#the infamous commission of absolute and total art block

[kifu]

Morning sunbath.

[kathrynethegreat]

@random-emerald-thoughts as promised, here are the details on season 3 of The Rape of Europa Hannibal AU television series.

If anyone is seeing this for the first time and needs to know what the heck this is, links are here:

OVERVIEW

SEASON 1 SUMMARY | SEASON 1 DETAILS

SEASON 2 SUMMARY | SEASON 2 DETAILS

SEASON 3 SUMMARY | SEASON 3 DETAILS 

SEASON 4 SUMMARY | SEASON 4 DETAILS

Below the cut is the following information:

Additional Information about each episode and the real crimes that inspired some of the stories

Artwork featured in each episode

A couple pieces of Fan Art that didn’t make the cut for the Season Summaries.

Flashbacks featured in each episode

General Season Arcs / Information / Themes

General Clannibal info (Will they, won’t they? Spoilers - they totally do.)

Season 3 General Notes / Arcs / Themes:

The third season follows the first half of the novel Hannibal fairly closely as far as Dr.Fell and Rinaldo Pazzi are concerned. 

Clarice’s Art Team and Jack Crawford’s team with Behavioral Science team up to work together. Jack Crawford, who occasionally showed up in episodes here and there in the first couple of seasons takes on a more prominent role in this season. 

While we’ve seen a few flashbacks to the events of The Silence of the Lambs, the first two season’s flashbacks were much more heavily based on Hannibal Rising, so we will start to see a lot more SOTL this season.

The season draws heavy influence from the murders of Il Monstro. The viewer, for many episodes, will not quite be sure if Hannibal Lecter is Il Monstro or not. He will claim not to be, but scenes are set up to show that he could possibly be the killer.

The season also takes much from the Pazzi Conspiracy of 1478, just as the novel does.

After Johnny and Clarice hooked up in the second season episode Whoso List to Hunt, they are tentatively seeing one another.  Clarice is uncomfortable with this, and Johnny likely feels they are on stronger footing than Clarice does. She does not put a label on it but has accepted that he is in love with her. They do not talk about it in front of other people, but everyone sort of ‘knows.’

SEASON 3, EPISODE 1: Tableaux de la Mort

DATE: August 1992 FLASHBACKS:

Jack Crawford - A man shouts at Phyllis and calls her "Bella." while they are in Florence

Clarice - Clarice remembers her first meeting with Jack Crawford, who tells her about Buffalo Bill

Jack Crawford - Jack goes home to his dying wife

Pazzi - Pazzi works on the Il Monstro case. He holds a photo of a victim in hand.

Pazzi - Pazzi walks home, sees a poster of Primavera outside the Uffizi. He goes inside and stands in front of it and makes a connection about Il Monstro.

ARTWORK FEATURED:

The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci, done as the last Tableaux Vivant at Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, California. 

Primavera by Sandro Botticelli - Uffizi Gallery

NOTES:

This episode - and really the entire season is heavily inspired by the real Il Monstro case in Florence.

The season opens with Clarice Starling attending the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, California. She has begun to seek out art and culture on her own outside of work. 

The Pageant of the Masters is a yearly Tableaux Vivant Festival, and it is an absolutely magical evening, and if anyone reading this has not attended, I HIGHLY recommend. It does not disappoint. 

The Title Tableaux de la Mort is a play on the Tableaux vivant. The word “Tableau Vivant” literally means “Living Picture” while Il Monstro’s tableaux depict a picture - but using dead bodies.

We witness the staging of the traditional last painting performed as a Tableau - Da Vinci’s Last Supper. We hear the voiceover telling us about the painting - this year the narrator (for the festival) gives a beautiful discussion on transubstantiation, about the drinking of blood and eating of the flesh.

It should be noted that after catching (who he believed was) Il Monstro the first time, Pazzi went on to train at Quantico, just like in the novel. He began his training just as Clarice had caught Buffalo Bill and graduated. He had looked over the case file and remembers admiring her work. For this reason, he “Knows of” Clarice Starling. 

Pazzi knows Crawford and Johnny personally from his time training at Quantico. Having caught Il Monstro, he spent much time with Crawford at Behavioral Science discussing the case. Johnny and Pazzi also got along well.  

The Italian Police are understaffed and overworked. In 1992 and 1993, they were extremely busy dealing with the Corleonesi Mafia Clan. Pazzi has recently been disgraced when Il Monstro began killing again, signifying that he got the wrong man. His failure weighs heavily on him, and he knows he’s basically being put out to pasture. He is still employed, but not considered for any large cases. Because of all of this, the Italians reach out the Americans - specifically to Jack Crawford at  Behavioral Science and ask if they can borrow a small team.

Jack Crawford agrees to give a few people from his team, but also suggest Clarice and her team for the case as well. Since the case is art-related, he feels that Clarice may lend a different view to things than a normal agent hunting a serial killer.  Secondarily, Jack Crawford feels that the killer may actually be Hannibal Lecter. Lecter is known for his whimsy. Because Clarice is familiar with the Lecter case, he feels this is another excellent reason to bring her team in to work along Behavioral Science and the Italian Police.

Clarice is excited to be working with Behavioral Science, even if it is overseas and not officially as a member of Behavioral Science. She hopes that if she proves herself on this case that she will be able to get the promotion that she craves.

Lecter is spoken of in this episode but is not seen. Last we left him he had escaped in Sardinia after making sure Clarice and Margot were safe.

SEASON 3, EPISODE 2:  La Vita Nuova

DATE: September 1992 FLASHBACKS:

Pazzi - Pazzi trains at Quantico.

Pazzi - Pazzi meets Crawford and Johnny.

Pazzi - Pazzi attends a party on the Chesapeake with his wife

Clarice - Clarice remembers her first meeting with Lecter. When she leaves, Miggs throws semen in her face, which upsets Lecter.

Clarice - Hannibal tells Clarice to look in the car of Benjamin Raspail for a Valentine

Clarice - Clarice finds Klaus's head

ARTWORK FEATURED:

Palazzo Vecchio - Salon of Lilies, Florence

Bronze Statue of Judith and Holofernes by Donatello, Salon of Lillies

Dante’s first sonnet from La Vita Nuova by Dante Alighieri

NOTES:

The title is the name of a piece of work by Dante about courtly love. It is believed to have been about Beatrice Portinari, Dante’s lifetime love.

The Curator of the Capponi Library is missing, and Rinaldo Pazzi has been placed onto the case. It is not terribly important, and no one is particularly worked up over the curator’s disappearance. He goes to the Salon of Lilies where he speaks to the Directors of the Uffizi and the Belle-Arti Commission. Both boards are busy speaking to Dr.Fell and do not have much time to speak to Pazzi.  

Pazzi, having gone over Lecter’s forms before meeting (we are shown Pazzi looking over Dr.Fell’s paperwork) doesn’t immediately see Dr.Fell. Suddenly his voice appears - he is faced away from the viewer. He stands next to a bronze of Judith and Holofernes, and for a moment it seems as if the statue is speaking.

Dr.Fell gives a lovely debate as to why he feels he should be allowed to keep the position of Curator of the Capponi Library. He reads from Dante’s La Vita Nuova, and everyone is impressed. They agree that he should lecture to the Studiolo in several months' time, at which point they will determine if he gets the keep the position permanently.

Dr.Fell reads the following Sonnet, which will (hopefully) properly foreshadow what will happen with our two lovers throughout the season.

To every loving, gentle-hearted friend,

to whom the present rhyme is soon to go

so that I may their written answer know,

greetings in Love’s own name, their lord, I send.

 The third hour of the time was near at end

when every star in heaven is aglow

‘twas then Love came before me, dreadful so

that my remembrance is with horror rent. 

Joyous appeared he in his hand to keep

my very heart, and, lying on his breast,     

my lady, veil-enwrapped and full asleep. 

But he awakened her, and of my heart

aflame, he humbly made her, fearful, taste:

I saw him, finally, in tears depart. 

After the debate, Pazzi speaks privately with Dr.Fell. He asks about a scar on his hand. He then begins to speak about the previous Curator. “You know, I am sure, that the previous Curator has mysteriously disappeared.”   “I am aware.” Hannibal Lecter says, and we flash to a quick shot of Lecter slitting the old Curator’s throat. “And the man has left no notes that you have found?” Another flash quickly shows us the Curator’s body dropped to the bottom of the Arno river, his feet in a block of cement. “No, I’m afraid he left no note that anyone has been able to find,” Lecter says. Pazzi asks if he can come by to the curator’s belongings and Dr.Fell agrees. Then he asks Pazzi if he is a Pazzi of the infamous Pazzi’s as his visage looks like a painting at the Pazzi family chapel.  Pazzi asks if he may come by to pick up the Curator’s belongings, and also says that several other team members from America might also have to ask him a few questions - he apologizes for any duplication of effort.  Dr.Fell says he understands and questions why the American police would be in Florence. Pazzi admits it is actually the F.B.I. - Behavioral Science and a couple of other people from another division of the F.B.I. - Clarice Starling, an agent who caught the serial killer Buffalo Bill is in Florence helping the Italian Police.

We are shown many flashbacks of Pazzi’s time in America at Quantico throughout this episode.

Clarice also remembers her first meeting with Hannibal Lecter and the beginnings of the Buffalo Bill Case. She thinks about the Buffalo Bill case in conjunction with the Il Monstro case, as well as her information on the Lecter case. 

At home, Dr.Lecter finds a photo of Clarice Starling in the paper. The article discusses the Getty kidnapping. 

Il Monstro strikes again - this time killing two people, and placing them in a tableau representing Judith and Holofernes. The last time we’ve seen Judith and Holofernes was in the Salon of Lillies where we were unsure if it was the Statue or Dr.Fell speaking...this will link Lecter and Il Monstro in our minds. Is Jack Crawford right? Is Hannibal Lecter Il Monstro?

SEASON 3, EPISODE 3: The Monuments Men

DATE: October 1992 FLASHBACKS:

Clarice - Clarice performs an autopsy on Kimberly Egan

Clarice - Clarice visits the Smithsonian about a moth

 Hannibal - Hannibal tells Clarice about the significance of the moth in exchange for personal information. They talk about transformation. She says the worst memory of childhood was the death of her father.

Hannibal - Hannibal agrees to help Clarice Starling Catch Buffalo Bill in exchange for privileges

ARTWORK FEATURED:

The Ecstacy of St.Theresa by Bernini 

Bramante Staircase by Giuseppe Momo

Portrait of a Young Man by Raphael

The Leaning Tower of Pisa by unknown, likely Diotisalvi)

Excerpts from Dante’s La Vita Nuova and The Divine Comedy by Dante

NOTES:

 One of the inspirations for this episode is the 2009 story of a woman who found an original Jasper Johns painting in Portabello road.  In our case, however, the painting found is Raphael’s Portrait of the Young Man, which has been missing since WWII and is still widely believed to exist.

Another big influence for this episode is honestly the novel Angels and Demons, which I read long before the novel Da Vinci’s code came out. I was in art an art history class at the time, and so my friend and I read the novel together, solving each art history crime along with the character and it was a really great time. I figured one episode with puzzles about artwork and a sort of “race” to find something might be fun. 

As Ardelia is dealing with the painting and its three claimants, the various clues Clarice is following around Italy sort of tell her more and more about the war. We learn about the Monuments Men and their quest to protect artwork from being destroyed.

Hannibal Lecter - who Clarice has not yet seen and does not yet know is residing in Florence - sends Clarice on a hunt around Italy with various poems and clues keyed to pieces of art. Often his poetry is keyed to Dante.

You must depart from Florence This is willed already, sought for, soon to be accomplished by the one who plans and plots where - every day - Christ is sold and bought You shall leave everything you love most dearly this is the arrow that the bow of exile shoots first. You are to know the bitter taste of others bread, how salt it is, and know how hard a path it is for one who goes descending and ascending others staircase - Paradiso, Dante 

There is a clue about a double helix, which winds up being the Bernini staircase. There is another clue about somewhere she can walk down but go up, which of course means the leaning tower of Pisa. The tower would have been closed to the public at this time (it was re-opened in 2001), but as an Agent would have been able to go up.

Many of the clues have to do with Dante and Paradise, as well as about transformation.

As Clarice journeys around Florence, she remembers her first time meeting Hannibal Lecter and starting to work on the Buffalo Bill Case. She remembers him agreeing to help her.

Finally, she meets Lecter at Santa Maria della Vittoria, where they stand before Bernini’s sculpture The Ecstacy of St.Theresa. He tells her he knows why she is here, and that he knows Jack believes he is the one who is guilty of the crimes. He promises to help her catch Il Monstro in order to prove his own innocence and stay away from the police. She asks him why she should agree to anything - the last agreement they made - that he would not kill Pierre Trebelaux, ended in him breaking that agreement. He asks her about Johnny. The theme of the statue before them is not lost on either of them, and Clarice is uneasy. Finally, he tells her she doesn’t have much of a choice - he gave her information to find a killer once before, and he can do so again. She finally agrees.

Eventually, Ardelia negotiates a truce and all three claimants are allowed joint ownership on the condition that they allow the painting to reside in a museum. The last shot of the episode shows it hanging in the Uffizi.

 October 31 – Pope John Paul II issues an apology and lifts the edict of the Inquisition against Galileo Galilei. Hannibal Lecter would likely mention this in one of his clues.

SEASON 3, EPISODE 4: The Lost Wax Process

DATE: October 1992

ARTWORK FEATURED:

  The Card Players by Paul Cezanne

 Juggling Man, by Adriaen de Vries

NOTES:

This episode is heavily influenced by several cases in which people have faked thefts, or intentionally destroyed their art in order to collect insurance payments.

 A wealthy businessman who everyone believes is successful is secretly going bankrupt. He has a wonderful private art collection, and he hires someone to steal it from him. When investigating the claims, the insurance company becomes suspicious and turns the case over to the F.B.I. Ardelia, with her legal background, is sent in to pose undercover as an insurance claims adjuster to uncover the truth.

 Il Monstro kills again, but this time he doesn’t kill in Florence, but instead in Rome.

The title references the method of metal casting in which molten metal is poured into a mold that has been created with a wax model and the wax model is melted and drained away.

The victim of Il Monstro makes a mold of the victim and made duplicates – the body is never found.

This episode features Ardelia almost exclusively. While Clarice appears at the end when the victim of Il Monstro is discovered, Ardelia carries this episode.

SEASON 3, EPISODE 5: The Pazzi Conspiracy

DATE: November 1992 FLASHBACKS:

Clarice - Hannibal tells Clarice the Hospitals to research and what to look for - what Billy's trees will look like, what the profile she is looking for is.

Pazzi - Pazzi remembers his time at Quantico and looks over the photos of Hannibal Lecter’s cell. He remembers seeing Lecter’s sketch of the Duomo from the Belvedere.

ARTWORK FEATURED:

Clarice Orsini - Domenico Ghirlandaio

Francesco de’ Pazzi as St.John the Baptist, Basilica di Santa Croce by  Luca della Robbia

Hanged Pazzi Sketch - Leonardo Da Vinci

NOTES:

This episode is heavily influenced by the Pazzi Conspiracy of 1475, which took place on Easter Sunday.

After a meeting with Dr.Fell, Pazzi walks up to the battlements of the Belvedere and looks out at the view. He watches Dr.Fell walk away down on the street. He looks at the view again and realizes he’s seen a sketch of this very view. He flashes back to his time at Quantico when he was allowed to look over the Lecter files. He remembers seeing this sketch in Hannibal Lecter’s cell. He realizes Dr.Fell is Hannibal Lecter. What’s more - he believes Dr.Lecter is Il Monstro. 

