A short excursion into the history of the capital of Kyrgyzstan - Bishkek and several theories about where the name of the city came from.
A super short history of Bishkek
The plan for the project location of Pishpek with European-type buildings was approved on August 31, 187 ...
All you need to know about how to get to the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan. Learn more about the features of relaxation, the climate, and nature there.
The Caspian Sea has no access to the ocean and according to geographical canons should be called a lake. It is the largest closed ...
Nomads in Kyrgyzstan from ancient times settled in yurts. Portable dwellings, which could be assembled and disassembled, suited their lifestyle just perfectly. Yurts also had a sacred meaning for nomads. The decoration of yurts is a clear example of the folk-applied art of nomads ...
We’ll tell you about how can vegans survive in Kyrgyzstan, where can they eat and what provocations it is better not to give in to.
Before you go to Kyrgyzstan, you have probably searched the entire Internet, looking for information about this small, but full of contrasts and ...
In this article, you will learn about what to do in Bishkek if you are a fan of an active type of recreation. Paragliding, fly-jumping, karting, and even shooting - it’s all here.
We will not tire of repeating that Bishkek is a city of contrasts. And if we talk about rest in thi ...
The most interesting restaurants, cafes, and bars in Bishkek where you certainly should go. Let’s go!
Every self-respecting traveler is well aware that food is a very important part of any trip, regardless of the country you are visiting or planning to visit.
There are people, ...
Some tips on how to travel around Bishkek
Arrived in Bishkek and do not know how to travel around the city? Then this article is for you. Let's talk about public transportation and the safest taxi in Bishkek.
One of the very first questions that a traveler who has just arrived ...
Walking around Bishkek during the day, it’s hard to imagine that there is nightlife in this city. Let's face it, the capital of Kyrgyzstan is rather dull. It’s hard to see bright colors in the city, and people don’t look like they can dance all night long. We hurry to pleasantly ...
If you are interested to see and enjoy the atmosphere of one of the most visited and contrasting places in Bishkek, then most likely you need to visit the Osh Bazaar. A contingent consisting of people living not only in the center but also on the outskirts of the city, that is, i ...
One of the best ways to learn about a country’s culture, history, and development in general is to observe its museums that will help to get information about a place faster than by living there and in a more interesting way than the one that is represented by just learning throu ...
History of Samarkand dates back to 8th BC. In the Greek sources of the 1st millennium, Samarkand is referred to as Marokand, and in other sources as Afrosiab. Already at that time the city was prosperous where crafts, trade and culture developed. Later in 329 BC, Samarkand was se ...
The intersection of geography and history in Uzbekistan is part of what makes it a place of such intrigue and opportunity. If you have decided to visit this country, the best way for your start is to become acquainted with Tashkent. Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan since 193 ...
What is Yurt? Yurt is a symbol of Kyrgyz home. It is a portable house, which is easy to construct. Even nowadays Kyrgyz people use yurts on holidays, weddings or funerals. Traditional house is very important for Kyrgyz people. Even the flag of the Kyrgyz Republic depicts a yurt. ...
This is the second article devoted to the most popular attractions of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Urumqi) that you can add to your Travel China Must visit list. We will advise you to visit 5 most amazing historical and architectural sites of this region.
Kashgar Market
On ...
Historical buildings of Kashgar will show you how the caravans of the Great Silk Route rested and lived here. For several centuries the architecture style has built up and it is not easy to distinguish an eight-century inn from what was built in the 14th century. This is a uniq ...
Questions have been raised about whether or not Uzbekistan is safe. With the several tours I have made to Uzbekistan, I can assure that Uzbekistan safety should not be doubted. Here are some aspects of Uzbekistan safety.
Crime
There have been infrequent episodes of robbing and ...
Tashkent is a city of numerous delightful spots to visit, parks, gardens, monuments, green sidewalks and a contamination-free environment. However, Tashkent tourism appears to have their sights settled somewhere else. For a predominantly Muslim state, Tashkent appears to have set ...
As one of the major online Travel Shops of tours in Central Asia and Caucasus, every year Silk Road Explore offers many interesting guaranteed tours in different countries and offering various activities, including trekking, horse riding, climbing, cycling etc. In Kyrgyzstan – on ...
The area of Almaty, Kazakhstan is named after Kazakhstan's greatest, most energetic and most charming city, the previous capital Almaty. The city is an awesome place to test a portion of the grand scenes in the encompassing area. There is truly a great deal to do.
One minute you ...
Turkmenistan is an extensive nation situated at inland Asia. It possesses a zone of 488,100 km squared. It flanked by Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The geographic position of the nation is very secluded since it stays at a distance from the earth's major financial ...
