Breathtaking Kyrgyzstan! (page 13 of 16)

The sound of the river lulled us to sleep last night, and we're back on the road after a hearty breakfast.

We climb up to 3,175 meters before descending into the Suusamyr Valley.





I had high hopes for this place, but I’m disappointed.

There’s a lot of traffic, quite a few people, and I just don’t feel at home here.

At the crossroads to Bishkek, stalls are everywhere.



Honey, kuruts, but mostly koumiss—fermented mare’s milk.

Well, I need gas...

A quick stop at Red Petroleum, and my problem’s solved.

We leave the highway for the secondary road network, which keeps getting worse and eventually turns into a dirt track.

We’re now following the Kokomeren River, enjoying the peace and beautiful landscapes again.



We pass our planned stop, Kyzyl-Oi, and continue to the Kokomeren Gorges.

The colors are stunning—I love it!









Since it’s not too late, we decide to keep going to Ak-Kol Lake.

Too bad the Chinese have reopened a mine nearby—this lake is a beautiful emerald set in a mountain frame.





A U-turn, the gorges bathed in late-afternoon sunlight, and the guesthouse...

The private bathroom turned into a shared one for two rooms, the comfort is pretty spartan, and the door doesn’t lock...

Once again, the value for money isn’t there.

We’re going to take a walk around the village until dinnertime.











It’s way more pleasant than staring at the walls of our room!

The guesthouse is fully booked tonight. I figured the cook would pull out all the stops.

Hope dashed...

On top of that, since there are vegetarians in the group, everyone’s stuck with a dry meal.

In the morning, we backtrack to the junction for Bishkek. A stop at the Kojomkul memorial, a famous Kyrgyz wrestler,









And soon, we’re tackling the Too Ashuu Pass.

A narrow tunnel makes crossing the mountain easy.

For cars, that is!

For trucks, it’s a different story since the structure’s dimensions don’t allow two vehicles to pass each other...

They have to wait their turn, with a traffic light regulating the flow.

This is followed by a very long descent into the plain—it’d make an awesome ski slope in winter!

We’re now in the outskirts of Bishkek.

We stop to grab some kebabs, then head off to Ala-Archa.

Our evening lodging is super cozy—a wooden A-frame with a sweeping view of Bishkek.



The perfect spot to pack our bags for the trip back...

The downside of a rental car road trip is that you tend to spread out and scatter your stuff all over the car!

Everything packed? Perfect, let’s go for a stroll!





We follow the trail up to a ski resort. It’s not a marked hike—just a nice way to stretch our legs while watching Kyrgyz families have fun.



Sure enough, lots of families set up picnics, dance, and listen to music in the evening.



I’m a little worried about my ears, but the energy will fade as night falls.





We decide to dine at the hotel. The menu is short and pricey (for the country).

We can’t resist the beef fillet and a bottle of Italian red wine.

The red is drinkable, but the steak is overcooked.





The ambiance makes up for the food—we have a great evening.

For the tunnel by truck, you wait your turn and then you go through. The hardest part is for two-wheelers, especially on a motorbike. Bikes get loaded onto a truck.

Even by car, I found this tunnel pretty nerve-wracking! !🤪

There are definitely narrower ones in Iceland or the Faroe Islands, but with no traffic... and that makes all the difference.

I recommend the Anzob Tunnel in Tajikistan 😎

I was about to mention that Anzob Tunnel. I went through it about fifteen years ago, and it was still under construction. There were huge puddles and rebar sticking out of the ground. At one point, the taxi was stopped, stuck behind a truck that was blocked by a rut. We were being passed by tanker trucks, and honestly, I thought, if something happens, no one will know I was here.

Anzob Pass... I went through it in 2016... I had a particularly tough and disturbing experience there. We were in 3 4x4s, and after trying to take the old pass—due to the long line of cars on the tunnel ascent—we were forced to turn back, as the pass road was impassable because of landslides. It was mid-afternoon, and there were hundreds of vehicles stuck on the climb toward the tunnel entrance.





It was total chaos—everyone was trying to pass, in both directions. After several hours, I finally managed to enter the tunnel... only to get stuck again for at least an hour. Other drivers kept their engines running, and after a while, it became unbearable to breathe.





