Hi all,

NB: this is for a non biking trip!
But any experience from the wise, & not so wise but experienced gratefully appreciated.

I’ve posted on BB as well if that is your preferred outlet – https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=14662

We (Mrs C & me) are hoping to go Uzbekistan & the general area in October. We have 2-3 weeks & want some culture, trekking & chilling. The latter may come for free. We have trekked in Sri Lanka a few times & Thailand so are not total novices but rusty.

Our current plan is … Plan so far is: Tashkent, (3N), Khiva (2N), Bukhara (2N), Samarkand (3N), Tashkent (1N).

N = nights, Uzbekistan travel by train.

Then either/both trek in Chimgan area of Uzbekistan, or fly to Bishkek & go to Issyk Kul lake for a weeks chill & trekking. How does that sound ? Tash Rabat would be amazing but suspect that is 3 days in itself, although the whole journey from Bishkek would be bound to be vaguely exciting.

Went to both last year over about 5 weeks. Amazing countries. And I think it’s gotten a bit more straightforward with visas as well which is nice.
Tashkent is ok, nothing special. Although I think you might be allowed to take pictures on the metro now which would be cool as the stations are a bit mad. I would drop time form Tashkent and add to Bukhara or Khiva of possible.
Samarkand has some incredible stuff to see but is a less likeable town. Bukhara and Khiva we liked more. If you have time in Khiva get out on a car/taxi trip to the Kala forts on the desert.
People are nice, food is good (plov can be amazing). Take cash!!!! So much this. Unless things have changed enormously there are like 3 ATMs in the country you can use and they might not be working.
Any questions just ask.

Kyrgyzstan is incredible. I’d recommend hiking to Song-Kul. Head to Kochkor and arrange a trip via the local CBT (community based travel). My girlfriend and I got a night in a home stay, taxi to and from the start/end points, two nights in yurts including all food and a guide for three days for about £90. You’re putting money into the hands of the community rather than your companies as well.

We headed to Karakol after that then hiked up to Altyn Arshan (not sure of spelling) where there are natural hot springs. From there you can head further up to Ala-kul lake as well.

Cholpon Ata Is about the only place that is geared for tourists around Issy-kul. It’s ok, full of Russians and and very commercial compared to the rest of the country. A few days is so you’ll need there really.

Bishkek isn’t much to talk about really. It’s very much am old Communist city with some nascent signs of becoming a bit for Western. Watch out for pickpockets in the market. Otherwise it was pretty friendly.

I can recommend some hostels etc if you like.

Would agree with the above. We did a horse trek up to Song Kul and its sodding stunning. My legs and bum appreciated the riding less though!
Also Altyn Arashan and the hot springs are lovely. Be aware that the walking season unless your happy with snow / serious conditions can be a bit narrow. When we did the arashyn hike it was looking pretyy dubious for the extension up to Ala Kol.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVGlBQoFtrS/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVzgtdVFacm/

watching with interest, I’ve been quite fancying some Silk Road action recently.

To those who have been there – would you recommend for a non-trekking holiday?

I.e. maybe a few day-hikes here and there, but probably focused more around towns/cities, mooching around markets, doing museums, taking photos? I’m guessing Uzbekistan might be more suited for that?

Yeah that sounds a lot more like Uzbekistan. Transport between the major cities is dead easy by train (DO NOT GO THE CHEAPEST TICKET, well unless you fancy a noisy disturbed night ha). Loads of good value accomodation, especially Bukhara.
Kyrgystan is amazing but really all about getting into the mountains. As egb181 says Bishkek isnt all that amazing, some cool soviet architecture and nice cafes but thats about it. Although there is some pretty good hiking fairly nearby.

Topchan Hostel in Tashkent is a great spot, has private rooms if you feel like it and was a great source of advice for us.

that reminds me – what’s the language situation? I can read Cyrillic and just about stammer a conversation in Russian, will that be any use?

Thanks for the tips – sounds like this might be a goer for next year’s holiday 🙂

I love the idea of Kyrgyzstan but we’re not that hardcore – in particular mrsDoris is past the days where she’d want to be crashing in a yurt after a day’s hike, and would also not fancy risking a situation where you get handed a bowl of steaming hot goat offal with no alternative eating options within 50 miles 😆

Russian will get you by – when you’re haggling for taxis etc, Russian and English will be fine.
As above, Khiva is fantastic, not too touristy and beautiful. Bukhara’s good too; Samarkand has some amazing tombs but is more touristy and actually less pleasant as a city than Khiva or Bukhara. Tashkent’s yer average Soviet capital city; the cops were very happy to pull tourists over in the metro to try to get money from you, but I suspect that’s improved now.

