KYRGYZ + KAZAKH BACKPACKING
QUICK OVERVIEW
Date
TBA
Arrival Airport
Bishkek
Accommodation
3 Star Hotels and Homestays
Duration
16 Nights
Meals
17 Breakfasts
Group size
12-14
BRIEF ITINERARY :
DAY 01 : Arrive in Bishkek
DAY 02 : Bishkek - Karakol
DAY 03 : Karakol - Altyn Arashan
DAY 04 : Hike to Ala kul via pass ( camping )
DAY 05 : Altyn Arashan- Karakol
DAY 06 : Karakol - Cholpon Ata – Kochkor
DAY 07 : Kochkor - Song Kul
DAY 08 : Song Kul – Bishkek
Day 09 : Relax at cafes in Bishkek/ Party hard / Have authentic food
DAY 10 : Bishkek - Almaty : : See Kok Tobe
Day 11 : Explore Almaty city
Day 12 : Kolsai lake 1 and 2 & Sat evening at Sati.
Day 13 : Sunday : Visit Kandai lake. Head to canyon and drive to Zharkent.
Day 14 : Monday : Altyn Amyl national park
Day 15 : Drive to Almaty with a Dip in the beach
Day 16 : Head to Shymbulak by morning, cable car and shopping in the evening.
Day 17 : Fly out of Almaty
DAY 01 : ARRIVE IN BISHEKEK
Take a flight so that you arrive Bishkek by afternoon. Today we will be walking to the Osh Bazaar, see the Ala-Too square and I shall explain to you the various protests that took place at that point. Today is story day : about Kyrgyz people, about mongol domination, Russian empire and soviet era. We will also teach some basic Kyrgyz. For started: Hi is Salam.
DAY 02 : BISHKEK - KARAKOL
Today we start our epic road journey through this Ex-Ussr country.The road has stunning natural scenery of mountains, valleys, and alpine lakes. Today is the day you will get to witness Issyk-Kul ( 2nd largest saline lake in the world ) . To give you a context of its size.
- Singapore is 728 km² ,
- Mumbai is 243 km²
- Issyk-Kul is 6,236 km².
Our stay for tonight is in this cute and amazing hotel amidst the mountains .
DID YOU KNOW?
One of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world is from Kyrgyzstan- Rafael Fiziev.
DAY 03 : KARAKOL - ALTYN ARASHAN
This will be our first and major hike in the country . The 15 kilometre hike is not too difficult and can be covered in 6-7 hours with enough breaks. The people who don’t want to hike can opt for an additional 4X4 vehicle that will take you there in 2-3 hours.
After a long day, Plunge into the hot springs of Altyn Arashan. The stay in the valley is straight out a fairy tale: You will be staying in Yurts , the facilities will be basic but you will not have anything to complain looking at the place we are at.
DAY 04 : Hike to Ala kul via pass ( camping )
Today we hike upto Ala-kul pass and camp near the Ala-kul lake . This day we are out camping. So make sure you pack enough hiking gear to withstand the cold.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Epic of Manas is a longer poem than Homer's Odyssey. Every city you visit you will see a Manas statue indicating their love for poetry.
DAY 05 : ALTYN ARASHAN - KARAKOL
Trace our way back to hotel and get ready to resume our road trip next day. This itinerary is such designed that you get to see the natural landscapes as well as most of the cultural aspect of the place
DID YOU KNOW?
If Scrabble allowed place names Kyrgyzstan would give 30 points second to only Mozambique at 34.
DAY 06 : KARAKOL - CHOLPON ATA - KOCHKOR
Pack your beachwear today, as we will getting into the famous Issy-kul. Today we complete a circle of the lake. We will also go see the Old petroglyphs (around 1500 BC ) , imagine looking at a drawing someone drew 3520 years before (that’s 58 lifetimes ).
DID YOU KNOW?
The ancient trading route *The Silk Road* runs through Kyrgyzstan. The silk road sites comprise one of the country’s three UNESCO heritage sites.
DAY 07 : KOCHKOR - SONG KUL
Today you will witness one of the most beautiful lakes in the world : Song Kul. There will be very less hiking today , we will be using a vehicle to reach Song Kul. Song Kul is at a height of 3016 m above the sea level. We will staying in yurts here today. I recommend carrying only essentials and keep remaining in the hotel locker room.
