The country's monetary unit is the Kyrgyz som (KGS), there are 100 tyiyn in 1 som. Current rate: 1 KGS = 1.04 RUB (1 USD = 89.32 KGS , 1 EUR = 94.64 KGS ).
You can exchange currency at bank branches and licensed exchange offices. Banks are usually open from 9:00 to 17:00 from Monday to Friday; “exchangers” - much longer and seven days a week. Dollars are more readily accepted for exchange, with the most favorable exchange rate for 100 and 50 USD bills . However, European currency can also be exchanged without problems in Bishkek and Osh. It is recommended to change currency in the capital, as the rate may be lower in the provinces.
You can easily withdraw money from a bank card in Bishkek and Osh; in other cities it may not be easy to find an ATM. By the way, the machines give out both soms and dollars. You can pay with a credit card only in a few large hotels, restaurants and shops in the Kyrgyz capital.
Fire service - 101, police - 102, ambulance - 103, rescue service - 161, information service - 109
Kyrgyzstan is a completely safe country for Russian tourists. It is worth exercising the usual caution: do not walk at night in unfamiliar places, keep an eye on your bag and wallet, beware of pickpockets in crowded places and avoid noisy companies when you are “tipsy.” Despite the fact that the majority of Kyrgyz are Muslims, rather loose moral standards reign here, especially in the capital: hand-in-hand walks and other chaste displays of affection will not attract surprised glances. At the same time, when going to the outback, it is better to behave with restraint and dress accordingly: without mini or transparent chiffons.
Kyrgyz tap water is safe to drink, tasty and even, according to locals, good for health, because it comes straight from mountain springs. However, bottled water is also sold everywhere, and its quality is not inferior to any “Borjomi”.
The most popular way to travel between cities and villages in Kyrgyzstan is by buses and minibuses. The first ones de jure depart according to the schedule, and de facto - when the cabin is maximally full, the second ones set off only when all passenger seats are occupied. Minibuses cost a little more than buses. If you want to go immediately, you can simply pay for the remaining seats. Using the same principle, a minibus can be rented for the whole day at a negotiated price.
Domestic flights of Kyrgyzstan Airlines connect Bishkek with Osh (four times a day, 1 hour flight time), Jalalabad and Batken.
By rail you can travel between Balykchy, Tokmok, Bishkek and Kara-Balta. Trains are half the price of minibuses, but the journey is twice as long.
In the cities of Kyrgyzstan it is worth getting around by taxi - they are not at all expensive.
In general, car rental is not common in Kyrgyzstan, but you can still find a rental car. The largest selection is in Bishkek. When renting, keep in mind that the roads in the country are not in the best condition, some notable places are completely off the “paved trails”, so it is better to look for a 4x4 all-wheel drive vehicle. Rental cost is from 18 USD per day.
Kyrgyzstan has a sharply continental climate with a transition to continental. The amount of precipitation is relatively low; there are about 250 sunny days a year. On the plains and lowlands, the average temperature in January is -4...-6 °C, in July - +18...+24 °C. In the highlands, both winter and summer are cooler due to the constantly blowing winds from Siberia: -14...-20 °C in January and +8...+12 °C in July. In the Fergana Valley in summer, the thermometer usually rises above +35 °C. The most favorable time to visit Kyrgyzstan is September, when pleasant autumn warmth reigns throughout the country. You can go to the high-mountain “jailoo” pastures from mid-May to early October; hiking and horseback riding tours can be carried out comfortably from March to November in the south and from April to October in the north. Trekking and climbing are available throughout the year, with high mountain climbing best done from late June to October.
From Kyrgyzstan you can bring felt “kalpak” hats and items of national costume: quilted “ichken” robes, bloomers and swinging skirts, leather shoes, traditional vessels and cases made of leather - for example, for making, storing and serving kumis. The hallmark of Kyrgyzstan's folk crafts is the felt carpet "shyrdak" made of sheep's wool, decorated with bright national patterns. Such carpets are not cheap, but they are truly eternal. Pay attention to wood products: chests and caskets, cases, stands, interior items and chess. Representatives of the fair sex will appreciate Kyrgyz jewelry: the usual bracelets, rings, earrings and exotic forehead and pendants.