Pazzi notices the reward poster for Hannibal Lecter and calls the phone number. The poster does not specify who is offering the reward, but it is clear that is not the F.B.I. If Pazzi chooses to take down Lecter, he will be doing so as a bounty hunter, not as a police officer.

Pazzi is told that in order to get the money he must prove that Lecter is indeed where he is stated to be. The evidence must be in the form of a fingerprint.  Pazzi realizes he must somehow figure out how to get Dr.Fell’s fingerprints in order to get the money.

Clarice speaks to Pazzi about the Il Monstro case, but Pazzi has become difficult. Since Pazzi believes that Hannibal Lecter is also Il Monstro, he no longer wants Clarice to catch Il Monstro. If he, Pazzi, can catch Il Monstro, he would have not truly failed. He becomes disinterested and uncooperative with Clarice and her questions.

Clarice and Hannibal talk about Pazzi and Lecter realizes (but does not say anything) that perhaps Pazzi is on to him. He wonders if Pazzi will rat him out. Lecter then tells Clarice a bit more of Florentine history. They talk about the Duomo, and Clarice says it’s her first memory of him - telling her about it. He tells her more - about the building of the dome in a time before they understood how to complete it. As they walk inside he tells her about the Pazzi conspiracy that took place in 1478 on Easter Sunday. She asks if Pazzi is any relation, and he says that yes, he is. There is a likeness of him in his family’s chapel - he will show her some time. He goes on about the conspiracy, about how at the elevation of the host on Easter Sunday that Francesco de’ Pazzi tried to kill Lorenzo de Medici. Instead, Pazzi wound up stabbing himself in the leg and was ultimately hanged for his crimes. He shows her a painting of Lorenzo and she asks who the woman beside him is - he tells her it is Lorenzo’s wife, Clarice. (True, look it up)

Clarice and Lecter talk about art and Il Monstro. He notes he is clearly an artist with some skill.  Clarice decides to ask art schools in Italy for lists of problem students or students who had been expelled. It’s a big list, and the Art Crime Team and Behavioral Science team members will each be given a handful of people to investigate over the next few episodes, keeping them busy.

SEASON 3, EPISODE 6: Effets de soir

DATE: December 1992 FLASHBACKS:

Clarice - Lecter sketches Clarice's face on a clock and asks him about a transfer. She tells him about going to Montana. Chilton listens in.

Hannibal - Hannibal and Senator Martin negotiate. Hannibal gives Senator Martin the name Billy Ruben to mislead her.

ARTWORK FEATURED:

L'honestà negli amori by Alessandro Scarlatti

NOTES:

Dr.Fell attends the symphony.  As do Clarice and Johnny and Laura and Rinaldo Pazzi. They all chat together. Johnny still is not a fan of Dr.Fell and Pazzi is wary of having Dr.Fell in front of his wife. He is further concerned when Dr.Fell flirts shamelessly with Laura.  What’s more, Laura flirts right back and is charmed.  Pazzi watches on, horrified. Clarice, jealous, cannot say anything. 

Dr.Fell gives Laura the Scarlatti libretto with his notes on the original. She is intrigued and delighted. Again, Clarice is miffed and sulks for the rest of the performance, which annoys Johnny.

 Pazzi has hired a man by the name of Gnocco to get Dr.Fell’s fingerprints. He purchases a silver bracelet, highly polished. He tells Gnocco that he wants him to pick Dr.Fell’s pocket, but to botch the job in the hopes that Dr.Fell will get his fingerprints on the bracelet. 

After several days of watching Dr.Fell, Gnocco finally goes in. Dr.Fell grabs him and stabs him. Pazzi, knowing he will be responsible for Gnocco’s death, pulls him into an alcove and lets him bleed out. He then leaves him there to be found by the police.

Pazzi looks over the bracelet, but it is covered in blood and he does not think that he can get any workable fingerprints off of it.  He goes home angry and upset.

Laura tries her best to make her upset husband happy, but it is clear that she is unhappy in her marriage. She asks him if he will please return Dr.Fell’s libretto to him. Pazzi mumbles for her to put it on his desk and he will take it back in a few days. As he gets up to go to bed, he passes his desk and sees the libretto. He looks into his bedroom where his wife is asleep. At first he is jealous, thinking of Dr.Fell charming his wife...but then he realizes Dr.Fell’s fingerprints might be on the document. 

Pazzi sends away the Libretto to be analyzed in the hope that the prints are a match. 

Il Monstro strikes again - this time killing a current member of the Accademia Belle Arti, one of the boards that, as curator, Dr.Fellmust work alongside. Clarice wonders if Hannibal Lecter, in an attempt to better his chances of keeping his job as curator, may actually be Il Monstro. And if he is, is he misleading her with other information? 

SEASON 3, EPISODE 7: First Principles

DATE: December 1992

FLASHBACKS:

 Clarice – Clarice discussed first principles with Hannibal Lecter

 ARTWORK FEATURED:

Venus of Urbino by Titian

The Sacrifice of Isaac by Caravaggio

Cache of Lesser works, numerous small sketches, and small bronzes

 NOTES:

This episode is inspired by several instances in which museums tend to not report thefts of paintings because it will cause problems with insurance, as well as alert the media to various flaws in their security, which could cause further theft.

Clarice’s team receives a tip from an anonymous Museum worker about a cache of paintings in a warehouse. They obtain a warrant and uncover a small group of paintings that have been stolen from museums around Italy.  But Strangely, none of the paintings have been reported missing.

Clarice’s first thought is that since none of the pieces have been reported missing, they may perhaps have been forged. She calls the museums and is told that each painting is still in the collection, but a few museums admit that their pieces are under restoration. Clarice is concerned perhaps the pieces were stolen during restoration, or perhaps that the pieces in the warehouse are forgeries.

They go to the warehouse together and it is confirmed that all of the paintings are authentic.  

Clarice then begins the tasks of going to each museum again.  Most of the curators are shocked to find their paintings missing from storage/conservation area, but one curator is a bit cagey. Clarice thinks perhaps he may hold a bit more information.

Eventually, it is uncovered that due to financial problems and looking at these expensive paintings day after day, the curator worked with docents in other museums to forge an agreement for people to look the other way, enabling the curator to amass a small collection of art that he could sell to the Mafia in order to pay his bills.

Clarice, still going through lists of problem students and expulsions from various schools, wonders if they may be holding back information, as they have led her nowhere.

SEASON 3, EPISODE 8: Finishing the Arch

DATE: January 1993

FLASHBACKS:

Clarice - Dr.Lecter tells Clarice to look for rejections from several hospitals for her candidates for Buffalo Bill.

ARTWORK FEATURED:

The Baldin Collection  with works by Dürer, van Gogh, Manet, Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian

NOTES:

 This episode is inspired by the real-life Baldin Collection, a collection of 364 masterpieces taken from Germany to the Soviet Union by Soviet Army officer Victor Baldin during the end of WWII. The paintings came from a cache of pieces stored in Brandeburg castle to protect them from air raids.  The pieces Baldin took were hidden for a year, but in 1991 the collection was moved to the Hermitage and the existence of the collection was declassified and revealed to the world in 1992. It remains there to this day…but at the time, there was a great deal of discussion (there certainly still is a discussion) about what should be done.  The works were stolen…but they were also saved from destruction.  And, do Baldin’s credit, he did appeal to soviet leaders to return them to Germany, proving that he really did take them only for their protection.  Boris Yeltsin agreed to return the works, but subsequent Russian governments overturned the confirmation.

Our story takes place in the midst of that Government discussion. Should paintings be returned to Germany or stay in Russia? If returned to Germany, should they be put into a museum, or should the individuals who owned the paintings get them? How should it be handled politically, monetarily, etc?  

Clarice and Ardelia look over the collection and assess the situation – what pieces belong to people, and what pieces would be harder to find their owner (owners being dead). They go to the Russian Government, where there is much back and forth.

Eventually, Clarice and Ardelia go to speak with Victor Baldin and he tells them about taking the paintings and his motivations. They get to talking about paintings and the war and Hitler. Baldin remarks about Hitler loving art and wanting to be an artist. He wonders if perhaps Hitler had not been rejected from art school if instead of becoming Chancellor and bringing war, he might instead have been sitting in a field painting.

This gets Clarice thinking. She begins to think about her past cases, murderers and rejection from society, etc, She realizes suddenly that Il Monstro is clearly an artist…he has the skill, but no major issues have been noted with most students. No major behavioral issues she can link to all the murders. Clarice realizes suddenly he wasn’t a student – that he was rejected from an art school and that he is picking off, one by one those that rejected his application. She heads back to Europe before Il Monstro kills again.

January 15, 1993, Toto Riina, a fugitive of the Mafia is finally arrested after 23 years. Over the upcoming year, the Mafia will begin to retaliate with a series of terrorist attacks. This would be on the news as well as be something that the Italian police are busy with. It is also important to note in this episode, as it ties in with the Uffizi bombing later in the season.

SEASON 3, EPISODE 9: The Museum of Atrocities

DATE: February 1993 FLASHBACKS:

Crawford - Crawford is harassed by a doctor about him trying to get information on a patient

ARTWORK FEATURED:

Various Medieval torture instruments

NOTES:

Clarice heads back to Italy, aware that Il Monstro is killing people associated with his rejection from school.  She needs a list of rejected students from various art schools, but that list will be even bigger than the current lists of problem students and expulsions. She looks again at the deaths. One person was on the Belle Arti Commission, but the others were not. She looks deeper into their profiles and finds that they WERE on the board at one point in their life. 

Now Clarice knows that members of the Belle Arti Committee are targets. But not all of them. Just the ones on the board during the time of the rejection of the student in question. She needs to find the time period when all of Il Monstro’s victims served on the board together, and then get a list of students they rejected during that time.

The Belle Arti is hesitant to give Clarice such a list.  They could cooperate with giving a list of problem students and expulsions because they had been students and had signed paperwork that allowed the school to give their information in the event of an emergency, legal case, etc. People who had never been students in the first place had not signed anything, and thus revealing their info was more problematic.

January 20 – Bill Clinton is sworn in as the 42nd President of the United States.

Hannibal Lecter sees Mason's miniature Guillotine on display and flashes back to Mason showing him is "toys” - specifically Mason’s portable guillotine. It is this memory that causes Hannibal Lecter to realize who has sold him out and who, aside from the F.B.I. is hunting him.

Hannibal Lecter is very aware of Pazzi following him around Florence. He sees him at the torture exhibit and is aware of him as he continues to do his shopping.

Once another member of the Belle Arti Committee becomes a victim of Il Monstro, the school begins to reconsider and gives Clarice the list she needs.

SEASON 3, EPISODE 10: Carnevale di Venezia

DATE: February 23, 1993 FLASHBACKS:

Clarice – Lecter saying that they are a week into Lent.

Hannibal - Hannibal makes his own handcuff key

Hannibal - Hannibal escapes custody wearing Pembry’s Face

ARTWORK FEATURED:

Al Thani Jewels – Jewel Covered Dagger

 Al Thani Jewels – Gold Brooch

Al Thani Jewels – Pair of earrings

NOTES:

This episode is heavily inspired by the 2018 theft of Jewels from the Dodge’s Palace in Venice. The jewels were from the “Treasures of the Mughals and Maharajas” showcasing almost 300 gems and jewels from the private collection of Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani of the royal family of Qatar.

The thieves nabbed several pieces of jewelry and then blended in with the rest of the crowd in St.Mark’s square.

This episode keeps the basic concept but places the event earlier in the month during Carnivale.

The theft is quickly discovered and Clarice and Johnny happen to be in the area and immediately try to find the culprit. Of course, the problem is nearly everyone is wearing a mask.

SEASON 3, EPISODE 11: The Second Moment of Creation

DATE: March 1993

FLASHBACKS:

Crawford – Crawford gives Clarice a fake offer to give to Lecter

Clarice – Lecter confronts Clarice on her fake offer

ARTWORK FEATURED:

The Birth of Venus by Botticelli 

NOTES:

The title refers to the role that art plays in the world. That the world was created, but the second moment of creation is when made created art. It is a very human thing. We have art at our cores.

The episode is inspired by the fact that sometimes when a museum has to move a very important piece, they will use a decoy mover or multiple movers so that nobody knows which one is the real painting.

It is also inspired by a painting by Francisco de Goya from 1778 called Children with a Cart that was stolen while en route from Ohio to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Its value was $1.1 million. 

A priceless painting is being moved from the Uffizi going to be displayed in America. But it’s front-page news, 

Clarice goes to one of the forgers she has put into jail. Crawford has told her that she can offer him privileges if he works with them. This is a lie, but Clarice does not know it. She tells the forger that she will help him get out faster and he will have more access to phone calls, better food, etc if he will paint for her three duplicates of the painting being transferred. He agrees.

Three forgeries are created and the real piece, plus the forgery are crated and sent in different directions around Florence.

Johnny and Pazzi have drinks together and talk about their time at Quantico. Pazzi gets drunk enough that he lets slip some information about his plans to capture Dr.Fell who he believes to be Dr.Lecter.  He does not remember telling Johnny this the next day.  Johnny at first believes this to just be silly drunken ideas…but when he begins to think about it over the next few days he realizes that it is the truth. Once he understands this, he realizes that Clarice – who had interviewed Lecter – would know Lecter if she saw him, and thus must be fully aware of the fact that the man she has been in contact with on and off for the last few years is really Doctor Lecter.  Worse still…Last season Johnny realized that Clarice was in love with Dr.Fell, and realizes that this means she is in love with Lecter.  He suspects her love is what keeps her from turning him in.  He thinks about turning Lecter in immediately, but he realizes since Clarice is aware of Lecter, that ultimately she would get in a lot of trouble as well if Lecter were caught.  He ponders what to do, unsure just what to think.

Once the painting is safely in America, Crawford lets the forger know that he was duped by Clarice. Furious, he has his men on the outside plot revenge on her.

March 8 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. The Moon appears to be 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the year's other full moons. The next time these two events coincided will be 2008

March 16- British fashion designer Alexander McQueen shows his first collection, partly inspired by The Silence of the Lambs film. Obviously, the film does not exist in this universe - HOWEVER - Clarice is shown looking at a Vogue spread featuring a couple of the pieces from the collection.

SEASON 3, EPISODE 12: Art and Artifice

DATE: April 1993

ARTWORK FEATURED:

Light and Colour  by J. M. W. Turner

Shade and Darkness by J. M. W. Turner

Nebelschwaden by Caspar David Friedrich

NOTES:

This episode is heavily influenced by the Frankfurt Art Theft of 1994, when three paintings were stolen from a German Gallery. 2 of the paintings were on loan from the Tate museum. The Tate museum devised a plan – Operation Cobalt – to buy back the paintings from the Mafia with the insurance money they had received from the theft. They would up actually making a profit!

Several pieces of art go missing from a gallery in Italy. It is believed to be at the hands of the Mafia. Clarice manages to find out who they think stole the paintings and poses as Elizabeth Chase in an effort to “buy” them for an interested client. She has the insurance money for the Mafia to see – so they know she is for real.  It is, of course, a ruse and several members of the Mafia are taken to jail.  They threaten revenge on Clarice.

Ardelia wonders if the FBI can use members of the Belle Arti to lure Il Monstro into attacking and essentially ambush him.

Jonny, having discovered that Dr.Fell is Hannibal Lecter wonders if he should confront Clarice about that fact, but he is not entirely sure how to do so.

