text:
Kyoto/Higashiyama

Some of the most picturesque parts of Kyoto are located in Higashiyama (東山, lit. eastern mountains), the eastern region of the city, across the Kamo River (鴨川 Kamogawa). Visiting the main tourist attractions of eastern Kyoto will fill a full day - a suggested itinerary is to work north from Kiyomizu-dera to Ginkakuji, passing through Gion, and visiting Yasaka Shrine and Nanzenji before following the Philosopher's Walk to Ginkakuji.

By train
Keihan Railway serves the entire area of Eastern Kyoto, offering easy access to every part of the area. It also connects the Eastern region to Northern Kyoto at Demachiyanagi Station, from which Shimogamo Shrine is in walking distance, or cross the street to Eizan Railway Demachiyanagi Station to go as far as Kurama. Keihan Railway travels south to Southern Kyoto, extending as far away as Hirakata and Osaka, and offering easy connections to Uji at Chushojima Station.

By subway
Travellers staying in Central Kyoto can easily reach the Higashiyama area using the municipal subway system's Tōzai Line. For tourists, the most convenient stops on this line are probably Higashiyama Station (north of Gion) and Keage Station (near Nanzen-ji). The subway is also convenient for those travelling onward to Otsu and Lake Biwa.

By bus
Numerous Kyoto City Bus routes traverse the neighborhood, particularly along the major north-south thoroughfare, Higashioji-dori. Route 100 is the most convenient for tourists: it runs from Kyoto Station to Ginkakuji, stopping only at major attractions. Useful local routes include #5, Kyoto Station – Shijo-Karasuma – Gion – Ginkakuji, and #206, Kyoto Station – Sanjusangendo – Gion – Chionji – Kitaoji (in northern Kyoto).

See

 * Highlights include:
 * The main hall's wooden veranda, supported by hundreds of pillars and offering incredible views over the city. Under renovation as of August 2020.
 * The love-themed Jishu Shrine sells countless charms to help you snag the one you love, and features two "love stones" positioned around 18m apart. The lovelorn must walk between them with their eyes closed to confirm their loved one's affection.
 * Otowa-no-taki the temple's waterfall, which gives it its name (Kiyomizu literally means 'pure water'). Visitors stand beneath the waterfall and collect water to drink by holding out little tin cups.
 * Mountain hike. If you're up for a mountain walk, steer to the right-hand pathway instead of taking the left toward the Jishu-jinja. The path leads through a gate and winds up onto the mountain. You can walk up for a good hour and not reach the end of the path. Has lovely forest and great scenery, and makes for a nice short excursion out of the city traffic.

Gion district (祇園)

The flagstone-paved streets and traditional buildings of the Gion district, located to the north-west of Kiyomizu-dera, are where you're most likely to see geisha in Kyoto, scurrying between buildings or slipping into a taxi. The area just to the north of Shijō-dōri, to the west of Yasaka Shrine, is especially photogenic - particularly around Shinbashi-dōri and Hanami-kōji. Sannen-zaka ("three-year-slope") and Ninen-zaka ("two-year-slope"), two stepped streets leading off from Kiyomizu-zaka, are also very picturesque - but watch your step, slipping over on these streets brings three or two years' bad luck respectively.

Philosopher's Path
The Philosopher's Path runs from Ginkakuji down to Eikando, with many travellers choosing to end their journey at Nanzenji (or begin, should you choose to walk towards Ginkakuji). The sites are listed in the order you will pass them if you start from Ginkakuji.

Do
During warmer months, Japanese and foreigners alike gather on the banks of the Kamo River to drink and make merry. The area around the Sanjo Bridge is the most popular. It's a friendly, welcoming scene. In summer months, on Fridays and Saturdays, a group of fire dancers and drum players occasionally hold free performances.

Budget

 * Kick-up Bar is a tiki-themed bar & grill outside the Keage Tozai line subway station (nearest Exit 1) and on the opposite side of the street from the Westin Miyako Hotel. They have the best meatball sandwich in Japan for ¥800 and loaded pizza made from homemade dough (medium for ¥1500). It's a small place, but the food is good, and the owner and his son are American and speak English.

Drink

 * Pig & Whistle: a stylish whiskey bar and a drinks bar. This is a popular spot, located right above the Sanjo Keihan subway station. If you hear live music, go on up; though it probably won't be great music, it will draw a crowd. Food here is also mediocre.

Sleep
The small size and historic preservation of this district leave little room for hotels – most people will stay in Central Kyoto instead. There are a few exceptions:

Go next

 * Central Kyoto
 * Arashiyama (Western Kyoto)
 * North Kyoto
 * South Kyoto

title: Kyoto/Higashiyama


text:
Kyoto/North

Northern Kyoto (北山) is graced with scores of centuries-old shrines and temples, including several World Heritage Sites. One of Kyoto's most famous attractions - the magnificent golden pavilion of Kinkaku-ji - can be found here.

By train
Keihan Railways connects North Kyoto with Eastern Kyoto at Demachiyanagi Station, the final stop on the line.

On the Western side, the Keifuku Railroad (Randen) streetcar provides easy access to the area from Arashiyama, with stops for Ninnaji, Ryoanji, Kinkakuji, and Kitano Tenmangu (Kitano Hakubaicho Station). Fare is a flat ¥220, ¥110 for children 6–12 (Nov 2018).

By subway
Kitaōji Station on the municipal subway system's Karasuma Line gives travellers easy access to a key bus terminal that serves parts of northern Kyoto. The Karasuma Line continues north all the way to Kokusaikaikan Station, near the Kyoto International Conference Center.

By bus
Northern Kyoto covers a large area, so many buses travel through the region. The #8 North (北８) bus makes a loop around the entire northern area. In the northwest, #59 passes most of the major attractions. In the northeast bus #4 and #5 each travel around popular touring spots.

The #8 is the only bus that will take you to and from the Takao area. The #17 bus will take you to the Ohara area. Both of these areas are located outside of the boundary of the ¥500 All-Day Bus pass, so do not purchase the pass if you are travelling to either of these areas.

North-western Kyoto
Visiting the vast temple complexes of north-western Kyoto can take the better part of a day. A suggested itinerary is to take the subway (Karasuma line) to Kitaoji station, and walk west along Kitaoji-dōri. Daitoku-ji, Kinkaku-ji, Ryōan-ji and Ninna-ji Temples are all on Kitaoji-dōri, and about 15-30 minutes' walk apart. However if it is summer time and sweltering hot it is easy to take the bus from temple to temple as well, just read the route map at the stops. En route, you will see the giant "dai" (大) symbol burned on Mt. Daimon-ji, which can be climbed in an hour or so - look for the entrance near Kinkaku-ji (see below). If you're in Kyoto at night on August 16th, look up - you'll see the (大) aflame. Hirano Shrine is a short walk south along Nishioji-dōri from Kinkaku-ji. If you still have time left at the end of the day, take the pleasant electric railway (Keifuku Kitano line) from Omuro to Katabiranotsuji, then take the JR Sagano line from nearby Uzumasa station back to central Kyoto.

Takao area
While the Takao area offers a modest number of sightseeing opportunities, it is one of Kyoto's most famous places to view the fall leaves. Throughout the autumnal season, the place is quite lively with vendors selling fresh treats and lanterns along the river at night. On the off-season, the area is very quiet, with few tourists. You can see the area in a half-day trip if you wish or stay a little longer to revel in the area's natural beauty (see Momijiya in "Sleep" section for accommodation in the area).

North-eastern Kyoto

Kurama
The small, quiet village of Kurama lies at the terminus of the Eizan Railway Line. The onsen (see "Do") is one of the area's major draws, along with the hiking course connecting Kurama Temple and Kibune Shrine. The hike and onsen can all easily be enjoyed as a daytrip from central Kyoto.

