Cheat sheet to Kyrgyzstan: 10 things to know

Kyrgyzstan is a land-locked country bordering China and three neighboring “Stans”: Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. But what's life like there?

Kyrgyzstan -- née the Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic  -- declared independence in 1991 and suffers from low employment and political instability.

Demonstrators overthrew the Kyrgyz president in 2005 and 2010, and last June in the country’s divided south, violence caused more than 400 deaths and displaced tens of thousands of people.

Today, 20-year-old Kyrgyzstan -- the “Kyrgyz Republic” in official parlance  -- radiates a curious blend of sadness and hope. Here are 10 things about the country you'll only know by going.

 

1. World's biggest walnut forests

Who knew Kyrgyzstan has the world’s largest remaining stands of walnut-fruit forests ? Heading west from Jalalabad in southern Kyrgyzstan -- no relation to the eponymous metropolis in eastern Afghanistan -- you’ll see walnuts growing alongside apples, pistachios and other crops suited to the dry climate.

From 1995 to 2010, the Swiss government attempted to help Kyrgyzstan reform its Soviet-designed forestry sector. Experts familiar with the “collaborative forest management” initiative say the results in Kyrgyzstan’s walnut-fruit forests have been, well, mixed.

 

2. Osh -- bazaar town haunted by its past

The epicenter of the June 2010 violence was Osh, a Kyrgyz city near the Uzbekistan border. It’s now safe to visit Osh, but reminders of the violence that destroyed parts of the city’s famous bazaar, such as charred buildings and broken windows, lend a haunted aura to your shopping experience.

The bazaar’s fruit and meat stalls are highly photogenic, but note that some vendors will get angry if you attempt to photograph them.

Osh is served by daily flights and buses from the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. Osh Bazaar sits just north of Alisher Navoi Street and slightly west of the city’s central bus station.

 

3. Home to a super-old tower

Kyrgyzstan’s Burana Tower, which historians say dates to the 10th century, was a lookout for the city of Balasagyn, one of the largest medieval cities in the visually stunning Chui Valley. Fortunately Genghis Khan’s Mongols opted not to destroy the tower when they later stormed through the area.

Be sure to climb the 25-meter-high tower’s cramped interior staircase and enjoy the panoramic view.

The Burana Tower is approximately one hour by taxi from Bishkek. Both the tower and an adjacent museum are free. To arrange a visit, contact the Bishkek travel agency Kyrgyz Concept (www.concept.kg; +996 3129 03232).

 

4. Land of Ladas

The USSR disbanded in 1991, but the Soviet legacy persists in Kyrgyzstan in the Lada, a Russian-made car. Ladas are really cute, especially in electric yellow, but they are also the butt of many jokes, such as one that says a Lada can reach speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour -- when pushed off a cliff.

Mercedes, Audis and BMWs from the 1990s and early Aughts are also common in Kyrgyzstan, partly because their engines can reportedly weather the land-locked nation’s bone-chilling winters and scorching summers.

 

5. World's second biggest alpine lake

Central Asia’s landscape is predominately arid and semi-arid, but Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk Kul Lake is the world’s second-largest lake in high-alpine environments.

The topography of the adjacent UNESCO “biosphere reserve” ranges from desert to alpine tundra, and the reserve includes such endangered animals as snow leopards and Ovis ammon polii, aka “Marco Polo sheep.”

If you decide to join the locals who swim in the lake, don’t forget sunscreen, an umbrella and plenty of water, as summer temperatures in Kyrgyzstan typically hit 32 C or more.

Beaches line Issyk Kul Lake’s northern shore, and the most popular northern beach town is Cholpon-Ata. The southern shore’s sparsely populated beaches are visible from the southern spur of Highway A363.