One of the best ways to spend your time is by cycle touring. The environment is not suitable for cycle touring, though, so if one is planning to cycle tour, they must be aware of the possible pitfalls. There are many kilometres to cover, and the population is very sparse. The tem ...
Yurts have always been traditional homes for the Central Asia nomads since time immemorial. The yurts are portable, rugged and circular felt-covered tents that you will often see while you are taking your tours around central Asia especially in Kyrgyzstan. It is usually made from ...
People leave out Central Asia from their holiday trips more often than not. They get dazzled by all of the pictures and information and tourism options there are in places like France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. They don’t realize that just a bit farther east, there are s ...
Uzbekistan, a landlocked nation, hovers between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, so you can imagine its national food has become affected. The mixture of these three large areas of the world have brought a richness to the culture, the lifestyle, and the food.
For those who are ...
Turkmenistan is the country where the past is present even now in a perfect harmony with future. The thing you should know about Turkmenistan is that the tales from “1001 nights” are mostly happening here. Turkmenistan though is one of the closest countries in the world, is as we ...
Samarkand is one of the oldest cities in the world, it’s about the same age as Babylon and Rome, many cultures are mixed here and many conquerors admired and hailed this city, form Alexander the Great to Tamerlan. Ancient poets and historians called it “Rome of the East”. Inside ...
You might ask yourself, why travelling through the Silk Road and what’s so special about it, well, now it’s the right time for answering you!
Silk Road is an ancient route which existed for hundreds of years and its name is derived from the lucrative trade in Chinese silk carrie ...
Ticket sales for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Second World Nomad Games has recently been started. The World Nomad Games will take place from September 3-8, 2016 at Lake Issyk-Kul and should be #1 in your Kyrgyzstan travel plan for this Autumn!
Tickets can be bought ...
In Tajikistan for many centuries is preserved textile production and pottery and it has not lost adherence to national motives. Therefore, to find a souvenir for loved ones or memorable thing for yourself is very simple. Furthermore in Tajikistan there are many markets where you ...
Turkmenistan is the birthplace of silk homespun fabric called "Keteni". Turkmenistan has successfully practiced sericulture for centuries: homespun fabric due to its durability is appreciated and in demand worldwide. The defining feature of "keteni" is a color that depends ...
Fairy Issyk-Kul lake framed by snow-capped peaks of Tien Shan - one of the biggest and most amazing mountain lakes in the world. On the shore of this brilliant lake in Cholpon-Ata city on May 7 2016 were held Tourist Festival "Salam Issyk-Kul 2016" and the International Tourism F ...
Turkmenistan is definitely worth to visit as traveling here you will discover such an alluring life: skullcaps and pilaf, Akhal-Teke horses, and colorful folk weddings, green tea, the famous carpets of dazzling beauty, the lightest silk and honey melon. Among other things, you ca ...
Having visited most of the countries of Central Asia, I came to the conclusion that Turkmenistan is the most prosperous and promising ones, as well as in terms of tourism. Turkmenistan – one of the five countries leading in oil production in the world. Despite the fact that there ...
Urumqi, China may not be as well known as say, Beijing, but it is actually a likely place that you will wander through if you are doing some traveling between China and various Silk Road countries, like Kyrgyzstan. Urumqi is actually one of the places to visit in China if you wa ...
You may not be aware of this as you plan your trip to Kyrgyzstan, but there is a unique people group that resides within the country that can really only be found in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. They are a group of Chinese Muslims called the Dungan people. The total po ...
Okay, you have starting planning your China vacation. Since there are so many fantastic destinations to check out, how are you going to whittle them all down and choose which ones you will visit with the limited amount of time that you have? China is soaked in history to be sur ...
The history of «Silk Road» began back in 2011. The main idea of the website was a combination of technology of anonymous access to the resource through Tor and anonymous payment for goods using Bitcoin. Such artifices were required for the simple reason: most of the products at t ...
If you are planning a trip to Kazakhstan, then at least 1 day in Almaty is highly recommended. Almaty, Kazakhstan used to be the capital of the country until it was changed to Astana in 1997. So, while Alamty is not the capital, it still has that capital feel that most locals a ...
Deserts. Camels. Spices. Caravans. Marketplaces. Traders. Mosques. These are all things we think of when we image the Silk Road in Central Asia. Uzbekistan Silk Road trade routes are some of the best ones to visit for lovers of architecture and history to be sure, but also for p ...
