I first went to Kyrgyzstan in October 2015 and absolutely loved it. I raved about it so much to my friends and family that some of them even booked trips there! In 2018 I got to go back, not once but twice and I fell in love with it even more. So, I thought it was only right that I should share some of my ramblings about why you too, should visit Kyrgyzstan.
Since I emote visually this is more of a photo essay but I’ll give you some basic information on the country first. Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country, 80% of which is covered by the Tian Shan mountains. It’s considered the Switzerland of Central Asia, so as a self-confessed mountain girl, there is no wonder why I love it so much. If you love to hike or ride horses, then Kyrgyzstan should be at the top of your bucket list. Also, It’s visa free for most citizens which makes a visit to Kyrgyzstan pretty easy.
As a post Soviet country, Kyrgyzstan gained independence in 1991. It is one of the world’s least crowded countries, which is probably another reason why I love it so much and just 36% of the population live in rural areas. Finally, they have gold, lots of it! Kumtor Gold Mine in the Tian Shan mountains is one of the largest gold deposits in the world, so unsurprisingly, gold is Kyrgyzstan’s biggest export.
Top nerdy fact: Proper nouns aren’t allowed in Scrabble but if they were, Kyrgyzstan would score 30 points. There’s only one other country that would score higher (write in the comments below if you know the answer!)
Scrabble scores aside, here are 22 reasons why Kyrgyzstan is one of my favourite countries.
- They have the most amazing alpine scenery.
2. But it’s not all just mountains and lakes…
3. The roads are fun to drive!
You might also be interested in this post about overland travel
4. Traffic isn’t too much of an issue…
5. They have some of the best yurts.
6. And they put them in the best locations.
7. Selfie spots in awesome places are easy to find
8. Even the animals hang out in awesome spots!
9. Their idea of sport is a little different…
10. You can do some amazing hiking.
11. You can camp on the beach….
12. Or in the mountains…..
13. Or in the sand dunes!
14. They have some badass Soviet trucks….
15. And Yaks….
16. And Eagle Hunters.
17. The night sky is unreal….
18. And the sunsets are pretty good too.
19 They have some interesting history.
20. Finding places to rest is easy.
21. When you go horse riding you’ll be provided with these awesome Bob the Builder helmets!
22. And after you’ve finished all that….the capital city Bishkek has Micro Breweries and gigantic beers!
And there we go, my 22 reasons why you should visit Kyrgyzstan. Hope you enjoyed! As always if you want to see more photos of my time in Kyrgyzstan head on over to my photography website.
The best guide book for Kyrgyzstan is Bradt which you can pick up here.
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Josy A
10 Jun 2019Goodness these photos are goooorgeous! Kyrgyzstan looks like such a beautiful place to hike and see those stunning mountains!
What is the food like?
LouFrance
10 Jun 2019Hey Josy, yes the hiking is incredible with all the fabulous scenery. The food is typical of Central Asia – lots of kebabs, noodle soup and dumplings! Not a huge amount of variety but I like it 🙂
Laura Pedlar
10 Jun 2019I enjoyed this post and think that the photos of the landscape were breathtaking, I can understand why friends and family have visited Kyrgyzstan after you told them about it. The hard hats for horse riding is different!
April Key Rode
11 Jun 2019I love all the pictures and I didn’t know it can be snowy in there! It looks like you’re having a good time in seeing this beautiful gem that not all travelers able to visit.
Nitin Singhal
11 Jun 2019Wow!! your photos are truly mesmerizing. I never gave serious thought to Kyrgyzstan as a travel destination. But now I have to consider it. You were right about it being Switzerland of central asia.
LouFrance
11 Jun 2019Thank you Nitin 🙂
The Holidaymaker
11 Jun 2019Wow, how do you pick a favourite thing to do, by your photos, it looks fantastic! There is something about visiting a country that is least populated. I can see why you have returned. I hope to get there one day. Thank you for inspiring.
LouFrance
11 Jun 2019With so much natural beauty everywhere, doing anything outside is always a must in Kyrgyzstan! Glad to have provided some inspiration 🙂
Life Of Y
11 Jun 2019Amazing photos! I’ve always been interested in ‘The Stans’ but I never knew Kyrgyzstan was so beautiful. So much natural beauty and such modest sized beers to top it off!!