an embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic abroad, or - and this is new - on arrival at Manas Airport in Bishkek. If departing from a country without a Kyrgyz consular of diplomatic mission, an official representation of Kazakhstan or Russia will issue visas for travelers to Kyrgyzstan. However, these countries usually still demand an official invitation disregarding Kyrgyzstan’s new regulations on facilitating traveling. The visa fee varies to the consulate or embassy. On arrival in Bishkek it costs $40. After arrival in Kyrgyzstan, within a minimum of three working days, the visitor is requested to report to the local registration office (“OVIR”), in order to obtain his permit of stay. JS "Turkestan" can handle this for you. A valid visa to any of the three Central Asian nations of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, or Kazakhstan also allows a non-CIS traveler up to 72 hours stay in the other two countries without obtaining additional visas. For an official letter of invitation JS "Turkestan" needs the following information of the client: full name, date/place of birth, passport number, date/place of issue and date of expiry, nationality and residence. Embassies in Austria (Vienna), Belgium (Brussels), China (Beijing), Germany (Bonn,Frankfurt a/M), India (Delhi), Kazakhstan (Almaty), Switzerland (Geneva), Turkey (Ankara,Istanbul), United Kingdom (London), USA (Washington), Uzbekistan (Tashkent)

Accessing boundary zones

For accessing one of the boundary zones in Kyrgyzstan: Inilchek area, Northern face of Terskey Range, from Aksuu in the East to Dzhuuku in the West, Achiktash (Lenin Peak), the Northren faces of the Turkestan and Alaiskiy ranges, Chatkal valley and the Aksai glacier of Ala-Archa valley clients need a special permit. JS "Turkestan" can obtain these permits within one month.

For a visit to the Kyrgyz Republic a life, health and property insurance is needed. Before departure for the mountaineering expeditions JS "Turkestan" needs a copy of your documents, including the insurance policies. Without these copies a rescue company has no guarantee of payment and will not be able to arrange its work.

Hunting

For the nomadic people of Kyrgyzstan, who live at an altitude of 3000-4000 meters above the sea level in the mountains, hunting is the most traditional and enjoyable form of recreation. All the villages have their own famous hunters, who are held in high regard because of their knowledge of mountain animals, and, of course, the great number of animal trophies. When you start talking about hunting, the eyes of local people shine. They will tell you interesting stories and invite you to go hunting with them. Hunting is a part of the national culture of the people of Kyrgyzstan and we invite you to join this culture. Hunting takes place in the remote high mountain regions of the Chu, Naryn, Talas and Issyk-Kul and the participants must be ready for long drives on high altitude mountain roads. Hunting is available by the approach or enclosure. The most popular (and the most expensive) is hunting for the Marco Polo sheep, as well as Capri Sibirica or Ibex, Central Asia mountain goat, stone partridge (Keklic), mountain turkey (Ular), wolf, wild boar, fox, roe deer, pheasant, hare, badger, marmot, yak, pigeons, ducks, fishing in the mountain rivers and lakes – trout, pike-perch, etc. Here you can get aquatinted with the traditions of national falconry. The hunting season starts in September and lasts in all the regions until the end of February depending on the kind of the game. The hunters are served by a qualified cook and guides. The hunting is done on horseback and on foot, where horses can not be used. Walkie-talkie is also provided. In the camp there is a first aid kit, a doctor and emergency car for quick medical help. If the hunting is successful, the treatment of the trophy is done in the camp, in full accordance with international standards. The hunting is supplied by all the necessary documents for transportation of the trophy.