Postcard from Bishkek

Many major cities around the world have firms which specialise in offering visitors day trips, offering a variety of possible variations.  Tourists can peruse the offerings, make their choice, buy tickets from their hotels or Information Centers and then be at the pick-up spot on the day and … off they go.

Unfortunately that doesn’t happen here.  In the past, we (and others) have tried to offer such a programme but there just hasn’t been enough demand to make it viable.  As a result, most of the day trips that we offer these days are customized – either they are part of a longer tout itinerary, or specially arranged for a group beforehand.

At least this usually means that we avoid the sort of problems I have encountered over the years.

For example, on one occasion, in Vienna, I had booked a tour and was waiting in reception for the bus … and waited … and waited … and waited.  Eventually I went up to the reception desk and asked them to call the company and ask what had happened – maybe the bus had broken down.  They were told that, no … the tour had simply been cancelled because there weren’t enough people booked.  The minimum number hadn’t been reached and so it was cancelled … for some reason, there had been a mix-up and they hadn’t called to tell us.

Mind you, that sort of situation didn’t seem to phase the company that organized a day trip I took once in Istanbul.  I booked my seat for myself and a friend at the hotel reception, who made a phone call before taking my money an issuing me with the ticket.  The bus arrived at the appointed time and we got on … and made our way through the city traffic and eventually headed out to our destination.   It was a big bus … a 50-seater, and there were just the two of us.  When we got on, we thought that we were simply the fist clients – but to our amazement we passed all the other hotels and didn’t stop.  It soon became clear that there were no other takers for this particular tour … I must say, I was impressed with their attitude.

Sometimes, however, there are too many clients … on yet another occasion, this time in Switzerland, I had booked a day trip and when the bus arrived, discovered it was full … too many tickets had been sold and there were no places left on the bus.  They promised to give us priority the next day and, fortunately, we were free and were able to take them up on the offer … so “all was well that ended well”,  but it created a bad impression of an otherwise very pleasant stay.

One of the standard day trips offered in many cities is a “City Tour“.   Taking a city tour can be useful for either those who have little time but want to see the main city sights and “get a feel for the city” and the inhabitants,  or for those here for a while and want “to get their bearings” … and deciding which features they would like to explore in more detail.

It is possible to arrange city tours in other towns and cities around Kyrgyzstan … but, most of them are quite small and so we mainly concentrate on Bishkek City Tours.

 

BISHKEK CITY TOUR

A City Tour can be part of a longer tour itinerary or a separate, “stand alone”, activity.

I have written elsewhere about the fact that I think the best way to see Bishkek is on foot … it’s a small city and most of the main sites are in the city center which are easily “walkable” …   I have even given a specimen route, (starting from our hotel – The Silk Road Lodge), for anyone who wants to do it on their own.

London has a firm which specializes in organizing walking tours … usually on a set theme, (for example, the London of Charles Dickens, Sherlock Holmes or Jack the Ripper), which are led by an expert in that particular field.

Some cities, like London, also have special Sightseeing tour buses … They follow set routes and you buy a ticket valid for the whole day when you first get on one … but you can alight at any of the stops on the route if you want to linger and have a closer look at something in particular – gettong onto a later bus when you are ready.  Unfortunately, we don’t have this in Bishkek, but there is the sightseeing “train” around the Central district … 50 som a ticket.

Of course, there are advantages to doing it on your own, for example following such a route in a guidebook … apart from being cheaper, you can go at your own pace and decide in situ if something catches your eye and you want to make a diversion, or to stop and linger.  Of course you may miss out on some of the details that are not included in the guidebook description, and on the interaction with local people who can also answer any questions that arise and interpret for you.

 

A walking tour of the city center, with or without a guide, can be arranged which includes the main sights :

• “The corridors of power” – government and administrative center of both the country and the city, itself;
• “Palaces of culture” – such as the Russian and Kyrgyz Drama Theaters and the Theater of Opera and Ballet and the Circus;
• “Repositories of History” – the museums such as The History Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Frunze Museum … not forgetting some of the smaller speciaist museums that are scattered throughout the city;
• “The Monumental Art” of the city;
• “The Central Greenway” – wandering through the city center parks such as Oak Park, Panfilov Park and the central greenway, Prospect Erkindik and Molodaya Gvardia, that gave rise to the claim that Bishkek was the “Greenest City on Earth”;
• The “Spriritual heart of the nation” - The Orthodox Cathedral and museum and the Central Mosque;
• “Commercial Palaces” – including Malls such as the TsUM and Bishkek Park … and not forgetting Osh Bazaar
• “Entertainment Hotpots” – for those who are looking for a way to pass their spare time

Visits to the museums such as the History Museum, the Frunze Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts are optional depending upon the client’s wishes – an advantage of a bespoke, customized service.

A “motor tour” might include the above plus a drive through the suburbs for example to visit

• Pishpek – site of the Kuznechnaya Krepost
• Rabochy Gorodok – The Hippodrome
• Artists Town
• The Botanical gardens or more outlying parks such as Karagachovaya Rosha – Elm Grove or the Southgate entrance to the city
• Panorama in the foothills overlooking Bishkek
• be combined with a visit to one of the outlying attractions such as the Ala Archa National Park or At-Beyit memorial

It’s also possible to arrange as part of a tour:

• a Concert

A Kyrgyz Experience – Sit and listen to traditional Kyrgyz music played on traditional instruments. We can arrange concerts by a number of different groups – including Jetigen – the musical ensemble of Music School № 7.

• a demonstration of Kyrgyz Crafts

For example, a visit to a workshop combined with a demonstration of the making of Shyrdaks and Ala Kiyiz.

 

 

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