Places to visit

The gorge Altyn Arashan (with Kyrgyz language "golden source") - one of the most beautiful places of Kyrgyzstan. Its scenic beauty, a gem of the mountains is Ala Kel, and hot springs, known for their beneficial properties, have long conquered the hearts of the people who come to these places. Arashan mountain valley of the river is 10 kilometers east of the town of Kara-Kol.

Hot springs are also at a height of 2,600 meters above sea level. They are known for their healing properties. The sources are divided into two: radon and hydrogen sulfide. The first source, a large concentration of radon in water has beneficial effects on the human body: accelerate the healing process and resorption, in the nerve fibers of muscle and bone tissue, improves heart function and normalized. There are also sources of hydrogen sulfide, according to its useful properties, they are not inferior to radon. Hydrogen sulfide baths are useful in a variety of skin diseases, cardiovascular disorders, for the restoration and normalization of the nervous system, musculoskeletal system.

Coordination office of CBT Arslanbob leading by Hayat. Our local partner for trekking, horseback riding and ski touring in the region of the largest nuts forest in the world. With Hayat the coordinator of CBT Arslanbob, we are developing new routes and programs. In partnership with the Swiss NGO "Boule de neige", we are supporting winter sport access to children of Arslanbob village.

The garden of Kaiser Mahal is a Rana palace in Kathmandu rebuilt in 1895 on an older destroyed palace. The palace complex, located west of the Narayanhity Palace, was incorporated in an impressive and vast array of courtyards, gardens and buildings.

The Pyramidal peak is located on the crest of the Turkestan chain belonging to the Pamir-Alai massif. It is a monolithic granite mountain that attracts experienced climbers on mixed routes. It lies between the border of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and 9 lanes have already been opened on the Kyrgyz side. The approach is made by going up the valley of Kara-Suu and by the glacier of Asan-Usin. The area is known as Karavshin, the valley that brings together the rivers surrounding the peak. It is the second highest peak in Turkestan after Skalisty peak, which is 5,612 meters high.

The Baha ad-Din complex is a cult ensemble located in the suburban area of Bukhara. The complex served as the center of the Naqshband dervish order. Its head, Sheikh Bahauddin Naqshband, died in 1389 and was buried near the village of Kasri Arifon near Bukhara.

4 km from the town of Osh, it's the only border for tourist to enter in the Uzbek's Ferghana.

On the Kyrgyz side, mini-bus nr. 136, 137, 138 are driving to Osh center.

Chor Minor or Char Minar is also known as the Madrasah of Khalif Niyaz-kul. It is located in an alley northeast of the Lyab-i Hauz complex. It is protected as a monument of cultural heritage and is also part of the historic center of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bukhara. In Tajik, the name of the monument means "four minarets", in reference to the four towers of the building.

The structure was built by Khalif Niyaz-kul, a wealthy inhabitant of Bukhara of Turkmen origin in 1807 during the reign of the Manghit dynasty. The function of this building is still not very clear. The minarets were not used for the call to prayer. Originally it was part of a madrasa complex, which was demolished. The building has no analogue in Bukhara architecture, and Niyazkul's inspiration and patterns are unclear.

Glacier on the South side of the peak Boris Eltsine and the massif of Oguz-Bashi. It's situated in the National park of Sarychat Ertash.

Astana-Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport is an international airport in Kazakhstan located 16.7 km southeast of the capital Nur-Sultan (former Astana). 

Astana's first airfield was built in 1931 on the outskirts of the town and was developed further after World War II. However, a new airport, which became Astana international Airport, was built 11 miles to the south of the city and opened in November 1963. It was largely used by Aeroflot and its local directorate. Following the transfer of the capital from Almaty to Astana in December 1997, the airport underwent a series of major reconstructions which brought it up to international standards, including the current 11,484 ft (3,500m) runway. A new passenger terminal designed by the late Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa was opened in February 2005.

During 2015, traffic increased to 3,366,560 passengers.

There is one terminal which is divided into two sectors – A and B. A is for international flights and B is for domestic.

