Bishkek City Information
Everything to know about staying awhile

SRAS thanks students Peter Bourgelais, Michael Coffey, and Cheryl Collins for contributing to this guide.

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Table of Contents (jump to)

1. Maps
2. Weather
3. Safety
4. Restaurants
5. Groceries
6. Consumer Goods 
7. Internet, Phones, Post 
8. Etc.
9. Finances
10. Health and Fitness
11. Shows and music
12. Transport
13. Religious Services
14. Museums
15. Hangouts
16. Trips Out of Bishkek
17. Holidays

1. Maps and Orientation: Where the Streets Have Two Names      (back to top)

SRAS Google Map of Bishkek has a few places of note marked for you and is fairly up-to-date with respect to the modern street names.

Bishkek, like many places in the former Soviet Union, has renamed many of its streets and squares from Soviet-era Russian to Kyrgyz names; for example, Derzhinsky Square, named after the founder of the KGB, has been renamed Erkindik ("Freedom") Square. However, in many cases, the old signs have been left up with the new ones and people will use either name. Maps will often list one or both names (with one in parenthesis or as a one hyphenated name).

2. Weather and Packing        (back to top)

The climate in Bishkek experiences extremes of heat in summer and cold in winter. However, the air is dry, so the cold does not feel as biting as in the northern US. The sun is strong and bright year-round. Consider bringing a good hat and sunscreen. Also consider a flashlight, which is also useful for finding apartment numbers in dark hallways. If you are here during the winter, note that, unlike in many places in the US, the roads and sidewalks aren't sanded. Be sure to bring a pair of hiking boots with good traction.

The city supplies heat to Bishkek homes; it's turned on in November and turned off in March. It can still be quite cold, especially at night, and many people have portable heaters. If you rent a furnished apartment, your landlord should provide one if needed. Hot water, which also provided by the city, is turned off for a month in late March for maintenance; if you are here at that time and rent an apartment, make sure that it has its own hot water heater for that period.

For more on packing for a long-term stay abroad, see SRAS's Packing List (written mostly with Russia in mind, but still helpful for Kyrgyzstan).

3. Safety        (back to top)

Bishkek is a nice city to walk around in, but at night the streets are barely lit, if at all. Also, broken and uneven sidewalks can be a hazard in the dark. Many suggest avoiding walking the streets late at night; taxis are cheap in any case. Also note that pickpockets are not unheard of. Always keep your valuables close at hand, especially when on public transport.

4. Restaurants (bars/clubs)        (back to top)

You can find many of the restaurants listed below and more at this Google Map here:

• Cheap: SRAS now features a growing site of affordable student eateries with reviews written by students. Check it out here! There are a few fast food places across from the Beta Center (at the intersection of Sovyetskaya and Gorkovo) that offer some cheap fast food. The Begemot chains sell a burger and fires that is the closest you can get to standard American fast food for a cheap price, and the Faiza on 157a Mederova is a good place for cheap local food.
• Traditional Experiences: Jalalabad is just around the corner from Beta Stores at Chui Prospect 156. Locals love this place for its Central Asian cuisine: plov, lagman and especially besh barmak ('five fingers' in Kyrgyz). The name of the food is how you're supposed to eat it! Another good experience is Fakir, an always-busy restaurant that features tasty fresh laghman and other traditional dishes. It's cheap, and very popular with locals. Open for lunch and dinner, with beer available and tucked away directly behind the Bishkek City shopping mall, on Syumbaeva. Also try Faiza, a cheap but very high-quality restaurant serving traditional food near the London School on 157a Mederova. There is also the Gurman/Гурман franchise, which offers mostly Russian and Central Asian food at a cheap price. One of the nearest ones is on Ahunbayeva just past Ata-Turk Park.
• Former USSR: While most restaurants serve Russian as well as Central Asian food, there are several restaurants that serve dishes from other CIS countries, including Genansvalye/Генанцвале on the 4^th floor of the Beta Center, Mimino/Мимино on 27 Kievskaya (Phone: 66-13-75), and Монгол/Mongol on Sovyetskaya 3/3
• For the Homesick: Metro – also known by its former name of "The American Bar" – is the center of the expat universe in Bishkek. This place is very popular, with Bishkek-style American and Mexican food. There are locals who come by to party, but they're usually accompanied by western friends. Open for breakfast at 10. There are also new English-language books for sale (Chui, 168a).
• For Music: A favorite among Bishkek college students is Old Edgar ("Stari Edgar"), a cozy spot that features good food, nice atmosphere, and live music in the evening (Panfilov, 273 - attached to the Russian Drama Theatre). Doka Pizza features a very good jazz combo most nights. The pizza is barely OK, but that's not why you go. They even run their own reasonably priced taxi service for those who've drunk too much (Sovetskaya, 97a). For more places, for those who speak Russian, catch up on the "in scene" for modern music in Bishkek at Rock.kg.
• Specialty Tastes: Steinbrau offers freshly brewed beer and German dishes, plus local favorites like shashlyk. It's set up as a beer hall, with long communal tables, and lots of outdoor seating in the warm months (Gertse, 5). Yusa has freshly prepared and reasonably priced Turkish food. A favorite of the embassy set, it's quite busy during the week for lunch and dinner (Logvinenko, 14). Lebanese Kitchen offers lots of Middle Eastern favorites, with an option to order an array of maza, or small dishes, and wash it all down with strong coffee. A bit pricey by Bishkek standards, but worth it if you want a change of pace (Frunze, 429). Lastly, there are lots of cheap Chinese restaurants around Tsum and close to the Circus; look for the telltale red lanterns out front.
  