Do

 * Kurama Onsen or hot spring is located just a short walk from the station. There's also a free shuttle bus going every now and then, but you're recommended to take the walk (at least on the way back, which is downhill) and see some Japanese countryside. There are both inside and outside baths, but if the weather permits do take the outside bath (rotenburo). Lying in the hot water, while admiring the green and hilly scenery is wonderfully relaxing. There are separate pools for men and women.
 * Fire Festival This festival is held every year in October. It's a fascinating festival that few would have likely have seen in their home countries. The date tends to be around the 20th but might change from year to year. Find out when it is and go early for the area gets very congested the closer to dusk it gets. A tip for the return home is to walk down the road to the next station. It's a bit easier to get on the train there and is a nice walk downhill.
 * Kurama Onsen or hot spring is located just a short walk from the station. There's also a free shuttle bus going every now and then, but you're recommended to take the walk (at least on the way back, which is downhill) and see some Japanese countryside. There are both inside and outside baths, but if the weather permits do take the outside bath (rotenburo). Lying in the hot water, while admiring the green and hilly scenery is wonderfully relaxing. There are separate pools for men and women.
 * Fire Festival This festival is held every year in October. It's a fascinating festival that few would have likely have seen in their home countries. The date tends to be around the 20th but might change from year to year. Find out when it is and go early for the area gets very congested the closer to dusk it gets. A tip for the return home is to walk down the road to the next station. It's a bit easier to get on the train there and is a nice walk downhill.

Drink
Most of the drinking options in the Northern area are located in the Eastern section, within walking distance of Keihan and Eizan Railway stations.

Sleep
Budget-minded travelers and those escaping the bustle of the urban core may prefer this area. To reach the central city easily, look for connections to the Kitaōji subway station (K04 on the Karasuma line) and bus terminal, the transportation hub of northern Kyoto.

Go next

 * Central Kyoto
 * Arashiyama (Western Kyoto)
 * Higashiyama (Eastern Kyoto)
 * South Kyoto

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Kyoto/North


text:
Kyoto/South

Southern Kyoto (洛南) covers a large part of Japan's former capital, stretching from the Ōharano area in the west to Fushimi-ku, Daigo, and the southern tip of Higashiyama-ku in the east. The ancient city of Uji borders the district to the southeast.

Some of the district's better-known attractions include Daigo-ji - which is inscribed as a World Heritage Site within the group "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto" - and the seemingly endless lines of torii stretching up the mountainside above Fushimi-Inari Shrine.

By train
Originating from the city's main transport hub at Kyoto Station, the JR Nara Line is a convenient link for tourists travelling between Central and Southeastern Kyoto. Trains running on the Keihan Main Line fulfill a similar role, connecting Eastern Kyoto to the south (although they do not stop at Kyoto Station). JR Inari Station and Keihan Fushimi-Inari Station both put visitors almost at the doorstep of the Fushimi-Inari Shrine, one of the district's most famous attractions. The Keihan Line also provides easy access for those continuing on to Uji or Hirakata.

By subway
From Central and Eastern Kyoto, the municipal subway system's Tōzai Line goes as far south as Rokujizō Station where passengers can transfer to the JR Nara Line. The Tōzai Line stations Ono and Daigo bring travellers within reach of Zuishin-in and Daigo-ji, respectively.

By bus
To get to the Fushimi area by bus, take Bus 5 South (南5) to reach Tōfuku-ji (Tofukuji-michi) and Fushimi Inari Taisha (Inari Taisha-mae). Make sure you are on the South bus; the other number 5 bus will take you the opposite direction (through Higashiyama all the way to Northern Kyoto).

There are no direct buses to the Oharano area, so it's best to travel via Hankyu Railway to Higashimuko Station. From here, you can then take the Hankyu Bus to get closer to other attractions.

Southeast

Oharano area
The Ōharano area, located in the Southwest, is named after Ōharano Shrine, one of the most famous sites in the area. While it is not really so far from the inner city, it does not reflect any of the stereotypical images one has when they think of Kyoto. The area is so rural, it feels as though the nearest city is hundreds of miles away. Most tourists are not even aware this area exists, so it can be a nice change of pace for those who have the time to explore the outer regions.

Do

Eat
Local delicacies are sold at the roadside approaching Fushimi-Inari Shrine, including barbecued sparrow (雀/すずめ/suzume) and inarizushi (sweetened sushi rice wrapped in fried tofu), which is said to be the favourite food of the fox. The suzume is still in a form that resembles the animal (essentially a barbecued bird on a skewer), so those not accustomed may be a bit squeamish. If you plan to walk the path around Fushimi Inari and you wish to sample inarizushi, you can save money by stopping at the small restaurant up the path within the grounds of the shrine. It also provides a great view of a line of the torii gates from above.

Sleep
Lodging options are limited in this part of the city. More choices can be found in Central Kyoto, just a short train ride away.

Go next

 * Central Kyoto
 * Arashiyama (Western Kyoto)
 * Higashiyama (Eastern Kyoto)
 * North Kyoto
 * The World Heritage Sites of Byōdō-in and Ujigami-jinja are in the neighbouring city of Uji, just a few minutes away by train on either Keihan's Uji Line or the JR Nara Line.

title: Kyoto/South


text:
Kyrenia

Kyrenia (Greek: Κερύνεια Keryneia, Turkish: Girne) is the chief port and tourist resort of Northern Cyprus. Its old centre is dominated by the castle over the harbour, built by the Venetians in 1540. The city in 2019 had a population of 45,881, with as many again in the resort strips that extend for 20 km on either side.

Understand
This city was founded by Hellenistic people over 3000 years ago. They valued Cyprus for its copper and other metals, and mostly got around by sea, but the Romans from the first century AD carved a road right around the island and another inland through the mountains. As the chief port on this coast Kyrenia controlled trade and needed to be defended - the harbour castle you see today was built in 1540 and has been maintained ever since. Kyrenia had a Greek majority population until 1974, when Turkey invaded and most Greeks fled. After the ceasefire there was a population exchange, with Greeks deported and Girne, as it now became, settled by Turks from villages in the south.

The 1990s saw a thawing of the "Cold War" or frozen conflict between Greece, Cyprus and Turkey, and Girne became a popular resort for westerners. It's always called Kyrenia in tourist literature so that's the name used here.

By air
is the airport for Northern Cyprus so most visitors arrive this way. Flights by Turkish Airlines and Pegasus connect across Europe but all make a stop in Turkey, see Northern Cyprus. Flights are hourly from Istanbul (IST and SAW) and frequent from Ankara, Izmir, Adana and Antalya.

Ercan is 42 km south and public transport is limited, you'd probably have to take the bus into Nicosia then out again. Hire a car unless your tour package includes a transfer.

You can also fly into Larnaca in the south. Crossing the border is straightforward but your rental car will need extra insurance.

By boat
Fast-cat foot-passenger ferries (Deniz Otobüsü) sail May-Oct from the Turkish mainland:

 * from Mersin Su Tu Th at 21:00, from Kyrenia M W F at 23:00, taking 80 min and operated by Akgunlerdenizcilik
 * from Taşucu at 14:00 and from Kyrenia at 10:00, Friday only, taking 2 hr and operated by Akgunlerdenizcilik
 * from Alanya is not sailing in 2023.
 * from Hatay, operated by HADO, is not sailing in 2023.

The only year-round ferry, and the only one to take vehicles (Feribot), is from Taşucu and takes 6 hours. It's operated by Akgunlerdenizcilik and in summer sails four times a week, usually at 23:30: from Taşucu on Su M Tu Th and from Kyrenia M Tu W F. Winter sailings are only once or twice a week.

The is 1 km east of the historic harbour and castle.

See Famagusta for another year-round car ferry from Mersin. See Limassol for sailings to the south, then you could come north overland.

By bus
Buses here are like Turkish dolmuşes, they're minibuses that don't have a fixed timetable but set off when full, see Northern Cyprus.

Buses from Nicosia run every 15 min from Kyrenia Gate on Cemal Gürsel Cd, north edge of the city, and take 30 min.

Buses from Famagusta run hourly and take 90 min. From Güzelyurt they're every couple of hours and take an hour.

is a fancy name for the drop-off / pick-up point on Mustafa Çağatay Cd, 200 m south of the castle. Don't go looking for the otogar shown on some maps 1 km south, it's just a bus parking lot.

Get around
The town is walkable, but you need a car to explore - there are a dozen rental companies in town if you didn't pick one up at the airport.

Minibuses ply along the coast resort strip but don't reach outlying sights such as St Hilarion Castle.

There's no longer a bicycle hire shop here.

