Kyrgyzstan: know before you go

This post deals with some of the practicalities of visiting Kyrgyzstan. If you want to know more about what to see and do in this amazing country, click here to find out more.

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If you’re planning on visiting Kyrgyzstan you might be wondering about how to deal with some of the more practical aspects. Well, then read on!

I would recommend joining a group tour if you can, as some of the best places to visit are some of the most remote. I went on a tour run by GAdventures – I’ve travelled with them several times now and would recommend. Their tours to Central Asia run Spring to Autumn and usually get booked up quickly.

How to get to Kyrgyzstan from the UK

Perhaps unsurprisingly there are no direct flights to Kyrgyzstan from the UK. However, Istanbul airport acts as a gateway between Europe and Central Asia, and so you’re likely to change here on your journey. Istanbul airport has recently been expanded and is absolutely massive, so make sure you have enough time for your connection just in case.

I flew with Turkish Airlines and they were great. With the connection the flights took around nine hours.

If you’re travelling via Istanbul and have a slightly longer connection I’d recommend taking some Lira with you, or alternatively exchanging some money if you have a Revolut card or something similar (more info on that in my Budgeting post here).

When to visit Kyrgyzstan

I would recommend visiting Kyrgyzstan in Spring or Autumn, as the summer can be blazing hot (although cooler in the mountains) and the winters very cold indeed. I went at the end of September and the weather was very pleasant indeed, although we were often leaving places just before they received heavy snowfall.

Where to stay in Kyrgyzstan

There are plenty of hotels, hostels and yes, even yurts to stay in whilst travelling around Krygyzstan. I stayed in the Bugu Hotel in Bishkek for the first night and it was lovely. (Fun fact: bugu means ‘deer’ in Krygyz).

It is definitely worth spending a night at a yurt camp to experience a glimpse of what life was/is like for the semi-nomadic Kyrgyz people. Even now, many families pack up their homes to spend the summer in yurt camps out in the countryside, returning when the weather gets too cold.

Yurts are usually heated by a little stove at night-time. The temperature can be a little bit hit or miss though so I’d recommend wearing extra layers at night just in case it gets very cold, but be prepared to take them off because it can get toasty!

There also isn’t often a lot of light in a yurt (although some yurts do have an electric light near the entrance) so make sure you take a torch or use your phone light to make sure you don’t forget anything when it comes to packing up.

Local currency

Kyrgyzstan uses Som, and at the time of writing, 100 Som is about 86p/ $1.17 USD. Som is pretty impossible to get hold of before you go (at least in the UK), however I didn’t encounter too much difficulty in getting some from an ATM.

Language

You won’t be shocked to learn that the language of Kyrgyzstan is Kyrgyz, but Russian is also widely spoken too. Kyrgyz is a Turkic language, and in preparation I learned a couple of phrases that you might also find useful:

Hello: Asalaam aleykum

Hello (in response to someone saying hello): Wey aleykum asalaam

Thank you: Rahkmat

That was pretty much it but even learning a little bit goes a long way.

Sanitation

As far as drinking water goes, as with many other places you’ll need to buy bottled water. If you’re staying in a yurt as part of your trip it would be wise to use drinking water if you’re cleaning your teeth/ washing your hands too (depending on the camp there may also not be any showering facilities).

You’ll need to bring toilet paper and hand sanitiser with you when you’re on the road. Whilst hotels/restaurants are obviously fine, some of the rest stops (and even some of the bathrooms attached to tourist attractions) can be pretty grim and sometimes don’t have running water available for you to wash your hands. Don’t let that put you off though – it’s all part of the experience! Right?!

What souvenirs can you buy in Kyrgyzstan?

Felt is the crafting material of choice in Kyrgyzstan, and you can buy rugs as well as traditional Kyrgyz hats and other small souvenirs. Check out my adorable snow leopard bookmark (the snow leopard is the official animal of Kyrgyzstan) and this cute felt wall hanging below! The pattern used is a common symbol of Kyrgyzstan.