Eventually, I figured out why we were blocked—when I finally moved forward, I had to switch to the left lane to pass a truck that had broken its axle in the tunnel and was stuck in the right lane. But the atmosphere in the tunnel—no pavement, no lights... and as for ventilation... well...

Unfortunately, that’s when things took a tragic turn for the car right in front of me... When we exited the tunnel, it was nighttime, visibility was poor due to light rain, and we were descending on a dirt road... bordered on the right by a steep drop, certainly several hundred meters deep. Suddenly, I saw the vehicle in front of me swerve directly into the ravine on the right. I had no idea what had happened, but it turned sharply toward the void. Of course, the trucks coming up and those going down in my direction stopped. We couldn’t do anything—some called for help, others tried to climb down, but it was too steep, slippery, and there was no visibility. Even my powerful flashlight (which has a range of 300m) couldn’t illuminate the bottom of the ravine. We waited for at least an hour and saw lights that seemed to come from the bottom of the gorge, likely rescue teams trying to reach the car.

The story doesn’t end there—and this is the really disturbing part. I had gotten back into my vehicle and was discussing with the other two over the radio to decide if we should leave the area. Then I heard a knock on my passenger window and saw a Tajik man asking if I could give him a ride to Dushanbe, the capital. He looked completely different from the locals—dressed in pants with gaiters (like old mountain guides), a cowboy-style hat, and a very *gentleman farmer* jacket, plus a backpack. I told him okay, no problem, and let my friends know I had a passenger. We set off toward Dushanbe, with heavy traffic... and along the way, I tried to talk to him. He managed to make me understand that he had been in the car that had just fallen and had been ejected through the back door before climbing back up the slope!!!! I was, let’s say, a bit stunned... I asked if he knew about the other passengers, and he mimed a knife across his throat, implying to him that they were dead... and he did this without any emotion. I’ll admit the rest of the trip was pretty tense—I had no idea who I was dealing with. We passed a toll booth, and he calmly explained to the attendants what had just happened. They seemed to know him. A little later, he offered to take me to his place. Of course, I said we were too tired from the trip and were going to look for a hotel. He said no problem and called a friend who spoke pretty good English. We agreed to meet in the city. We met his friends, and he insisted on taking us to a hotel he knew—a great place, like a 4/5-star establishment, where the receptionist clearly knew him too.

He gave me his contact info, telling me that if I had any problems in Tajikistan, I just had to get in touch...

End of the story... I can’t shake the feeling that this accident wasn’t really an accident...😕

What a story! !

I just saw what this tunnel looks like today.

There’s been some renovation work (the road surface seems repaired and the drainage system improved), but the tunnel is still only partially lit, and the ventilation system is still very limited...

Best not to watch this movie before driving through it.

This is pretty much the last day of our trip; tomorrow morning, we're heading back to France.

Our schedule for the next 24 hours isn’t packed, so we’re taking our time to check out of the hotel.

We’re right next to Ala-Archa National Park, so we’re going to take a stroll there.

The shock—this natural park!

Not because of the landscapes, but because of how hyper-organized and developed it is.

It’s now impossible to drive a gas-powered car on the only road leading into the park.

Only electric vehicles are allowed.

So we leave the RAV4 in one of the paid parking lots built near the entrance and pay our "eco-fee" to access nature.

Free shuttles then take visitors to the start of the hiking trails, about ten kilometers further in.

It feels like I’m in Zion in the U.S.…

The second "cool" effect hits when we get off the bus…

Restaurants, shops, and a brand-new cable car inaugurated in February 2026!

I hope the whole country doesn’t end up like this…

Anyway, Bishkek is only an hour away, so this place is basically a big urban park for many of the capital’s residents.

We decide to take the cable car.

It’ll let us reach a viewpoint we wouldn’t have had the time (or the energy…) to hike to.

The ticket only costs 6 €—peanuts compared to prices in Europe.

For Kyrgyz people, though, it must be a pretty big expense.

There isn’t even a line to board one of the cabins.

The gondola climbs slowly up the mountains, and the views of the valley are stunning.





We soon spot the terminal station built on a plateau at around 2,500 meters.



Uh… what’s with all this construction???

The park authorities have decided not to stop there when it comes to developing tourism in Ala-Archa.