See

 * Ağa Cafer Pasha Mosque west side of the castle was built in 1590. The interior is fairly plain.
 * St Andrews Church at the southwest corner of the castle is Anglican. Baldoken graveyard next to it has a few old Ottoman tombs.
 * (Ιερός Ναός Αρχαγγέλου Μιχαήλ) is Greek Orthodox. The church and its museum of frescos have been closed since 2018 for re-building.
 * is a good spot for views of the castle. Some sections are in poor repair and work is under way in 2023.
 * Museum of Decorative Arts on Bozoklar Sk by the harbour remains closed in 2023. The Museum of Fine Arts has closed permanently.
 * Museum of Decorative Arts on Bozoklar Sk by the harbour remains closed in 2023. The Museum of Fine Arts has closed permanently.
 * Bitter Lemons 200 m south of the abbey is the cottage where the writer Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990) lived in the 1950s. Shortly after he left he published Justine, the first part of his best known work Alexandria Quartet. The naturalist Gerald Durrell was his younger brother. In 2023 the cottage is derelict and for sale.
 * is a 40 m-tall metal structure visible from the Nicosia highway. The kneeling figure is meant to symbolise the common heritage of the warring factions of Cyprus, descendants all of humble farmers of the same soil, and thus promote reconciliation. Well, worth a go maybe.
 * is a similar Byzantine fortress, reached from its south side by a rugged trail.
 * is a similar Byzantine fortress, reached from its south side by a rugged trail.

Do

 * City Amphitheatre is a modern venue off Mersin Cd near the ferry port.
 * Hiking: there are several trails in the mountain ridge separating Kyrenia from Nicosia.
 * Scuba diving centres near town include North Cyprus British Scuba, Amphora Diving, Nautilus, Scuba Cyprus and Cyprus Underwater Explorers. They all offer training, equipment hire and trips for certified divers.
 * Turtle watching: Loggerhead and Green turtles nest on Alagadi beach 30 km east of town. Females lay eggs in June and July, and hatchlings emerge in Aug and Sept. The beach is closed to the public on summer nights to protect the turtles, but you can join the volunteer rangers on guided walks.
 * Boat trips potter along the coast, often in gulets and serving a meze lunch. Operators based at the harbour include Aphrodite, Derya Deniz, Happy Sea Yacht Tours and Vela Yachting.
 * Paragliding: Highline have tandem paragliding flights, no experience needed.
 * Golf: the nearest course is Korineum Resort, see Sleep.
 * Northern Cyprus Music Festival is held at Bellapais Monastery mid-Sept to early Nov.

Buy

 * The official currency is the Turkish lira (TL), but most businesses accept euro, British pounds, US dollars and bank cards.
 * Supermarkets: a dozen medium-sized places, typically open daily 07:00-23:00, no dominating big store.

Eat

 * Harbour waterfront has 6 Brothers, Set Fish Restaurant, Kyrenia Four Season and Corner Balık.
 * Halil İbrahim Sofrası on Ziya Rızkı Cd scores well for its Turkish food. It's open daily 10:00-02:00.
 * Mantı Sofrası on Göksu Sk a block back from the harbour also scores well. It's open daily 11:00-23:00.
 * Niazis serves great fish and meze. It's on 20 Temmuz Kordonboyu Cd next to Rocks Hotel and open daily 12:00-00:00.
 * Niazis serves great fish and meze. It's on 20 Temmuz Kordonboyu Cd next to Rocks Hotel and open daily 12:00-00:00.

Drink

 * Cafes and restaurants serve alcohol. Most free-standing bars folded during covid.
 * Sitare Bar a block back from the harbour is open daily 13:00-02:00.
 * Gillham Vineyard (see Sleep) offers tours and tastings.
 * No brewery or distillery in Northern Cyprus so you'll be drinking imported Efes again.

In town

 * Lord's Palace is a mid-price hotel at Dr Fazıl Küçük Cd 38 by the ferry terminal. Most customers are here for the restaurant and rooftop bar.
 * Lord's Palace is a mid-price hotel at Dr Fazıl Küçük Cd 38 by the ferry terminal. Most customers are here for the restaurant and rooftop bar.
 * Lord's Palace is a mid-price hotel at Dr Fazıl Küçük Cd 38 by the ferry terminal. Most customers are here for the restaurant and rooftop bar.

Connect
As of Sept 2023, Kyrenia, the beach strip and approach roads have 4G from KKTC Turkcell and KKTC Telsim. 5G has not reached Northern Cyprus.

Go next

 * Famagusta has an old centre with Venetian fortifications, amidst much war damage ancient and modern.
 * Nicosia is a fascinating Ottoman city. The ceasefire line runs through it, so its southern part is in Greek-speaking Cyprus.
 * You need your own vehicle to tour the Karpaz peninsula to the east, to be assailed by wild donkeys.

title: Kyrenia


text:
Kyrgyz phrasebook

Kyrgyz (кыргызча / قىرعىزچا) is a language spoken by 4 million people primarily in Kyrgyzstan and, to a lesser extent, in adjacent regions such as Kazakhstan, Xinjiang (China), Uzbekistan, & Tajikistan. In Kyrgyzstan, the language is co-official with Russian, which is the predominate language used in urban areas (especially Bishkek) while Kyrgyz is predominate in rural areas and small cities/towns, though even in these areas many people speak Russian as well. It is also an official language in Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture of China's Xinjiang province. It is a Turkic language and has many similarities with languages such as Turkish, Tatar, Kazakh, Azeri, & Uzbek. As a result of close ties culturally and economically, Kyrgyz has become increasingly mutually intelligible with Kazakh in recent decades.

Script
Kyrgyz is primarily written using the Cyrillic alphabet in Kyrgyzstan, and using the Arabic script in China.

Basics

 * Hello. : Salamatsyzby. ( )
 * Hello. (informal) : Salam. ( )
 * How are you? : Kandaisiz? ( ?)
 * Fine, thank you. : Jakshuh, rakhmat. ( )
 * What is your name? : Atyngyz kim? ( ?)
 * My name is ______ . : Menim atem______. ( _____.)
 * Nice to meet you. : Siz menen tanyshkanyma kubanychtumun. ( )
 * Please. : Suranych/Otunuch. ( )
 * Thank you. : Rakhmat. ( )
 * You're welcome. : Echteke emes. ( )
 * Yes. : Ooba. ( )
 * No. : Jok. ( )
 * Excuse me. (getting attention) : Ozor dilerem. ( )
 * Excuse me. (begging pardon) : Kecheraysis. ( )
 * I'm sorry. : Korushkoncho. ( )
 * Goodbye : Jakshuh Kalgula. ( )
 * Help! : Jardam Bergulay! ( !)
 * Good morning. : Kutmanduu tangyngyz menen. ( )
 * Good evening. : Kutmanduu kechingiz menen. ( )
 * I don't understand. : Men tushunbaym. ( )
 * Where is the toilet? : Tualet kaida? ( ?)

Numbers
Otuz Kyrk Eluu Altymish jetimysh Seksen tokson Júz Meen
 * one : бир (bir)
 * two : Eki
 * three : ooch
 * four : turt
 * five : Besh
 * six : Altuh
 * seven : жети (..jeti.)
 * eight : сегиз (segiz)
 * nine : toguz
 * ten : On
 * twenty : jyirma

Days
Monday - Duishombu Tuesday - Sheishembi Wednesday - Sharshembi Thursday- Beishembi 'Friday - Juma Saturday - Ishembi Sunday - Jekshembi

Colors
White - "Ak" Black - "Khara" Red - "Kyzyl"

Money

 * Money : Ackcha
 * Worth/Price : Baa
 * Pay : To'lo'

Learning more
A 325 page PDF document covering the Kyrgyz language, originally created for US Peace Corps volunteers in Kyrgyzstan, is available to view and download here. (direct link to PDF)

title: Kyrgyz phrasebook


text:
Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan (in Kyrgyz and Russian: Кыргызстан), is a Central Asian country. Due to its mountainous terrain, it is often called as the "Switzerland" of Central Asia. The country offers breathtaking landscapes, including the Tien Shan Mountains, crystal-clear lakes such as Issyk-Kul and Song Kol, and beautiful valleys like the Ala-Archa National Park. These areas provide excellent hiking, trekking, horseback riding, and camping opportunities. You can experience the hospitality of Kyrgyz nomads by staying in yurts, and sample authentic Kyrgyz cuisine, which features hearty dishes like beshbarmak and manti, and sip on fragrant tea while listening to traditional music and folklore. The country celebrate cultural events and festivals throughout the year that showcase the country's traditions, arts, and sports.

