Kyrgyzstan is one such delightful place in the world where once you travel; you would like to visit over and over again. A landlocked country in Central Asia houses some of the most jaw-dropping sceneries of the world. The country is an off beaten path that has, the Alps, without the high coast, Mongolia without long flight time, and Switzerland without tourists. This small country dwells world-class views that too at an affordable price which one can explore in any tourist occupied expensive country and that’s what makes the place so special and a paradise for thrifty travelers.
But before you decide to visit the place here are a few tips that you need to know to avoid any repentance later. These tips aim at making the most out of your Kyrgyzstan itinerary.
Pack Your Sun and Dust Protection
If you’ve added the capital city Bishkek in your Kyrgyzstan’s travel bucket list, you should surely throw sun block, a baseball cap, and a scarf into your backpack. The dry roads and diesel engines can easily choke you, so it’s important to cover your mouth with a scarf when you cross those tainted roads. Wandering to different spots all day requires you to wear sunblock. You don’t want to get accumulated with dirt. And, a hat to cover yourself under the sun.
Download the Yandex Taxi App ASAP
One of the bad things as soon as you reach your destination is to negotiate with taxi drivers. To avoid those negotiations and for a fair deal, we recommend you get registered to the Yandex Taxi App as soon as you land the Kyrgyzstan airport. The prices offered on Yandex are about half of what you can negotiate with other taxi drivers.
You can pick a Kyrgyz Sim Card that is easily available at the airports. Data in Kyrgyzstan is super cheap.
Stash some Toilet Papers and Sanitizers
Stashing your bags with sanitizers and some toilet papers is the most important element of traveling. While travelers worldwide carry their personal stash of toilet paper and hand sanitizer in case of emergency, we advise you to do so. Traveling sometimes means carrying hell lot of diseases with you so sanitizer for your personal hygiene is a very important tool. In places like Cholpon Ata, you require some basic toiletries. This is for sure our greatest advice to any traveler, who plans to travel to Kyrgyzstan or any other place.
Avoid being Cashless
You will need to have cash in hand all the time when you visit Kyrgyzstan. It’s impossible to buy anything on the card in the country. So make sure you carry cash where ever you roam in the country. Of course, there are ATMs in the city, but once you go to remote places like the Jyrgalan Valley it will be harder to access money. So’ it’s better to keep cash in hand.
Go for a cash exchange as soon as you land the airport. Kyrgyzstan’s local currency is the Som 41 USD is around 70 Som and things are relatively cheaper. Break down larger notes as soon as you can, to avoid any issues later. Don’t worry if you have some leftover currencies with you- you can exchange it for a fairly decent rate at the Bishkek’s airport.
Learn some Russian
There is a rare chance you will find English speaking population in the country. Kyrgyzstan’s two official languages are Kyrgyz and Russian. You will find yourself in trouble when you don’t speak either of them.
We are not saying you to go for a Russian class and learn the whole language but learn a few words that will help you in your entire itinerary.