April 19 – Waco siege: A 51-day standoff at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas ends with a fire that kills 76 people, including David Koresh.  This would be big news in the background of the episode, especially for the F.B.I teams.  Several of Crawford’s men are required to head back home.

SEASON 3, EPISODE 13: Violent Delights

DATE: May 1993

ARTWORK FEATURED:

 Adoration of the Shepherds by Gerard van Honthorst

 Birth of Christ by Gherardo Delle Notti

 Dispute with the Doctors by Manfredi

 Death of Adonis by Sebastiano del Piombo

Piramo and Tisbe by Gregorio Pagani

Disbelief of St.Thomas, school of Caravaggio

NOTES:

27 May – Via dei Georgofili Massacre: A car bomb planted outside the Uffizi Gallery in Florence by the Mafia kills five people and irretrievably destroying several pieces of art and badly damaging many others. This episode is heavily influenced by this event.

While it first appears that the bombing is in retaliation for the passing of a new measure in prison that greatly limited freedoms of prisoners based on their crime. It applied heavily to imprisoned Mafia members and freed Mafia members retaliated.

This episode explores the fact that while the law is stated reason for the bombing, the choice of the Uffizi has to do with the police participating in the fake sale of art in order to lure in the Mafia and imprison some of its members.

Clarice has made her name in the city for being disruptive in the art world. The Mafia has noticed her and Il Monstro has noticed her as well. We see a scene of a Mafia boss and Il Monstro meeting. We do not see Il Monstro – just the back of his shoulder. The Mafia boss asks if he would be amenable to taking care of Clarice – for which he will be adequately compensated. Il Monstro agrees.

Dr.Fell lectures to the Studiolo on Dante’s Infero. He discusses Pazzi and Judas Iscariot, who both died by hanging. The Studiolo considers the lecture to be a resounding success,

Pazzi meets Dr.Fell as he leaves the lecture. Once only the two of them remain, Lecter shows Pazzi a slide he forgot – a slide of his ancestor hanging. He chloroforms Pazzi. Pazzi wakes, tied up, his mouth taped. Lecter asks him if it was Mason Verger he sold Lecter to and Pazzi confirms that it was. Pazzi tries to negotiate – he will have Laura bring money. Lecter says he doesn’t need the money and begins to make a hangman’s noose from an extension cord. He puts the noose around Pazzi’s neck, slits open Pazzi’s bowels and throws Pazzi off the balcony before quickly escaping.

SEASON 3, EPISODE 14: Accademia di Belle Arti

DATE: June 1993

ARTWORK FEATURED:

San Bernardino alle Ossa, Ossuary of Bones

Visconti Coat of Arms in Milan

NOTES:

A list with Il Monstro's victim's surfaces and it confirms to Clarice that indeed he is killing men from the board of the Art School that he was rejected from - the Belle Arti.

Clarice’s own name has been added to the list at the bottom, Il Monstro knowing that she is out and about looking for him.  The FBI insists she keeps a low profile for a little while. She books a B&B in the country, but just before she leaves, a note from the Doctor arrives, and she chooses to go to that address instead. He has a villa outside of town he has rented for a little while and assures Clarice its owners met no foul end. For a week they talk, drink, eat, laugh, and mostly try to solve the Il Monstro Case, going over the evidence. The various board members have come and gone over the years, and so the board member kills look random - until the comparison of their years on the boards is compared. From there, they determine the years in which all of the dead board members were active. Once they narrow down the years, then they are able to look through a list of rejections given by that board. It’s not a small list, and they must cull through it as well. As Clarice works alongside Lecter on this, she is also calling her team back in town and “offering suggestions” in the hopes that they come to the same conclusions she is. Clarice and Lecter, as well as Clarice’s team ultimately come up with two names - but one of those people is dead - so it narrows it down to one. The problem now is finding where that person is...

Over the week with Lecter, there is a lot of discussion about Clarice’s father. When searching for the killer, Hannibal asks her "Isn't this what you wanted? To be back to the chase?” She says she is no longer sure. They talk more about her father and the lambs, and Hannibal Lecter shows her the Ossuary of Bones in San Bernardino alle Ossa. He tells her that her father is just like these bones - this is what time has reduced him to. Her father cannot judge her, that she doesn't have to fight crime because she thinks it will make him proud - he already is proud. She doesn't have to fight crime to bring him back - he will never come back. She must make peace with that. He tells her father is not a saint, to which she replies "Neither am I." which shocks Hannibal, as he has idealized her for quite some time.

She says he once accused her of forgetting who he is, what he is, what he is capable of.  She looks at him and says she hasn't forgotten, she doesn't care. They kiss and are about to go to bed together when the phone rings, and it is The Art Crime Team and the Behavioral Science team saying they have a location on Il Monstro - they are going in.  Clarice says she is on her way and leaves Hannibal Lecter to his thoughts.

SEASON 3, EPISODE 15: A Pound of Flesh

DATE: June 1993 FLASHBACKS:

Crawford - Crawford and his team surround the home of the suspected  Buffalo Bill, breaking down the door.

Crawford - The home Crawford and his team enter winds up being incorrect, and Crawford realizes that Clarice may be in grave danger.

Clarice - Clarice investigates James Gumb, knocking on his door. She soon finds he is Buffalo Bill, and he escapes into his basement, where she quickly follows.

Clarice - Clarice and Jame Gumb stumble about his basement, and she ultimately shoots and kills him.

Clarice - Clarice is on the front page of many newspapers for having killed Buffalo Bill.  She receives a letter from Hannibal Lecter.

ARTWORK FEATURED:

Perseus and Andromeda by Titian, The Wallace Collection in London

Various sculptures and pieces of glass in Il Monstro’s studio

NOTES:

The title of the episode is a famous phrase from The Merchant of Venice. 

Clarice has been notified that her team is closing in on Il Monstro and she drives from the country to meet her team.  Unfortunately, when Clarice’s team and Crawford’s team reach Il Monstro’s location, they quickly find that the name they have is wrong. After a moment of realization, Jack Crawford understands that Clarice is in great danger.

Driving in the country, Clarice is abducted by Il Monstro.

Scenes of Clarice’s team being led to the wrong location, only to have Clarice abducted are interspersed with flashbacks of the Buffalo Bill Case when Jack Crawford accidentally send Clarice to Buffalo Bill while they chase a lead that winds up not being the right location. 

Il Monstro takes Clarice to Venice. He has a small art studio - far away and secluded - along with glass blowing supplies. He reveals that his name is Franceso Grandin, but that he has been living under an alias.

He considers what he will do with her. He threatens her with molten glass at the end of a pole. How to kill her - and how to pose her?  What piece of art does she inspire?  He ultimately decides he will drown her in the narrow canal just outside of his studio. Will she be Andromeda? Maybe Ophelia? He decides instead she will be The Drowned Martyr. 

As he is speaking, Hannibal Lecter manages to find his way to Clarice. He was not far behind her when she was abducted, and followed Francesco the whole way. He tells Clarice this, but we do not SEE it happen, as this scene should be suspenseful - we should not know Hannibal is going to rescue her.

Francesco and Hannibal fight, and Francesco manages to burn Hannibal’s arm with molten glass badly enough that he pauses for a few seconds - long enough for Il Monstro to pin him down.  Tied up, Clarice and Hannibal cannot do much, but Hannibal slowly begins to work on getting out of his bonds.

Francesco leaves Hannibal and goes back to Clarice. He drags her outside and she screams, more concerned for Hannibal than herself. She struggles the entire time but is gagged and thus cannot make much noise. Her ankles and wrists are bound and she is thrown into the Canal. She struggles with her bonds.

Back in the studio, Francesco speaks to Hannibal, and much like he did with Clarice considers how he should kill and display Hannibal. “You don’t know who I am, do you?” Hannibal asks him. When he Francesco moves close to Hannibal’s face, suddenly Hanniba’s hands come out from behind him - he had managed to come loose from his bonds. With a clay cutter from a table littered with sculptures, Hannibal Lecter slits Il Monstro’s neck as he advises Francesco that a monster should learn to recognize another monster.

Clarice continues to struggle with her bonds, having gotten her ankles free, but it is too late and she finally loses consciousness. Suddenly Lecter appears in the water beside her. He grabs her around the waist and brings her up to the surface.  He performs mouth to mouth, and Clarice vomits up some water but does not regain consciousness.

Knowing that police will soon arrive - both to deal with the commotion of his just having killed a man, as well as the F.B.I. coming in search of Clarice, Lecter carries Clarice to a small abandoned studio not far from the one they just left. 

He strips them of their wet clothes and holds her close to warm her. It’s May, and the water int he canal isn’t cold enough to make her hypothermic, but she is still cold, shaken and weak from having nearly drowned. He kisses her hands to warm them and realizes suddenly she’s regained consciousness. She is relieved to find that he is alive, and he kisses her forehead and tells her she’ll be alright. After kissing her forehead, he looks at her, overwhelmed and kisses her lips and she kisses him back. He pulls away after a moment, and she says “Don’t stop.” With three years of sexual frustration having pent up and the relief at finding one another alive, they make love.

Clarice wakes to the sound of sirens and helicopters. She sits up and looks around and finds that Hannibal Lecter is gone. She goes outside to find Johnny, Crawford, several other team members, and the Italian Police outside calling for her.

Clarice runs to Johnny and he expresses relief that she is alright. He tells her that after going to the wrong place, they knew she was in danger. With some quick thinking, they ultimately found Il Monstro’s studio and his body - his neck slit, but when they couldn’t find her, they feared the worst.  She is given credit for the kill.

Clarice is once again in the news - now mostly in Italy rather than America. Crawford assures her that he is going to do his best to get her on his team at Behavioral Science.

We see a flashback of Clarice just after the Buffalo Bill killing receiving a letter from Hannibal Lecter.  We then see her going through her mail in the present day. We can tell she is expecting a letter from Lecter. We see her disappointment when there isn’t one.

CREDIT: “It’s Art that Kills Us” poster uses an edited and cropped photograph by Tommy Liddel.

[evillesbianvillainarchive]

Callout for natsubutart

cw for: racism, porn and sexualization of minors, transphobia, porn of abusive ships, incest porn

Hey @natsubutart next time you decide to screenshot someone’s art and post it just to complain about characters being dark skin how about you think first before being a pathetic racist.

I wrote a more completed callout on google drive with screenshots too in case she deletes them (so it’s pretty graphic don’t open it if you are easely triggered by these things)

the rest is under cut because it’s really long

RACISM

First I’d like to specify that Natsu is a white italian woman currently living in Japan.

Natsu screenshotted one of my drawing displaying several bnha characters drawn as mixed or having dark skin (this one) and complained about it on her private facebook.

She is Ilaria Ester Macciocca

Caption: the screen of my drawing with her two comments “MALEDIZIONE SONO GIAPPONESI” (translation: DAMN THEY ARE JAPANESE) and “tfw Japan is not a melting pot and maybe we should respect the author’s choice to make them all Japanese” -> insinuating that 1) since Japan isnt a melting pot there is absolutely no kind of diaspora in Japan 2) Mixed japanese people are NOT a thing 3) Japanese people without fair skin don’t exist 

In this she makes fun of representation agreeing with her friend there

Simona Santoro: (im directly translating it) I can understand that people do it with MLP that are horses and so you anthropomorphize them however you want, but if the characters are already humans why changing them? Why don’t you create an OC on your own? Then sorry but I find it racist that there is no redhead with fair skin like me eh RACISTS

Ilaria Ester: You are already represented enough!!!! (note: just to be sure this is sarcastic shes not telling her friend...she is actually...represented enough)

In this she replies to a comment asking why i drew even the “white” ones with black features (????)

translation -> because they are not white they are probably biracial.... from the colors I’d say probably asian/black. I totally don’t agree because we are talking about characters with a japanese heritage…… it’s not like in America where you are expecting a racial diversity like int he drawing. In Japan it’s really hard. And most important in Japanese international medias it’s not represented so why come to this? I mean I’m okay with Deku being a fucking japanese and not an italian, but it’s not okay because a japanese it “white”??

I don’t even know how to comment this, i think it talks by itself but let’s underline the important thing. 1) since japanese media doesn’t portray racial diversity we shouldn’t?? 2) you are a white italian why do you think you can disagree on a discussion about racial diversity?

(i have other screenshots if you want)

PORN ANS SEXUALIZATION OF MINORS

Netsu is 26 years old

Netsu drew (and reblogged) several drawing of minors in clear sexual situations, nsfw-ish, and sexualize minors often (bakushima - bakushima - bakushima - the tag of this one - several underage porn of homestuck characters and incest too - otayuri porn - other otayuri porn - you just really need to ckeck her nsfw tag) and even if some of this drawing are old she never apologized for it and they are still on her blog

And even if she shows - very permormative - concern for minors following her blog and commissioning porn (performative because she is clearly more worried about being caught, as an adult, while selling porn to minors)  the moment she is in front of a 17 years old following her blog she just tells them “do whatever you want” without even trying to block them

(is this really everything you can do?)

PORN OF ABUSIVE SHIPS AND INCEST PORN

She has an entire tag dedicated to incest porn where she mostly reblogs osomatsu san (x - x - x) and also homestuck incest (x). She also apparently “doesn’t really like incest” but this doesn’t seem to stop her from drawing porn of it. 

She also draws lot of (genderbent and non) porn of a very infamous abusive hs ship, vristav (x)

TRANSPHOBIA

I think Natsu is cis but I might be wrong

Back on the topic of gendebend she draws A LOT of it and showed no interest in people telling her why it’s wrong. 

On the more cringey less callout worth stuff she believes in cisphobia and think it’s offensive to call people cishet

[topfygad]

75 Useful tips for traveling to Kyrgyzstan

From first-class treks to a very accessible nomadic culture, horse riding and hospitable people, Kyrgyzstan is the ultimate destination for those seeking an off the beaten track (but easy) adventure.

After spending two entire months traveling in Kyrgyzstan, I have compiled all the necessary information that will help you plan your trip, from visas and bureaucracy to accommodation, transportation and plenty of cultural facts.

By the way, if you want to keep a track of all my photos and travels, remember to follow @againstthecompass on Instagram. 

This guide contains all the practical information. For places to visit, read: Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan – 1 to 4-week itinerary

    What will you find in this article?

Visa for Kyrgyzstan Travel insurance for Kyrgyzstan When to visit Kyrgyzstan How to get to Kyrgyzstan Is it safe to travel to Kyrgyzstan? Top 5 experiences in Kyrgyzstan Tours in Kyrgyzstan Books for traveling to Kyrgyzstan The country, people, and culture Nomadic life Horses Trekking Food and alcohol Money Accommodation Transportation Internet & SIM card More information

Total transparency – If you like my website and found this post useful, remember that, if you buy anything through any of my links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These earnings help me maintain and keep Against the Compass going! Thanks

Do you know what a VPN is? A Virtual Private Network allows you to access blocked sites when you travel, as well as it lets you access content only available in your home country (like Netflix), plus it prevents hackers from stealing your personal data. Learn here why you should always use a VPN when you travel

  Visa for Kyrgyzstan

1 – The most liberal visa regime in Central Asia – Most nationalities get a 60-day free visa on arrival, both at the airport and overland.

If you want to renew it, you just need to cross the Kazakh border (1 hour from Bishkek) and come back on the same day.

These countries are: EU/EFTA (except for Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania), Australia, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Canada, Kuwait, Monaco, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uzbekistan, Vatican City. Japan and Russia can get an indefinite stay. 