Cities

 * — The capital and cosmopolitan centre of the country, beautiful and interesting.
 * — An Islamic village popular with local pilgrims and famous for its picturesque walnut tree forest.
 * — The gateway to Issyk Kul lake. A small, dying industrial centre on the western shore, and a former fishing town, with a train service from Bishkek through a beautiful passant Chui Valley.
 * — A good bet for visiting a Ferghana Valley town, as it is significantly safer and easier to get to than Osh or destinations further southwest.
 * — One of the gems of Issyk Kul, this was originally a Slavic settlement with a wealth of hiking, outdoor and sports available, including the Altyn Arashan hot springs, Karakol Canyon, and the beautiful Ala Kul glacier lake.
 * — A small village with a park containing various Soviet structures, and a local animal bazaar, as well as an entry of point for Song Kul and launch pad for treks up into the Tian Shan Mountains.
 * — A city in the Tian Shan, near Lake Song Kul, the gateway to the entire southeastern region, its ruins, mountains, and high alpine lakes.
 * — Kyrgyzstan's second largest city, a fascinating, 3,000 years old, wildly diverse, Ferghana Valley market town home to Central Asia's biggest and busiest outdoor market.
 * — A modern far off town with the popular Manar Ordo pilgrimage complex nearby, just north of Besh-Tash National Park.

Other destinations

 * — Lake and pearl of Central Asia, an enormous, crystal blue high alpine lake up in the Tian Shan Mountains.
 * — Issyk Kul's little cousin, far more remote, and many would say more beautiful as well.
 * — A picturesque mountain lake 20 km from Kochkor.
 * — A former well-preserved 15th century stone caravanserai near Naryn and must see.
 * — One of the highlights of Kyrgyzstan with a beautiful lake, excellent hiking, diverse flora and fauna, picturesque mountains and much more.
 * — All that remains of the ancient Silk Road capital of Balasagun, a massive minaret standing alone on the step.
 * — Gorgeous Tian Shan high alpine landscapes within easy striking distance of Bishkek, hiking and skiing.
 * — A picturesque valley with yurts, beautiful colours, and impressive mountains around it.

Understand
Annexed by Russia in 1876, Kyrgyzstan, formally the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyz: Кыргыз Республикасы, Russian: Кыргызская Республика), became an independent nation in 1991. Long hobbled by political instability, Kyrgyzstan is now one of the most progressive post-Soviet countries.

History
The ancient Scyths inhabited much of present-day Kyrgyzstan. With their disappearance the Kyrgyz people moved from Siberia. The Kyrgyz are descendants of tribes from the Tuvan region of Russia, which migrated to the area now known as Kyrgyzstan in the 13th century, during the rise of the Mongol empire.

In 1876, with the destruction of the Khanate of Kokand, the area of today's Kyrgyzstan was incorporated into the Russian Empire. The natives of the region were known to the Russians (and, through them, to the Westerners) as the "Kara Kirghiz", the name "Kirghiz" being used to refer to the people who are now known as the Kazakhs. At about the same time, a widespread Muslim Rebellion against the Qing rule failed in the northwestern China, and a number of Uighur and Dungan people (Chinese Muslims) fled to the Russian Empire, finding new homes in what is now Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

With the tsarist annexation came numerous Slavic immigrants that displaced many of the Kyrgyz and planted crops on their pasture lands. During World War I, many Kyrgyz refused to support the tsarist troops and many were massacred.

Following the creation of the Soviet Union, the Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established within the Russian Soviet Federative Republic. A small town, earlier known as Pishkek, was chosen as the capital of the republic, and renamed Frunze in honor of a Red Army commander. (This was not a name easy to pronounce, as there is no “f” sound in native Kyrgyz words)

Two years later (1926), the Soviets tried to sort out the names of their ethnic groups: the Kara-Kirghiz Republic became the Kirghiz Republic (and the erstwhile Kirghiz Republic became the Kazakh Republic). In 1936, the Kirghiz Republic was split off from the Russian republic, and became one of the member states of the USSR, as the Kirghiz SSR.

Kyrgyzstan changed dramatically as industrialization took over and brought factories, mines, and universities. A Latin- and, later, Cyrillic-based alphabet was developed to elevate the Kyrgyz language to written form; compulsory schooling was introduced, and the famous Epic of Manas was written down and published in a book form.

The Soviet influence on Kyrgyzstan was strongly felt and many of the pre-Soviet traditions and cultures were lost and have been rediscovered since independence. In addition, ethnic minorities were deported to Kyrgyzstan, including Germans, Kurds, Chechens, Poles and Jews. This mix of populations makes Kyrgyzstan one of the most ethnically diverse populations in Asia.

On 31 August 1991, after unrest in various regions throughout the Soviet Union, a coup in Moscow against the regime of Mikhail Gorbachev failed. This move against the central government motivated the Kyrgyz power structure to declare independence from the Soviet Union. Also during that time a physicist named Askar Akayev was elected president of Kyrgyzstan, the only one in Central Asia not backed by the local communist party.

To assert its independence, the new country changed the spelling of its name in Russian and English (from "Kirghizstan Киргизстан" or "Kirghizia Киргизия" to "Kyrgyzstan Кыргызстан", to be more in line with the Kyrgyz spelling), and returned (sort of) the indigenous name to the capital (although it now became Bishkek, rather than Pishpek).

As for President Akayev, it became evident that non-party affiliation did not guarantee honesty. The executive branch’s power increased through suppression of opposition, and the President secured immunity from prosecution for himself and his family. After several years of questionable elections, in March 2005, massive groups of protesters from around the country converged on the capital, causing Akayev to flee into exile in Russia.

The leader of the Tulip Revolution, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, formed an interim government and served as president and prime minister until later that July when emergency elections were held. Bakiyev ran for the office of President and won, but was unable to gain parliamentary approval of his cabinet until five months later. After several attempts to resolve a constitution, Bakiyev declared in 2007 that all previous versions of the constitution were illegal, and instituted a modified constitution from the Akayev era. He then dissolved parliament and called for an early election to reform the parliamentary structure. The President’s own party gained the majority and the U.S. State Department expressed deep concern about the conduct of the elections, citing several issues including widespread vote count irregularities and exaggerations in voter turnout. Some of the problems that Kyrgyzstan faces today are universal throughout the Commonwealth of Independent States, namely lack of political freedom, widespread corruption and negative influences on democracy.

Climate
The climate varies regionally. The south-western Fergana Valley is subtropical and extremely hot in summer, with temperatures reaching 40°C (104°F). The northern foothills are temperate and the Tian Shan varies from dry continental to polar climate, depending on elevation. In the coldest areas temperatures are sub-zero for around 40 days in winter, and even some desert areas experience constant snowfall in this period. The best time to visit northern Kyrgyzstan is from June to September, though the foothill cities like Bishkek are very hot (up to 35°C). Most beautiful for hiking in the low mountain areas is between April and June, when the mountain slopes are flushed with blooming flowers. March to October is ideal for southern Kyrgyzstan. From October high mountains passes can be closed.

Landscape
Entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien Shan range; many tall peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes. Highest point: Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m. The mountains are beautiful for hiking.

Culture
Kyrgyzstan has a wide mix of ethnic groups and traditional cultures, with the Kyrgyz being the majority group. It is considered there are 40 clans that represent the 40 rays symbolized by the 40-rayed sun on its national flag. The traditional poem is the Epic of Manas, the name of the epic's eponymous hero, and is longer with 500,000 lines. The Kyrgyz share close cultural ties with the Kazakhs, being a traditionally nomadic people living on horseback, and with the tradition of hunting with eagles and carpet weaving.

Visitor information

 * Discover Kyrgyzstan website

Talk
The official languages of Kyrgyzstan are Russian and Kyrgyz, which is closely related to Uzbek, Kazakh, and Turkish. Kyrgyz is more common in rural areas whereas Russian is the urban language of choice, and it's not uncommon to meet ethnic Kyrgyz people in Bishkek who cannot speak Kyrgyz. English, while becoming more popular, is still rarely spoken, so in order to effectively communicate one must at the very least learn a few basic words (yes, no, please, thank you, etc.) in Russian or Kyrgyz, depending on the location. If you are lost completely, try to ask young people, especially students.

Like most of the rest of the former Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan uses the Cyrillic alphabet, which can present a problem for Western travellers. However, the characters are not too hard to learn and once that is done you'll find that many of the words are familiar. For example, "ресторан" transliterated into the Latin alphabet is "restoran," which means "restaurant." But be careful as Cyrillic is used for Kyrgyz as well as Russian.