• Soviet Retro: If you want a blast of the Soviet past, stop at Kafe Blinnaya, a stolovaya that seems to have barely changed since the pre-perestroika years, down to the cafeteria worker wearing the tall white hat. On Abdumomunova, near Sovietskaya. Next to the stolovaya (and actually connected to it), is KrasnoArmeika, an inexpensive bar that offers shashlyk and outdoor seating in summer months on Abdumomunova.
• Try the Rabbit: U Mazaya is a small, cozy, grotto-like restaurant that features rabbit dishes. It's also known for its extensive cocktail menu. Tucked away on Sovetskaya, just south of Jibek Jolu; look for the blinking sign with the white rabbit, and head down the steps. (The name seems strange given that Mazay is a character from a Russian story who saves a bunch of rabbits from drowning after their burrows were flooded.)

5. Groceries        (back to top)

• Dining in: For the largest selection of food, there is the Turkish-owned Beta Stores (Chui, 150). It's probably the only place in town you can buy taco shells, if you really have a jones for such at some point. There is also the popular Narodni chain that offers a good selection, as well at fairly reasonable prices. Keep in mind that buying locally produced food products (such as cheese or jams) will help support the desperately poor rural areas. There is also good locally produced peanut butter in the refrigerated section! Think twice about where and to whom you want your som to go.

6. Consumer Goods        (back to top)

• Electronics: The Planeta Elektronini (74 Baatik/Sovetskaya) has some electronics and offers computer repair, and there is another repair shop called “Enter” at 5a Baatik/Sovetskaya.
• Souvenir shopping, can be done for a price on the fourth floor of Tsum or the second floor of Beta Stores (Chui 150, on the corner of Chui and Isanova). Or, you can also hunt down some beautiful hand-made felt work and other textile crafts at Kyrgyz Style (Bokonbayeva, 133) and Tumar (80 Kievskaya).
• Reading: Raritet is the city's largest bookstore, with maps and a few English-language books tucked away on the shelves, plus English-Russian dictionaries. There is also a cheaper selection of mostly Russian-language books on the fourth floor of the Tsum. Get English-language magazines and newspapers at the Hyatt Regency Hotel (Sovetskaya, 19). Go by Fatboy's (Chui 104, near Sovetskaya) for American food and a small English-language library. Metro (Chui, 168a) also sells books. 
• Retail, Western Style: If you absolutely have to shop at high-end western retail stores, you can try the boutiques nestled into the colonnade near Ata-Too square. There are also a few new shiny malls, like Vefa Center (27/1 Baitik Baatyr/Gorkiy) and Karavan (on Kievskaya). However, many folks still go to the bazaars to buy clothes and other goods. Tsum is always busy, too. Every major Soviet city had a Tsum built in the center, Bishkek's is at the corner of Chui and Shopokov.
• Retail, Kyrgyz Style: If you want to hone your bargaining skills, you can buy from folks with tables on the street or venture to the bazaars. As a westerner, you are a target for an instant markup, so if you want to play it safe, shop at stores, kiosks, and bazaar stalls where the goods are priced as marked. Most of the food stands are pretty good about this. Osh Bazaar, Chui Bazaar, and the padyomka near Ala-Too Square all come to mind. The bazaars are a source of a whole bunch of things: clothes, shoes, cheap plastic goods, DVDs that may or may not be pirated, souvenirs (for example, this is the best place to get a kalpak for a good price (120-150 soms or $3-4). The padyomka is a good source of notebooks, pens/pencils, and various other school supplies.)

