Kyrgyzstan Walking Explorer tour review: trekking the Switzerland of Central Asia
The wide streets of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia , are lined with tall trees under which community gardens offer a sanctuary of peace between often gridlocked roads. Families, young mums with prams and joggers share the sidewalks, where life is soundtracked by aspiring musicians, occasional horns and Kyrgyz pop music blasting out of empty model trains which circle the park.
The bustling capital of this former Soviet country is my first brief stop on the Exodus 10-day Kyrgyzstan Walking Explorer tour. The excursion will see me and a group of seven (the trips are capped at 12) scale pine-laden mountains in search of lakes, and stay in a yurt camp at 3,000 metres above sea level. We will learn about the diversity of the Kyrgyz culture through mosques and orthodox churches in the city of Karakol.
We begin our city tour at Victory Square, a public space built in 1985 on the 40th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. On a rainy Bishkek afternoon, the usually lively square, where the metal yurt-shaped installation sits, is deserted. In the middle of the installation is a statue of a woman waiting for her husband to return from war with an eternal flame in front of her.
Most important landmarks we visit are within a short distance of each other, divided by manicured gardens dotted with the presence of Lenin, Karl Marx, and other national heroes. A few streets down from the square, we pass the opulent Opera and Ballet Theatre, once home to the finest Russian composers, before strolling along more gardens to the State History Museum, in front of which stands the statue of Krygyz legend Manas riding a horse.
Ala Archa National Park offers a dose of nature to residents of BishkekRadhika AlighThroughout our trip, we hear many descriptions of Manas: a warrior, a national hero (the airport is named in honour of him) and one who united the 40 tribes of Kyrgyzstan to defend their ancestral homeland against Chinese and Mongol invasion. The poem, Epic of Manas, is a traditional piece of Kyrgyz literature passed down through generations. Parts of it are often recited at festivities by specialists called manaschi.
Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked country sandwiched between Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and China, is a destination largely undiscovered by mass tourism, which is part of its appeal. Its rustic, picturesque mountains, nomadic settlements and majestic landscapes have won it the nickname of the Switzerland of Central Asia.
We get the first glimpse of it at Ala-Archa National Park . A 45-minute drive from Bishkek, it offers a taste of nature to city dwellers, with ridges covered in ice, surrounded by spruce forest and the hum of the river flowing through it. The vast expanse is made accessible by several trails for all levels. Our hike was the 10km path towards Ak-Sai waterfall, reaching a maximum altitude of 9,200ft (2,800m).
Kyrgyzstan has been nicknamed the Switzerland of Central AsiaRadhika AlighThe steep climb at the beginning of the hike had taken it out of me. That, coupled with the shift in altitude, made me stop to catch my breath at several points. It allowed me to take in the shifting landscapes: the changing sound of the river as we moved higher and the rolling mountains covered in spruce trees for as far as the eye could see. We crossed an ice-cold stream, manoeuvred tight spaces and climbed large rocks to reach the waterfall after two-and-a-half hours.
Half of Kyrgyzstan is considered potential snow leopard habitat, and Ala-Archa Nature Park is home to them. The big cat may have eluded us, but we saw plenty of sinitsa, a colourful perching bird endemic in Eurasia, and red squirrels chewing on peanuts.
The following morning, we left the capital city for the picturesque valley of Chon-Kemin , with a short pit stop at Burana Tower, one of the main Silk Road monuments. The outskirts of Bishkek were green, covered in lush corn fields that swayed with the slightest breeze. We drove past Tokmok, a prominent industrial city that fell into disrepair after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Today, several large factories lie derelict as a reminder of its once glorious past.
Burana Tower is one of the main Silk Road monuments in Kyrgyzstan Radhika AlighOn the other side of the tower, several balbals of varying shapes and sizes are facing east towards the rising sun. These memorial limestone statues, depicting the faces of dead women, men and children, are carved out of a single rock. Next door, an intimate museum showcases medieval sculptures dating from the sixth to tenth centuries and petroglyphs from the area.
Our resting place for the night was a local guesthouse called Kemin in the picturesque Chon-Kemin Valley, known for hiking , fishing and horseback riding. The wood-clad lodge sat neatly between ridges covered in green coniferous forests. After a brief check-in, our guide, Elnar, led the way, accompanied by a farm dog, to the top of the hill with panoramic views of the nature park spread over 12 hectares.
Radhika Aligh enjoying a walk in Chon-KeminRadhika AlighWhat makes Kyrgyzstan unique is how intimately you can enjoy its mountains, gorges, waterfalls and magnificent lakes, largely unspoilt by mass tourism. The reality of travelling in off-the-beaten-path destinations also means tackling its underdeveloped infrastructure. Large sections of the roads that connect the country are unpaved, making long drives slightly challenging. The trick is to focus on the scenery.