One interesting minority language is Dungan. A Chinese dialect influenced by Turkic languages and Russian, it is spoken by the descendants of Muslim Chinese (Hui) rebels who fled from the Qing China to the Russian Empire in the late 1870s, after the defeat of the Muslim rebellion. Kyrgyzstan's Dungans live in a few villages, and are also active in commerce and restaurant business throughout the country. The Dungan language has an official writing system based on the Cyrillic alphabet (instead of using Chinese characters), but, in practice, is written fairly rarely.

Get in

Citizens of all countries, including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, may apply for tourism, business and group tourist types of visa for 30 or 90 days online through the Kyrgyz Republic eVisa system. Evisa holders must arrive via Manas International Airport, Osh International Airport or the Ak-jol checkpoint on the Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan border.

Citizens of 45 countries:  can enter Kyrgystan without a visa for 60 days. Citizens of 20 other countries can get the visa at the Manas airport in Bishkek upon arrival:

By plane
The main hub for Kyrgyzstan is the Manas airport in Bishkek, but Osh Airport is increasingly well linked with great flight offers. Both airports have regular services to the international hubs in Istanbul and Moscow. In addition there are several flights a week to regional hubs in Tashkent, Ürümqi and a weekly service to Dubai. Other destinations close to border include Almaty in Kazakhstan or Tashkent in Uzbekistan, each a 5-hour drive away.

Note that since 2018, a Russian transit visa is needed if changing plane in Russia, when traveling to or from Kyrgyzstan.

By train
Trains to Bishkek depart from Moscow and other stations in Russia a few times a week (3714 km, trip takes more than 3 days). This train goes through western Kazakhstan (Kazakh transit visa is required for those who need it), and is useful as such, as you can use it to get Turkestan or Aral. Details can be found at poezda.net or rzd.ru  (you can also buy the tickets on the latter). The journey all the way from Moscow cost around 150€ in the third class. On the train it is forbidden to carry portable stove fuel cans.

By car
The highway from Osh to the Chinese border at Irkeshtam and from the village of Sary Tash to the Tajikistan border is being reconstructed in stages to international standards. Many other highways are likewise being rehabilitated as funding permits.

From Kazakhstan, the road from Almaty to Bishkek is the busiest. The border at Kegen may be more difficult to get across. Frequent and obvious smuggling happens in this border, and it's quite obvious that the immigration and the border guards are in cahoots with the smugglers. Visa on arrival is not possible here, and if coming from Kazakhstan, make sure you have a double-entry or multiple entry visa for Kazakhstan in case of troubles with Kyrgyz border officials.

Journey times:
 * From Kazakhstan to Bishkek - from Almaty which takes 5 hours, and from Taraz which takes 5 hours.
 * From Uzbekistan to Bishkek, the road goes through Kazakhstan and drive would take more than 10 hours, and to Osh in the south
 * From Tajikistan to Osh the road from Khujand (Tajikistan) and through Batken (Kyrgyzstan) further to Osh. The main road goes through the Uzbek enclaves but there is also an alternative way around the enclaves. If taking a taxi, remind the driver to go around the small bit of Uzbekistan. The road from Khorugh to Osh, when open, is one of the world's great drives. The Pamir Highway snakes through steep river valleys and high-altitude plateaus over a 14-hour drive between the cities.
 * From China there two passes - Irkeshtam leading to Osh and Torugart leading further to Naryn.

By bus
From Kazakhstan there are frequent marshrutkas between Bishkek and Almaty (4-5 hr) —see Bishkek. Furthermore, there are regular connections between Kegen in Kazakhstan and Karakol. The Kegen border crossing is open during summer (May to Sep/Oct)—see Karakol. Also, some connections exist from Taraz.

From China there is a regular bus between Osh and Kashgar (18 hr)—see Osh.

From Tajikistan There are shared taxis (jeeps) between Osh and Murghab—see Osh.

By bus or marshrutka
Minibuses, called marshrutka, in Kyrgyzstan are basically cargo vans (like Mercedes Sprinter) converted into buses with windows and seats. They are amazingly inexpensive and congregate at every village center or bus station. The prices for them are set and straightforward, but sometimes they will not leave until full. However, nowadays it seems that timetable are much more reliable and enforced than in the past.

Always get your ticket at the kassa (if possible), where you will pay a fixed and pre-determined fare independently of the season, mood of the driver, or fact that you are a tourist. If there is no kassa, ask some (uninvolved) locals to determine the proper fare for your destination and hand the driver the exact amount when paying. Often the drivers stack up the price a little when they see you are a tourist. Sometimes they say that it is extra for the luggage and so on. Do not believe them, just pay the normal fare and say njet or jok. Also, always demand your change right away. Sometimes they take your money, believing you do not know the right fare, or pretend to give the change later, just to make you forget about asking for it. Either way, if not starting from a bus station with kassa, always give the fare to the driver directly and no intermediate pretending to "help" you.

Marshrutkas can be hailed anywhere but in Bishkek it makes sense to stick to the bus stop where everyone is waiting.

For connections checkout the 2GIS app and website, which is great for finding the right marshrutka or bus number in Bishkek and all over Kyrgyzstan. The service is used extensively by locals.

By autostop
Hitch-hiking, commonly called autostop in Kyrgyzstan, is the most undervalued form of travel in this country. It is the most efficient and authentic way to see Kyrgyzstan, equally popular with locals and visitors. You can see many locals, often traditionally clothed babushkas hitch-hiking without any fear. Almost everyone who has free space in his car will pick you up, even if you are a group which would never be picked up in western country, like four guys. Truck drivers will even try to fit up to five people in their cars, just for the sake of helping out. It shows the great attitude and friendliness of the Kyrgyz people. Also, it is faster and more economical than any other kind of land transport.

Contrary to Europe or other western countries, in Kyrgyzstan one does not hold up the thumb, which apparently has a different and less friendly meaning. Instead, you straighten your arm and point towards the road with 2 or 3 fingers, at about an angle of 45 degrees.

Often the concept melds with that of shared taxis. Thus, the fare (if required) is generally what you would pay for a marshrutka or shared taxi, depending on the region and the general availability of marshrutkas. Nevertheless, many locals are happy with taking a tourist for free. But it is always customary to offer to pay for the ride, which they will decline in case they are happy with taking you for free. Truck drivers for instance seem to often reject this offer. Thus, about 50% of the time, you will not have to pay for a ride. Either way, always have lots of 20 notes ready, especially for shorter distances.

Drivers negotiating at the start of the trip will most likely overcharge you, trying to make money out of the fact that you are a tourist. Bargain hard, or avoid them. If you feel you a being ripped off (at the end of a ride), stand your ground—other locals will most likely help you if you explain the situation. Any demanded price 50% beyond the marshrutka or shared taxi fare is a rip-off, and you should not pay it.

If you really intend to go completely free, you can try to explain that you do not want to pay; the Russian phrase Bez deneg can be used. This will cause the taxi drivers to go away. Otherwise, taxi drivers will tell you how much they want—you have to haggle this price down, especially if there is someone already in the car. When haggling, it is often sufficient just to say ochen mnogo (too much), so the driver will see you are not stupid and will offer you a better price. Because of this, it is better to reject offers to places that are only on your way and wait for a car that will take you directly to your destination instead. This does not apply to more deserted roads, which see only a few cars in a day.

By shared taxi
Where marshrutkas become scarce due to region or time of day, shared taxis are the preferred mode of transport for locals. With shared taxis you will be quoted a price for one seat. If you have significant luggage you should expect to pay for an extra or partial seat. Nevertheless, you should always negotiate prices, as a foreigner you will likely be asked to pay more than a local. But of course, there is never the need to go with anyone. Just take a different driver or mode of transport if unsatisfied.

By taxi
Taxis are abundant all over Kyrgyzstan, and are especially keen to transport tourists, due to high margins involved. They are relatively expensive for Kyrgyz standards, and if you are travelling on a light budget, they are mostly never worth the money—marshrutka and autostop are the better and more authentic options.

As in most other countries, if relying on the service of a taxi, never trust any taxi driver, solely use them for their taxi service, and always agree on a price (all incl.) upon entering. Taxi drivers will overcharge tourists without hesitation. It might not seem like much money, but you would not do the same thing at home, and it also corrupts the local system.