2 – Other nationalities can apply for an e-visa – Since September 2017, most of the remaining countries can apply for an e-visa through the official portal. It takes around 1 week and costs 63USD. 

Moreover, if you are in possession of an e-visa, you can travel to Kyrgyzstan both via land and air. 

The countries which are eligible to the e-visa and don’t need LOI are: Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Cyprus, Indonesia, Israel, Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro, Oman, Philippines, Romania, San Marino, South Africa, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela.

If you are not on any of the above lists, read the Kyrgyzstan visa section of Caravanistan for further information on visas.

3 – Extending your visa does not seem to be possible anymore – We tried to extend our visa in August 2017 and they said that, since May 2017, extensions aren’t possible anymore. We tried to extend it in both Karakol and Bishkek. 

It is easier to travel to Almaty and come back. 

4 – Overstaying can be expensive – According to what the authorities told us when we couldn’t extend our visas, if we overstayed, the fine could be up to 200USD.

A horse grazing in the middle of the Alay Valley – Kyrgyzstan travel guide

  Travel Insurance for Kyrgyzstan

5 – Get proper travel insurance – If you visit Kyrgyzstan, travel insurance is a must, as accidents do happen in the mountains. Actually, during a horse trek in Tash Rabat, I fell off the horse and had to stay in bed for two weeks.

It was a pretty bad (and scary accident).

I had to go to the hospital, all the way to Bishkek, where they carried out different kinds of tests on me which, in the end, turned out to be expensive.

Luckily, I had World Nomads, the best travel insurance company out there because:

It is the only company that gives unlimited medical coverage

It covers a big bunch of adventure activities, including trekking in high altitudes

Pretty much any nationality can get it

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE QUOTE FROM WORLD NOMADS

If you want to know more options, read how to find the best backpacking insurance

  When to travel to Kyrgyzstan

6 – My favorite month: September. Why?

July & August would be the ideal season for trekking, especially if you plan to go high in the mountains as, during these two months, the weather is warmer and the likelihood of raining is lower.

However, in 2019, Kyrgyzstan is becoming a popular destination, which means that some areas may be crowded. In September, nevertheless, most crowds will be gone, and the weather will still be warm enough for trekking, and that is why I consider September to be the best month for visiting Kyrgyzstan.

  High season (mid-June to Mid-September) Shoulder season (Spring and Autumn) Low season (mid-November to March) PROS Best season for trekking, loads of nomads In late spring and early autumn, you can do some cool treks Winter landscape, snow, no people CONS Crowded, plus it can be really hot in Bishkek and other low-altitude areas High mountains may be not accessible, unpredictable weather No trekking, no nomads

This was during the first week of July (Archa Tör Pass)

  How to get to Kyrgyzstan

7 – How to travel to Kyrgyzstan by air – Getting to the International Airport of Bishkek is fairly easy, as it has quite a few connections with several airports in Europe. Moreover, you should also check Pegasus, a budget airline from Istanbul with daily flights to Bishkek. Alternatively, check out the flights to Almaty, as they are usually cheaper and it is very close to Bishkek. 

8 – How to travel to Kyrgyzstan by land

China – There are 2 open borders, Irkeshtam and Torugart. Crossing at Torugart requires having a special, expensive Chinese permit. Crossing via Irkeshtam is fairly easy and you can read the full report here. 

Tajikistan – There are 6 border crossings and 4 of them are open to foreigners. The most obvious is the Kyzyl Art border crossing, which is the one that follows the Pamir Highway. For more information, read the latest Caravanistan updates.

Kazakhstan – There are like 7 border crossings, but the easiest ones are Karkara and Kordai. For more information, read the latest Caravanistan updates. 

Uzbekistan – There are nowadays 4 borders but only 3 are open as of 2019. For more information, read the latest Caravanistan updates. 

Kyzyl Art Pass, between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan

  Is it safe to travel to Kyrgyzstan?

9 – Something you need to know:

The term Stan doesn’t mean a place is dangerous, but Stan means land, so Kyrgyzstan means the land of Kyrgyz. 

Kyrgyzstan is a safe destination. Period. 

I mean, just check the FCO advice and you will see that all they say is that Kyrgyzstan is a very safe country, and here you need to take into account that the FCO advice is always absolutely biased, meaning that tends to see danger where there is not, especially in the Middle East.

Solo travelers will be just fine and whereas I can’t speak for women, I know many women who have been there, and all they told me was positive experiences. 

The only potential danger you may hear about is that Bishkek used to be infamous for its after-midnight crime, mainly targeting drunk people on their way home from the bars. The situation, however, has dramatically improved but, if that is a concern for you, just take a taxi when you go back home.  

  Top 5 experiences in Kyrgyzstan

Remember that, for a complete itinerary, including all the places to visit, plus accommodation & transportation tips, don’t forget to check my Kyrgyzstan guide for the independent traveler. 

Stay with Kyrgyz nomads

Experiencing the nomadic life is one of the greatest Kyrgyz experiences. From staying in a yurt to helping them preparing kurut, their local cheese, during our 2-month journey across the country, we met loads of nomads with we had awesome experiences. 

However, with the tourism increase, some nomadic camps have become too commercial, and what I recommend is that you try to find the most authentic ones. How? Well, by getting off the beaten track but also, if you go to Song Kul, instead of staying at the CBT camp where everybody stays, just go across the lake. 

A really offbeat nomad camp, somewhere in the southern Pamirs

Watch nomad games, but try to find out where the local games happen (don’t go to the touristic ones)

The ancient nomad sports in Kyrgyzstan are just crazy, and bizarre.

From horse wrestling to playing polo with a dead goat instead of an actual ball (Ulak tariysh), the nomadic games of Kyrgyzstan are, definitely, a must-see. 

Every summer, some tourist organizations, like CBT, organize nomad games for tourists, in Song Kul and places like that, but I recommend you find the local ones, as the vibe is just great, plus they do a larger variety of sports. 

To be very honest, I didn’t manage to see a local game in Kyrgyzstan, but I did in Tajikistan, near the Kyrgyz border (where most Tajiks are ethnically Kyrgyz), and it was just awesome.

Go trekking on a horse

Many people may feel bad for riding a horse, but the truth is that Kyrgyzstan is the land of horses and even today, in the rural areas, they are the preferred way of transportation.

Those horses are really used to go over high altitude mountain passes, and you definitely get a different experience, and perspective than going on foot. 

Climbing the Tash Rabat pass – 4,000 meters

Go trekking in some of the most mind-blowing mountains ever

I truly believe that, in a matter of years, Kyrgyzstan will become the trekking destination of reference, competing directly with Nepal and Argentina, and the reason is that its mountains are absolutely jaw-dropping, plus they are much more accessible than any other destination I know. 

Visit the remotest Silk Road Heritage sites

Kyrgyzstan has only a small bunch of Silk Road Heritage sites, but the few it has are truly epic, remote and placed in the most epic locations. 

The most epic Silk Road Heritage site in Kyrgyzstan: Tash Rabat

Something you must know: Kyrgyzstan is about nature and nomadic life  With very few Silk Road Heritage sites compared to its neighbor Uzbekistan, in Kyrgyzstan, there’s not much to do besides wandering around its gorgeous mountains and experiencing the nomadic life. The truth is that, with the exception of Bishkek and Arslanbob, most towns in Kyrgyzstan are pretty boring as there is no distinctive architecture, soul and social life, as Kyrgyzstan has been a nomadic land for many centuries. When you travel in Kyrgyzstan, you will see that towns are merely used as a base to explore the mountains or take a rest from them.

Read: 75 Useful tips for traveling to Uzbekistan

  Tours in Kyrgyzstan

I am sure you already know that I am not really into tours, but if you are short in time and why not, you feel safer and more comfortable with a group or a professional guide, these are some really trips offered by GetYourGuide, a company I like to recommend because you can book budget tours online with just one click. 

7-day Highlights of Kyrgyzstan – 1 week exploring the best of Kyrgyzstan. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Burana Tower – Day trip to One of the very few Silk Road Heritage sites in Kyrgyzstan. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Ala Archa Park + Eagle Hunting – A trip to the closest National Park to Bishkek combined with the classic ancient nomad way of hunting. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Bishkek City Tour – A walking tour around the capital. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Following nomads – A full day following a group of nomads to learn about their way of living. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Song Kul Lake – Trip to one of the most epic lakes in Kyrgyzstan. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL TOURS TO KYRGYZSTAN

Burana tower, one of the few Silk Road heritage places in the country

  Books for traveling to Kyrgyzstan

Besides my blog, you may wanna check some book guides:

10 – Kyrgyzstan Guide by Bradt – By far, the best and most complete book guide to Kyrgyzstan. Bradt writes the most awesome guides, as they are always filled with great cultural insights and personal experiences. I always buy their Kindle version for whatever country I go to.

 CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST PRICES ON AMAZON 

  11 – Central Asia Guide by Lonely Planet – A classic. If you are traveling throughout the region, this might be a more economical option, rather than buying one guide oer country.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST PRICES ON AMAZON 

  11 – Russian-English phrasebook – No need to say how useful being able to speak in Russian is.

 CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST PRICES ON AMAZON 

  Country, people and culture

12 – Kyrgyzstan used to be part of the Soviet Union – It acquired its independence in 1991, with the collapse of the USSR.

13 – The origin of the Kyrgyz – Kyrgyz people are an ethnic nomadic group which is believed to have come from a region within Siberia, during the 10th and 15th centuries.

Originally, they used to have red hair but, over the centuries, they have mixed with all kinds of groups, especially Mongols and Turks.

14 – Kyrgyz make up 66% of the population – The biggest minority are Uzbeks (15%), followed by Russians (10%).

15 – It’s a Muslim country. Well, not really – Like in most Soviet countries, religion is not a big deal anymore, especially in the north of the country.

In the south, people tend to be more traditional, so you may see more mosques or men with beard and Muslim hats, but nothing relevant. During Ramadan, I was in Bishkek and didn’t see any sign of people fasting.

Alcohol is available everywhere and there is no sex segregation. You will see that women of all ages will always come to you to start a conversation.

16 – However, Saudi Arabia wants to reverse this – They are funding the construction of mosques across the country.

Read: 35 Tips for traveling to Kazakhstan

A very Muslim, nomadic man, which is very rare to see. His wife wears a niqab

17 – Kyrgyz is the national language but Russian is widely spoken – Kyrgyz, a Turkic language, is the country’s official language.

Russian is spoken by most of the population, except in the south of the country, which has a significant Uzbek population who, for some reason, don’t really speak it.

18 – English is a problem – Communicating with people is one of the biggest issues in Kyrgyzstan, as very few people speak English. 

19 – At least, you must learn the Cyrillic alphabet – Extremely useful, especially when it comes to reading restaurant menus and bus directions.

20 – Bishkek is surprisingly Westernized – When you arrive in Bishkek and discover all those restaurants and bars where local people hang out, who dress incredibly well, you realize that this is not what you were expecting.

21 – The rest of the country is more traditional – Outside of Bishkek, most people still live a traditional life, where people’s main life goal is getting married and having children as early as possible. I met several 20-year old women who already had two kids.

22 – Kidnapping brides is still a big deal – And what do I mean by kidnapping brides? In Kyrgyzstan, a man can take a random woman who is just walking on the street to his house and, if both parents agree, he can marry her and the woman can’t say anything.

I know, it’s not a real kidnapping but it’s a crazy tradition and, even today, some locals told me that this is practiced by 20% of the population, especially in small, rural villages.

If you want to know more about, check out this video (2019)

23 – The most hospitable people in Central Asia – In this region, the Kyrgyz are famous for their hospitality. When we went trekking in the mountains, I remember that there was not a single day when someone didn’t invite us to his or her yurt to have some tea and bread with home-made jam and butter.

Traveling in Kyrgyzstan is very pleasant, as the Kyrgyz people, who will always bless you with their smiles, are kind and hospitable by nature.

24 – You can’t believe how clean they are – When you visit Kyrgyzstan, you will realize that these people have a real obsession with cleanliness.

Even in youth hostels, sometimes I could never go to the toilet because there was someone cleaning it. In guest houses and home-stays, women spend the entire day mopping the floor and cleaning the kitchen.

I don’t know whether it’s true or not but, a Russian man told me that, during Soviet times, Kyrgyz people had a bad reputation for being dirty. In order to change this general opinion, they became obsessed with cleanliness.

25 – Girls are pretty, very pretty – Kyrgyz women are stunning, especially in Bishkek. On the other hand, all foreign women say that, in general, Kyrgyz men are not very handsome.

26 – Always remove your shoes – You must always remove shoes when you enter any house, yurt and even hostels and guesthouses.

Read: 70 Tips for traveling to Pakistan

A cute, nomadic girl

  Nomadic life

27 – The most accessible nomadic life in the world – From time immemorial, the ethnic group known as the Kyrgyz have been a nomadic people who tend to move continuously throughout the mountains and valleys of the region with their cattle.

Today, a large proportion of the Kyrgyz population still live a nomadic, traditional life, not very different from their ancestors.

In summer, which is from June to September, you will find hundreds of nomad camps everywhere, either next to the road or in the remotest mountains, where they settle so their horses, cows and sheep can graze freely.

28 – It’s their summer job – During the summer months, Kyrgyz nomads move from cities to the mountains, so their herds of cows, sheep, goats and horses can graze freely.

When the season is over, they sell some of these animals, as well as dairy products and meat. This is the only source of income most of them rely on.

29 – They live in yurts – Yurts are perhaps the most iconic symbol of Kyrgyzstan. These cozy skin-made tents, which can be seen all across the country, can be incredibly warm during the freezing nights.

A yurt camp in Song Kul

30 – You can always stay with them, no matter where you go – Whether you just want to get a warm meal or spend the night, wherever you go trekking, the nomads will always welcome you, at least in my experience.

But remember that, even if they don’t ask, they may expect you to pay something.

31 – Get off the beaten track because the touristic areas are too commercialized – If you go to popular places, such as Song Kul for example, most nomad families have spare yurts, which have been built for tourists.

Whereas there is nothing wrong with staying there, the experience won’t be very authentic.

If you have a chance, try to find yurts around the Alay Valley, the Pamirs or even in less popular treks around Karakol. In these yurt camps, you may sleep in the same yurt as the family and even join in with their daily tasks.

Enjoying some shorpo with a nomadic woman – Kyrgyzstan travel guide

  Horses

32 – It’s the land of horses – Horses are as much part of their culture as the yurts. From epic horse treks over 4,000-meter mountain passes to herds of tens of horses grazing in stunning meadows, if you like horses, you are going to love Kyrgyzstan.

33 – They learn how to ride a horse at the same time as walking – When you are in the mountains, you will see plenty of kids (including little girls) riding big horses.

34 – You must go horse trekking – Trekking over high mountain passes, riding one of those beautiful beasts is one of the highlights of Kyrgyzstan.

Ah, in case you are wondering, no, you don’t need any previous riding experience. A guide will always come with you.

35 – But be careful! – Horses are no joke. They are dangerous so don’t try to gallop if you don’t have any experience.

I actually had a pretty bad accident, felling off a horse in Tash Rabat when I tried to gallop (I am a stupid, inexperienced man). I had to stay in bed for two weeks and fully recovered after one month. I could have been much, much worse, so be careful.

Riding a horse in Tash Rabat

36 – Hiring a horse is cheap – It costs around 700KGS ($10) a day plus 1,000KGS ($15) for the guide, which can be split between several people. If they try to charge you more, they are ripping you off.

37 – But be aware that they eat them! – When you see a herd of horses grazing over a dreamy meadow, don’t get too much in love with them because many of them will end up in a butchery!