Uzbekistan is gaining traction in the tourism world these days by drawing Silk Road enthusiasts, history and architecture lovers. It is a unique country that lays claim to Silk Road history, has an Islamic heritage, but also has a lot of Soviet influence. In this regard, it is an ...
When you first arrive in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, picking up some city guides/maps of the city you are in is always a smart move. There is an excellent city guide called Welcome Journal available in Bishkek as well as a couple free maps of the city. (There are good maps available in ...
Figuring out visa requirements and arranging how to get to and from international airports can be one of the most stressful parts of international travel. Thankfully, getting through Manas International Airport in Kyrgyzstan is quite easy these days for citizens of the European U ...
When you first started reading up on Kyrgyzstan, what did you find? I’ll bet that as you read different travel forums about Kyrgyzstan or Kyrgyzstan travel blogs you were swamped with information about its beautiful mountain scenery or ancient nomadic culture. Those are both hug ...
Do you enjoy the freedom of driving when and where you want when you travel? Do you like being able to make spur-of-the-moment decisions about where you’d like to go and places you’d like to explore? If so, then renting a car in Kyrgyzstan is a great option for you to see the cou ...
Planning on traveling around Kyrgyzstan? If you are, you’ll undoubtedly be conversing with a large number of locals during your stay, especially if your goal is to travel independently in Kyrgyzstan. If you’re not planning to do any independent travel in Kyrgyzstan, but instead ...
Tucked away in Central Asia is a small country that is rife with potential for wintertime backcountry tour lovers, Kyrgyzstan. Never heard of Kyrgyzstan? Kyrgyzstan is an almost entirely mountainous country located west of China and south of Kazakhstan. It’s the farthest count ...
It seems like the Silk Road has been reduced to little more than a quick chapter in history books these days. Exciting or intriguing aren’t exactly adjectives people use at the mention of the Silkway, but why is that? In actuality, the Silk Road was a 2,000-year-old vehicle for ...
As you look at the mountain pastures in Kyrgyzstan, you’ll notice lots of sheep, goats, cows, horses, and even some yaks. Since much of the country is engaged in breeding livestock, meat is a substantive part of traditional and modern Kyrgyz cuisine. Mutton, horse meat, and bee ...
There’s something about nomadic life that’s always intrigued me. I think it’s the fact that nomads could get along just fine even if civilization collapsed. There’s something that demands respect from being able to live off the land, moving with the flow of the seasons and havi ...
Kyrgyzstan’s rippling mountain landscape is topped with stark glaciers, accented with energetic rivers, and covered with just shy of 2,000 lakes, making it the most vibrant and green of all the Central Asian counties. The alpine lakes of Kyrgyzstan are particularly beautiful fac ...
I’ve always felt the Central Asian countries to be exotic and mysterious, envisioning traders with caravans of camels bursting with spices and valuable merchandise, fighting against the whims of nature to reach distant lands. Central Asia has such a wild, infectious history due ...
Bishkek often seems deceptively simple to visitors from other countries. The editorial board of "Welcome!" wants to dispel this impression by telling you about the mysterious Black Guard (The Black Company). Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?We all know that people prefer gathering ...
If sitting inside a hotel room while you’re in Bishkek seems boring to you, step out into the city and explore Bishkek’s many dance halls and nightclubs. Even cafes and restaurants that are quiet in the afternoon are transformed into lively hangout spots in the evening. Live mu ...
The mysteries and enchantments of Central Asia have been dismissed from the adventure traveling spotlight for far too long. A child of learned survival, ancient economic passageways, and a wandering spirit, adventure and otherworldly appeal is this region’s birthright. Here are ...
For travelers that are students of the past, Kyrgyzstan is a spectacular destination to delve into Central Asian history. There are numerous opportunities to take an educational holiday along the ancient Silk Road. You can visit the sites of ancient petroglyphs, walk where cara ...
“Where the heck is Kyrgyzstan? I didn’t even know that was a country!” This is a common reaction for most people when confronted with the country of Kyrgyzstan. To find Kyrgyzstan on a world map, just look for China and Kazakhstan (south of Russia). You’ll see Kyrgyzstan tuck ...
Traditional Kyrgyzstan cuisine is based on the country’s ancient nomadic traditions. Kyrgyz people roamed the steppes and mountains of Central Asia for centuries and nowadays are settled mainly in the mountains of the Tien Shan. Due to the grueling amount of work it takes to he ...
The mysteries and enchantments of Central Asia have been dismissed from the adventure traveling spotlight for far too long. A child of learned survival, ancient economic passageways, and a wandering spirit, adventure and otherworldly appeal is this region’s birthright. Here are ...