You can also purchasing all the seats of a shared taxi at the bus station for a specific destination, in case you do not want to wait for the taxi to fill up with people before leaving.

By train
The only domestic rail link is the summer-only train between Balykchy (Western edge of Issyk Kul) to Tokmok through to Bishkek. It's a scenic route but the train takes at least twice as long as a taxi and it's half the price. You may meet a lot of interesting folks, mostly pensioners, that need the 40-80 soms they would save by taking a mini-bus or taxi. Otherwise, there is ca one train per day to the Kazakh border (and onward to Russia).

By plane
There are several daily flights between Bishkek and Osh. There are also a few flights a week between Bishkek and Jalal-abad and Batken. The flights are operated on local airlines using 30- to 40-year-old Soviet planes. On the other hand, the mechanics and pilots are well trained how to operate these old beasts.

By bicycle
Kyrgyzstan is popular with long distance bike treks, particularly around Issyk Kul and passes through the southern mountains to Tajikistan.

The tunnel at the Too Ashuu (Тео-Ашуу) pass on the highway between Bishkek and Osh isn't at 2,500 m as it is mentioned on most maps—the tunnel is at 3,100 m.

Bicycle on buses
Unfortunately the public transport in Kyrgyzstan consists mostly of marshrutkas. However, it's usually possible to fit two bicycles inside the luggage compartment in the back of the bus if you remove front wheel, pedals and turn the handlebar. You may have to pay an extra fee of 100 som per each bicycle while transporting them by buses between Karakol and Bishkek, and travellers paying 500 som for each are not unheard of. The nightbuses are usually big buses with enough space for bicycles.

By (rental) car
Tourists renting a private car and driving in Kyrgyzstan is virtually unheard of and not recommended. The roads are in poor shape, police is highly corrupt (If you are stopped by the police, it's likely to cost some money.), auto insurance doesn't exist, and hitch-hiking or hiring a taxi is too easy and cheap to make rental an option. Long-term foreign residents frequently drive, but many opt to use a driver.

The traffic culture is very different from that in the West. Traffic is dangerous for both pedestrians and drivers. Overall, there are many road accidents in Kyrgyzstan, especially in the summer on the Bishkek-Issyk-Kul road.

Most Kyrgyz people have bought their driving licences without attending driving school, which explains the chaotic traffic culture. Traffic rules are not always respected and speeding is common. Cars, including public transport buses, are often in poor condition and may not be insured. In many cases, cars are not equipped with seat belts (at least in the back seat) or are not used.

Roads are in fairly poor condition, but some have been renewed. For example, the motorway from Bishkek to Lake Issyk-Kul was partially rehabilitated in the late 2010s/early 2020s. Also, the principal highway from Bishkek to Osh is an engineering marvel through the mountainous region.

It is best to avoid driving after dark. In general, only the main streets in urban areas are lit and street drains may be missing covers on both pavements and roads. Urban areas, street lights and traffic lights may also be without electricity from time to time.

Watch out for mini buses pulling out too.

In winter, roads are often unploughed and in spring, roads may be blocked by snow and landslides. Pedestrians and animals, including herds of cattle and horses, may be on the roads.

When driving, please note that there are few petrol stations outside the towns of Bishkek and Osh. It is advisable to fill up only at known petrol stations and to use spare cisterns, as petrol from unknown stations is often of poor quality.

The official legal limit in the country is zero. However, driving under the influence of alcohol is an unfortunate occurrence. The same applies to fleeing from a car accident.

On foot and navigation
Kyrgyzstan is an excellent place for hiking and trekking, providing many interesting and picturesque trails in the mountains or around its lakes. However, due to the often remote nature of these trails, it is important that you are well prepared and have a proper and reliable map with you. In addition, using GPS navigation adds an extra layer of safety, both in cities as well as the countryside. For reliable (offline) maps and comprehensive trails and map information, consult OpenStreetMap, which is also used by this travel guide, and by many mobile Apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz. Or just download the according GPX or KML files through Waymarked Trails for such trails on OpenStreetMap. (Note, you just need to change the OpenStreetMap relation ID to download the GPX or KML files through the same link.)

See

 * The capital Bishkek is buzzing with busy people, infinite traffic, bazaars, Soviets monuments, large plazas and a growing cosmopolitan population.
 * The city of Osh boasts the famous bazaar, mosques and a distinct Soviet architecture.
 * Issyk Kul in eastern Kyrgyzstan is surrounded by mountains, the world's second largest alpine lake and a popular summer destinations for guests from all surrounding countries.
 * Tash Rabat, the ruins of an ancient caravansarai in the Naryn Region.
 * Al-Archa National Park with mountain peaks of over 4,000 m is a half-hour drive from Bishkek.
 * Arslanbob, nestled in a beautiful valley and famous for its walnut forrest, balancing effortlessly between pastoral life and a popular destination with Kyrgyz and Uzbek families.
 * Kyrgyzstan's only World Heritage Site is the Sulaiman-Too mountain in Osh.

Do

 * Wander around Osh Bazaar – Traditional Eastern market in Bishkek selling everything from spices to dishwashers.
 * Buy cheap Chinese goods in Dor Doi Bazaar – The largest market in Central Asia; it's mostly constructed out of empty shipping containers and 20 minutes north of Bishkek.
 * Swim, sail and sunbathe in Issyk Kul – The world's second biggest high-altitude mountain lake.
 * Stay in a yurt near Tash Rabat – Ruins of a Caravansarai in Naryn Oblast.
 * Live like a nomad in Song Kul – High altitude mountain lake less visited than Issyk Kul and ideal for seeing traditional semi-nomadic Kyrgyz life in action.
 * Fishing is popular with locals and if you are into it, there are many rivers where it is possible and successful.
 * Heli-skiing – Try Eurosolutions, or look for other operators.

Hiking
There are many great hiking opportunities in Kyrgyzstan, ranging from easy walks to proper mountain climbing. The most popular destinations are Ala Kul near Karakol, peak Lenin (7,134 m) south of Osh, the Grigorievskoe Trail near Cholpon-Ata, the Alamedin Gorge high routes, the Kyzyl Suu River Valley high routes, and the eastern border region towards Kazakhstan near Jyrgalan.

The Trekking Union of Kyrgyzstan organizes one day or longer public treks or hikes, e.g. in the mountains around Bishkek, for just few hundreds som a day, including transport to/from the start of the trek and guide. Usually size of the group is 10 people or more, both locals and expats. They mostly have treks on weekends or holidays. Sometimes they have other outdoor activities like rafting. Their website has events schedule in English.

Likewise the Community Based Tourism (CBT) office will also gladly organise guides and treks for you. But you can also just rely on them for information. The maps of CBT are not very detailed and often out of date. So, it is important that you have a good map like OpenStreetMap, which has up to date trails and supports contour-lines, hillshades and GPS—see.

Horseback riding
The classic way to see Kyrgyzstan is on the saddle of a horse, as the Kyrgyz are famous horsemen dating back to the days of Genghis Khan. There are several tourist agencies that arrange horse trekking. It is said that all Kyrgyz are born on a horse, although with growing urbanisation that seems to be less common. If you are hiking some trail which is also frequented by horseback riding tours and tired of walking, you can easily "hitch-hike" guides with empty horses for much less money that a tour costs. Before paying for a ten days horseback riding tour, it is better to try it for a few hours or a day—if you are not used to ride a horse, a longer ride might cause your body to be in pain for several days during and after a long ride. Many people complain about a painful experience even after just one day of riding.

Popular destinations include Toktogul for 3 days of adventure on a horseback, or Kochkor for a several day ride to Song Kul lake.

Money
The national currency is the Kyrgyzstani som (written as 'сом' in the Kyrgyz Cyrillic alphabet or sometimes abbreviated as с). The ISO international symbolisation is KGS. Wikivoyage articles will use som to denote the currency.

Banknotes are available in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 som. There is also a 2,000 som banknote, but it is worth more as a numismatic piece than as circulating money. Coins are available in denominations of 1, 3, 5 and 10 som.

Credit cards and ATMs
Like other countries in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is overwhelmingly a cash economy. Credit cards are rarely used. ATMs are common in Bishkek, and there are a scattering of ATMs in other towns. Many only accept Visa, for Cirrus, Maestro or Mastercard you have to search for ATMs from Kyrgyzkommerts or PCK. You can withdraw US dollars or Kyrgyz som at many ATMs.

