Bishkek

Bishkek (Бишкек), the capital and largest city in Kyrgyzstan, sits at the foothills of the Tien Shan mountain range in the Chui Valley. It is a relatively new city and has few historical sites, but it makes a great place to start your trips to the mountains and alpine lakes of the Tien Shan mountains. Bishkek is an interesting example of a Soviet planned city; laid on a grid with wide boulevards flanked by irrigation canals and large trees, buildings with marble façades, and Soviet apartment complexes. Bishkek has a delightful nightlife, and the people are friendly and very hospitable. Bishkek is a city of many young people that hang out in clubs and small cafes. Kyrgyzstan has the most liberal tourist visa regime in Central Asia, so Bishkek can be a great place to start a tour of the Silk Road and collect your visas to neighbouring countries. Its population was approximately 1,075,000 in 2021.

Bishkek has a temperate continental climate. The city is drab and grey in the winter, and smog is a major issue. Summer is often hot and clear, while spring and autumn are rainier. While Bishkek can be enjoyed at any time of the year with the appropriate clothing, the mountains which most tourists come for are usually only accessible between May and September.

Bishkek is a pleasant city to wander with numerous leafy parks, tall trees, peppered by Soviet era statues and monuments. However there isn't a great deal to see beyond this, and the city can comfortably be 'done' in a day (or two if visiting the suburban markets). Most museums are closed on Mondays. Bazaars: they're more for shopping in than for sight-seeing, but see "Buy" descriptions for Osh, Dordoy, Alamedin and Ortosay Bazaars.

Bishkek is a cheap place to learn Russian (or Kyrgyz). A private 1½-hr lesson with a native Russian speaker should cost between US$5–7. Courses are also available at the American University of Central Asia and the Kyrgyz-Russian-Slavic University. There is also a private school that caters to individual learning: The London School of Languages and Cultures. This school offers Russian and Kyrgyz to anyone at anytime of the year for as little as 120 som/hr. During the warmer months they are often full so book in advance.

A number of international organizations have offices in Bishkek, however most employees are recruited from abroad. If you speak Russian, there might be occasional opportunities to find temporary or long-term work. There are also English language schools that will employ native English speakers. There is not a lot of foreign business investment, but there is the Kumtor Gold mine and many foreign exploration companies attempting to develop the natural resources of the country.

Bishkek is probably the best choice for food in Kyrgyzstan. From typical Kyrgyz food like Besh barmak or central Asia classics as Plov, Shashlyk or Samsas can be found around the city. Also Russian dishes are fairly ubiquitous in Bishkek because of the large number of ethnic Russians who still live in the city. There are an also growing number of restaurants and cafes catering to more varied tastes from Turkish to Korean. Also Uyghur food is popular and fit the taste of many westerners as well as locals. E.g. the chain Arzu have a few restaurants.

Bishkek is safe compared to many major Asian cities.

Bishkek is more or less a museum relic of the former Soviet Bloc. Despite Kyrgyzstan's poverty and the decay of its infrastructure, Bishkek remains a relatively safe, clean, functional city. Bishkek is not an old city and possesses no ancient landmarks, but it nonetheless has its own kind of charm, which often arouses nostalgia in people who knew the old Soviet Union. For some visitors, Bishkek is merely a stop on the Silk Road to refresh supplies before returning to the mountains. However, expatriates generally consider themselves lucky to benefit from its easygoing lifestyle, open-minded spirit, party culture and low cost of living. If you come with the right expectations you might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Free Wi-Fi is widespread. Most "foreinercafes" have free Wi-Fi (Coffee, Foyer, Obama, Cyclone, Pirogoff-Vodkin, Vostok Zapad, Tubeteika, Movie City Bar, Buddha Bar, etc.) There is also free Wi-Fi at the Vefa shopping centre on the corner of Gorkiy and Soviet. Getting mobile phone service or even internet service is rather straight forward and a good idea, even if you're here for only a few days. You get SIM cards in almost every hotel or from several providers at the exit of the airport: Megafone, O, Beeline, etc. A SIM with 1 month of unlimited data and free calls is around 800 som, and will be activated right there for you. Otherwise, to activate them, put them into your phone and then go to one of the payment machines in supermarkets, petrol stations, etc. On the screen of the machines, select the provider of your SIM, enter the phone number on the SIM and finally put in some money. For all providers you get at least 2GB data volume and many free SMS for only 100 som. You first have to select your tariff (by calling something like "6241#") after your payment to benefit from the low prices.

Ala-Archa National Park – A great hiking and mountain climbing opportunity right next to Bishkek. Alamedin Gorge – A beautiful river valley with high routes to Ala-Archa (glacier trail) and Issyk Ata. Burana Tower – An unusual and interesting minaret near the city of Tokmok. Almaty - major city of Kazakhstan which is situated not so far away.