Luxury chalets face the panorama, some already rented while others are still under construction—just like the communal areas, for that matter…



A second section of the cable car is even planned to let tourists reach other viewpoints without any effort.

We cross the construction site to join a trail.

We’ve got enough time to walk back to our starting point!



There are other options to explore deeper into the park—a heart that must be much wilder than what we’ve seen…



The hike down is steep and regularly crosses paths with construction vehicles.

Too bad—it must’ve been gorgeous without all the dust kicked up by the trucks.

Now we’re in the valley, a section reserved for Sunday picnickers and very developed.



All that’s left is to take the shuttle and then the car to head to Bishkek.

In my opinion, there’s no point in planning Ala-Archa as a stop on a Kyrgyzstan itinerary right now unless you’re doing a long-distance hike that’ll take you far from the construction zone.

When everything’s finished, maybe—though it’ll be a domesticated kind of nature.

Best to start the trip with this anyway, to ease into discovering the country!

Hey Agnès, we need to return the car clean if we don’t want to pay $100!

Find us a car wash.

Okay!

Oh! There’s one not too far from the hotel!

I suggest we drop off our luggage first, then we can give the 4x4 a good clean.

It really needs it!

The hotel we booked is modern, the room spotless.



I chose it for its location—we’re right on the way to the airport!

Since our flight’s at 10:15, it’s better to be as close as possible and not have to cross the whole city...

The car’s empty now—just it and us left.

We head to the car wash and realize it’s not a self-service one.

An old Mitsubishi Delica is already in the hands of the employees—will they have time for us too?

I go ask for info: 1 hour to wash the RAV4 inside and out, 600 soms for the service, and no problem doing it right away.

Perfect!

We settle onto a bench and watch employees and customers.

Having a spotless car seems to be a cornerstone of Kyrgyz civilization.

And there they go—washing a car till it’s pristine, spraying the same spot 50 times, polishing every inch of the body, rinsing their cloth with a pressure washer...

Now I get why it takes 60 minutes!

The Toyota’s gleaming—just a few kilometers left to return it to the rental place.

Then a storm hits...

Goodbye, sparkling car...

Traffic’s heavy, time’s ticking, and we’re getting a little stressed.

Dropping off a rental car is always nerve-wracking!

And why is the GPS taking us on such a detour?

We just need to turn left like that bus, and we’ll be on the rental place’s street!

We follow the bus...

100 meters later, a police car, an officer signaling us to stop.

Just 500 meters from returning the car—what bad luck...

I roll down my window and try to explain I don’t speak Kyrgyz or Russian.

He grabs his smartphone and, using a translation app, tells us we’ve committed an infraction.

No left turns allowed!

I take his phone, slightly anxious about the time lost more than the fine (which should be around 10 to 30 €), and explain that since we’re not from here, we didn’t know.

We saw the bus turn left, so we did the same, thinking it was allowed.

The guy thinks for a few seconds, types a few words, and hands the phone back.

"You’re foreigners, you’re our guests—don’t do it again, you’re free to go!"

Thank you so much!

Phew...

I don’t know if the police were instructed to go easy on Westerners for tourism’s sake (like sometimes in Morocco) or if the officer figured he’d waste too much time with us without getting a bribe, given all the other opportunities he had...

Or maybe he was just being nice?

Who knows?

Now we’re driving carefully, watching every sign and strictly obeying the speed limit.

The RAV4 returns home, and we hand the keys to the rental guy.

He inspects the body and undercarriage without much fuss, checks the fuel level, and asks if everything went okay with the car.

We tell him we fixed the tire, and he doesn’t bat an eye.

He takes us to his office and pulls up our GPS track on a giant screen—it’s impressive!

Everything we did is displayed. Some people complain about the lack of freedom, but I’d tell them not to go there if they feel that way.

Speeding incidents are marked on the map—there are 3.

The rental guy points out he *could* keep $100 to cover any fines that might come later.

But since we had very few infractions and treated the car well, he trusts us to pay if he sends the notices by email.

He gives us back the full deposit.

Not bad at all, this rental place—aside from the tire condition!

Even if we’d had to buy two new tires, the total would’ve still been reasonable compared to other rentals, given the price we paid...

Relieved to have avoided the cops and returned the RAV4 without issues, we walk back to the hotel.