Kyrgyz cuisine includes an abundance of meat and “wet” food: soups, broth-based dishes and dishes with gravy, as well as dairy products. The meat that is mainly consumed is lamb and horse meat; they also eat beef and poultry, but pork - for religious reasons - is not on the Kyrgyz menu at all. One of the most popular dishes is “beshbarmak” (“five fingers”), which is prepared from young lamb. The meat is boiled, the broth is served as the first course, then separate pieces of meat as a prelude to the second, and after that the remaining meat is finely chopped and mixed with broth and homemade noodles. The guest is traditionally offered delicacies - cheeks, brains and eyes. Another favorite dish is boiled horse sausage “chuchuk”. It is consumed both independently and as part of other dishes. Many dishes came to the national cuisine of Kyrgyzstan from neighboring countries: “shorpo” soup, pilaf and shish kebab, samosa and manti - moreover, they were enriched with local nuances and are already perceived as originally Kyrgyz. The best pilaf, for example, is considered to be from Osh. Fatty foods are washed down with milk drinks - kumis made from mare's milk, ayran and local varieties of yogurt. In all other cases, tea is consumed in abundance: green or black (here it is called “kyzyl chai” - red tea) with nuts, dried fruits, flatbreads and pies.
Unique natural attractions and ancient cities of the Great Silk Road are two of Kyrgyzstan’s trump cards in attracting tourists. The territory of the state includes the Tien Shan and Pamir ridges, here is one of the largest and deepest lakes on the planet - Issyk-Kul, glorified by the poets of the East, relict walnut forests of the high-mountain oasis Arslanbob, the Jety Oguz gorge and radon-hydrogen sulfide thermal springs, the legendary lakes Son- Kul and Sary-Chelek, the giant Inylchek glacier and many other wonders of nature. Mountain lovers climb the peaks of Lenin, Pobeda and Khan Tengri, trekking fans explore the Turkestan ridge and lakes of the Western Tien Shan, and skiers can’t wait for the opening of the season to be the first to cut the snow on the slopes of Kashka-Suu, Norus and Too Ashuu . By the way, ski Kyrgyzstan offers rich opportunities for heliskiing and paragliding.
Sights of Bishkek: the ancient and colorful Osh bazaar, Ala-Too Square, the Independence Monument and the Parliament building, the Museum of National History and the Museum of Art, the historical oak grove and the Erkindik gallery. In the vicinity of the city, it is worth visiting the Baityk Valley natural park and climbing Mount Boz-Peldek, which offers a beautiful view of Bishkek. On the southern slope of the mountain there is the Khan's Graves cemetery, where the legendary ruler of the valley is buried. Note the wrought iron tower with its magnificent dome. You can see rare plants in the Chon-Aryk botanical reserve, and improve your health at the peat mud deposit in the village of Kamyshanovka.
In Osh there are wonderful monuments of Islamic architecture of the Fergana style: the madrassas of Alymbek Paravanchi and Mukhamedboy Turk khal Muratbaev, the Sadykbay and Shahid-Tepa mosques. The Russian Orthodox Church of St. Michael the Archangel (early 20th century) is worth a visit. Among the historical attractions are an ancient cemetery, a complex of medieval baths, and ancient petroglyphs. In addition, Osh is the “gateway to the mountains”: from here you can climb the Pamirs and Tien Shan, see the Chil-Ustun and Chil-Mayram caves, as well as the unique karst spring-waterfall Abshir-say.
Lake Issyk-Kul is the second largest in the world and, perhaps, the first in terms of amazingly colored water - deep blue, almost ultramarine. The water of Issyk-Kul is exceptionally clear and slightly salty in taste, as about 80 rivers flow into it, and not a single one flows out. In the vicinity of the lake there are hot springs and there are deposits of medicinal mud.
You can live the nomadic life of a real Kyrgyz by going to the high mountain pastures “jailoo” - a healthy sleep under the canopy of a yurt, a cup of kumis in the morning and all day in the fresh air - this is the guarantee of health in the Asian way.