Our final Stan, Kyrgyzstan

Visiting Kyrgyzstan is the final Stan in our tour. It’s a land-locked, mountainous country with a population of around seven million people and about 64 per cent mountains. It’s become a popular adventure travel destination for hikers.

The first city we’re visiting is Karakol which was founded in 1870 as a Russian military outpost. It’s the fourth largest city in Kyrgyzstan with a population of 85,000.

Our first stop was at Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral. An earthquake in 1889 destroyed the original stone church. In 1895, community donations funded rebuilding it. When the
Soviets arrived they closed the church. It was reopened after Independence. We then walked over to the Market and stopped into a cafe.

Next we visited the Dungan Mosque. It was built in 1910 in Chinese style and was transported from China. It was created without the use of a single nail using special tongue and groove techniques. Original Lego!😉

We reboarded our mini bus and set off to Broken Heart Rock. Legend has it that this is the heart of a beautiful woman who died of a broken heart after two suitors killed each other fighting over her.

On to another rock formation: Jeti Oguz or Seven Bulls. It’s a sandstone formation where the rocks look like seven bulls. It was a spectacular setting for our lunch.

Back on our bus and onto Fairytale Canyon. After a walk around we got back on the bus and drove to our Yurt Camp where we’ll stay for the next two nights. Think glamping.Read more