7. Internet, Phones, Post        (back to top)

• WiFi: Free WiFi is avaliable in the Beta Stores, and there is a cafe across the street from Spartak Stadium on Togolok Moldo St. with free WiFi. However, as most homes are not yet equipped for high-speed Internet, and many people can not afford their own computer or a permanent connection, Internet cafes are also extremely popular in Bishkek. Going rates for an hour are around 1-2 USD.

NeoPlanet (Sovetskaya, 145, behind the Kara-Balta Store; Tel: 66-56-64)
ABC (Moskovskaya, 162; Tel: 21-48-08)
Valley-Net (Kievskaya, 162; Tel: 21-83-15)
Park Net (Chui, 134; Tel: 61-10-22)
Soyuz (Ibraimova, 57; Tel: 68-12-15) 

• Pay WiFi: You can also connect your laptop from home by purchasing special dial-up cards or 3G modems at most mobile phone stores. 4G is available in Bishkek through Saima4G.
• Calling in Kyrgyzstan: Local numbers have six digits (not seven). To call Bishkek city phone numbers (land-lines) from America, use the format 996-312-(the six-digit phone number). Do not dial "1" before the number. Calling to America from Bishkek is easy, just dial the number as you usually one for a long-distance call. Internet cafes (see above) also offer the cheapest way to call home using VoIP technology (for around 5 som a minute).
• Post: The post office is centrally located at the corner of Sovetskaya and Chui. You can purchase stamps and mail letters there. You might consider taking a box if you will be in Bishkek for sometime and expect to get a lot of mail. For shipping or receiving packages or important documents, you try the local FedEx (Moskva, 217; Tel: 65-00-12) or DHL (Kiev 107; Tel; 611-11-11) as they are nearly always faster and safer to ship things with.

8. ETC.        (back to top)

• Banyas: A good alternative to bathing at home (who woulda thought you'd be looking for an alternative, huh?) is the Zhirgal Banya at the corner of Toktogul and Ibraimov. While you sit the small wooden room and sweat, thrash yourself with some birch branches purchased from an old women outside, then jump in the icy cold water. It'll get you clean, invigorate you, and make you feel a bit more local all at the same time.
• Barber Shops/Hairstylists: There is barber shop/парикмахерская on 9a Baatik Baatyra/Sovetskaya for both men and women, and female studentы can also check out Elina/Элина on Chui 132.
• Charitable giving: Try Реабилитационный центр "Оберег" для детей и молодых людей-инвалидов (Rehabilitation center “Obereg” for children and young disabled children) on Васильева 95, (312) 27 27 26, (312) 28 33 44 or the Детский дом "Путник"/Children's house “Putnik” on Vasilieva 15,
• Laundry/Dry Cleaning: Laundry service is available at Tursun in the “Vostok-5” microregion (phone: 633307)

9. Cash and Finances         (back to top)

ATMs are available, but we recommend using only those connected with major banks (see below) in order to avoid scams. Also, keep in mind that both the ATM and your bank at home might charge you fees for the transaction in a foreign country. While ATMs can be found every few blocks downtown, elsewhere in the city, and especially outside Bishkek, they can be few and far between. Traveler's Cheques are another option, and several banks will cash them, but again for a fee, and you may have trouble cashing them outside the center of Bishkek. 

