Marvelous Stan: Top 10 Places to Visit in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan hasn't been famous as the other 'Stans' but the country still boast lots of beautiful destinations. 

Bishkek 

Bishkek is the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic and sits in the Tien Shan mountain range in the Chui Valley. Originally a caravan rest stop (possibly founded by the Sogdians) on one of the branches of the Silk Road through the Tian Shan range, the location was fortified in 1825 by the Uzbek khan of Kokhand with a mud fort. Bishkek is a city of wide boulevards and marble-faced public buildings combined with numerous Soviet-style apartment blocks surrounding interior courtyards and, especially outside the city centre, thousands of smaller privately built houses. One of the must see sites here is the Ala-Too Square - The main city square is the site of frequent political demonstrations and regular festivals.






Altyn Arashan

Altyn Arashan is a valley and mountain resort near Karakol and Issyk Kul Lake, northeastern Kyrgyzstan. It lies along a trekking route from Ak-Suu.
hot-spring developments. Natural hot water flows into a series of concrete pools enclosed by wooden sheds.


Osh

Osh is a city in the Ferghana Valley of Kyrgyzstan. The city is among the oldest settlements in Central Asia. Osh was known as early as the 8th century as a center for silk production along the Silk Road. Osh is a lively place, with the largest and most crowded outdoor market in all of Central Asia. A popularly visited site here is the Sulamain-Too Sacred Mountain. A mountain looming over the city full of ancient sites of worship, some still in use, dating back several millennia.


Balykchy

Balykchy a city at Issyk Kul. It was named Rybachye (fishing place in Russian) in 1909-1993. In the early 1990s, following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the town was known as Issyk-Kul, taking the name of the adjacent lake. It has a population about 40,000 people located at the western end of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, at 42°28′N 76°11′E and an elevation of about 1,900 metres. While in this place, visit salt lake approximately one hour from the city, you should be able to hire a taxi from the local bus station.


Lake Issyk Kul

Lake Issyk Kul is an endorheic lake in the northern Tian Shan mountains in eastern Kyrgyzstan. It is the tenth largest lake in the world by volume and the second largest saline lake after the Caspian Sea. Lake Issyk Kul was a stopover on the Silk Road, a land route for travelers from the Far East to Europe. Many historians believe that the lake was the point of origin for the Black Death that plagued Europe and Asia during the early and mid-14th century. The shimmering Lake Issyk-Kul and the towering Tian Shan Mountains are two of the biggest draws for travelers in Kyrgyzstan, and they dominate the eastern portion of the country. It has a length of 182 kilometres (113 mi), a width of up to 60 kilometres (37 mi), and covers an area of 6,236 square kilometres (2,408 sq mi).


Jalal-Abad

Jalal-Abad is a city in Kyrgyzstan. One of Kyrgyzstan's main branches of the Silk Road passed through Jalalabat and the region has played host to travelers for thousands of years, although little archaeological remains are visible today – except in some of the more remote parts of the region – such as Saimalu Tash and the Chatkal valley. It is currently experiencing severe ethnic violence related to the country's recent regime change. It is not considered safe for tourism at the present time.


Lake Song Kul

Lake Song Kul  is a high alpine lake in the Tian Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan. There are no facilities on the lake, but local herders will provide supplies and rent yurts. The area is inhabited and safely accessible only from June to September. Its beauty is greatly praised, but it is rather inaccessible. The best approach seems to be the 85 km road from Sary-Bulak on the main north-south highway. Other routes require 4x4s.


Tash Rabat

It is located somewhat east of the main north-south highway. Tash Rabat is a well-preserved 15th century stone caravanserai in At Bashy district, Naryn Province, Kyrgyzstan. To its north is Koshoy Korgon, a ruined fortress of uncertain date. The area is a center for hiking and horse-trekking. Also well-known for caravanserai in southeastern Kyrgyzstan, near the Torugart Pass.


Ala Archa National Park

Ala Archa National Park  occupies the northern and northwest parts of Kyrgyzstan, north of the Ferghana Valley and south of Kazakhstan. Established in 1976 and located approximately 40 km south of the capital city of Bishkek.There is a nominal fee for entering the park. Past the gate the road continues 12 km to a small collection of buildings, including one newly renovated lodge.The park, which includes the gorge of the Ala-Archa River and the mountains surrounding it, is a popular destination point for weekend picnicers, hikers, horse trekkers, skiers as well as mountain climbers looking for challenging ice, rock and mixed routes.


Arslanbob

Arslanbob is an elevated oasis, a vast tract of blossoming woodland and home to the largest walnut grove on earth (11, 000 hectares) and part of the even larger (60, 000 hectare) walnut forest that extends between the spurs of the Fergana and Chatkal ranges. The walnut Juglans regia is native to a wide region in Central Asia. By the time of Alexander the Great, the walnut forest was locally known for hunting. Tourism is being developed in and around the Arslanbob city. While trekking is a fairly well established activity to the nearby hills and valleys, skiing as an adventure sport is under initial stages of development near the Jailoos mountains.