No need to confuse with the check-in counter sectors (B – for Air Astana flights only, A – for other carriers).

The city of Kashgar is in the far NW China, west of the Taklamakan desert at the foot of the Tian Shan range. The oasis of Kashgar is an important crossroads of trade routes from the North, West, from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is also located at the northern end of the Karakorum highway that takes the Khunjerab Pass connects Kashgar to the city of Islamabad in Pakistan.

North part of Song Kul's lake. Translated from the Kyrgyz means “Straight Pass” In summer it is a real paradise for nomads and livestock. In addition to traditional countless flocks of sheep, goats, cows and horses, we can see also yaks.

The Karakabak gorge, and the Asantukum gorge, are two stunningly beautiful valleys located in the Jeti Oguz district. These valleys are separated by a mountain pass called the Archa Tor pass (difficulty 1A), which offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

One of the highlights of the Archa Tor pass is the stunning view of the Head of Sugar peak, which stands at an altitude of 4189 meters. From the pass, you can also enjoy breathtaking views of the Chatyr Tor peaks.

The pass is open to visitors from mid-June till mid-October and offers nice camping sites on both sides. If you're planning to hike through the pass, it's important to be well-prepared for the trip, as the terrain can be challenging.

The Chong Kemin River (Kyrgyz: Чоң Кемин дарыясы) is a main river in Kemin District of Chuy Province of Kyrgyzstan. It is rising in the Zailiiski range (marking the border beetween Kazakshtan and Kyrgyzstan) and the Kungey range, and is a right tributary of the Chu River in Boom Gorge. The river is protected by status of the National park of Chong Kemin.

It has a length of 116 kilometres with a basin area of 1,890 square kilometres.

The Chong Kemin river rises as an effluent of the Murok Suu, the Sapojnikova, the Mashkovtseva, the Keminski, the West Ak-Suu, Dolon Ata, North Cholpon Ata and others glaciers of the Kungey range.

It receives the water from many rivers like Utsh Bulak river, Tegirmenti Suu, Kashka Suu (Kekoyrok mount), Tshetyndy, Ishke-Suu, Djan-Aryk, Buzulgan-Say, Kaskeleng, Djaya, Bashy-Djaya, Sek-Archa-Bulak, Chong Ak-Say, Kokuy Bulak, Almaty, Tuyuk Almaty, Koel Almaty, Kashka Suu (Zailiiski range), West Ak-Suu, Dolon Ata, North Cholpon Ata, Tertyuktshyu-Koy-Suu, Chong Koy-Suu, Orto-Koy-Suu, Koy-Suu, Djindi-Suu, Utsh-Emshek, Kashka-Suu (Dzore mount), Diure, Koel-Ter, Toru-Aigyr, Shymbulak, Ortokaindy, Cholakaindy, Kalmak-Ashuu and Tar-Suu rivers.

In the bassin of the Chong Kemin river, there are some lakes like Koel Kongur, Djashyl Koel, Djacyl Koel, Almaty, and many small glacier's lakes.

It's a good place for fishing the Amurdaria trout, Issykulski trout and the Chuy Osman.

The river also offer on its lower part a good opportunity to try rafting on a 23 km long from class II to IV, starting a bit lower than the Shabdan village till Djil Aryk village on the shore of the Chuy river. (see our rafting programs).

Tamga Tash means the "marked stone". There are three stones in total and they are several hundred metres apart, in the mountains 5km south of Tamga village.

The first stone reads OM MANE PADME HUM. The inscription on the stone could date from the period of the Dzungar Khanate 17-19th centuries. For this stone split in two, a Kyrgyz legend tells that a batyr once split the first Tamga-tash in two with his sword.

The inscription on the second stone is similar to that on the first Tamga-tash, but dates from an earlier period. The dimple indicates that the stone could have been known since Scythian times.

The sign OM inscribed on the third stone was certainly made during the same period as the first.

There are more stones to be discovered, the path is not on a Silk Road, so why was this place chosen as sacred?