Kyrgystzan I found to be a more pleasant country, in terms of landscape, and I preferred Bishkek to Tashkent. The other big advantage it has is that the whole country has CBT offices as noted above – so you can stay with a herding family in their guest yurt on the jailoo, go hiking into the mountains and stay with a family etc.

My trip was more sightseeing than hiking; Kyrgysztan had the better day hikes; Uzbekistan had the more Instagrammable sights. But really the whole region is sensory overload and just amazing.

I wouldn’t go to Kyrgyzstan for a leisurely holiday. It’s a magnificent place and the people are ace but it’s not a ‘resort’. It’s very much a place to really get away from it all. The Naryn province is one of the most uninhabited places on the planet. Perfect if you want a good night’s sleep in a yurt heated by poop but not so much if you need a hairdryer. If you’re after creature comforts then it’s not for you. If you want a true sense of isolation and beauty then dig in before everyone catches on.

Kyrgyzstan is the most unspoiled of places I’ve ever been to and I highly recommend it. It’s perfect because it’s so unlike the Western world so go before it changes.

Thanks all.

from the above I think we will end up just doing Uzbekistan.

egb81 – yes please on the offer of info

The CBT thing is new to me & very interesting.
Definitely the way to go in terms of giving back to the small people.

So regarding CBT what & where is the best way of arranging stuff. In advance or locally ?
One website appears at the top of searches https://www.nuratau.com/

Some of the CBT places in Kyrgyzstan are more like a traditional B+B or small hotel – stayed in some very comfortable ones a couple of years ago as part of an organised tour. Worth doing a search for @CBTKyrgyzstan on Facebook or look here: http://www.cbtkyrgyzstan.kg

Following with interest

And the CBT offices were always incredibly helpful IME. You’d rock up to some small town in a shared minibus or dodgy taxi, looking like Shaggy from Scoody Doo, totally clueless about what to do or where to go, and just about able to pick out the letters for Gostinitsa (hotel), say Piva (beer) or point at food. Assuming the CBT office was open, they’d welcome you in, give you a map, book some local accommodation and hiking, and give you a quick overview of what’s what in the town. Bloody excellent.
Uzbekistan when I went didn’t really have that.

Possibly a bit out there, but would you consider a quick trip through Turkmenistan since you’re in the area? It’s safe, but just… fascinating because it’s so closed

If you went to Kyrgyzstan, you could take Mrs A and B too. It’s a bit more frowned on in Uzbekistan.

@BillMC – are we related ?

Hostel in Bishkek, nothing fancy but cheap and well located. There’s a decent coffee shop and a nice restaurant just round the corner. https://goo.gl/maps/n1nDKy5xVDWDDvTA7

Karakol:
Nice hostel/hotel. https://goo.gl/maps/pQBUnnRgsxvEjQXb7
Coffee and cheap food https://goo.gl/maps/eSfVMzGHfQ8rspuGA
CBT Karakol https://goo.gl/maps/p9yALxRnbLC4qu8n6

Kohkor:
CBT Kochkor: https://goo.gl/maps/raSBoRRkwWufiMsn9

Cholpon Ata:
Perfectly decent hotel that gave us a free upgrade. https://goo.gl/maps/snu571cQp2FBw1ig8
You can get Russian craft beer in the local supermarkets that’s surprisingly good as well.

Thx egb81 much appreciated

Uzbekistan is an amazing place- however i made the mistake and went in July when it was a balmy 40 deg. Good thing was all the tourist places like Bukhara and Samerkand were empty and I managed to get amazing photos. Also spent a couple of days in the mountains close to Tashkent and was an amazing place.
I think the new president is making it easier for visitors, but i think you still have to be registered at a hotel. Cash is another challenge- many Uzbeks dont trust banks or plastic cash and like dealing in money.The exchange rate is something like 8000 Som to $1 USD so people carry around full holdalls and there is only about £50 quid in it 🙂 USD is the black market currency, but you may get searched going into UZb for dollars and searched going out for Soms, as you’re not allowed to take currency out.
Plov and Uzbek bread mmmmmm

My friends family stay in Tashkent and her friends husband has a tourist company run from the Uzbekistan Hotel in Tashkent, they are extremely helpful and if you’re looking for any information I could get in touch.