Some ATMs charge a fee locally for withdrawals, like PCK 150 som. Kyrgyzkommerts does not. Just try a few and you will find one without fee.

Currency exchange
Changing money is relatively straightforward. Banks will accept a variety of major currencies, while the money-changing booths that are ubiquitous in urban areas will typically only deal with US dollars, UK pounds, euros, Russian rubles, and Kazakh tenges. Neither banks nor money changers will accept any foreign currency that is torn, marked, excessively crumpled, or defaced in any way, so be sure to carefully check any notes you intend to bring into the country for defects.

Many larger cities have currency exchange booths in the center. However, the best rates can be obtained in Bishkek around the corner of Kievskaya St. and Manas Av., or on Abdrakhmanov Sr. between Moskovskaya St. and Bokonbaev St.. Exchange rates are barely 1% off the inter bank rates for US dollars and euros. But also tenge can be exchanged for good rates, it is probably good to obtain some here before heading to the Kazakh border (to pay the bus on the other side).

Bargaining
Bargaining in markets or for food is neither necessary nor common. Prices are often fixed and signposted. Only in places where mostly tourists shop or are around, you should be cautious, especially with taxi drivers. Either way, it is always best to have an approximate feeling for the prices and fares (see ).

Eat
Kyrgyz food is the product of a long history of pastoral nomadism and is overwhelmingly meat-based, which means that virtually all of the traditional dishes contain meat. If you are vegetarian you can, however, ask for vegetarian food and in many cases will receive a tasty vegetarian meal without much hassle, or you can purchase your own fresh fruit, vegetables and fresh bread from one of the many small stands or food bazaars that are ubiquitous in every city. While some people from the West think of large vegetables as desirable, small and flavourful is the rule. The same approach is valid for pistachios and almonds as well. Washing vegetables before consumption is recommended.

Besh barmak (literally: five fingers, because the dish is eaten with one's hands) is the national soupy dish of Kyrgyzstan (Kazakhs would probably disagree). For preparation, a sheep or horse is slaughtered and boiled in a large pot. The resulting broth is served as a first course. The meat is then divided up between those at the table. Each person in attendance receives the piece of meat appropriate to their social status. The head and eyes are reserved for guests of honour. The remaining meat is mixed in with noodles and, sometimes with onions, and is traditionally eaten from a large common dish with the hands, although nowadays more often with a fork or spoon. If you can land an invitation to a wedding, you'll most likely get a chance to eat besh barmak, although you can also find it in traditional restaurants. Kyrgyz people like soupy food in general, those foods that are served as a kind of pasta in Russia such as pelmene, they prefer as soup.

Most other dishes encountered in Kyrgyzstan are common to the other countries of Central Asia as well. Plov or osh is a pilaf dish that at a minimum includes julienne carrots, onion, beef or mutton, and plenty of oil, sometimes raisins. Manti are steamed dumplings that normally contain either mutton or beef, but occasionally pumpkin. Samsa are meat (although sometimes vegetable or cheese) pies that come in two varieties: flaky and tandoori. Flaky somsa are made with a phyllo dough while tandoori somsa have a tougher crust, the bottom of which is meant to be cut off and discarded, not eaten. Lagman is a noodle dish associated with Uyghur cuisine, but you can find everywhere from Crimea to Ujgurs. Most of the time it is served as soup, sometimes as pasta. The basic ingredients of lagman (plain noodles and spiced vegetables mixed with mutton or beef) can be fried together, served one on top of the other, or served separately. Shashlik (shish kebabs) can be made of beef, mutton, or pork and are normally served with fresh onions, vinegar and bread

Almost all Kyrgyz meals are accompanied by tea (either green or black) and a circular loaf of bread known as a lepeshka. The bread is traditionally torn apart for everyone by one person at the table. In the south of Kyrgyzstan, this duty is reserved for men, but in the north it is more frequently performed by women. Similarly, tea in the north is usually poured by women, while in the south it is usually poured by men.

At the end of a meal, Kyrgyz will in some cases perform a prayer. Sometimes some words are said, but more often the prayer takes the form of a perfunctory swipe of the hands over the face. Follow the lead of your host or hostess to avoid making any cultural missteps.

In almost any restaurant/teahouse in Kyrgyzstan a 10-15% service fee will be added to the bill.

Drink

Drinking is one of the great Kyrgyz social traditions. No matter if you are served tea, kymys, or vodka, if you have been invited to a Kyrgyz person's table to drink, you have been shown warm and friendly hospitality. Plan to sit awhile and drink your fill as you and your host attempt to learn about each other.

Drinking tea
When offered tea, you might be asked how strong you want it. Traditionally, Kyrgyz tea is brewed strong in a small pot and mixed with boiling hot water to your desired taste. If you want light tea, say 'jengil chai'. If you want your tea strong and red, 'kyzyl chai'. You might notice that they don't fill the tea cup all the way. This is so that they can be hospitable and serve you lots of tea. To ask for more tea, 'Daga chai, beringizchi' (Please give tea again). Your host will happily serve you tea until you burst. So once you've truly had your fill and don't want to drink any more, cover your cup and say, 'Ichtym' (I've drunk). Your host will offer a few more times (and sometimes will pout if you say no), this is to make sure that you are truly satisfied. Once everyone at table has finished drinking tea, it is time to say, 'Omen', and hold your hands out palms up and then brush the open palms down your face.

Restaurants and cafés give free refills of hot water if you want to drain your tea bag once more. You usually pay per tea bag.

Vodka
When entering a local shop, you might goggle at the amount of vodka on display. Introduced by the Russians, vodka has brought much joy and sorrow to the Kyrgyz over the years. Most vodka for sale is made in Kyrgyzstan and can provide one of the worst hangovers known, mainly if you stupidly buy one of cheaper ones. But for approx. €2 you can have good Kyrgyz vodka, e.g. Ak-sai. Some experienced vodka drinkers say that this is because foreigners don't know how to properly drink vodka. To drink vodka in the right way, you need to have zakuskas (Russian for the meal you eat with vodka). This can consist of anything from simple loaves of bread to full spreads of delicious appetizers. Quite common are sour or fresh cucumbers, tomatoes and meat.

First, find someone to drink with. Second, choose your vodka: the more you spend, the less painful your hangover. Third, choose your zakuska, something salty, dried, or fatty. This is so that the vodka is either absorbed by the food or repelled by the fat. Fourth, open your bottle... but be careful, once you open it you must drink it all (a good vodka bottle doesn't have a cap that can be replaced). Now, pour your shots. Fifth, make a toast: toast your friends, toast their futures, toast their sheep, toast their cars. Sixth, drink! Now chase it with a zakuska and repeat until you can't see the bottle or it is empty.

If you are drinking with locals it's not a problem to skip a round. They would just pour you a symbolic drop and when they are clinking glasses you have to use your right hand and slap sparing partners' glasses slightly instead of your glass.

Traditional drinks
The Kyrgyz for generations have made their own variety of beverages. At first, these drinks might seem a bit strange, but after a few tries they become quite tasty. Most are mildly alcoholic, but this is just a by-product from their fermentation processes.

In the winter, Kyrgyz wives brew up bozo, a brew made of millet. Best served at room temperature, this drink has a taste somewhere between yogurt and beer. On cold winter days, when you are snowed in, five or six cups gives you a warm fuzzy feeling.

In the spring, it is time to make either jarma or maxim. Jarma, a wheat based brew, has a yeasty beerlike quality but with a gritty finish (it is made from whole grains after all). Maxim, a combination of corn and wheat, has a very sharp and zesty taste. It is best served ice cold and is a great pick me up on hot days.

Summer sees yurts lining the main street selling kumys (Кумыс), fermented mares milk. Ladled out of barrels brought down from the mountains, this traditional drink is one of more difficult to get used to. It has a very strong and pungent foretaste and a smoky finish. Kumys starts off as fresh horses milk (known as samal), the samal is then mixed with a starter made from last year's kumys and heated in a pot. The mixture is brought to just before boiling and then poured into a horse's stomach to ferment for a period. A local grass called 'chi' is then roasted over a fire and cut into small pieces. Once the milk is finished fermenting, the roasted chi and milk are mixed in a barrel and will keep for the summer if kept cool.

