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You can obtain a Tourist Visa:
On arrival in Kyrgyzstan you must register within 3 working
days with the passport department (OVIR) where you are staying. (Office of Visas
and Registrations), preferably in Bishkek. You can do it your self. The office
address is 58 Kievskaya St. They do not work on Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
Registration costs around 120 som. Before going to OVIR you must stop at a branch
of the AKB Bank, say "OVIR", pay your around 120 som and get a receipt
for the OVIR office.
If OVIR can prove that you have been in the country longer than three working
days without registering, you could be fined the equivalent of US$25.
Our company is able to get the OVIR registration for you. It costs 15 EUR per
person.
List of countries, citizens of those are released from OVIR and can get Kyrgyz Visa without LOI:
You can reach Bishkek directly or via Almaty, Kazakhstan (250 km from Bishkek).
The following airlines are available:
Only $US 100 and $US 50 notes and none older than 1996 are recommended, as other denominations may result in a lower exchange rate. Exchange offices will make your transactions easy. As at November 2008, the exchange rate is 38 Soms/$US and 50 Soms/Euro. Opening hours of exchange offices: 24 hours per day.
The prices for public transport are between 5 and 15 Soms as at November 2008. Taxi services are private. We advise you to negotiate the price in advance. In town, day tariffs range from 70 to 150 Soms, but are higher overnight.
Additional useful phone numbers:
The International Dialing Code for Kyrgyzstan is 00 996.
City calls are free; a token (for public telephones) costs 5 Soms.
For other calls, normal prices per minute are:
Telephone Directory Assistance: 160, 109
Note: A double rate will be applied for CIS/Kyrgyzstan calls between 10:00 - 18:00 and a half price rate from 24:00 till 6:00 (to get more detailed information call: 160).
Shop opening times: More and more shops are usually open from Monday to Sunday from 9.00 to 18.00 hrs. In many places, shops are closed at lunchtime for one hour.
Hotels
| Hotel | Prices, $US |
| Hyatt * * * * * | 255-1040 (breakfast is not included) |
| Ak-Keme * * * * | 170-400 |
| Silk Road * * * | 107-147 |
| Dostuk * * | 93-160 |
| Issyk-Kul * * | 45-120 |
| Asia Mountains | 60-90 |
| Shumkar-Asia | 43-73 |
Family-run Accommodation
You can stay in family-run accommodation which varies from a single room to a fully furnished 4 room apartment - cooked breakfast optional. The cost of apartments varies from 35.00 to 70.00 EUR in Bishkek per 24 hours. Prices for family-run accommodation in Naryn and Issyk-Kul are 6.00-15.00 EUR per person. The cost of breakfast is 3.00-6.00 EUR per person. Prices are correct as at November 2008.
Restaurants
| Restaurant | Address | Phone |
| Adriatico (Italian cuisine) | 219 Chuy Prospect | 217632 |
| Bombay (Indian cuisine) | 110 Chuy Prospect | 625115 |
| Classic (European cuisine) | 49 Manas St. | 664394 |
| Indus Valley (Indian cuisine) | 105 Ibraimova St. | 293662 |
| Yusa (Turkish) | 14 Logvinenko St. | 623837 |
| Arzu (Asian cuisine) | 312 Jibek-Jolu St. | 699339 |
| Faiza (Asian cuisine) | 555, Jibek-Jolu St. | 663747 |
| Beijing Duck (Chinese cuisine) | 138, Chuy Prospect | 213676 |
Pubs
| Pub | Address | Phone |
| American Pub | 168 Chuy Prospect | 217664, 217665 |
| Navigator | Moskovskaya and Razzakova Streets | 665151 |
| Siberian Crown | 186 Chuy Prospect | 656349 |
| Steinbräu | 5 Gercena Street | 293881 |
| Time Out | Togoloko Moldo and Ryskulov Streets (opposite sport palace) | 661139 |
| Embassy | Address | Phone |
| Belarus | 210 Moskovskaya St. | 650817 |
| China | 196 Toktogula St. | 621905 fax: 650108 |
| Germany | 28 Razzakova St. | 666612 fax: 666630 |
| Switzerland | 114 Panfilova St. | 666480, fax: 666489 |
| France | 49 Razzakova St. | 660364, fax: 660441 |
| India | 15a Aeroportinskaya St. | 541450, fax: 543245 |
| Iran | 36 Razzakova St. | 624929, fax: 660209 |
| Kazakhstan | 95a Mira Prospect | 692095, fax: 692001 |
| Pakistan | 37 Serova St. | 621702, fax: 661550 |
| Russia | 17 Razzakova St. | 624738 fax: 621823 |
| Turkey | 89 Moskovskaya St. | 622354 fax: 661458 |
| USA | 171 Mira Prospect | 551241(42; 43; 44), fax: 551264 |
| Uzbekistan | Ap 38, 104 Tynystanova St. | 664403, fax: 664403 |
| Afghanistan | 4, Ainy/Dushanbinskaya St. | 426372, fax: 543428 |
| Japan | 503 Frunze St. | 611875, fax: 611882 |
| Tajikistan | 36, Karadarinskaya St. | 511464 |
| Country | Telephone | Fax |
| Austria | (00431) 5350378, 5350379 | + 535037913 |
| Belarus | (0037517) 2349117 | + 2341602 |
| Belgium | (00322) 6401868, 6403883 | + 6400131 |
