Guide

The Five 'Stans: The Best Places To Visit In Central Asia

Steven Hermans

The Five ‘Stans… just a handful of countries, but covering a vast swathe of Central Asia. Where do you start an introduction to a region that stretches from China in the east, to the Caspian Sea in the west, when just one of the countries, Kazakhstan, is almost the same size as Europe? Some definitions to get us going: the Five 'Stans consist of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and the largest, Kazakhstan.

Guide

How To Get To Song Kul Lake

Central Asia’s archetypal semi-nomadic culture is alive and well in Kyrgyzstan, and nowhere is this more evident than at Lake Song Kul. At 3,016m (9,900ft) above sea level, the lake’s surroundings are blanketed in deep snow for most of the year.

Guide

Visiting Arslanbob: Highlights & How To Get There

The fairytale walnut forest of Arslanbob in southern Kyrgyzstan is a year-round destination for visitors. When the Ferghana Valley below swelters in the heat of summer, travellers can find refuge here in the shade of a magnificent woodland that stretches deep into the mountains.

Guide

Visiting The Pamir Highway & Mountains

Known locally as “the roof of the world,” the Pamir Mountains dominate with their superlatives. From the largest glacier outside of the polar region to 7,000-plus metre (23,000ft) peaks, the landscape here is designed to awe.

Guide

Need To Know When Visiting Central Asia

Steven Hermans

There’s no escaping the fact that the more recent history of the region has been troubled. Post-Soviet independence saw the rule of dictators with appalling attitudes to human rights.

Guide

Trekking in Kyrgyzstan

Stephen Lioy

I’ve been trekking in Kyrgyzstan since 2012, hiked in virtually every oblast of the country, and travelled several times to the remotest corners of the state. Every other valley seems at times to be capped by some glacier or waterfall, not to mention the nearly 2,000 alpine lakes scattered across the country.