38 – Horse games – Horses are so rooted in their culture that they are also main protagonists in their national sports. Among many others, Ulak Tsrtysh is the most popular game, which is a form of polo where they play with a dead goat which is beheaded right before the game begins. Violence in any match is more than guaranteed.

For more information on horses, read: Horse riding in Tash Rabat, Kyrgyzstan

Horse wrestling

  Trekking

39 – Around 90% of the of the country is above 1,500 meters – I’ve told you everything already.

40 – First world-class hikes – For decades, travelers with a slight sense of adventure, who wanted to savor some first-class hikes, used to go to Argentina, Switzerland, and Nepal.

However, just a couple of years ago, the most intrepid travelers quickly realized that trekking in Kyrgyzstan could easily rival Patagonia and the Himalayas.

41 – Some treks I did:  Tien Shan mountains around Karakol, Trekking from Tash Rabat to Chatyr Kul Trekking from Kyzylart to Song Kul  Trekking to Lenin Peak Base camp

For more information on trekking in Kyrgyzstan, read my guide: 

Trekking in Kyrgyzstan, everything you need to know

On my way to the advanced base camp of Lenin peak

  Food and alcohol

42 – Food is not amazing but it’s OK to fill your stomach – You will not love it but, after traveling in Kyrgyzstan for 2 months, I was not especially bored of it.

43 – The typical food – Lagman (a hearty noodle soup), manty (meat dumplings) and shorpo (meat broth) are the staple food.

44 – But don’t trust mantys – While traveling in Kyrgyzstan, the only day I got slightly sick was after eating some street mantys. Be careful where you order them, as the meat they are filled with may have been outside of the fridge for days.

45 – In small towns and villages, only staple food – In bigger towns, you can easily find more choices, like salads, kebab or Western food. However, in villages, you’ll have to fill your stomach with lagman and mantys.

46 – You are expected to know what to order from the moment you enter the restaurant – It’s your first day in Kyrgyzstan, the first time you enter a restaurant, holding a menu written in an alphabet which you’ve never seen before.

However, they will expect you to know what to order within 10 seconds of giving you the menu. If you tell them to wait for 5 or 10 minutes, they won’t really understand you and will stand next to you. It’s very weird but you’ll get used to it. 

47 – If you are vegetarian, you are fucked – It’s said that Kyrgyzstan is the country with the highest consumption of meat per capita in the world.

At most restaurants, it’s extremely difficult to find vegetarian dishes and, when you ask for something vegetarian, they kind of freak out.

Even sometimes, when I ordered a salad, it came with pieces of cooked beef in it. True story.

48 – Even chicken is difficult to find – If you find chicken on a menu, just order it!

49 – Beer and vodka are available everywhere – Welcome to the ex-Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan! Despite being a Muslim country, alcohol consumption is present everywhere, even in small villages and towns.

50 – Get used to people being completely smashed at 9am – You’ll definitely meet Kyrgyz men who are massively wasted, who can barely walk, quite early in the morning.

51 – You must try kymys – If you go to the mountains and stay with nomads, ask for kymys, which is fermented milk. Most people don’t like it, as it has a weirdly sour, strong taste.

It has some small percentage of alcohol. However, if you don’t like it the first time, give it another chance. I tasted it in four different places and in two of them it was surprisingly good.

52 – Kyryt is the snack in fashion – Kyryt are some sort of cheese and yogurt balls which are available all across Central Asia but Kyrgyzstan is where they are most prevalent.

Again, some people don’t like them but, like kymys, some of them were good, some of them weren’t.

53 – A fruit paradise – If you come during the season, markets are filled with all kinds of fruits, incredibly tasty and ridiculously cheap. In summer, you will find plenty of nectarines, watermelon, strawberries, raspberries and much, much more!

Some very nice girls selling kyryt, the national snack in Kyrgyzstan

  Money

54 – Kyrgyz SOM is the official currency – 1USD = 68KGS

55 – It’s cheap, really cheap – You can easily find home or yurt stays for 10USD a day, including dinner and breakfast. Meals cost around 1-2USD in local eateries and between 2-4USD in mid-range places.

Public transportation within cities costs 15c and buses between nearby towns, less than 1USD. You can live like a king for less than 20USD a day.

56 – ATMs are easy to find and you can withdraw USD – ATMs are available everywhere and, in many of them, you can select the option that you want to cash out USD, instead of KGS.

In my experience, the maximum I was able to get was 200USD at a time.

57 – I’ve never seen so many exchange offices – In Bishkek, there are exchange offices in absolutely every corner. In the rest of the country, it’s also easy to exchange money.

58 – Except for taxi drivers, people don’t tend to rip you off – Perhaps, because mass tourism hasn’t arrived here yet but I didn’t feel anyone trying to rip me off, except for taxi drivers of course.

59 – Expect to pay 10-15% extra for service in any good restaurant – Except in cheap, local eateries, you will always pay an extra 10-15% for service when the bill comes.

Song Kul at sunrise

  Accommodation

60 – Everybody has a home stay – Kyrgyzstan has the peculiarity that, no matter where you go, locals offer their houses to foreigners for home stays. 

Whether it is a remote village or a touristic destination, as soon as you arrive, women will approach you, asking if you want to stay at their house. 

61 – Homestays are superb – They are always comfortable, clean and nicely decorated. You will not want to leave!

62 – They always expect you to pay – Remember that, even if you are in a very remote village and you get randomly invited by someone to stay, even if they don’t ask you for money, they are expecting you to give something.

63 – Price is always per person – If you travel alone, Kyrgyzstan is a good place for you, as price is always per person, not per room.

64 – You must stay in a yurt – Go to the mountains and stay in a yurt with a Kyrgyz family!

A woman preparing our dinner at her house

  Transportation – Kyrgyzstan travel guide

65 – Hitchhiking – Extremely easy and common among the locals. However, remember that, in Kyrgyzstan, everybody is a taxi driver so if you are looking for a free ride, you will need an extra dose of patience.

66 – Mashrutka is the way to go – Mashrutkas are some kind of vans and mini-vans that connect all cities and towns in Kyrgyzstan.

They are extremely cheap and it’s very easy to move around with them, as you can find a station (or more) at every bazaar in absolutely every town.

You just need to get on at the station and say which city or town you want to go.

67 – Shared local taxis – Late in the evening, for long distances or in very remote towns, marshrutkas don’t run that often, so you will have to take a local shared taxi.

They are more expensive but, definitely, faster than marshrutkas. However, some drivers are completely nuts and may drive at over 120km per hour along narrow mountain roads.

68 – Old women have the power – In any bus, marshrutka or taxi you go, women can choose any seat they want, even if you arrived one hour before them. In city buses, always give up your seat to any women over 40-50 years old. If you don’t, they will tell you to stand up.

When I fell off the horse and had to stay in bed for 2 weeks, I was sitting in a marshrutka on the way to the hospital.

I could barely stand up and, when a woman entered and told me to move and I couldn’t explain why I couldn’t, I created a lot of trouble until she understood.

69 – At 40ºC, windows are still closed – Kyrgyz are afraid of air currents and no matter what time of the year it is, even if it’s the peak of the summer and 40ºC outside, they like to travel with the windows closed and the AC switched off.

Sometimes, you can negotiate with the men but, if there are old ladies, forget about it.

70 – Remember to be patient – Ninety percent of Kyrgyzstan is composed of high mountains which means that, every time you want to go from town to town, you will have to cross them, making your journey particularly slow.

In addition, in some more remote destinations, shared taxis and marshrutkas leave once they are full and, sometimes, it takes some time to fill them. Just keep in mind that traveling in Kyrgyzstan can be particularly slow.

Read: Things to do in Astana, Kazakhstan

A yurt camp in Song Kul

  Internet and SIM cards

71 – The best internet in Central Asia – High-speed Wi-Fi is available almost all across the country, even in high altitude towns such as Sary-Mogol and Sary-Tash.

72 – 3G also works pretty well – If you get a local SIM-Card, 3G is also quite fast.

73 – SIM Card – Get a mobile company called O! For just a few dollars, they offer weekly deals for both internet data and calls. This mobile company has street stalls all over the country.

  More information

74 – What is CBT? – CBT (Community Based Tourism) is a very popular tour agency in Kyrgyzstan that can arrange any kind of activity you want to, from yurt stays to trekking, taxis, permits and anything you can think of.

CBT has offices all over the country and it is so popular because, despite being a tour agency, they offer very cheap and competitive prices.

However, bear in mind that, of course, it will always be cheaper to arrange things on your own.

75 – All my articles about Kyrgyzstan – Find them here:

Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan: The ultimate travel itinerary Horse riding in Tash Rabat A beginner’s guide to trekking in Kyrgyzstan Trekking in Karakol China-Kyrgyzstan border crossing Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border crossing 10 Reasons to visit Kyrgyzstan Trekking independently to Song Kul (Planet D guest post) Lenin Peak base camp (Nomadasaurus Guest post)

More articles about Central Asia – Check all my guides and articles about Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.

You are traveling to a neighboring country – Check my guides to Iran or Azerbaijan.

    source http://cheaprtravels.com/75-useful-tips-for-traveling-to-kyrgyzstan/

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75 Useful tips for traveling to Kyrgyzstan

From first-class treks to a very accessible nomadic culture, horse riding and hospitable people, Kyrgyzstan is the ultimate destination for those seeking an off the beaten track (but easy) adventure.

After spending two entire months traveling in Kyrgyzstan, I have compiled all the necessary information that will help you plan your trip, from visas and bureaucracy to accommodation, transportation and plenty of cultural facts.

By the way, if you want to keep a track of all my photos and travels, remember to follow @againstthecompass on Instagram. 

This guide contains all the practical information. For places to visit, read: Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan – 1 to 4-week itinerary

    What will you find in this article?

Visa for Kyrgyzstan Travel insurance for Kyrgyzstan When to visit Kyrgyzstan How to get to Kyrgyzstan Is it safe to travel to Kyrgyzstan? Top 5 experiences in Kyrgyzstan Tours in Kyrgyzstan Books for traveling to Kyrgyzstan The country, people, and culture Nomadic life Horses Trekking Food and alcohol Money Accommodation Transportation Internet & SIM card More information

Total transparency – If you like my website and found this post useful, remember that, if you buy anything through any of my links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These earnings help me maintain and keep Against the Compass going! Thanks

Do you know what a VPN is? A Virtual Private Network allows you to access blocked sites when you travel, as well as it lets you access content only available in your home country (like Netflix), plus it prevents hackers from stealing your personal data. Learn here why you should always use a VPN when you travel

  Visa for Kyrgyzstan

1 – The most liberal visa regime in Central Asia – Most nationalities get a 60-day free visa on arrival, both at the airport and overland.

If you want to renew it, you just need to cross the Kazakh border (1 hour from Bishkek) and come back on the same day.

These countries are: EU/EFTA (except for Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania), Australia, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Canada, Kuwait, Monaco, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uzbekistan, Vatican City. Japan and Russia can get an indefinite stay. 

2 – Other nationalities can apply for an e-visa – Since September 2017, most of the remaining countries can apply for an e-visa through the official portal. It takes around 1 week and costs 63USD. 

Moreover, if you are in possession of an e-visa, you can travel to Kyrgyzstan both via land and air. 

The countries which are eligible to the e-visa and don’t need LOI are: Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Cyprus, Indonesia, Israel, Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro, Oman, Philippines, Romania, San Marino, South Africa, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela.

If you are not on any of the above lists, read the Kyrgyzstan visa section of Caravanistan for further information on visas.

3 – Extending your visa does not seem to be possible anymore – We tried to extend our visa in August 2017 and they said that, since May 2017, extensions aren’t possible anymore. We tried to extend it in both Karakol and Bishkek. 

It is easier to travel to Almaty and come back. 

4 – Overstaying can be expensive – According to what the authorities told us when we couldn’t extend our visas, if we overstayed, the fine could be up to 200USD.

A horse grazing in the middle of the Alay Valley – Kyrgyzstan travel guide

  Travel Insurance for Kyrgyzstan

5 – Get proper travel insurance – If you visit Kyrgyzstan, travel insurance is a must, as accidents do happen in the mountains. Actually, during a horse trek in Tash Rabat, I fell off the horse and had to stay in bed for two weeks.

It was a pretty bad (and scary accident).

I had to go to the hospital, all the way to Bishkek, where they carried out different kinds of tests on me which, in the end, turned out to be expensive.

Luckily, I had World Nomads, the best travel insurance company out there because:

It is the only company that gives unlimited medical coverage

It covers a big bunch of adventure activities, including trekking in high altitudes

Pretty much any nationality can get it

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE QUOTE FROM WORLD NOMADS

If you want to know more options, read how to find the best backpacking insurance

  When to travel to Kyrgyzstan

6 – My favorite month: September. Why?

July & August would be the ideal season for trekking, especially if you plan to go high in the mountains as, during these two months, the weather is warmer and the likelihood of raining is lower.

However, in 2019, Kyrgyzstan is becoming a popular destination, which means that some areas may be crowded. In September, nevertheless, most crowds will be gone, and the weather will still be warm enough for trekking, and that is why I consider September to be the best month for visiting Kyrgyzstan.

  High season (mid-June to Mid-September) Shoulder season (Spring and Autumn) Low season (mid-November to March) PROS Best season for trekking, loads of nomads In late spring and early autumn, you can do some cool treks Winter landscape, snow, no people CONS Crowded, plus it can be really hot in Bishkek and other low-altitude areas High mountains may be not accessible, unpredictable weather No trekking, no nomads

This was during the first week of July (Archa Tör Pass)

  How to get to Kyrgyzstan

7 – How to travel to Kyrgyzstan by air – Getting to the International Airport of Bishkek is fairly easy, as it has quite a few connections with several airports in Europe. Moreover, you should also check Pegasus, a budget airline from Istanbul with daily flights to Bishkek. Alternatively, check out the flights to Almaty, as they are usually cheaper and it is very close to Bishkek. 

8 – How to travel to Kyrgyzstan by land

China – There are 2 open borders, Irkeshtam and Torugart. Crossing at Torugart requires having a special, expensive Chinese permit. Crossing via Irkeshtam is fairly easy and you can read the full report here. 

Tajikistan – There are 6 border crossings and 4 of them are open to foreigners. The most obvious is the Kyzyl Art border crossing, which is the one that follows the Pamir Highway. For more information, read the latest Caravanistan updates.

Kazakhstan – There are like 7 border crossings, but the easiest ones are Karkara and Kordai. For more information, read the latest Caravanistan updates. 

Uzbekistan – There are nowadays 4 borders but only 3 are open as of 2019. For more information, read the latest Caravanistan updates. 

Kyzyl Art Pass, between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan

  Is it safe to travel to Kyrgyzstan?

9 – Something you need to know:

The term Stan doesn’t mean a place is dangerous, but Stan means land, so Kyrgyzstan means the land of Kyrgyz. 

Kyrgyzstan is a safe destination. Period. 

I mean, just check the FCO advice and you will see that all they say is that Kyrgyzstan is a very safe country, and here you need to take into account that the FCO advice is always absolutely biased, meaning that tends to see danger where there is not, especially in the Middle East.

Solo travelers will be just fine and whereas I can’t speak for women, I know many women who have been there, and all they told me was positive experiences. 

The only potential danger you may hear about is that Bishkek used to be infamous for its after-midnight crime, mainly targeting drunk people on their way home from the bars. The situation, however, has dramatically improved but, if that is a concern for you, just take a taxi when you go back home.  