| China | (008610) 65326459 | + 65326459 |
| Germany | (004930) 34781338 | + 34781362 |
| India | (009111) 4108008 | + 4108009 |
| Iran | (009821) 2830354 | + 2281720 |
| Kazakhstan | (0073272) 221116, 221119 | + 221113 |
| Malaysia | (00603) 21632012, 21649862 | + 21632024 |
| Russia | (007095) 2374882 | + 2374452 |
| Switzerland | (04122) 7340900 | + 7340901 |
| Turkey | (0090312) 4468411, 4468408 | + 4468413 |
| General consulates in Stambul | (009021) 2356767 | + 2359293 |
| Tadjikistan | (00992372) 272008 | + 210843 |
| Turkmenistan |
(0099312) 355506 |
+ 355506 |
| Ukraine | (0038044) 2468889, 2468897 | + 2468889 |
| United Kingdom and Northern Ireland | (0044171) 9351462 | + 9357449 |
| UNO | (001212) 4864214, 4864654 | |
| USA and Canada | (001202) 3385141 | + 3385139 |
| General consulates in Dubai (UAE) | (009714) 2733305 | + 2733321 |
| Uzbekistan | (0099871) 1374794, 1374292, 1398613 | + 1374791 |
What is available for tourists in Kyrgyzstan, where to eat out and
stay, fairs and exhibition etc.
Reservation Centres: Hotels, B&B, camping, yurtas, restaurant and
catering services, transport, tour guides, interpreters, drivers etc.
Bishkek: (00 996 312) 622381, 900599
Karakol: (00 996 3922) 51115
Chyngyz Aitmatov, a famous Kyrgyz writer, is, like all the Kyrgyz people, proud of the remarkable Lake Issyk-Kul which is surrounded by the snow-covered 5000 m peaks of the Tien-Shan Mountains. It is no surprise that many of the heroes of his works live on the shores of the Lake or in the surrounding mountains.
Since Aitmatov wrote "Djamilya", "The Scarlet Poppies of Issyk-Kul" and "The White Steamer", more than 30 years ago, there have been many changes in the lives of the Kyrgyz people. But, fortunately, the natural scenes as described by Aitmatov remain unchanged. The foothills are still washed by the scarlet paint of poppies and a shy, cautious doe wanders through the edelweiss-covered mountains. The white-mane she-wolf Ak-Bara still guards the serenity of her wolf cubs and her unfailing friend Tash-Chainar brings prey to the cave. Children in villages (aiyls) still play games under the canopy of poplars and listen happily to their grandmothers' fairy tales. And the white steamer still plies the mirror-like surface of the lake carrying passengers on trips around the lake. The harvest still grows just as described in"Mother's Field". Farmers still work from morning to night, just like Aitmatov's heroine, and they ask the land to be bountiful. Certainly a lot has changed in Kyrgyz lives but the kindness and hospitality of the people living in Chyngyz Aitmatov's country remains unchanged.
A Visit to the Jailoo (Summer Pastures)
A visit to the jailoo might be the most exciting experience of a journey to Kyrgyzstan, it means seeing the real traditional Kyrgyz culture. Being the guest in the yurta of a shepherd family will give you an unforgettable insight into nomadic life and the silence and beauty of untouched nature.
Jailoo is the Kyrgyz name for summer pasture in the mountains, usually from 2500 to 3200 m above see level. Kyrgyz were nomads till 1920 and settled in villages only with the beginning of the Soviet period. But in summer, shepherds still move to summer pastures with their flocks of sheep, horses and cows, living in yurtas or tents.
Shepherd families usually have a yurta for guests on the jailoo. Shepherds tend their sheep on horseback and also provide horses for tourists.
Horse riding and Trekking Tours
Kyrgyzstan is a country of nomads. The cult of the horse as the main means of travel in the mountains is of great importance. Kyrgyz children learn to ride horses before they can walk! Kyrgyz horses are specially bred for riding and load-carrying on narrow mountainous paths. These horses are famous for their quiet disposition and endurance. Travelling in a "nomad saddle" through the valleys and glaciers of Kyrgyzstan allows one to observe the surrounding scenery in greater detail and to reach otherwise inaccessible, picturesque places high in the mountains, with the minimum of effort. At the start of the long, hot summers in the valleys, the chabans (shepherds) move their yurtas to the high summer pastures and riding a sure-footed Kyrgyz mountain horse takes you easily into this other world. These trekking tours enable you to communicate and stay with local people. Experienced guides guarantee your security in the wild mountain areas. The tours are conducted from the shores of Issyk-Kul and Song-Kul Lakes and in Suusamyr.
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| 28 T. Moldo St., Bishkek, 720001 Kyrgyzstan Phone: (00 996 312) 622381 Fax: (00 996 312) 622380 E-mail: novinomad@elcat.kg |
Design by NoviNomad Company Created: January 13th, 2000. |