Category: Bishkek

Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan: Hiking in Ala Archa National Park Part 1 – The Alpine Cemetery Trail

Posted on by Jonny Blair

The country of Kyrgyzstan seems to hide shyly in the back streets of the backpacking world. It’s not so much a “sleeping giant”, but an “awake baby”. It’s crying to be found, and sometime it will be. While the “self-professed cool crowd” backpack their way through Bangkok, Ulun Danu, Siem Reap and Chiang Mai on Read more about Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan: Hiking in Ala Archa National Park Part 1 – The Alpine Cemetery Trail[…]

Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan: Visiting Ruh Ordo by Lake Issy-Kul, Cholpon Ata

Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan: Visiting Ruh Ordo by Lake Issyk-Kul, Cholpon Ata

Posted on by Jonny Blair

“Happiness is not a dream, it is a reality…” – Quote at Ruh Ordo. When backpacking in Kyrgyzstan, myself and two dorm buddies from the hostel decided on a trip to the stunning Lake Issy-kul. It can be done on a day trip from Bishkek and in winter, this is a good option as the Read more about Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan: Visiting Ruh Ordo by Lake Issyk-Kul, Cholpon Ata[…]

Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan: Visiting Petroglyphs near Cholpon Ata

Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan: Visiting Petroglyphs near Lake Issyk-Kul, Cholpon Ata

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Kyrgyzstan continues to surprise the everyday backpacker and with a blast from the past we ended up visiting some cool Petroglyphs near the lakeside town of Cholpon Ata. I say blast from the past because back in 2013, we visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Qobustan in Azerbaijan and there we saw many ancient Read more about Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan: Visiting Petroglyphs near Lake Issyk-Kul, Cholpon Ata[…]

World Borders: How to Get From Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan (Almaty to Bishkek by Marshrutky)

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Before I decided on doing the border crossing between Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan, I did a bit of research into it. The reason being, I was travelling alone, it was my first time in this region and I wanted to make sure everything ran smoothly. In the winter time in the Stans, you also have to Read more about World Borders: How to Get From Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan (Almaty to Bishkek by Marshrutky)[…]