Beginners Guides: Practical travel guides to regions, countries and cities.

When readers ask, “If I travel to Kyrgyzstan, what should I do? Where should I go? What kind of experiences will I have?” We wonder how we’ll keep it short. Because the country is still relatively undiscovered and serves so many different styles of travel, the answer is: it really depends on what you’re after. There's much more to do and experience in Kyrgyzstan … [Read more...]

If you visit Kyrgyzstan, it’s possible to overlook the Central Asian cultural mixing bowl that is the city of Osh. For many travelers, Osh serves as a transit point en route to the Pamir Mountains, Irkeshtam Pass to China, Dostyk crossing to Uzbekistan, or the newly marked trekking trails in the Alay Mountains rather than a destination in and of itself with a … [Read more...]

If you travel to Kyrgyzstan, it’s almost impossible to miss Issyk-Kul, the second largest alpine lake in the world (after Bolivia’s Lake Titicaca). But Lake Issyk-Kul is large with two long shores, each a different personality. So where to focus your effort? We suggest the South Shore and this Experiential Travel Guide explains why with 20 things to do, see and eat … [Read more...]

What do you get when you combine competitive goat carcass polo, hunting with eagles, wrestling on horseback, sheep bone-throwing, stick wrestling — and an opening ceremony complete with hearkenings of Genghis Khan, men ablaze on horseback, and a ceremonious appearance by Steven Seagal? The World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan, of course! … [Read more...]