A Perfect Day in Kyrgyzstan


This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure and privacy policy for more information.

Last Updated on July 3, 2018 by Audrey Scott

Though you might think that each day on a journey like this is blessed by beautiful fairy tale scenery, gourmet ethnic food, impeccable accommodation, comfortable transport and the best that humanity has to offer, the reality is often different. We thought it might be interesting to share what a “perfect day” looks and feels like to us.

Kyrgyz Man, Donkey and Dog - Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan
Wise shepherd at Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan

While waiting to extend our Kyrgyz visa in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan, we opted for a getaway to Manzhyly, a shepherd’s outpost on the south shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, the second-largest alpine lake in the world.

So, the perfect day in Kyrgyzstan:

  • An internet connection that works. As always, we’re on the hook for some last-minute communication before we disappear for a few days. This time, the internet actually works and we spend more time typing and transacting than waiting and scratching our heads.
  • We arrive at the marshrutka (minivan) stop in Karakol to get the last 2 seats on the next marshrutka out. This means no standing for hours or eating our knees, sitting on a tiny stool no more than 4 inches off the ground.
  • Our fellow passengers, three jovial Kyrgyz families don't just pelt us with the typical battery of questions – they sing for us and give us apples for our journey. One woman wanted to give us a bottle of vodka, but we graciously declined. We enjoy entertaining the locals with our battered Russian, but it’s a real treat when they do a little open-kimono and tell us a little about themselves.
  • With the help of our fellow passengers, we’re instructed to get off the marshrutka in the middle of nowhere…turns out to be exactly where we were supposed to get off.
  • We take a picnic lunch of apples, pears, and chocolate in the early afternoon autumn sunshine on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. Its perfectly clear waters and crisp air provide a perfect setting to take a deep breath…and a dip.
  • After a short walk, we’re greeted by a friendly Kyrgyz woman who shows us to the yurt where we'll be spending the night. She pulls back the felt at the top of the yurt, yielding an instant skylight. Our accommodation is clean, colorful and comfortable.
Audrey and Dan at Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan
Smiling for the camera on our late afternoon hike near Lake Issky-Kul.
  • We set off for a short hike nearby. Our host's dog acts as a guide and leads us up a dry creek bed into the hills. As we ascend from the creekbed, our trail yields to Arizona-style red rocks on one side and snow covered peaks on the other. It was only a 90-minute hike and may be the least effort we've ever exerted for such amazing views.
  • We watch shepherds bring their sheep and goats home for the evening. The animals’ munching sounds provide the perfect symphony.
  • As the sun sets, we descend to our yurt. The red rocks we leave behind us are almost outdone by autumn-touched golden hills and blue backdrop of Issyk-Kul. We begin to wonder, Has someone planned all of this?
  • Our feast in a yurt is a lovely candlelit spread of home-cooked oromo (cabbage, carrots, onions and meat in a flat pasta roll – delicious!), fruit, tea, and salad. Tasty and thankfully very light on the meat. It is one of the best local meals we've had in a long
Breakfast Inside a Yurt - Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan
A feast in a yurt.
  • With the sun tucked away and our bellies full, we emerge from our dining yurt to find a sky stitched with stars. We pull up a bench and gaze at star clusters and falling stars.
  • Since we're here approaching the low season, tourists are few. Our host carefully prepares a double bed for us in our own yurt, complete with fluffy pillows and warm duvets for a pleasantly cool night ahead.
  • An aside. Not to ruin the ambience here, but the outhouse was the most immaculate on the planet. Anyone who has traveled for a long time can appreciate this point.
  • After morning light and breakfast, we hit the local cemetery. Sounds strange, we know. But the views from the cemetery hillside are impressive. The graves are also unique and range from metal funeral yurts to elaborate sandstone and mud brick mausoleums.
  • While waiting to hitch a ride, we meet an old shepherd riding his donkey. With 76 years of wisdom under his sagging belt, he tells us that we should wander, learn and explore while we're young. We’re shocked to find a kindred spirit connection halfway around the world on top of a donkey. He tells us that the next time we return, we're his guests – though he expects us to learn some Kyrgyz.
  • We hitch a series of rides along the shoreline of the lake, getting out, walking, gazing, and snapping photos along the way for several hours. The changeable autumn weather shrouds and reveals layers of farms, meadows, desert hills and snow-touched mountains. Horses graze, the locals pick potatoes and turn hay and another day finds its end in the march towards winter. Virtually everyone waves, many smile – and some even pose for the camera. The locals aren't used to tourists walking along the side of the road, but are happily surprised by our interest in their activities.
  • We chase our shadows, and for a moment our perfect day looks lost. Of the few cars and marshrutkas that pass, all are full to the brim. Our savior eventually comes in the form of an almost full marshrutka. A crowd of locals makes space and conversation and guides our arrival for dinner back in our temporary home of Karakol
Kyrgyz Agriculture, Making Hay - Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan
Happy hay makers in Kyrgyzstan.

With the onset of (hopefully) more reliable internet in China, we expect to write much more about our experiences in Kyrgyzstan and the rest of Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan).

About Audrey Scott
Audrey Scott is a writer, storyteller, speaker and tourism development consultant. She aims to help turn people's fears into curiosity and connection. She harbors an obsession for artichokes and can bake a devastating pan of brownies. You can keep up with her adventures on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And you can learn more about her on the About Page and on LinkedIn.

6 thoughts on “A Perfect Day in Kyrgyzstan”

  1. Hey guys!
    Can’t wait to hear more about your impressions of Kyrgyzstan. Love the picture of you two!

    Stay safe!

    love,
    julie (and greg too!)

    Reply
  2. Hello guys!!
    I am finally back to France (and to work) after these too short weeks in Tashkent.
    We are both very glad to read that you’re still safe and healthy. Keep enjoying your travel as we enjoy reading you and I really hope to see you guys again later and somewhere on Earth.
    Keep in touch
    Meilleures amitiés, take care
    Marc-O (& Nargiza of course)

    Reply
  3. Hi Jules,
    We just flew back to Bishkek last night from Dushanbe. Bishkek kind of feels like home now that it’s our third time here ; ) We leave in a few days for China – it will be very different from what we’ve seen these last five months!

    Hope you both are well and safe!
    Audrey

    Reply
  4. Marc-o, great to hear from you! Although I’m sure you miss Tashkent, I bet you don’t miss Uzbek wines : ) Hope you will see Nargiza in a few months in France. You never know when and where our paths will cross again.

    Please keep in touch and we should have many more stories and photos up soon!
    Audrey & Dan

    Reply
  5. Hi Audrey, I love the blog and all of your posts and pictures. I am planning to visit Central Asia (just Kyrgyztan and Tajikistan) for July-August next year. I want also to travel the Pamir Highway. I have a question: Does a Yurt have any kind of bathroom or toilet? In case no, how do you do? for example If one wants to pee in the middle of a night? I normally travel alone, on my own, so this is my doubt.

    Reply
    • Hi Noelia,
      Glad you’re finding our Central Asia articles useful for your upcoming trip! As for your question about yurts and bathrooms. Usually, the toilet is outside the yurt so you would need to walk out to it during the night if you needed to pee. This is why it’s useful to always travel with a headlamp and keep that by your bed/sleeping bag. However, there is one yurt camp that we’ve been to that has two “VIP Yurts” with a sauna and bathroom as an addition – this is Amaluu Yurt Camp in Ton Village along the South Shore of Lake Issyk-Kul.

      Also, yurts usually sleep around 5-6 people so even if you are traveling alone it’s likely that you will be sharing the yurt with other travelers. Hope this info helps!

      Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.