IMAGES: GETTY; DARIA LENZ; MYRZABEK OZUBEKOV
THE STANS
KYRGYZSTAN Fringed by the colossal cliffs of the Tian Shan mountains and dotted with glittering lakes, sparsely populated Kyrgyzstan provides visitors with a true sense of remoteness.
Camp with nomads on the banks of Issyk Kul Lake The cylindrical yurts of the Kyrgyz nomads stand sentinel on desolate hillsides across the country, stark white against the empty landscape. These traditional homes have sheltered lone travellers, families and, sometimes, entire villages for centuries. Spending a night beneath their wooden boughs is an essential Central Asian experience that involves resting on the elaborate red and gold felt rugs, enjoying renditions of traditional Kyrgyz songs on the komuz (a fretless string instrument) as the sun sets over the expanse of Issyk-Kul Lake. HOW: Head to Feel Nomad Yurt Camp on the lake’s quiet south side. From $40 (£33) per person, breakfast and board.
feelnomad.com/yurt-camp
Explore the Tian Shan mountains on foot or horseback Trekking is one of the most popular activities among travellers to Kyrgyzstan, providing a dynamic way of engaging with its spectacular scenery of sweeping green valleys, frosted peaks and secluded lake lands. With 90% of the country rising above 6,235ft in altitude, most of the best sights are accessible only on foot or horseback. Explore the camel-coloured grasslands and nomad outposts of the Kok-Kiya Valley, tackle Central Asia’s highest peak on the arduous ascent to Lenin Peak or enjoy waterfalls occluded by the forest in Ala Archa gorge, close to Bishkek. On occasion, lucky hikers are rewarded with rare wildlife experiences — more than half of Kyrgyzstan constitutes snow leopard territory. HOW: Tackle one of Kyrgyzstan’s most popular routes on a hike to Ala-Kul high altitude lake with Tenti Group. Price available on request.
tenti.kg
Get a taste of traditional Kyrgyz cuisine Over the centuries, Central Asian cuisine has adapted to the wide distances, dangerous terrain and general hardship of life on the steppes. Most dishes are constructed from relatively staid essentials and staples, which are somehow turned into unique, flavour-packed traditonal delicacies. The Kyrgyz national dish is beshbarmak (boiled meat — often horse — plus dough and onion sauce), while dried horse sausages and piquant fermented horse or yak milk are widely available at street stalls in urban areas. HOW: Sample beshbarmak at Restaurant Navat in the capital Bishkek. Serving specialities like boiled horse intestines over soupy noodles, it offers an authentic steppe dining experience.
navat.kg
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NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL
KAZAKHSTAN Kazakhstan’s enormity can seem overwhelming to visitors. Here, widespread tents are pitched in vast grasslands and solitary horsemen roam expansive, green plains, embodying ancient nomadic culture.
Visit the ghostly sunken forest beneath Lake Kaindy In 1911, a landslide triggered by an earthquake formed a natural dam, submerging an entire spruce forest beneath turquoise mountain water in the southwest of Kazakhstan. To this day, pallid tree trunks stick out from the surface like a forest of sunken ship’s masts. A quick hike through Kolsay Lakes National Parks takes travellers on the mud- slicked descent to Kaindy’s lakeside. It’s also a popular spot for diving, offering one of the most unique underwater vistas in the world. HOW: Explore Lake Kaindy and Lake Kolsay on a two-day guided Lake Tour with Skyway. Transport, accommodation and meals included. Price available on request.
skyway.kz
Watch thrilling nomad sports played out on horseback Audaryspak (wrestling on horseback) is one of the most popular pursuits on the Kazakh steppes, often performed at traditional festivals and competitions. Competitors circle each other, rearing from their saddles, attempting to tear each other from their steeds while festival-goers cheer them on. In another display of horseborne grace, nomads decked out in traditional warrior garb stand upright in their saddles, galloping towards targets that they shoot arrows at. Elaborate and immensely impressive, displays of traditional nomad sports are routinely played out around Almaty. For the truly keen, there’s the annual World Nomad Games, where thousands of athletes from across Central Asia compete in a variety of traditional sports. The next instalment takes place in Asta, Kazakhstan in September 2024. HOW: Set off on a full-day excursion to the ‘Huns’ ethno-village through Hunny Tours. From £35 per person.
hunny.kz
Witness the ancient art of eagle handling Frequently spotted in the clear skies above the steppes, huge birds of prey circle over their quarry. You’ll see them in the mountains and trees, even in the densest of forests. They’ve been an indelible part of Kazakh culture for millennia, teaming up with ancient hunters to tackle large prey since the second century BC. Though there are fewer than 400 registered berkutchi (eagle hunters) left in Kazakhstan, it’s still possible to catch a demonstration close to Almaty. HOW: Head to Sunkar Raptor Falcon Sanctuary to see golden eagles, hawks, falcons, owls and vultures. Entrance is £2.
caravanistan.com
Clockwise from top: Lake Kaindy, Kazakhstan; traditional beshbarmak made with horse meat; Kyzyl Asker mountain peak, Kyrgyzstan Previous pages: Hiking along Alauddin Lakes in the Fann Mountains, Tajikistan
DID YOU KNOW?
Kazakhstan The whole of Kazakhstan is navigable via long distance trains, which operate routes from one side of the immense country to the other. Experience old school Soviet-style travel on a more than 50-hour cross- Kazakh line.
Kyrgyzstan The longest poem in history, The Epic of Manas, was written in Kyrgyzstan in the 18th century. At 500,000 lines, its 20 times longer than Homer’s The Odyssey and tells the story of noble Manas’ efforts to unite the warring tribes of his homeland.
Tajikistan Tajikistan is one of the most mountainous countries in the world, with around 50% of it being 3,000m above sea level. Over 90% of the land is classed as mountainous, and is dominated by the Pamir and Alay ranges.
Uzbekistan The barren lands in the south of Uzbekistan used to be home to brutal Soviet prisons. Among those banished here were a number of artists who, undeterred by their exile, continued creating. Their works are on display now in Nukus, at the Savitsky Art Museum.
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