You can also bring dollars and exchange them for som but know that all bills must be clean, crisp, unmarked notes dated after 1995. Your bank at home will look at you funny when you ask for these, but any mark will render the currency worthless in Bishkek. Notes lower than a fifty-dollar bill will bring a lower exchange rate. Do not, and this should go without saying, exchange with someone on the street that offers you a really good deal. 

Recommended Banks: AKB Bank (Togolok Moldo, 54 - German operated), Bank Baikal (Isanov, 75), and Demir Kyrgyz Bank (Chui, 245) all offer exchange, ATM, and cash advance. The Kazkommerzbank ATMs, including the one at Tsum, are also a safe bet. 

Sending Money from Home: Many banks now offer Western Union and MoneyGram wire-transfer services as well. However, if you can wait a couple of days, having someone deposit money into your account at home (which can be done by just mailing a check with instructions and your account number to the bank) and then withdrawing the money from a trusted ATM is cheaper. 

10. Health and Fitness        (back to top)

The water is Bishkek is safe to drink but is quite hard (high in mineral content). Bottled water is cheap and widely available. Seasonal allergy sufferers will begin to suffer moderately from after Nooruz (late March until around the beginning of October. 

• Emergency Ambulance Service: Dial "103" from any land line for a city ambulance. For a commercial ambulance, you may dial "151." Both are available 24 hours a day, but the commercial ambulance service will cost 680 som.
• General Care: German-Kyrgyz Medical Center (92 Akhunbaev; E-mail: balbakell@elcat.kg) or VIP Clinic (110 Kievskaya/Logvinenko Street; Tel: 51-27-97)
• Surgery: Chui Hospital (10 Saratovskaia/Veselaya; Tel: 36-71-50, 36-71-54)
• Dental Care: Private Dental Clinic VYTAS (125 Chui/Karpinskiy Tel: 43-43-70 or The Diplomat Dental Salon (101 Sovietskaya/Bokonbaev; Tel: 38-66-06)
• Pharmacies: Prestige (Kievskaya, 95a; Tel: 62-14-62) or Neman (57 Baitik Baatyr/Gorkiy; Tel: 54-28-14; or (Manas, 8; Tel: 21-67-92) or Central Pharmacy (Frunze, 340; Tel: 68-10-05) Thera are also “aptyekii” all around the city.
• Eye Care: There is a large eye care store called “Gtand Eyeware” on the corner of Toktogul and Sovetskaya that sells glasses and contact lens supplies.
• Chiropractor/Мапуалист: See Dr. Fudashkin at the Family Medicine Center (Центр семейной медицины), on Bokombaevs 144A, 3^rd floor

Notes: Most medical centers do not directly accept American insurance. You will need to pay up front and submit the receipt to your insurance agency for a refund. Each entry above (except pharmacies) has advertised that English speaking care is available. 

Gyms: There are several offering aerobics, weight training, and swimming. Try the Karven Club (Gogolya, 77; Tel: 68-12-18), which also offers generous discounts to International Student Card holders. Others include the Dolphin Sports Complex (Chokmorova, 304 – at the intersection with Molodaya Gvardiya) and the Sports Palace (Togolok Moldo, across from Spartak Stadium and the tennis courts). There's also a place called Fortuna at 41 Baatik Baatyra. Gym membership is 1000 soms per month.

11. Shows and Music        (back to top)

• Music and Dance: Check out the Philharmonia (Chui, 210; Tel: 61-39-74), or the State Opera and Ballet Theater (Sovietskaya, 167; Tel: 66-18-41). You'll likely be surprised by the quality!
• Drama: The Russian Drama Theatre (Tynystanov, inside Dubovy Park) plays Russian classics. For local flare, try the State Academic Drama Theatre (Panfilov, 273; Tel: 21-69-58) or the Kyrgyz Drama Theater (222 Abdymomunova; Tel: 66-06-71) for Kyrgyz classical theatre, or Dom Kino (Logvinenko, 13; Tel: 66-22-76) for Kyrgyz folk theatre.  
• Purely Traditional: Kyrgyzstan has recently undergone a cultural revival and many traditional forms of performance are making strong comebacks after decades of Soviet censorship and repression. NoviNomad.com runs a listing for these. See also SRAS's recent article on Manas performances, if this sort of thing interests you.
• Children's Theatre: If you're feeling less confident about your language comprehension, you might want to try the State Puppet Theater (Abdyrahmanova, 230A) or the Children's Theatre (right next door). Both are good options, whatever your language level! In season, the performances at the puppet theater are on Sundays at 11 am (Saturdays at 11 am in Kyrgyz).
• Circus: The building most often hosts circuses from China and other CIS country's at the corner of Frunze and Sovietskaya (Tel: 68-68-18). 