The road is going to be very bumpy so dress appropriately. Kochkor used to be a stop for merchants going to and from Kashgar, on the other side of Torugart Pass in China.
DAY 08 : SONG KUL -BISHKEK
Today is our second last day in the country so let's hit some Russian club and trust me you will be impressed . Carry your clothes accordingly for a club. If you don't want to go clubbing, we can hit a nice restaurant.
DID YOU KNOW?
Horse Milk is Kyrgyzstan's National drink. That rhymed, an ode to manas.
Day 09 : CAFES/ AUTHENTIC FOOD
Today is a free day kept just to relax in city of Bishkek. You are free to walk around, spent some time in the cafes . We will also be taking you to a one of central asia's largest market.
DID YOU KNOW?
Bread is considered holy in Kyrgyzstan and should not be wasted. Be conscious when you place your order!
DAY 10 : BISHKEK - Almaty
Fly to Almaty with a million new memories from Bishkek.
Take an afternoon flight to reach Almaty. We will Check into Hotel and head to Kok-Tobe. It gives you the best sunset of this European town.
DAY 11 : ALMATY CITY EXPLORE
Today we will visit the closest lake to the city : one of the most beautiful one at that : Big Almaty lake. We walk around the lake and have some nice coffee as we head back.
By afternoon we will be back at Green bazaar and see Palfinov park. We will Head to the hotel by 5pm and repack for the night drive to sati. Tonight by 9ish, after dinner , we will start our trip to Sati. Sati will be our stay from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon.
DID YOU KNOW?
Kazakhstan is only 1 out of 4 countries to denuclearize. Imagine, taking the opposite path.
DAY 12 : KOLSAI LAKE 1 AND 2
We will leave in the midnight to reach Sati by 5am.Today after a quick Nap in Sati, we will head to kolsai lake 1. Whoever wants to hike upto kolsai lake 2 can join us and remaining people can take a walk around Lake 1 and relax at the cafe there.
The hike is about 10km , both the side.
Today evening, our team will be split into different homestays. You will be staying with the locals and Kazakhstan participants. I believe this will give us a chance to talk with the locals and get to know them better.
We will also have a campfire and some games with our Kazakhstan group. Our total group size is of 30 people. 12 of us and rest of the Kazakh people. Click here to see stories
DID YOU KNOW?
Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world by land size.
DAY 13 : KANDAI LAKE & CHARYN CANYON
Today morning, we will head to kandai lake. After our lake visit and lunch in sati , we will head to the Charyn Canyon. We will walk down to Charyn Canyon’s river bed and relax at the chilled river for a while. Click here to see stories
By 3pm, we will start heading to Zharkent , which is 2 h 30 min away (183 km) .This Is not a place in the tourist map but since we are doing a roadtrip, I want you to see the real backcountry lifestyle in a small kazak town.
DID YOU KNOW?
Kazakhstan has 5 Unesco World Heritage Sites: 3 cultural and 2 Natural Sites.
DAY 14 : ALTYN AMYL PARK
Check out from our hotel and head to singing Dunes. Today we will have to carry something to eat because there are no options to eat out. Click here to see stories
In the legends the singing sands of the desert are explained by the activities of spirits, imaginary animals, sound of the bells of the buried cities, powerful and raging underground rivers and a lot of other unusual causes.
After lunch we will head towards the Ak - Tau mountain range. We will stop at Zharkent for the night. We will drive through amazing steppes of this largest landlocked country and continue our journey to Almaty tomorrow. Stay in Kalinino.
DID YOU KNOW?
During the Kazakh Famine (also known as the Goloshchekin Genocide), the Soviet Union pushed collectivization and starved the nomadic Kazakh population of food, shipping it to Russia instead. It will take decades before the Kazakhs can now outnumber the russians.
DAY 15 : DRIVE TO ALMATY WITH A DIP IN THE BEACH
We will stop at Kapchagay Enroute Almaty, best-known as the beach of Almaty. Its located on the shore of an artificial lake of the same name formed by a dam across the Ili river. Besides sandy beaches, Kapchagay also has a lot of casinos and ruined factories, earning it the moniker “Lost Vegas”. Lets do some beach photoshoots here. We will reach Almaty by evening and relax for the night .
DID YOU KNOW?