  Top 5 experiences in Kyrgyzstan

Remember that, for a complete itinerary, including all the places to visit, plus accommodation & transportation tips, don’t forget to check my Kyrgyzstan guide for the independent traveler. 

Stay with Kyrgyz nomads

Experiencing the nomadic life is one of the greatest Kyrgyz experiences. From staying in a yurt to helping them preparing kurut, their local cheese, during our 2-month journey across the country, we met loads of nomads with we had awesome experiences. 

However, with the tourism increase, some nomadic camps have become too commercial, and what I recommend is that you try to find the most authentic ones. How? Well, by getting off the beaten track but also, if you go to Song Kul, instead of staying at the CBT camp where everybody stays, just go across the lake. 

A really offbeat nomad camp, somewhere in the southern Pamirs

Watch nomad games, but try to find out where the local games happen (don’t go to the touristic ones)

The ancient nomad sports in Kyrgyzstan are just crazy, and bizarre.

From horse wrestling to playing polo with a dead goat instead of an actual ball (Ulak tariysh), the nomadic games of Kyrgyzstan are, definitely, a must-see. 

Every summer, some tourist organizations, like CBT, organize nomad games for tourists, in Song Kul and places like that, but I recommend you find the local ones, as the vibe is just great, plus they do a larger variety of sports. 

To be very honest, I didn’t manage to see a local game in Kyrgyzstan, but I did in Tajikistan, near the Kyrgyz border (where most Tajiks are ethnically Kyrgyz), and it was just awesome.

Go trekking on a horse

Many people may feel bad for riding a horse, but the truth is that Kyrgyzstan is the land of horses and even today, in the rural areas, they are the preferred way of transportation.

Those horses are really used to go over high altitude mountain passes, and you definitely get a different experience, and perspective than going on foot. 

Climbing the Tash Rabat pass – 4,000 meters

Go trekking in some of the most mind-blowing mountains ever

I truly believe that, in a matter of years, Kyrgyzstan will become the trekking destination of reference, competing directly with Nepal and Argentina, and the reason is that its mountains are absolutely jaw-dropping, plus they are much more accessible than any other destination I know. 

Visit the remotest Silk Road Heritage sites

Kyrgyzstan has only a small bunch of Silk Road Heritage sites, but the few it has are truly epic, remote and placed in the most epic locations. 

The most epic Silk Road Heritage site in Kyrgyzstan: Tash Rabat

Something you must know: Kyrgyzstan is about nature and nomadic life  With very few Silk Road Heritage sites compared to its neighbor Uzbekistan, in Kyrgyzstan, there’s not much to do besides wandering around its gorgeous mountains and experiencing the nomadic life. The truth is that, with the exception of Bishkek and Arslanbob, most towns in Kyrgyzstan are pretty boring as there is no distinctive architecture, soul and social life, as Kyrgyzstan has been a nomadic land for many centuries. When you travel in Kyrgyzstan, you will see that towns are merely used as a base to explore the mountains or take a rest from them.

Read: 75 Useful tips for traveling to Uzbekistan

  Tours in Kyrgyzstan

I am sure you already know that I am not really into tours, but if you are short in time and why not, you feel safer and more comfortable with a group or a professional guide, these are some really trips offered by GetYourGuide, a company I like to recommend because you can book budget tours online with just one click. 

7-day Highlights of Kyrgyzstan – 1 week exploring the best of Kyrgyzstan. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Burana Tower – Day trip to One of the very few Silk Road Heritage sites in Kyrgyzstan. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Ala Archa Park + Eagle Hunting – A trip to the closest National Park to Bishkek combined with the classic ancient nomad way of hunting. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Bishkek City Tour – A walking tour around the capital. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Following nomads – A full day following a group of nomads to learn about their way of living. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Song Kul Lake – Trip to one of the most epic lakes in Kyrgyzstan. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL TOURS TO KYRGYZSTAN

Burana tower, one of the few Silk Road heritage places in the country

  Books for traveling to Kyrgyzstan

Besides my blog, you may wanna check some book guides:

10 – Kyrgyzstan Guide by Bradt – By far, the best and most complete book guide to Kyrgyzstan. Bradt writes the most awesome guides, as they are always filled with great cultural insights and personal experiences. I always buy their Kindle version for whatever country I go to.

 CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST PRICES ON AMAZON 

  11 – Central Asia Guide by Lonely Planet – A classic. If you are traveling throughout the region, this might be a more economical option, rather than buying one guide oer country.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST PRICES ON AMAZON 

  11 – Russian-English phrasebook – No need to say how useful being able to speak in Russian is.

 CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST PRICES ON AMAZON 

  Country, people and culture

12 – Kyrgyzstan used to be part of the Soviet Union – It acquired its independence in 1991, with the collapse of the USSR.

13 – The origin of the Kyrgyz – Kyrgyz people are an ethnic nomadic group which is believed to have come from a region within Siberia, during the 10th and 15th centuries.

Originally, they used to have red hair but, over the centuries, they have mixed with all kinds of groups, especially Mongols and Turks.

14 – Kyrgyz make up 66% of the population – The biggest minority are Uzbeks (15%), followed by Russians (10%).

15 – It’s a Muslim country. Well, not really – Like in most Soviet countries, religion is not a big deal anymore, especially in the north of the country.

In the south, people tend to be more traditional, so you may see more mosques or men with beard and Muslim hats, but nothing relevant. During Ramadan, I was in Bishkek and didn’t see any sign of people fasting.

Alcohol is available everywhere and there is no sex segregation. You will see that women of all ages will always come to you to start a conversation.

16 – However, Saudi Arabia wants to reverse this – They are funding the construction of mosques across the country.

Read: 35 Tips for traveling to Kazakhstan

A very Muslim, nomadic man, which is very rare to see. His wife wears a niqab

17 – Kyrgyz is the national language but Russian is widely spoken – Kyrgyz, a Turkic language, is the country’s official language.

Russian is spoken by most of the population, except in the south of the country, which has a significant Uzbek population who, for some reason, don’t really speak it.

18 – English is a problem – Communicating with people is one of the biggest issues in Kyrgyzstan, as very few people speak English. 

19 – At least, you must learn the Cyrillic alphabet – Extremely useful, especially when it comes to reading restaurant menus and bus directions.

20 – Bishkek is surprisingly Westernized – When you arrive in Bishkek and discover all those restaurants and bars where local people hang out, who dress incredibly well, you realize that this is not what you were expecting.

21 – The rest of the country is more traditional – Outside of Bishkek, most people still live a traditional life, where people’s main life goal is getting married and having children as early as possible. I met several 20-year old women who already had two kids.

22 – Kidnapping brides is still a big deal – And what do I mean by kidnapping brides? In Kyrgyzstan, a man can take a random woman who is just walking on the street to his house and, if both parents agree, he can marry her and the woman can’t say anything.

I know, it’s not a real kidnapping but it’s a crazy tradition and, even today, some locals told me that this is practiced by 20% of the population, especially in small, rural villages.

If you want to know more about, check out this video (2019)

23 – The most hospitable people in Central Asia – In this region, the Kyrgyz are famous for their hospitality. When we went trekking in the mountains, I remember that there was not a single day when someone didn’t invite us to his or her yurt to have some tea and bread with home-made jam and butter.

Traveling in Kyrgyzstan is very pleasant, as the Kyrgyz people, who will always bless you with their smiles, are kind and hospitable by nature.

24 – You can’t believe how clean they are – When you visit Kyrgyzstan, you will realize that these people have a real obsession with cleanliness.

Even in youth hostels, sometimes I could never go to the toilet because there was someone cleaning it. In guest houses and home-stays, women spend the entire day mopping the floor and cleaning the kitchen.

I don’t know whether it’s true or not but, a Russian man told me that, during Soviet times, Kyrgyz people had a bad reputation for being dirty. In order to change this general opinion, they became obsessed with cleanliness.

25 – Girls are pretty, very pretty – Kyrgyz women are stunning, especially in Bishkek. On the other hand, all foreign women say that, in general, Kyrgyz men are not very handsome.

26 – Always remove your shoes – You must always remove shoes when you enter any house, yurt and even hostels and guesthouses.

Read: 70 Tips for traveling to Pakistan

A cute, nomadic girl

  Nomadic life

27 – The most accessible nomadic life in the world – From time immemorial, the ethnic group known as the Kyrgyz have been a nomadic people who tend to move continuously throughout the mountains and valleys of the region with their cattle.

Today, a large proportion of the Kyrgyz population still live a nomadic, traditional life, not very different from their ancestors.

In summer, which is from June to September, you will find hundreds of nomad camps everywhere, either next to the road or in the remotest mountains, where they settle so their horses, cows and sheep can graze freely.

28 – It’s their summer job – During the summer months, Kyrgyz nomads move from cities to the mountains, so their herds of cows, sheep, goats and horses can graze freely.

When the season is over, they sell some of these animals, as well as dairy products and meat. This is the only source of income most of them rely on.

29 – They live in yurts – Yurts are perhaps the most iconic symbol of Kyrgyzstan. These cozy skin-made tents, which can be seen all across the country, can be incredibly warm during the freezing nights.

A yurt camp in Song Kul

30 – You can always stay with them, no matter where you go – Whether you just want to get a warm meal or spend the night, wherever you go trekking, the nomads will always welcome you, at least in my experience.

But remember that, even if they don’t ask, they may expect you to pay something.

31 – Get off the beaten track because the touristic areas are too commercialized – If you go to popular places, such as Song Kul for example, most nomad families have spare yurts, which have been built for tourists.

Whereas there is nothing wrong with staying there, the experience won’t be very authentic.

If you have a chance, try to find yurts around the Alay Valley, the Pamirs or even in less popular treks around Karakol. In these yurt camps, you may sleep in the same yurt as the family and even join in with their daily tasks.

Enjoying some shorpo with a nomadic woman – Kyrgyzstan travel guide

  Horses

32 – It’s the land of horses – Horses are as much part of their culture as the yurts. From epic horse treks over 4,000-meter mountain passes to herds of tens of horses grazing in stunning meadows, if you like horses, you are going to love Kyrgyzstan.

33 – They learn how to ride a horse at the same time as walking – When you are in the mountains, you will see plenty of kids (including little girls) riding big horses.

34 – You must go horse trekking – Trekking over high mountain passes, riding one of those beautiful beasts is one of the highlights of Kyrgyzstan.

Ah, in case you are wondering, no, you don’t need any previous riding experience. A guide will always come with you.

35 – But be careful! – Horses are no joke. They are dangerous so don’t try to gallop if you don’t have any experience.

I actually had a pretty bad accident, felling off a horse in Tash Rabat when I tried to gallop (I am a stupid, inexperienced man). I had to stay in bed for two weeks and fully recovered after one month. I could have been much, much worse, so be careful.

Riding a horse in Tash Rabat

36 – Hiring a horse is cheap – It costs around 700KGS ($10) a day plus 1,000KGS ($15) for the guide, which can be split between several people. If they try to charge you more, they are ripping you off.

37 – But be aware that they eat them! – When you see a herd of horses grazing over a dreamy meadow, don’t get too much in love with them because many of them will end up in a butchery!

38 – Horse games – Horses are so rooted in their culture that they are also main protagonists in their national sports. Among many others, Ulak Tsrtysh is the most popular game, which is a form of polo where they play with a dead goat which is beheaded right before the game begins. Violence in any match is more than guaranteed.

For more information on horses, read: Horse riding in Tash Rabat, Kyrgyzstan

Horse wrestling

  Trekking

39 – Around 90% of the of the country is above 1,500 meters – I’ve told you everything already.

40 – First world-class hikes – For decades, travelers with a slight sense of adventure, who wanted to savor some first-class hikes, used to go to Argentina, Switzerland, and Nepal.

However, just a couple of years ago, the most intrepid travelers quickly realized that trekking in Kyrgyzstan could easily rival Patagonia and the Himalayas.

41 – Some treks I did:  Tien Shan mountains around Karakol, Trekking from Tash Rabat to Chatyr Kul Trekking from Kyzylart to Song Kul  Trekking to Lenin Peak Base camp

For more information on trekking in Kyrgyzstan, read my guide: 

Trekking in Kyrgyzstan, everything you need to know

On my way to the advanced base camp of Lenin peak

  Food and alcohol

42 – Food is not amazing but it’s OK to fill your stomach – You will not love it but, after traveling in Kyrgyzstan for 2 months, I was not especially bored of it.

43 – The typical food – Lagman (a hearty noodle soup), manty (meat dumplings) and shorpo (meat broth) are the staple food.

44 – But don’t trust mantys – While traveling in Kyrgyzstan, the only day I got slightly sick was after eating some street mantys. Be careful where you order them, as the meat they are filled with may have been outside of the fridge for days.

45 – In small towns and villages, only staple food – In bigger towns, you can easily find more choices, like salads, kebab or Western food. However, in villages, you’ll have to fill your stomach with lagman and mantys.

46 – You are expected to know what to order from the moment you enter the restaurant – It’s your first day in Kyrgyzstan, the first time you enter a restaurant, holding a menu written in an alphabet which you’ve never seen before.

However, they will expect you to know what to order within 10 seconds of giving you the menu. If you tell them to wait for 5 or 10 minutes, they won’t really understand you and will stand next to you. It’s very weird but you’ll get used to it. 

47 – If you are vegetarian, you are fucked – It’s said that Kyrgyzstan is the country with the highest consumption of meat per capita in the world.

At most restaurants, it’s extremely difficult to find vegetarian dishes and, when you ask for something vegetarian, they kind of freak out.

Even sometimes, when I ordered a salad, it came with pieces of cooked beef in it. True story.

48 – Even chicken is difficult to find – If you find chicken on a menu, just order it!

49 – Beer and vodka are available everywhere – Welcome to the ex-Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan! Despite being a Muslim country, alcohol consumption is present everywhere, even in small villages and towns.

50 – Get used to people being completely smashed at 9am – You’ll definitely meet Kyrgyz men who are massively wasted, who can barely walk, quite early in the morning.

51 – You must try kymys – If you go to the mountains and stay with nomads, ask for kymys, which is fermented milk. Most people don’t like it, as it has a weirdly sour, strong taste.

It has some small percentage of alcohol. However, if you don’t like it the first time, give it another chance. I tasted it in four different places and in two of them it was surprisingly good.

52 – Kyryt is the snack in fashion – Kyryt are some sort of cheese and yogurt balls which are available all across Central Asia but Kyrgyzstan is where they are most prevalent.

Again, some people don’t like them but, like kymys, some of them were good, some of them weren’t.

53 – A fruit paradise – If you come during the season, markets are filled with all kinds of fruits, incredibly tasty and ridiculously cheap. In summer, you will find plenty of nectarines, watermelon, strawberries, raspberries and much, much more!

Some very nice girls selling kyryt, the national snack in Kyrgyzstan

  Money

54 – Kyrgyz SOM is the official currency – 1USD = 68KGS

55 – It’s cheap, really cheap – You can easily find home or yurt stays for 10USD a day, including dinner and breakfast. Meals cost around 1-2USD in local eateries and between 2-4USD in mid-range places.

Public transportation within cities costs 15c and buses between nearby towns, less than 1USD. You can live like a king for less than 20USD a day.

56 – ATMs are easy to find and you can withdraw USD – ATMs are available everywhere and, in many of them, you can select the option that you want to cash out USD, instead of KGS.

In my experience, the maximum I was able to get was 200USD at a time.

57 – I’ve never seen so many exchange offices – In Bishkek, there are exchange offices in absolutely every corner. In the rest of the country, it’s also easy to exchange money.