12. Transport        (back to top)

Bishkek’s public transportation system is extensive but can be difficult to navigate – the destinations of the busses, trolley busses, and marshrutkas (mini vans) are posted on signs inside the windows. Busses and trolleys cost 6 som, and marshrutkas cost 8 som. Expect all vehicles to be extremely crowded (although the marshrukas tend to be more crowded than buses) during rush hours, and keep your purse/wallet in a safe place.

For bike rentals, there's VeloPro (phone: +(996) 0555 99 11 37. The rates are 600 soms per day, 400 soms for one day, 100 soms for 1 hour, to rent a bike helmet for one day is 100 soms, bike gloves are 50 soms,

And also FreeBike, located here:

Phone: +996312 54-55-54, 0 555 97-50-47, 0 555 97-50-48

For taxi services, try Alpha/Альфа, phone 65 77 77 60 soms for 3 kilometers, then 10 soms for every extra kilometer. Also Econom/Эконом, pgone 90 60 60, Day rate 70 soms., night rate 90 soms..

13. Religious Services        (back to top)

Russian Orthodox: The Resurrection Cathedral (Voskresenii Sobor) on the corner of Jobek Jolu and Togolok Moldo has services every other Sunday from 9am-1pm.

Roman Catholic: The Church of St. Michael the Archangel is located on 197 Vasilieva Street, phone.: 996 312 32 64 50

Islam: The Central Mosque on the corner of Gogol Street and Moskovskaya holds regular services.

Jewish: There is a synagogue on 193 Karpinskii/Cuyunbaev Street, phone 996-312-68-19-66

14. Museums        (back to top)

The State Historical Museum, just behind Ala-Too Square, displays the archaeological and ethnic history of the area. There are no English signs yet, but for buffs of Communist history the Revolution exhibit is a must-see as it exists largely unchanged from Communist times.

The State Museum of the Fine Arts (Sovetskaya, 196) is an unimpressive building housing a remarkable collection of local artwork, produced in both folk and classical styles. 

The Frunze House-Museum is a modest thatched cottage engulfed by a two-storey museum, propaganda, and military weaponry. Mikhail Frunze was a native of Bishkek and is credited with whipping the town into submission during the Russian civil war. He's understandably not Kyrgyzstan's favorite son and the fact that this well-kept museum and the large statue of him gallantly on horseback near the railway station still stand is interesting in and of itself.

15. Hangouts and Places to Walk        (back to top)

Ala-Too Square is to Bishkek what the Kremlin is to Moscow: it's the center of the country's government and the city's life. Unfortunately, it's not as pretty as the Kremlin, as it was built almost entirely from Soviet concrete and asphalt. The main sites here are the White House (which houses the offices of the Kyrgyz parliament, the Jogorku Kenesh), the Manas Statue (which replaced the “Statue of Liberty” in 2011, which replaced one of Lenin in 1991), and the Flagstaff, which is ceremoniously raised and lowered every day at sunrise and sunset respectively and which has a guard changed every hour on the daylight hour.

Statue to the Martyrs of the Revolution showcases Urkuya Salieva (in the middle). She was a Kyrgyz woman who organized a collective of soldiers for the Red Army and then was killed by "rich peasants" who feared for their property. She is surrounded by smaller memorials to other revolutionaries and the "awakening proletariat." 

Felix Derzhinsky (the founder of the KGB, whose services are also not fondly remembered by most locals) also oddly still has a statue. He's been moved to one side of the National Library (near the corner of Sovetskaya and Ibraimov - he used to be near the entrance of Dubovy Park) and his name has been removed, but the statue still stands.