Briefly, it’s almost time for our last dinner in Kyrgyzstan!

A Navat restaurant is close enough to walk to, and soon we’re settled on its terrace.

Skewers, crispy eggplant, lagman, and a first for us: boorsoks—little fried dough balls served here with sour cream.



They look just like the ones served for breakfast in Albania!

Delicious—much less greasy than bugnes.

We’d have preferred these over the morning omelets...

Cocktail in hand, we end the trip just like we started—at a trendy Bishkek restaurant.

06:15, the alarm goes off.

06:45, we're at the hotel reception where the driver is waiting for us.

He must have done the same as us yesterday—washed his car for an hour...

I barely dare put my bag on the floor carpet for fear of dirtying it...

Like on the way there, the taxi speeds where the driver knows there are no speed cameras and slows down abruptly near the "fine dispensers."

This time, the driver is multilingual and quite chatty.

He takes advantage of our presence to improve his French vocabulary!

The area around the airport is congested due to construction work to modernize it.

It must be really tough during rush hour.

At 07:15, it's fine, and we reach the terminal in five minutes.

The path to the boarding area is a bit chaotic, but it's pretty smooth. We have plenty of time to grab breakfast and spend our last soms on souvenirs.

The flight will be on time and without any issues, and the return to Auvergne goes just as smoothly!

Farewell, yaks, kurut, yurts, and wide-open spaces!

Farewell, bearable temperatures too...

Welcome back to France in the middle of a heatwave...

Trip summary:

Kyrgyzstan has plenty of assets.

It's a destination that's easily accessible at a fairly reasonable airfare.

Once there, there are no problems getting around by car, and the tracks accessible with a basic 4x4 are numerous.

No particular health issues, no security concerns (at least for tourists).

You can find decent accommodation. It might be basic, but it's not dirty. It's much better than in some remote corners of India...

Thanks to apps, the language barrier isn't really an issue anymore, and navigating the country is easy.

The budget doesn't skyrocket—only car rental puts a dent in it.

But above all, the landscapes are extraordinary, and there aren't many people yet!

However, it's a destination best suited for nature lovers.

It won't satisfy travelers drawn to cities, architecture, museums, or the hustle and bustle of the world.

Party-goers won't feel at home either.

If I were to do it again, I'd skip the stop in Tash-Bashat and the one in Kara-Kul.

The gorges of the Little Naryn and Lake Toktogul aren't the highlights of this country.

I'd spend the two extra nights—one at Son-Kul and the other at Tash Rabat.

I'd also bring freeze-dried meals for nights in guesthouses without nearby restaurants. I'd considered it at one point but ultimately decided against it.

My favorite spots are:

- The Konorchek trail

- The high Arabel Valley with the loop passing through Kumtor

- The Canyon of Forgotten Rivers and its panoramic viewpoint

- The 33 Parrots Pass trail and Lake Son-Kul

- The access road to Tash-Rabat and the surroundings of Tash-Rabat

- The trail over Mels Pass to Baetov

- The Alai Valley at the foot of Lenin Peak

Thanks to everyone who had the patience to read this travel journal to the end, and I'll see you soon for another trip!

Thanks so much for this awesome travel journal—it’s super informative! Maybe it’ll come in handy one day, you never know... Either way, it’s really made me want to explore this country or another "-stan."

Thanks for this travel journal. I can’t wait to get to Bishkek (this Saturday) for a slightly different trip since my daughter and I will be using only public transport before wrapping up with the World Nomad Games near Cholpon-Ata.

The Stans are definitely the travelers' hidden gems! 🙂

Yet each one has so much to offer in its own way.

Big downside though for Afghanistan... Pakistan isn’t a very safe destination either, especially for women or people who don’t want to hide who they are.

Wishing you both an excellent trip!

You’ll see a Kyrgyzstan I haven’t seen and vice versa—each to their own path! ;)

And next? Morocco? 😉

Yes, Morocco!😛

Everything’s set, but apart from Al Hoceïma, I’m not exactly breaking new ground…😄

Looks like we’ll be following each other or crossing paths! Though you’ll probably be way more urban than me.

I'm leaving on September 21st—how about you? Urban travel, yes. My partner wanted to explore the imperial cities. We’ve got 3 on the itinerary, which will fill our 12 days—that was the plan.