The Five Stans Of The Silk Road

Arrive in Bishkek, a former Silk Road settlement. Kyrgyzstan's capital is a young city, starting life as a clay fort built by the Khan of Kokand in 1825 only to be destroyed by the Russians 43 years later. It was rebuilt in 1878 and it is from this time that Bishkek evolved. For those arriving on time today our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 11:30am for the welcome meeting and to take us on a sightseeing tour of Bishkek by bus and on foot. We learn about the main monuments and buildings of the city, and take a leisurely walk through Oak Park. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Manas International Airport (FRU), which is 40 minutes' drive from the hotel. For those arriving on flights in the early hours of this morning, we'll arrange for your hotel room to be available immediately upon your arrival. For anyone arriving before today please contact us to book additional nights' accommodation. Please note that if you wish to join the Bishkek City Tour today, you must arrive at the hotel by 11:30am. If you are booking your own flights, we recommend giving yourself at least one hour to clear the airport. From the airport to the hotel is around 40 minutes' drive, so therefore the latest your flight can arrive is 9:30am. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information at 6:30pm this evening, or 8:45am the morning of day 2.

Leaving Bishkek behind this morning, we first drive out to Burana Tower; a piece of Silk Road history that sits sequestered in the wide-open landscape. The 11th century tower is all that remains of the ancient city of Balasagun, with the tower itself half the height of its former glory. We continue on to Tokmok stadium, which plays host to the wealth of horse games that have remained hugely popular here throughout the centuries. We will witness a demonstration of Kok Boru, a form of polo played with the carcass of a goat, and Kyz-Kuumai which literally translates to 'girl chasing'. This game is like a horse-back version of the playground game 'kiss chase' where the men are charged with planting a kiss on the woman, whilst she is armed with a whip to beat the boys away. We arrive in Chon Kemin in the afternoon where our home for the night is a quaint guesthouse in the middle of a peaceful valley, covered with green meadows that are full of wildflowers in spring and early summer, while forests of fir trees cloak the higher slopes.

This morning we will embark on a masterclass to learn how to make Boorsok, the national bread and one of the country's staple foods. The doughy mixture is deep-fried in large quantities before being spread across the 'dastorkan' or table, doubling as a table decoration. Cooking an abundance of Boorsok is seen as a sign of generosity on the part of the host, so seldom will you see a dinner table not chock-full with the tasty offerings. After filling up on bread we will wind our way to the iconic Lake Issyk Kul, quite-rightly dubbed 'The Pearl of Kyrgyzstan'. We trace our way alongside its southern shores to the village of Kyzyl Tuu, one of the centres for yurt production. Here we learn more about how these fascinating structures work and why they have been the chosen dwellings for Central Asian nomads for centuries. We will also have the chance to visit a local cooperative producing the two traditional types of Kyrgyz felt carpets, Ala-kiyiz and Shyrdaks. Our final stop of today's journey is in Bokonbayevo where we meet an Eagle Hunter. Here we will see how this form of falconry has been practiced and perfected over centuries. We arrive at our yurt camp, on the banks of Lake Issyk Kul in the late afternoon, where there will be time for swimming in the lake before dinner. Tonight's yurts will be twin-share with western style toilets and cold showers available.