The Avenue of Heroes lines the park that divides Molodaya Gvardiya. The busts of heroes and statues of soldiers declare on repeated plaques: "We went to war for Communism!" The memorial was built by the Komsomol in the 1960s.

There is giant MIG airplane on Kievskaya in front of the National Guard headquarters. The city was once famous for training fighter pilots. 

The Manas Statuary Complex (outside the Philharmonia at Chui, 210) shows the Kyrgyz national hero in a pose that strikingly resembles the Moscow logo of St. George, no doubt to show that similarities between between Kyrgyz and Russian cultures existed in the Soviet imagination. Manas is shown slaying a dragon (he is also guarded by one in the legends about him). His wife, Kanykei, is to his right in the traditional Kyrgyz dress of married women that can still occasionally be seen on the streets of Bishkek. Kanykei was his confidant and trusted adviser, part of a small but prominent tradition of strong women in ancient Kyrgyz history. Also featured are several statues of famous manashchi, the traditional bards that handed down the Manas legend from generation to generation. They are positioned as they would have sat in a yurt and recited their poetic tales. Although the tradition is now reviving, the Soviets broke this traditional chain by censoring and officially discouraging traditional forms of the tale as too "nationalist" for the USSR. Of those depicted, Sayakbay is known as the greatest bard.

Ataturk Park is in walking distance of the London School on Ahunbayeva Street is named after the founder of the Turkish Republic and looks like a larger version of Panfilov Park with fewer amusement park rides, ping-pong tables, and a memorial to soldiers who fought in the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan.

Panfilov Park houses Bishkek's Spartak Stadium, as well as a variety of Soviet-built amusement park rides (wheeeee!) and a good deal of the city's population on national holidays. Panfilov Park is named for General Ivan Panfilov, who died leading a regiment of mostly Kyrgyz infantry against Nazi tanks near Moscow. You'll see several monuments and mentions of him and his infantry around town. 

Dubovy Park is named for the century-old oak trees inside ("oak" is дубовый in Russian). In summer, this peaceful park hosts open air cafes and art shows. Other major attractions include The Red Guards' Memorial, a giant red obelisk marking the common grave of Bolsheviks who died in the 1918 counter-revolution. The man credited with defeating that counter-revolution is Yakov Nikoforovich Logvinenko, who is also buried here (he died several years later) and whose name is still on a local street sign. There is also a very congenial monument of Marx chatting with Engels, probably about the Monument to the Glory of Labor (also featured here) or maybe about one of the former "Great Kyrgyz Politicians" whose busts line one trail of the park. 

Victory Square (corner of Frunze and Ibraimov) boasts two major monuments. The first is "Manas 1000," a giant concrete yurt (traditional Kyrgyz housing) which was built to honor the 1000th birthday of the legendary Kyrgyz hero, Manas. The date also handily coincided with the 40th anniversary of the end of WWII. The other monument, an eternal flame with a female statue who eternally mourns her fallen soldier husband and son, solemnly remembers the end of that bloody war.  

16. Trips Out of Bishkek         (back to top)

Ata Beiit (The Cemetery of Fathers) is a museum outside of Bishkek honoring the victims of the Stalinist repressions of the 1930s. Founded as a burial place for 137 people who had been shot in the purges, including the founders of the original Kyrgyz Soviet state, the memorial complex now honors all victims of the Stalinist repressions. The Museum of Ata Beiit houses personal belongings of the killed and archive documents as well as a memorial plaque along the right side of the museum with names of all victims of the repressions from 1937-1938. Also buried at Ata Beiit are some of the 86 victims of the April 2010 uprising against former President Bakiev.

Burana Tower: Visit a ghost town in the Chuy Valley in northern Kyrgyzstan. The Burana Tower, along with grave markers, some earthworks and the remnants of a castle and three mausoleums, is all that remains of the ancient city of Balasagun, which was established by the Karakhanids at the end of the tenth century. The Burana Tower is a large minaret (an architectural feature of Islamic mosques) located 80 km east of Bishkek. An external staircase and steep, winding stairway inside the tower enables visitors to climb to the top. The entire site, including the mausoleums, castle foundations and grave markers, now functions as a museum and there is a small building containing historical information as well as artifacts found at the site and in the surrounding region.

