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.