Located in the Tian Shan Mountain range, Issyk-Kul is the largest lake in the country and our first stop en route to Karakol, the fourth-largest city. At 180km long and 60km wide, Issyk-Kul, translated as "warm lake", looks more like a sea. About 118 rivers and streams flow into the river, but none flow out. There are no speed boats, kayakers or sunbeds, only a handful of people on the rocky, seaweed-filled beach contemplating whether or not to tackle the cold waters of the lake.
The nearby resort town of Cholpon-Ata is a popular local hangout, but for travellers, the appeal is its rock garden . All across Central Asia, nomads have left their marks with intricate art depicting their way of life. At the Petroglyph Museum, thousands of etched stones lie in the open-air museum spanning 42 hectares. It takes a keen eye and creativity to spot the snow leopards, wild and domestic animals, and hunting scenes, some of which date back to the second millennium BC.
Thousands of etched stones are on display in the Petroglyph MuseumRadhika AlighAs we approached the city of Karakol , brutalist architecture replaced lush fields, disused rail carriages lay on the roadside, and old shipping containers upcycled into convenience stores came into view. Hidden behind trees, among all this architectural uniqueness, is Dungan Mosque. The blue wooden building, shaped like a pagoda instead of a minaret, was built as a place of worship for the Chinese Muslims who fled persecution in the 1880s. The structure is made entirely without nails, and the imagery, including a wheel of fire, reflects the Buddhist past of the Dungans.
A few streets from the mosque, the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church is a Soviet establishment dating back to 1869, when the city was a garrison town. The original brick building was destroyed by an earthquake and replaced by the wood-clad structure, with five domes and a bell tower that stands today. The walls of the fragile-looking chapel contain the relics of holy martyrs and the Virgin Mary of Tikhvin.
The next day, we left Karakol behind and drove towards the village of Kochkor to stay the night with a local family. On the way, we passed several gorges: Djety Oguz Gorge, home to the Seven Bulls and Broken Heart sandstone rock formations, and the magnificent waterfalls in Barskoon, made famous by the bust of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin , who holidayed on the south shore of Issyk-Kul after his historic space flight in 1961.
The red rock formations of Skazka CanyonRadhika AlighSkazka Canyon , known as the Fairy Tale Canyon, looked like something from the Matt Damon movie The Martian . Weather, ice, wind and water have worked their magic on soft red sandstone rocks, creating unique patterns of varying heights. Under the golden hour sun, the rock formations in shades of yellow, pink and orange looked otherwordly.
It was dark when we arrived in Kochkor, a sleepy village in the northern Naryn region. Our hosts had dressed the dinner table with bread, freshly prepared jams, biscuits and lots of walnuts from the region. A three-course meal followed, in the same order it had during our entire stay: a soup (often lentils), a dish of rice or plov, and fresh fruit for dessert.
By day, the village did not seem as tired. On a Saturday morning, the market was heaving with traders selling watermelons from the back of trucks and freshly baked bread out of wooden shacks. Golden-toothed women sported smiles to lure in takers for buckets of walnuts, peeled and whole. It seemed like the perfect spot for people-watching.
The tradition of making felt rugs is passed down generationsRadhika AlighIn an alleyway just off the main road, a women's co-operative demonstrates the traditional skill of making felt carpets, an art passed down through generations. Two women talked us through the difference between Ala-kiyiz and Shyrdaks carpets before combing through wool and recreating the process on a small rug. It's a tedious procedure that involves precision and patience but, if the demonstrations are anything to go by, it's with a lot of song and dance.
Song-Kol is the last stop on our walking tour. The majestic lake, at 3016 metres above sea level, is surrounded by pastures dotted with white yurts, grazing cattle and stunning mountains. It is what one imagines when they think of Kyrgyzstan. Around us, shepherds were milking horses while chickens strolled within the confines of makeshift fences. Come winter, they will pack up their homes and travel on with their livestock.
There was a constant chill in the air, even at 26 degrees. We wrapped up and began climbing the mountains behind the camp, stopping at various altitudes to enjoy the lake. The view did not change, but was breathtaking every time. Herds of cattle and horses grazed on fresh green grass, unmanned. I wondered who they belonged to or if they knew where they were going.
A nomad woman milks horses on Song-KolRadhika AlighOn our way down, we stopped at a nomad's hut to taste some kumis, a fermented dairy drink made with horse milk. A young nomad poured the white liquid into small glasses. I gave it a quick sniff and hesitantly took a sip. It tasted nothing like anything I had ever consumed – the after-taste was that of smoked salmon. Between Kyrgyz people, there is still a strong belief that consuming kumis is essential to a healthy life.
A young boy, the shepherd's son, ran out of the yurt holding a pair of 3D paper glasses and asked me to put them on and look at the sun. In exchange, I trade my sunglasses with him. He smiled, with excitement, at the rare sight of foreigners, his cheeks pink from the cold wind. Life in the wild can be challenging, but the little boy embraced every bit of it.
Later that evening, I sat on a bench facing the lake. There was stillness and silence as the sun burned and night took over. In the dark wilderness, only two things glittered: the star-studded sky and the dimly lit white yurts.
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