Manas Ordo: Manas Ordo is a park built around Manas's Kümböz, a mausoleum most likely erected around 1334 and thought to be the final resting place of the Kyrgyz epic national hero Manas. The monumental epic poem Manas is considered to be the most treasured expression of the national heritage of the Kyrgyz people. The poem is twenty times longer than the Iliad and Odyssey combined. Manas is treasured in the national imagination as the most ideal of heroes, a man who courageously fought against external foes and reunited his scattered people. The site includes a horse track, a museum, a rose garden surrounded by 40 statues of Manas’ soldiers, an offerings site, and a yurt where fortunes can be told. The complex was built in 1995 for the 1000 Years of Manas celebration, the first - and to date the largest – national celebration that has taken place in Kyrgyzstan since its independence. Manas Ordo is situated in Talas region, in the central part of the country to which one can get only having crossed the Tuashu Passage (3200 m high).

Barskoon Waterfall: Located approximately 20km south of the village of Barskoon (pronounced bars-kone) on the southern shore of Kyrgyzstan's Lake Issyk Kul is the Barskoon Waterfall. We sit by a place where two of the three falls are visible and have a picnic in this beautiful spot. You will find two monuments to Yuri Gagarin here. Legend has it that as he was hurtling into space on the first-ever manned space flight, he looked down and saw this waterfall. After his return from space, he made a point of coming to visit the waterfall, where he left an inscription on one of the rocks. From this point, a steep trail leads up the mountain to the three falls.

Ala-Archa National Park : Bishkek is located in a hiker's paradise, and one must-see for all lovers of beauty is Ala-Archa National Park, located in the Tian Shan mountains. In Kyrgyz Ala-Archa means "bright juniper" – named for the abundance of junipers in the area. The Alamedin River flows along the gorge, which can be wild and dangerous at the beginning of spring and in early summer. The region has many climbing routes of varying degrees of intensity, which makes it a beloved place for tourists, climbers, and citizens of Bishkek alike – to be used as a recreational area for relaxation, or a training ground for climbing.

The Equestrian School (Bakinskaya, 204; Tel: 27-96-98) gives horseback riding lessons. 

The Maple Leaf Golf and Country Club was built by Canadians (in case you were wondering about the name). Rent your equipment from the Pro Shop, complete 9-holes of golf course surrounded by the Tian Shan Mountains and then stop by the Club House for drinks.

To get out and see the countryside, contact Community Based Tourism, a private agency that promotes “socially and environmentally responsible” travel throughout Kyrgyzstan, from the remote village of Kara-Suu to the tourist area of Lake Issyk-Kul. Its list of activities and prices are refreshingly transparent. You can sleep over in a yurt (roughly 350 som, or about $9, at 39 som to the dollar), watch a folklore concert (600 som) or rent a camel (80 som an hour). Cheap, yes, but more important, the money goes directly to the people of Kyrgyzstan, rather than into tour operators’ pockets. (The preceeding review was taken from a NY Times article from 7/26/06.)

We have also heard good things about NoviNomad.com. They have offices in central Bishkek, (Togolok Moldo, 28; Tel: 62-23-81; Email: novinomad@elcat.kg) and can arrange all manner of eco-tourism from hiking in canyons, to skiing on glaciers, to building yurts with Kyrgyz craftsmen. 

Kegeti Gorge is located in the steep forested slopes of Kegeti Valley, about 90km from Bishkek. The canyon has various hiking routes which lead to scenic waterfalls, valleys, and meadows.

Lake Issyk-Kul is Kyrgyzstan's largest lake, located southeast of Bishkek. It is 180km long, 70km wide, and has an average depth of about 300 meters. Its north side has many beaches that are popular destinations for tourists, and various hotels and sanatoria (spas) can be found all around the lake. Also on the lake's north side are the Gregorievka and Simeonevka valleys which offer hiking paths with spectacular views.

Kol-Tor Mountains
The Kol-Tor mountains are located about 250km away from Bishkek, to the south of Lake Issyk-Kul. The mountains have trails for hiking and skiing and are a popular destination for excursions on horseback and camping.

17. Official Holidays             (back to top)