Have you heard about the fierce Amazons? The ancient Scythian warriors, originally from Kazakhstan and southern Russia, are popularly touted as the inspiration for the ancient Greek myth about the tribe of female warriors known as the Amazons.
DAY 16 : SHAMBHULAK CABLE CAR & HEAD FOR CLUBBING IN THE EVENING.
Shymbulak is a ski resort near Almaty. It is the largest ski resort in Central Asia. It is located in the upper part of the Medeu Valley in the Zaiilisky Alatau mountain range, at an elevation of 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) above sea level. There won't be snow now but it's a beautiful view to take the Gandola to the top.
Today is our last day in Kazakhstan. We can go out to a good Bar after we freshen up at the hostel. Bring your nicest clothes. Let's dress up today.
DAY 17 : FLY OUT OF KAZAKHSTAN
We check out at 11am, you can book any flight today. Click here to see stories.
SOME PHOTOGRAPHS AROUND ALMATY
COST ( excluding 5% GST )
Ask for Quote ( Minimum 10 people )
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Homestay/ Lodging
- Transportation : Bishkek Airport to Almaty Airport
- Accommodation : 16 Nights in hotels
- Breakfast
- Permits
- Local Transportation
- Government taxes and service charges except tips for tour guides and drivers
- A Trained Outdoor leader to keep you safe. I Promise 🙂
- Mineral Water or any other room service
- Cost of any Extra Day
- Lunch and dinner
- Any expenses due to deviation from itinerary
- Before 45 days of trip, there will be 10% cancellation charge.
- Before 30 days and within 44 days of arrival, there will be 25% cancellation charge.
- Before 15 days and within 29 days of arrival ,there will be 50% cancellation charge.
- Within 14 days of trip there will be 100% cancellation charges.
All this been said if you or me can find a replacement for the slot. I will be happy to refund the entire amount. 🙂
Here is our 9 point checklist that we follow with regards to OJ trips.
- Our trippers will be asked to get -ve RTpcr certificate before they arrive.
- You will staying at a hotel where we are the only guests. its more like a guesthouse.
- Your tempo traveller will be sanitised before it reaches you.
- Your driver is also tested -ve RTpcr before our trip starts.
- We ask our trippers to keep themselves away from any crowded space 2 weeks before the trip.
- We ask our trippers to be careful of the restaurants and hotels that they might go before and after your trek.
- Anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19 (cough, cold, shortness of breath or fever ) are being asked to reschedule their trips/ treks.
- On treks, we are providing hygiene sleeping bags to everyone. You will be using this throughout the trek and only return on the last day
- On treks, every tent will have only 2 people compared to 3 ( which is the usual number at pre-covid era )
Most people come alone for my trips. About 25% of the people bring a friend or partner.Honestly It really doesn't matter. I have seen on all the batches I have lead. Most people really gel with everyone, even the ones who thought wouldn't gel up, surprise themselves always with the way they got comfortable with everyone.
Each trek/ trip is rated according to the number of days we spend outdoors . If you aren't sure where to start, go with an easy trip or trek.
For trips,
I dreamed of trips where we could go out hike , get exhausted , come back to hotel and have a great evening. This is exactly why some of my trips have Day hikes in it. It is a perfect chance for people who have never hiked in their entire life. Don't worry, We are there :).
For treks,
you can start with Sandhakphu or Chandrashila . You can also benchmark yourself for the treks.
- If you can run for 30 mins and cover around 3-3.5 km , then you can go ahead with an easy trek
- If you can run for 30 mins and cover around 3.5-4 km , then you can go ahead with an moderate trek
- If you can run for 30 mins and cover around 4-5 km , then you can go ahead with an difficult trek
If you have never done a high altitude trek, then start with a easy or Easy- moderate trek. That way you will understand how your body reacts to high altitude and you can check you cardio strength too.
Usually, most batch sizes are between 12-20 people who are aged between 16-38. Most people come alone or with a friend. The trip would feel like you are travelling more with college friends than strangers. We tend to do more outdoorsy things than regular trips .
For example : If we find a very pretty waterfall/ a beautiful sunset / Rainbow on the way. We would stop the vehicle right away to catch the beauty of it.
We usually sleep very late on these trips as we play a lot of group games and most people feel they will miss the precious time with the group members and decides to stay awake.
Here are few places you can read more about the brand and trips
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