My friend is the manager at Apple Hostel in Bishkek, ask for Aigul, she’s super helpful. Apple Hostel is well reviewed on Facebook and Tripadvisor etc
https://goo.gl/maps/7vDWsQBtieHZWobFA
I actually met on her on a bus from Karakol to Cholpon Ata back in 2013, and she invited me to stay with her family for a few days in Bosteri, near Cholpon Ata. Really warm and welcoming family.
Another hostel which is good is Sakura’s https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sakura+Guesthouse/@42.8922519,74.5863839,13.24z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x2742813e5e1f1352!8m2!3d42.8863172!4d74.6139642

Run by a Japanese guy and his Kyrgyz wife, it’s clean, cheap and only a short walk to Jibek Jolu.

Share a taxi or take a marshrutki bus go to Cholpon Ata or Karakol. As egb81 mentions, Karakol Coffee is good.

Have a great time!

Another vote for Karakol coffee here, great little spot. I am pretty sure we stated in Apple Hostel actually and it was pretty good.
You will love either, both are amazing countries but Kyrgyzstan especially.

Had a thought, btw, the borders can be… interesting. A British (or Western) passport and relentless cheeriness will get you through, but if you’re planning to cross from Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan, do check beforehand your transport options (probably minibus to one side, and a different minibus from the other side) etc. And, as ever in that part of the world, be aware before allowing a border guard to go into your bags that passports sometimes have a magical ability to disappear, and require money to reappear from the guard’s pocket…
The only real problem I had was in the Tashkent metro; the rest of the time, being patient and barely speaking Russian got me through.

When did you go, Nicko? Sounds like it’s been getting a lot better the last couple of years?

I crossed from Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan back in 2013 in my car, border staff they were slow and luckily managed to make it through just before they closed for the day having waited since the afternoon time. There were signs back then saying they didn’t take bribes, but clearly the Chinese trucker didn’t see that one as he hid some notes in his passport to speed up the process and was told to go do one.

Got stopped by a traffic cop for turning left on a green light, he was adamant it was red. He opened his notepad suggesting I put a little donation in the back and he suddenly forgot about it. We were also stopped by traffic cops who were just curious about the car and wanted to talk about the Premier League then gave us a huge watermelon. The watermelons are massive there. Do try the beshbarmak (five fingers) too, it’s the national dish of noodles and meat.

doris5000

Member

When did you go, Nicko? Sounds like it’s been getting a lot better the last couple of years?

Good point, it was about 10 years ago, and I’ve no doubt that with a bit more tourism (and Karimov no longer being president) things are better. I’m quite envious tbh, would love to go back!

We went last year, and the borders were ok. Lots of questions but the Australian passports got smiles and kangaroo impressions from the guards. We came into and out of Kyrgyzstan from Kazakhstan (Uzbekistan via Shymkent then Tashkent). The Uzbek – Kyrgyz borders with Uzbekistan via Fergana Valley had a reputation for being a bit less friendly.
Check with regards to Uzbekistan if you carry any medication or painkillers, they have some really struct rules about certain things.
If you want a proper mad spot try and get into Turkmenistan, bloody bonkers place. Now that’s not an easy place to get visas for!
But…
https://www.instagram.com/p/BV637KlFIQE/

OP here. So just got back from 3 weeks.

We just did Uzbekistan in the end, Kyrgyzstan will be saved for the future.

So in brief it was fabulous. Still very hot, 35 in Tashkent in late September! It got chilly at night in the Chimgan mountains.

Food was mixed, bland, greasy and with the exception of Bukhara the bread was like shoe leather.

Dead easy to travel about, trains or shared taxis. People were really friendly, no real hassling at all and there attitude to religion is very relaxed almost more so than in the UK.

A few of our photos here https://photos.app.goo.gl/CmZuZEFkw7VCyFSa8

Looks great, a lot fancier and upmarket than Kyrgyzstan in the cities at least. The mountains look equally amazing.

Lovely!