Kyrgyzstan touches you. The country captivates you with everything it has to offer. Above all, the people! They seem harsh, reserved, almost hard and unforgiving. But this façade disappears when you approach them with open eyes and a friendly smile. Openness – such an important quality when travelling.
And then there is the untamed nature in Kyrgyzstan, which captivates you and which you simply cannot escape! It is impossible not to marvel at and surrender to the vastness. The gently rolling hills, the lush green meadows in summer, and the flower meadows buzzing with bees, bumblebees, and grasshoppers. They are beautiful and remind me of my summer vacations with my grandparents. Nature is a jewel in Kyrgyzstan! Every single peak seems unreachably high, as they are often over 4,500 m high.
Summer vacation – Detox experience
You will encounter lakes over 3,000 m high, located on a beautiful plateau where horses stand and gallop: Son-Kul Lake, for example. Dark brown, light brown, and with unruly manes, they stand and eat their fill of the endless green grass. In summer, between mid-June and early September, the plateau is used as pasture. During this time, Kyrgyz people come up here from the villages in the valley to produce horse milk, cheese, and butter, which is sold in the valley after the summer. Schoolchildren have three months of vacation and spend their summer on this endless expanse, surrounded by nature, animals, and family. There is no cell phone reception up here. They work, play, and laze around. They bake bread and help their grandparents, aunts, uncles, or parents with everyday chores. They play soccer and tag, sit by the stream and build dams, or listen to the wind. A childhood far away from the hustle and bustle. Son-Kul is a magical place whose uniqueness is hard to describe.
Life on a beautiful wide plateau
Up here, it gets cool in the evening. They all sit and sleep together in their yurts. The yurt serves as a dining room with a long, flat table. Around it are carpets, cushions, and blankets on which you can sit comfortably. This silence is priceless. The lake is calm. Birds fly around and catch the few insects that still exist up here. In the evening, there is grilled meat, homemade bread, and tea. There is also some salad and vegetables. For those who like to experiment, there is fresh horse milk, ladled from a bucket into a bowl. It actually tastes quite good, but it won’t be my first choice.
Authentic humanity and a welcoming culture
Kyrgyzstan, with all its natural resources and warm-hearted people, touches me deeply. It feels like coming home. People accept you as you are; you are a guest and that is how you are welcomed. The incredibly warm hospitality and the idea of “inshallah” in all their actions combine to form a culture that I have grown to love. It feels like home and touches my heart. Problems are solved when they arise. There are no “ifs and buts,” no theoretical considerations about what might happen or “just in case.” Every day comes as it comes.
Chon Kemin Nationalpark
The Chon Kemin Valley is just as magical as Son-Kul. Only two hours from Bishkek, you reach a national park surrounded by mountains over 5,000 meters high. It is a wide valley through which a road winds from village to village. There are small settlements with old houses, gardens, and Ladas! Almost every car is an old Lada parked in the driveway. Old men in hats ride leisurely through the village on squeaky bicycles. Children run, shout, and play. Horses stand in the meadows and along the paths. Anyone can ride. A girl and a boy come toward me on a horse. Smiling faces, they babble and let time pass on horseback. Two boys walk arm in arm through the streets. They seem precocious, talking about things I don’t quite understand. Something to do with cars and games.
What serenity!
In general, people like to celebrate and laugh a lot! Music is an important tool for enlivening what seems like a monotonous everyday life. People dance, sing, and are loud. The opposite of the mostly quiet everyday life.
I sit with my host in the inn. We talk about this and that. A few minutes later, we find ourselves in the car, driving into town. Town here means there is a market, at least one fairly large supermarket, ATMs, and a gas station. We run the most important errands, buy vegetables for the kitchen together, and also take cherries with us, freshly harvested from someone’s garden. And, of course, we pay by QR code. No cash, no credit card. Scan the QR code and you’re done. This contrast is pure pragmatism. I love it!
What is my conclusion from this trip?
- Deal with issues as they arise and when problems occur and need to be solved.
- Inshallah – There will always be a solution and a way forward.
- Language – Learn languages to reach people’s hearts and give yourself the opportunity to immerse yourself deeply in a culture and exchange ideas with people about their lives.
- Follow your intuition – If you feel drawn to a country, a situation, or a particular place, follow that feeling.
- Rest when you need to rest.
My recommendations
- Chon-Kemin – Kemin Guesthouse
Very nice accommodation in the middle of Chon-Kemin Valley! The team is lovely, the food is fresh, modern and traditionally prepared. And the rooms offer enough space, the wooden design brings natural atmosphere from the outside to the inside - At Lake Yssikköl: Hotel Silence
A beautiful hotel right on the lake with beach access, very warm hosts, and space to relax. - In Karakol: Green Yard Hotel
Modern rooms, quiet location, great breakfast, and plenty of space in the garden to just be. - Son-Kul Lake: Stay at 3,000 m in a yurt camp and enjoy 2 or 3 days of peace and quiet, views of horses, yurts, and of course the lake without cell phone reception. Pure relaxation!