The Aral Sea is located in northern Central Asia, between Aktobe district in Kazakhstan and north of the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan. Until the third quarter of the 20th century, it was the fourth largest salt lake in the world and contained 10 grams of salt per liter. The two rivers that feed it are the famous rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya. Two rivers originating in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

The ancient city of Navekat.

It is located 36 km east of Bishkek. Here the ruins of the ancient city Navekat (New Town), one of the cities on the Silk Road, have been preserved. Navekat was founded in the 6th century and was a trading center of the ancient Turkish khanates. The northern branch of the Silk Road passed here. It flourished from the 6th to the 12th century.

The city of Navekat has a citadel, two Shahristan ("city" in Arabic) and a suburb.

One of the unique monuments in Navekat is a large painted granite sculpture of a "sleeping" Buddha. The sculpture was 12 m, but we have, for the moment, found that its half.

The most common religion among citizens in Navekat was Zoroastrianism, but with some specific characteristics of local worship.

From the second half of the 12th century Navekat began to decline and at the start of the Mongol conquests it was completely destroyed.

The Tamerlan's Gate is the most narrow part of the gorge of the river Sanzar - passage in the mountains separating ranges Malguzar Nuratau and in the western part of the Pamir-Alai.

Altyn Emel National Park is the largest and most famous nature conservation area in Kazakhstan, where the famous Singing Barkhan, the majestic Sak kurgans and the picturesque mountains of Aktau and Katutau are located. The park covers 523053 hectares and is located in the valley of the Ili River, 300 km away from the city of Almaty. Altyn Emel lies in the desert and mountain zones, where 1,800 species of plants grow. Within the park there are 78 species of mammals and 260 species of birds. On the spacious plains and mountain slopes gazelles, kulans and argali feel great. Apart from that, the park staff is doing a lot of work to weigh the endangered species like the Przhevalsky horse. Also in the national park there are radon sources.

Salkyn-Tor National Park is located on the forested northern slope of the Naryn Too mountain range about 18 km east of the town of Naryn. The park was established in May 2001 and has an area of 104 km². It can be reached easily by the road up the Naryn River. The entrance fee to the park costs $ 1 per person.
One of the objectives of the park is to increase the local population of Maral, which has declined sharply since independence. Other animals inhabit the forests of the Naryn Range include roe deer, Eurasian lynx, and brown bear.
The lower part of the park is dominated by dense stands of Schrenk spruce mixed with Tian Shan rowan. It is interesting to observe species of wild rose, willow and barberry.

The Chatkal valley follows the mountain chain of the same name, to the north-west of this chain, over a length of 160km before flowing into the Charvak dam in Uzbekistan. By road, there are only 2 accesses, either by Talas to the north and the Kara-Bura Ashuu pass located at 3302m. alt .; or from the south, via the Chapchyma Ashuu pass 2841m. alt. when arriving from the town of Kerben.

The capital is the village of Kanysh-Kyya, and the lower part of the valley is in the Besh-Aral nature reserve.

The Chatkal river is one of the most beautiful rivers for rafting, on the other hand tourist infrastructures are still very rare there.
On the other hand, the mineral resources are important there: lead, silver, zinc, antimony and building materials.

The natural parks located to the north and northwest of the valley benefit several species. The fauna is very particular and rich in the mountains. In the forests, among the wild fruit trees and bushes, live wild boars, foxes, bears, sometimes deer. The porcupine, the badger, the forest dormouse live in forest areas. The marten, sometimes the ermine and the weasel huddle near the rocks. High in the mountains graze Siberian goats, which are hunted by snow leopards. Groundhogs are everywhere. But above all there are a lot of birds here. The deciduous forests are rich in starlings, orioles, blackbirds, woodpeckers, goldfinches and nightingales. Magpies, coarse juniper, finches, mountain buntings live in juniper forests. On the rocks and the steep slopes nest doves, swifts and many birds of prey: vulture, kestrel, vulture, golden eagle and others. And stone placers are favorite places for partridges and grouse. Three types of fish are commonly found in mountain rivers: common marinka, Amu-Darya char, and Turkestan catfish.