58 – Except for taxi drivers, people don’t tend to rip you off – Perhaps, because mass tourism hasn’t arrived here yet but I didn’t feel anyone trying to rip me off, except for taxi drivers of course.

59 – Expect to pay 10-15% extra for service in any good restaurant – Except in cheap, local eateries, you will always pay an extra 10-15% for service when the bill comes.

Song Kul at sunrise

  Accommodation

60 – Everybody has a home stay – Kyrgyzstan has the peculiarity that, no matter where you go, locals offer their houses to foreigners for home stays. 

Whether it is a remote village or a touristic destination, as soon as you arrive, women will approach you, asking if you want to stay at their house. 

61 – Homestays are superb – They are always comfortable, clean and nicely decorated. You will not want to leave!

62 – They always expect you to pay – Remember that, even if you are in a very remote village and you get randomly invited by someone to stay, even if they don’t ask you for money, they are expecting you to give something.

63 – Price is always per person – If you travel alone, Kyrgyzstan is a good place for you, as price is always per person, not per room.

64 – You must stay in a yurt – Go to the mountains and stay in a yurt with a Kyrgyz family!

A woman preparing our dinner at her house

  Transportation – Kyrgyzstan travel guide

65 – Hitchhiking – Extremely easy and common among the locals. However, remember that, in Kyrgyzstan, everybody is a taxi driver so if you are looking for a free ride, you will need an extra dose of patience.

66 – Mashrutka is the way to go – Mashrutkas are some kind of vans and mini-vans that connect all cities and towns in Kyrgyzstan.

They are extremely cheap and it’s very easy to move around with them, as you can find a station (or more) at every bazaar in absolutely every town.

You just need to get on at the station and say which city or town you want to go.

67 – Shared local taxis – Late in the evening, for long distances or in very remote towns, marshrutkas don’t run that often, so you will have to take a local shared taxi.

They are more expensive but, definitely, faster than marshrutkas. However, some drivers are completely nuts and may drive at over 120km per hour along narrow mountain roads.

68 – Old women have the power – In any bus, marshrutka or taxi you go, women can choose any seat they want, even if you arrived one hour before them. In city buses, always give up your seat to any women over 40-50 years old. If you don’t, they will tell you to stand up.

When I fell off the horse and had to stay in bed for 2 weeks, I was sitting in a marshrutka on the way to the hospital.

I could barely stand up and, when a woman entered and told me to move and I couldn’t explain why I couldn’t, I created a lot of trouble until she understood.

69 – At 40ºC, windows are still closed – Kyrgyz are afraid of air currents and no matter what time of the year it is, even if it’s the peak of the summer and 40ºC outside, they like to travel with the windows closed and the AC switched off.

Sometimes, you can negotiate with the men but, if there are old ladies, forget about it.

70 – Remember to be patient – Ninety percent of Kyrgyzstan is composed of high mountains which means that, every time you want to go from town to town, you will have to cross them, making your journey particularly slow.

In addition, in some more remote destinations, shared taxis and marshrutkas leave once they are full and, sometimes, it takes some time to fill them. Just keep in mind that traveling in Kyrgyzstan can be particularly slow.

Read: Things to do in Astana, Kazakhstan

A yurt camp in Song Kul

  Internet and SIM cards

71 – The best internet in Central Asia – High-speed Wi-Fi is available almost all across the country, even in high altitude towns such as Sary-Mogol and Sary-Tash.

72 – 3G also works pretty well – If you get a local SIM-Card, 3G is also quite fast.

73 – SIM Card – Get a mobile company called O! For just a few dollars, they offer weekly deals for both internet data and calls. This mobile company has street stalls all over the country.

  More information

74 – What is CBT? – CBT (Community Based Tourism) is a very popular tour agency in Kyrgyzstan that can arrange any kind of activity you want to, from yurt stays to trekking, taxis, permits and anything you can think of.

CBT has offices all over the country and it is so popular because, despite being a tour agency, they offer very cheap and competitive prices.

However, bear in mind that, of course, it will always be cheaper to arrange things on your own.

75 – All my articles about Kyrgyzstan – Find them here:

Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan: The ultimate travel itinerary Horse riding in Tash Rabat A beginner’s guide to trekking in Kyrgyzstan Trekking in Karakol China-Kyrgyzstan border crossing Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border crossing 10 Reasons to visit Kyrgyzstan Trekking independently to Song Kul (Planet D guest post) Lenin Peak base camp (Nomadasaurus Guest post)

More articles about Central Asia – Check all my guides and articles about Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.

You are traveling to a neighboring country – Check my guides to Iran or Azerbaijan.

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75 Useful tips for traveling to Kyrgyzstan

From first-class treks to a very accessible nomadic culture, horse riding and hospitable people, Kyrgyzstan is the ultimate destination for those seeking an off the beaten track (but easy) adventure.

After spending two entire months traveling in Kyrgyzstan, I have compiled all the necessary information that will help you plan your trip, from visas and bureaucracy to accommodation, transportation and plenty of cultural facts.

By the way, if you want to keep a track of all my photos and travels, remember to follow @againstthecompass on Instagram. 

This guide contains all the practical information. For places to visit, read: Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan – 1 to 4-week itinerary

    What will you find in this article?

Visa for Kyrgyzstan Travel insurance for Kyrgyzstan When to visit Kyrgyzstan How to get to Kyrgyzstan Is it safe to travel to Kyrgyzstan? Top 5 experiences in Kyrgyzstan Tours in Kyrgyzstan Books for traveling to Kyrgyzstan The country, people, and culture Nomadic life Horses Trekking Food and alcohol Money Accommodation Transportation Internet & SIM card More information

Total transparency – If you like my website and found this post useful, remember that, if you buy anything through any of my links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These earnings help me maintain and keep Against the Compass going! Thanks

Do you know what a VPN is? A Virtual Private Network allows you to access blocked sites when you travel, as well as it lets you access content only available in your home country (like Netflix), plus it prevents hackers from stealing your personal data. Learn here why you should always use a VPN when you travel

  Visa for Kyrgyzstan

1 – The most liberal visa regime in Central Asia – Most nationalities get a 60-day free visa on arrival, both at the airport and overland.

If you want to renew it, you just need to cross the Kazakh border (1 hour from Bishkek) and come back on the same day.

These countries are: EU/EFTA (except for Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania), Australia, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Canada, Kuwait, Monaco, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uzbekistan, Vatican City. Japan and Russia can get an indefinite stay. 

2 – Other nationalities can apply for an e-visa – Since September 2017, most of the remaining countries can apply for an e-visa through the official portal. It takes around 1 week and costs 63USD. 

Moreover, if you are in possession of an e-visa, you can travel to Kyrgyzstan both via land and air. 

The countries which are eligible to the e-visa and don’t need LOI are: Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Cyprus, Indonesia, Israel, Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro, Oman, Philippines, Romania, San Marino, South Africa, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela.

If you are not on any of the above lists, read the Kyrgyzstan visa section of Caravanistan for further information on visas.

3 – Extending your visa does not seem to be possible anymore – We tried to extend our visa in August 2017 and they said that, since May 2017, extensions aren’t possible anymore. We tried to extend it in both Karakol and Bishkek. 

It is easier to travel to Almaty and come back. 

4 – Overstaying can be expensive – According to what the authorities told us when we couldn’t extend our visas, if we overstayed, the fine could be up to 200USD.

A horse grazing in the middle of the Alay Valley – Kyrgyzstan travel guide

  Travel Insurance for Kyrgyzstan

5 – Get proper travel insurance – If you visit Kyrgyzstan, travel insurance is a must, as accidents do happen in the mountains. Actually, during a horse trek in Tash Rabat, I fell off the horse and had to stay in bed for two weeks.

It was a pretty bad (and scary accident).

I had to go to the hospital, all the way to Bishkek, where they carried out different kinds of tests on me which, in the end, turned out to be expensive.

Luckily, I had World Nomads, the best travel insurance company out there because:

It is the only company that gives unlimited medical coverage

It covers a big bunch of adventure activities, including trekking in high altitudes

Pretty much any nationality can get it

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE QUOTE FROM WORLD NOMADS

If you want to know more options, read how to find the best backpacking insurance

  When to travel to Kyrgyzstan

6 – My favorite month: September. Why?

July & August would be the ideal season for trekking, especially if you plan to go high in the mountains as, during these two months, the weather is warmer and the likelihood of raining is lower.

However, in 2019, Kyrgyzstan is becoming a popular destination, which means that some areas may be crowded. In September, nevertheless, most crowds will be gone, and the weather will still be warm enough for trekking, and that is why I consider September to be the best month for visiting Kyrgyzstan.

  High season (mid-June to Mid-September) Shoulder season (Spring and Autumn) Low season (mid-November to March) PROS Best season for trekking, loads of nomads In late spring and early autumn, you can do some cool treks Winter landscape, snow, no people CONS Crowded, plus it can be really hot in Bishkek and other low-altitude areas High mountains may be not accessible, unpredictable weather No trekking, no nomads

This was during the first week of July (Archa Tör Pass)

  How to get to Kyrgyzstan

7 – How to travel to Kyrgyzstan by air – Getting to the International Airport of Bishkek is fairly easy, as it has quite a few connections with several airports in Europe. Moreover, you should also check Pegasus, a budget airline from Istanbul with daily flights to Bishkek. Alternatively, check out the flights to Almaty, as they are usually cheaper and it is very close to Bishkek. 

8 – How to travel to Kyrgyzstan by land

China – There are 2 open borders, Irkeshtam and Torugart. Crossing at Torugart requires having a special, expensive Chinese permit. Crossing via Irkeshtam is fairly easy and you can read the full report here. 

Tajikistan – There are 6 border crossings and 4 of them are open to foreigners. The most obvious is the Kyzyl Art border crossing, which is the one that follows the Pamir Highway. For more information, read the latest Caravanistan updates.

Kazakhstan – There are like 7 border crossings, but the easiest ones are Karkara and Kordai. For more information, read the latest Caravanistan updates. 

Uzbekistan – There are nowadays 4 borders but only 3 are open as of 2019. For more information, read the latest Caravanistan updates. 

Kyzyl Art Pass, between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan

  Is it safe to travel to Kyrgyzstan?

9 – Something you need to know:

The term Stan doesn’t mean a place is dangerous, but Stan means land, so Kyrgyzstan means the land of Kyrgyz. 

Kyrgyzstan is a safe destination. Period. 

I mean, just check the FCO advice and you will see that all they say is that Kyrgyzstan is a very safe country, and here you need to take into account that the FCO advice is always absolutely biased, meaning that tends to see danger where there is not, especially in the Middle East.

Solo travelers will be just fine and whereas I can’t speak for women, I know many women who have been there, and all they told me was positive experiences. 

The only potential danger you may hear about is that Bishkek used to be infamous for its after-midnight crime, mainly targeting drunk people on their way home from the bars. The situation, however, has dramatically improved but, if that is a concern for you, just take a taxi when you go back home.  

  Top 5 experiences in Kyrgyzstan

Remember that, for a complete itinerary, including all the places to visit, plus accommodation & transportation tips, don’t forget to check my Kyrgyzstan guide for the independent traveler. 

Stay with Kyrgyz nomads

Experiencing the nomadic life is one of the greatest Kyrgyz experiences. From staying in a yurt to helping them preparing kurut, their local cheese, during our 2-month journey across the country, we met loads of nomads with we had awesome experiences. 

However, with the tourism increase, some nomadic camps have become too commercial, and what I recommend is that you try to find the most authentic ones. How? Well, by getting off the beaten track but also, if you go to Song Kul, instead of staying at the CBT camp where everybody stays, just go across the lake. 

A really offbeat nomad camp, somewhere in the southern Pamirs

Watch nomad games, but try to find out where the local games happen (don’t go to the touristic ones)

The ancient nomad sports in Kyrgyzstan are just crazy, and bizarre.

From horse wrestling to playing polo with a dead goat instead of an actual ball (Ulak tariysh), the nomadic games of Kyrgyzstan are, definitely, a must-see. 

Every summer, some tourist organizations, like CBT, organize nomad games for tourists, in Song Kul and places like that, but I recommend you find the local ones, as the vibe is just great, plus they do a larger variety of sports. 

To be very honest, I didn’t manage to see a local game in Kyrgyzstan, but I did in Tajikistan, near the Kyrgyz border (where most Tajiks are ethnically Kyrgyz), and it was just awesome.

Go trekking on a horse

Many people may feel bad for riding a horse, but the truth is that Kyrgyzstan is the land of horses and even today, in the rural areas, they are the preferred way of transportation.

Those horses are really used to go over high altitude mountain passes, and you definitely get a different experience, and perspective than going on foot. 

Climbing the Tash Rabat pass – 4,000 meters

Go trekking in some of the most mind-blowing mountains ever

I truly believe that, in a matter of years, Kyrgyzstan will become the trekking destination of reference, competing directly with Nepal and Argentina, and the reason is that its mountains are absolutely jaw-dropping, plus they are much more accessible than any other destination I know. 

Visit the remotest Silk Road Heritage sites

Kyrgyzstan has only a small bunch of Silk Road Heritage sites, but the few it has are truly epic, remote and placed in the most epic locations. 

The most epic Silk Road Heritage site in Kyrgyzstan: Tash Rabat

Something you must know: Kyrgyzstan is about nature and nomadic life  With very few Silk Road Heritage sites compared to its neighbor Uzbekistan, in Kyrgyzstan, there’s not much to do besides wandering around its gorgeous mountains and experiencing the nomadic life. The truth is that, with the exception of Bishkek and Arslanbob, most towns in Kyrgyzstan are pretty boring as there is no distinctive architecture, soul and social life, as Kyrgyzstan has been a nomadic land for many centuries. When you travel in Kyrgyzstan, you will see that towns are merely used as a base to explore the mountains or take a rest from them.

Read: 75 Useful tips for traveling to Uzbekistan

  Tours in Kyrgyzstan

I am sure you already know that I am not really into tours, but if you are short in time and why not, you feel safer and more comfortable with a group or a professional guide, these are some really trips offered by GetYourGuide, a company I like to recommend because you can book budget tours online with just one click. 

7-day Highlights of Kyrgyzstan – 1 week exploring the best of Kyrgyzstan. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Burana Tower – Day trip to One of the very few Silk Road Heritage sites in Kyrgyzstan. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Ala Archa Park + Eagle Hunting – A trip to the closest National Park to Bishkek combined with the classic ancient nomad way of hunting. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Bishkek City Tour – A walking tour around the capital. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Following nomads – A full day following a group of nomads to learn about their way of living. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Song Kul Lake – Trip to one of the most epic lakes in Kyrgyzstan. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL TOURS TO KYRGYZSTAN

Burana tower, one of the few Silk Road heritage places in the country

  Books for traveling to Kyrgyzstan

Besides my blog, you may wanna check some book guides:

10 – Kyrgyzstan Guide by Bradt – By far, the best and most complete book guide to Kyrgyzstan. Bradt writes the most awesome guides, as they are always filled with great cultural insights and personal experiences. I always buy their Kindle version for whatever country I go to.

 CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST PRICES ON AMAZON 

  11 – Central Asia Guide by Lonely Planet – A classic. If you are traveling throughout the region, this might be a more economical option, rather than buying one guide oer country.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST PRICES ON AMAZON 

  11 – Russian-English phrasebook – No need to say how useful being able to speak in Russian is.

 CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST PRICES ON AMAZON 

  Country, people and culture

12 – Kyrgyzstan used to be part of the Soviet Union – It acquired its independence in 1991, with the collapse of the USSR.

13 – The origin of the Kyrgyz – Kyrgyz people are an ethnic nomadic group which is believed to have come from a region within Siberia, during the 10th and 15th centuries.

Originally, they used to have red hair but, over the centuries, they have mixed with all kinds of groups, especially Mongols and Turks.

14 – Kyrgyz make up 66% of the population – The biggest minority are Uzbeks (15%), followed by Russians (10%).

15 – It’s a Muslim country. Well, not really – Like in most Soviet countries, religion is not a big deal anymore, especially in the north of the country.

In the south, people tend to be more traditional, so you may see more mosques or men with beard and Muslim hats, but nothing relevant. During Ramadan, I was in Bishkek and didn’t see any sign of people fasting.

Alcohol is available everywhere and there is no sex segregation. You will see that women of all ages will always come to you to start a conversation.

16 – However, Saudi Arabia wants to reverse this – They are funding the construction of mosques across the country.

Read: 35 Tips for traveling to Kazakhstan

A very Muslim, nomadic man, which is very rare to see. His wife wears a niqab

17 – Kyrgyz is the national language but Russian is widely spoken – Kyrgyz, a Turkic language, is the country’s official language.

Russian is spoken by most of the population, except in the south of the country, which has a significant Uzbek population who, for some reason, don’t really speak it.

18 – English is a problem – Communicating with people is one of the biggest issues in Kyrgyzstan, as very few people speak English. 

19 – At least, you must learn the Cyrillic alphabet – Extremely useful, especially when it comes to reading restaurant menus and bus directions.

20 – Bishkek is surprisingly Westernized – When you arrive in Bishkek and discover all those restaurants and bars where local people hang out, who dress incredibly well, you realize that this is not what you were expecting.

21 – The rest of the country is more traditional – Outside of Bishkek, most people still live a traditional life, where people’s main life goal is getting married and having children as early as possible. I met several 20-year old women who already had two kids.

22 – Kidnapping brides is still a big deal – And what do I mean by kidnapping brides? In Kyrgyzstan, a man can take a random woman who is just walking on the street to his house and, if both parents agree, he can marry her and the woman can’t say anything.

I know, it’s not a real kidnapping but it’s a crazy tradition and, even today, some locals told me that this is practiced by 20% of the population, especially in small, rural villages.

If you want to know more about, check out this video (2019)

23 – The most hospitable people in Central Asia – In this region, the Kyrgyz are famous for their hospitality. When we went trekking in the mountains, I remember that there was not a single day when someone didn’t invite us to his or her yurt to have some tea and bread with home-made jam and butter.

Traveling in Kyrgyzstan is very pleasant, as the Kyrgyz people, who will always bless you with their smiles, are kind and hospitable by nature.

24 – You can’t believe how clean they are – When you visit Kyrgyzstan, you will realize that these people have a real obsession with cleanliness.

Even in youth hostels, sometimes I could never go to the toilet because there was someone cleaning it. In guest houses and home-stays, women spend the entire day mopping the floor and cleaning the kitchen.

I don’t know whether it’s true or not but, a Russian man told me that, during Soviet times, Kyrgyz people had a bad reputation for being dirty. In order to change this general opinion, they became obsessed with cleanliness.

25 – Girls are pretty, very pretty – Kyrgyz women are stunning, especially in Bishkek. On the other hand, all foreign women say that, in general, Kyrgyz men are not very handsome.

26 – Always remove your shoes – You must always remove shoes when you enter any house, yurt and even hostels and guesthouses.

Read: 70 Tips for traveling to Pakistan

A cute, nomadic girl

  Nomadic life

27 – The most accessible nomadic life in the world – From time immemorial, the ethnic group known as the Kyrgyz have been a nomadic people who tend to move continuously throughout the mountains and valleys of the region with their cattle.

Today, a large proportion of the Kyrgyz population still live a nomadic, traditional life, not very different from their ancestors.

In summer, which is from June to September, you will find hundreds of nomad camps everywhere, either next to the road or in the remotest mountains, where they settle so their horses, cows and sheep can graze freely.

28 – It’s their summer job – During the summer months, Kyrgyz nomads move from cities to the mountains, so their herds of cows, sheep, goats and horses can graze freely.

When the season is over, they sell some of these animals, as well as dairy products and meat. This is the only source of income most of them rely on.

29 – They live in yurts – Yurts are perhaps the most iconic symbol of Kyrgyzstan. These cozy skin-made tents, which can be seen all across the country, can be incredibly warm during the freezing nights.

A yurt camp in Song Kul

30 – You can always stay with them, no matter where you go – Whether you just want to get a warm meal or spend the night, wherever you go trekking, the nomads will always welcome you, at least in my experience.

But remember that, even if they don’t ask, they may expect you to pay something.

31 – Get off the beaten track because the touristic areas are too commercialized – If you go to popular places, such as Song Kul for example, most nomad families have spare yurts, which have been built for tourists.

Whereas there is nothing wrong with staying there, the experience won’t be very authentic.

If you have a chance, try to find yurts around the Alay Valley, the Pamirs or even in less popular treks around Karakol. In these yurt camps, you may sleep in the same yurt as the family and even join in with their daily tasks.

Enjoying some shorpo with a nomadic woman – Kyrgyzstan travel guide

  Horses

32 – It’s the land of horses – Horses are as much part of their culture as the yurts. From epic horse treks over 4,000-meter mountain passes to herds of tens of horses grazing in stunning meadows, if you like horses, you are going to love Kyrgyzstan.

33 – They learn how to ride a horse at the same time as walking – When you are in the mountains, you will see plenty of kids (including little girls) riding big horses.

34 – You must go horse trekking – Trekking over high mountain passes, riding one of those beautiful beasts is one of the highlights of Kyrgyzstan.

Ah, in case you are wondering, no, you don’t need any previous riding experience. A guide will always come with you.

35 – But be careful! – Horses are no joke. They are dangerous so don’t try to gallop if you don’t have any experience.

I actually had a pretty bad accident, felling off a horse in Tash Rabat when I tried to gallop (I am a stupid, inexperienced man). I had to stay in bed for two weeks and fully recovered after one month. I could have been much, much worse, so be careful.

Riding a horse in Tash Rabat

36 – Hiring a horse is cheap – It costs around 700KGS ($10) a day plus 1,000KGS ($15) for the guide, which can be split between several people. If they try to charge you more, they are ripping you off.

37 – But be aware that they eat them! – When you see a herd of horses grazing over a dreamy meadow, don’t get too much in love with them because many of them will end up in a butchery!

38 – Horse games – Horses are so rooted in their culture that they are also main protagonists in their national sports. Among many others, Ulak Tsrtysh is the most popular game, which is a form of polo where they play with a dead goat which is beheaded right before the game begins. Violence in any match is more than guaranteed.

For more information on horses, read: Horse riding in Tash Rabat, Kyrgyzstan

Horse wrestling

  Trekking

39 – Around 90% of the of the country is above 1,500 meters – I’ve told you everything already.

40 – First world-class hikes – For decades, travelers with a slight sense of adventure, who wanted to savor some first-class hikes, used to go to Argentina, Switzerland, and Nepal.

However, just a couple of years ago, the most intrepid travelers quickly realized that trekking in Kyrgyzstan could easily rival Patagonia and the Himalayas.

41 – Some treks I did:  Tien Shan mountains around Karakol, Trekking from Tash Rabat to Chatyr Kul Trekking from Kyzylart to Song Kul  Trekking to Lenin Peak Base camp

For more information on trekking in Kyrgyzstan, read my guide: 

Trekking in Kyrgyzstan, everything you need to know

On my way to the advanced base camp of Lenin peak

  Food and alcohol

42 – Food is not amazing but it’s OK to fill your stomach – You will not love it but, after traveling in Kyrgyzstan for 2 months, I was not especially bored of it.

43 – The typical food – Lagman (a hearty noodle soup), manty (meat dumplings) and shorpo (meat broth) are the staple food.

44 – But don’t trust mantys – While traveling in Kyrgyzstan, the only day I got slightly sick was after eating some street mantys. Be careful where you order them, as the meat they are filled with may have been outside of the fridge for days.

45 – In small towns and villages, only staple food – In bigger towns, you can easily find more choices, like salads, kebab or Western food. However, in villages, you’ll have to fill your stomach with lagman and mantys.

46 – You are expected to know what to order from the moment you enter the restaurant – It’s your first day in Kyrgyzstan, the first time you enter a restaurant, holding a menu written in an alphabet which you’ve never seen before.

However, they will expect you to know what to order within 10 seconds of giving you the menu. If you tell them to wait for 5 or 10 minutes, they won’t really understand you and will stand next to you. It’s very weird but you’ll get used to it. 

47 – If you are vegetarian, you are fucked – It’s said that Kyrgyzstan is the country with the highest consumption of meat per capita in the world.

At most restaurants, it’s extremely difficult to find vegetarian dishes and, when you ask for something vegetarian, they kind of freak out.

Even sometimes, when I ordered a salad, it came with pieces of cooked beef in it. True story.

48 – Even chicken is difficult to find – If you find chicken on a menu, just order it!

49 – Beer and vodka are available everywhere – Welcome to the ex-Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan! Despite being a Muslim country, alcohol consumption is present everywhere, even in small villages and towns.

50 – Get used to people being completely smashed at 9am – You’ll definitely meet Kyrgyz men who are massively wasted, who can barely walk, quite early in the morning.

51 – You must try kymys – If you go to the mountains and stay with nomads, ask for kymys, which is fermented milk. Most people don’t like it, as it has a weirdly sour, strong taste.

It has some small percentage of alcohol. However, if you don’t like it the first time, give it another chance. I tasted it in four different places and in two of them it was surprisingly good.

52 – Kyryt is the snack in fashion – Kyryt are some sort of cheese and yogurt balls which are available all across Central Asia but Kyrgyzstan is where they are most prevalent.

Again, some people don’t like them but, like kymys, some of them were good, some of them weren’t.

53 – A fruit paradise – If you come during the season, markets are filled with all kinds of fruits, incredibly tasty and ridiculously cheap. In summer, you will find plenty of nectarines, watermelon, strawberries, raspberries and much, much more!

Some very nice girls selling kyryt, the national snack in Kyrgyzstan

  Money

54 – Kyrgyz SOM is the official currency – 1USD = 68KGS

55 – It’s cheap, really cheap – You can easily find home or yurt stays for 10USD a day, including dinner and breakfast. Meals cost around 1-2USD in local eateries and between 2-4USD in mid-range places.

Public transportation within cities costs 15c and buses between nearby towns, less than 1USD. You can live like a king for less than 20USD a day.

56 – ATMs are easy to find and you can withdraw USD – ATMs are available everywhere and, in many of them, you can select the option that you want to cash out USD, instead of KGS.

In my experience, the maximum I was able to get was 200USD at a time.

57 – I’ve never seen so many exchange offices – In Bishkek, there are exchange offices in absolutely every corner. In the rest of the country, it’s also easy to exchange money.

58 – Except for taxi drivers, people don’t tend to rip you off – Perhaps, because mass tourism hasn’t arrived here yet but I didn’t feel anyone trying to rip me off, except for taxi drivers of course.

59 – Expect to pay 10-15% extra for service in any good restaurant – Except in cheap, local eateries, you will always pay an extra 10-15% for service when the bill comes.

Song Kul at sunrise

  Accommodation

60 – Everybody has a home stay – Kyrgyzstan has the peculiarity that, no matter where you go, locals offer their houses to foreigners for home stays. 

Whether it is a remote village or a touristic destination, as soon as you arrive, women will approach you, asking if you want to stay at their house. 

61 – Homestays are superb – They are always comfortable, clean and nicely decorated. You will not want to leave!

62 – They always expect you to pay – Remember that, even if you are in a very remote village and you get randomly invited by someone to stay, even if they don’t ask you for money, they are expecting you to give something.

63 – Price is always per person – If you travel alone, Kyrgyzstan is a good place for you, as price is always per person, not per room.

64 – You must stay in a yurt – Go to the mountains and stay in a yurt with a Kyrgyz family!

A woman preparing our dinner at her house

  Transportation – Kyrgyzstan travel guide

65 – Hitchhiking – Extremely easy and common among the locals. However, remember that, in Kyrgyzstan, everybody is a taxi driver so if you are looking for a free ride, you will need an extra dose of patience.

66 – Mashrutka is the way to go – Mashrutkas are some kind of vans and mini-vans that connect all cities and towns in Kyrgyzstan.

They are extremely cheap and it’s very easy to move around with them, as you can find a station (or more) at every bazaar in absolutely every town.

You just need to get on at the station and say which city or town you want to go.

67 – Shared local taxis – Late in the evening, for long distances or in very remote towns, marshrutkas don’t run that often, so you will have to take a local shared taxi.

They are more expensive but, definitely, faster than marshrutkas. However, some drivers are completely nuts and may drive at over 120km per hour along narrow mountain roads.

68 – Old women have the power – In any bus, marshrutka or taxi you go, women can choose any seat they want, even if you arrived one hour before them. In city buses, always give up your seat to any women over 40-50 years old. If you don’t, they will tell you to stand up.

When I fell off the horse and had to stay in bed for 2 weeks, I was sitting in a marshrutka on the way to the hospital.

I could barely stand up and, when a woman entered and told me to move and I couldn’t explain why I couldn’t, I created a lot of trouble until she understood.

69 – At 40ºC, windows are still closed – Kyrgyz are afraid of air currents and no matter what time of the year it is, even if it’s the peak of the summer and 40ºC outside, they like to travel with the windows closed and the AC switched off.

Sometimes, you can negotiate with the men but, if there are old ladies, forget about it.

70 – Remember to be patient – Ninety percent of Kyrgyzstan is composed of high mountains which means that, every time you want to go from town to town, you will have to cross them, making your journey particularly slow.

In addition, in some more remote destinations, shared taxis and marshrutkas leave once they are full and, sometimes, it takes some time to fill them. Just keep in mind that traveling in Kyrgyzstan can be particularly slow.

Read: Things to do in Astana, Kazakhstan

A yurt camp in Song Kul

  Internet and SIM cards

71 – The best internet in Central Asia – High-speed Wi-Fi is available almost all across the country, even in high altitude towns such as Sary-Mogol and Sary-Tash.

72 – 3G also works pretty well – If you get a local SIM-Card, 3G is also quite fast.

73 – SIM Card – Get a mobile company called O! For just a few dollars, they offer weekly deals for both internet data and calls. This mobile company has street stalls all over the country.

  More information

74 – What is CBT? – CBT (Community Based Tourism) is a very popular tour agency in Kyrgyzstan that can arrange any kind of activity you want to, from yurt stays to trekking, taxis, permits and anything you can think of.

CBT has offices all over the country and it is so popular because, despite being a tour agency, they offer very cheap and competitive prices.

However, bear in mind that, of course, it will always be cheaper to arrange things on your own.

75 – All my articles about Kyrgyzstan – Find them here:

Backpacking in Kyrgyzstan: The ultimate travel itinerary Horse riding in Tash Rabat A beginner’s guide to trekking in Kyrgyzstan Trekking in Karakol China-Kyrgyzstan border crossing Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border crossing 10 Reasons to visit Kyrgyzstan Trekking independently to Song Kul (Planet D guest post) Lenin Peak base camp (Nomadasaurus Guest post)

More articles about Central Asia – Check all my guides and articles about Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.

You are traveling to a neighboring country – Check my guides to Iran or Azerbaijan.

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