Tang is another drink thought to be useful for the health and good for hangovers. It is made from gassed spring water that is mixed with a salted creamy yogurt called souzmu.

Other drinks
Kyrgyz have their own cognac distiller, which produces excellent, albeit highly sweet cognac, with the preferred brand being "Kyrgyzstan Cognac", which the locals sometimes call Nashe Cognac, meaning "our cognac".

You can also find an excellent selection of not so excellent local and imported beers as many Kyrgyz have been taking to drinking beer versus harder spirits. Locally produced beers include Arpa, Nashe Pivo and Karabalta. Arpa is highly recommended by beer connoisseurs. While being considered a common person's beer, its style is somewhat similar to Pale Ale (although less hoppy than IPA). As Kyrgyz prefer more vodka than beer (half litre of each costs the same), beer remains in tubes for longer time, and regular cleaning is uncommon, so bottled beers are better, except their strange habit to pour all the beer into the glass at once.

There are also a multitude of bottled waters (carbonated or still) from various regions of the country. Especially popular with southerners is the slightly saline "Jalalabad Water".

Sleep
Many private citizens rent out their flats to foreigners and a fairly luxurious flat could be agreed for quite low price a week. Noting that the average salary is US$200-300 in 2014, now it could twice as big, you may think you are paying excessively. Look for cable TV, toilet and bath and clean quarters. More adventurous visitors may wish to stay in a "yurta," for example in Bishkek it costs from US$8 a night in "yurtadorm". It is not that special to stay in a yurt in Bishkek, but it can be more interesting to do so in more rural areas. These are boiled wool tents used by nomads. Some tourist agencies in Bishkek will arrange this sort of stay, but be prepared to truly live the lifestyle of the nomad which includes culinary delicacies which may seem foreign to the western palette.

For those wishing to have home stays arranged in advance there with the Community Based Tourism (CBT). They can organize home stays in most cities and villages in Kyrgyzstan. They can also arrange yurt stays and trekking. While many such organizations keep the majority of payment for themselves, CBT Kyrgyzstan claims that 80–90% of payment will go to your host family. Amenities will vary between homes and locals, but overall some great travel experiences can be had such as, being invited to an impromptu goat feast, or enjoying fermented mare's milk with nomads.

Camping is possible virtually everywhere and anywhere. Just make sure to stay away far enough from any settlement or village, otherwise you will not get a good night's sleep due to the constantly barking dogs. It is also possible to put up tents at many yurts for a few som, where you sometimes have a shower and mostly a toilet. Also, they will be happy to prepare meals and dinner for you. If you want to camp wild but stick to the proven ones, checkout OpenStreetMap which has many camp sites for Kyrgyzstan in its database.

Hostels are beginning to open in the country, but many are still overpriced for what they are and might not meet your expectations. Of course, hotels can be found in most cities. Their comfort though can vary widely, especially where there are not many tourists, and you might be confronted with a 1-star Soviet "luxury" room with missing toilet seats and cheap Chinese synthetic and coloured bed covers.

If you intend to couchsurf, be aware many Kyrgyz are unaware what Couchsurfing is and may expect you to pay (why would a rich foreigner get anything for free?). Don't assume, ask.

Learn
For those who are interested in learning Kyrgyz or Russian languages, there are universities you can go and there is a private school called the London School. The London School in Bishkek offers reasonably priced individual lessons for about US$4/hour and home stay/cultural programmes.

Work
Kyrgyzstan's greatest export is its people departing for Russia, Kazakhstan, and even Europe for better opportunities. There are few opportunities for foreigners, except with development organizations, that generally hire off-shore. There are also few opportunities to teach European languages, as many Kyrgyz that studied abroad have returned with near fluency and will charge much less than you.

If you wish to volunteer, there is a very active and diverse NGO community that would appreciate your assistance.

Stay safe
Kyrgyzstan is in general a safe country for tourists. However, petty street crime, such as pickpocketing or muggings, has increased over the past decade as of 2022, especially at night. It is recommended that you do not walk around at night alone, especially in downtown areas of Bishkek.

Fights and assaults generally only focus around nightclubs and bars, just as in any other large city. There is to date no indication that Bishkek is particularly dangerous to foreigners. As for other cities in the Kyrgyz Republic, there is little evidence.

Corruption is a serious issue in Kyrgyzstan, and the locals are ultimately convinced that the police are not to be trusted. In the past there have been occasional reports of corrupt policemen searching tourists' bags in order to steal money. These incidents should be reported to the embassy. Since citizens of many countries do not need a visa anymore, tourists cannot legally be bothered by corrupt policemen stating that something is wrong with their visa or registration.

Bride kidnappings, or Ala Kachuu, are a common and traditional practice in Kyrgyzstan's countryside, whereby a woman is kidnapped and forced to get married. In 2007, the American Embassy reported that two American women were bride kidnapped in remote areas of Kyrgyzstan.

The political situation can deteriorate from time to time with mass protests and even stand-off with weapons by former presidents. It is best to be up to date about the current situation and avoid being near any such tensions, especially in Bishkek. Also, near Tajikistan there are some territorial struggles where parts of Tajikistan lie within the Kyrgys territory (see map), sometimes causing armed conflict between the two countries, especially around those regions (southwest of Osh) — best to also avoid these minor regions.

Stay healthy
Your biggest risk in Kyrgyzstan are car wrecks and accidents while crossing the street, or falling into a hole in the sidewalk.

You should also exercise caution around stray animals and avoid approaching dogs. If dogs get too close, (pretend to) pick up a rock—most will understand this gesture and shy away. Please read the general article on Aggressive dogs how to handle situations correctly.

Healthcare in Kyrgyzstan is generally of low quality, and treatment is not up to Western standards even at private clinics. Middle class and wealthy Kyrgyz will seek treatment in Russia (or in Western Europe), rather than Kyrgyzstan, for most procedures. If you need treatment, your best chance is to evacuate to a larger country with better facilities and medical staff. It is highly recommended that you obtain travel insurance that covers medical costs and the costs of emergency evacuation before traveling to Kyrgyzstan.

Food and drinking water safety vary substantially by region. Water is mostly potable, especially in the mountains where it comes from clean rivers—just ask the locals.

Note that in some villages they don't have electricity all the day. Therefore restaurants there might serve you quick-heated, pre-cooked meals or the meat was not stored in a fridge before it was prepared. The latter can cause food poisoning or parasite-borne illnesses because they don't always cook the meat long enough. Therefore try to eat only meals that were prepared the same day.

Kyrgyz claim the national drink, Kumys, is extremely healthy and will cure you of innumerable ailments. However, it is not recommended you rely on it to cure you of anything.

Cope
Tourism: More and more locals cater for tourists with horse treks, yurt sleeping, organized tours, etc. But it needs to be doubted whether this is actually authentic Kyrgyzstan, or just for tourists' provided convenience. If you are looking for the true nature and feel of this country, putting down €100 for a 1-2-day tour will not get you closer to this goal. Kyrgyzstan is a poor country, and the more money you pay, the less authentic your experience will be.

Respect
Western norms of respect are standard. Though nominally a Muslim country the Kyrgyz people are highly westernized. No special dress codes are in effect. Although standards of dress in Bishkek are Western and often revealing, in the south of the country women should dress more conservatively or risk attracting unwanted male attention. Evenings can be charged as alcohol intoxication can be quite prevalent at this time. Proceed with caution.

Connect
See the Connect section of the Bishkek article.

title: Kyrgyzstan


text:
Kyubyume

Kyubyume (Russian: кюбюме, KYU-byu-meh) is an abandoned town in Yakutia.

Understand
Kyubyume is an abandoned town on the junction of the old and new roads on the Kolyma Highway. From here to the west about 600 km lies Yakutsk, to the north about 400 km is Ust-Nera, and to the east on the old road about 200 km is Tomtor and the northern Pole of Cold.

The town once had around 500 people, including a telegraph station and several truck garages for maintenance during the bitterly cold winter. Today the only inhabitants are a handful of squatters who salvage building materials to be sent to Yakutsk by truck.

Get in
By car, truck, walking, bike, or hitchhiking. The sign-posted turnoff on the main road leads to a thoroughly broken bridge, which is passable only by nimble pedestrians. The river can be forded here, however a better ford is available via the functioning petrol station about 3 km further towards Ust-Nera - the roads join at the town.

Get around
The site can easily be covered on foot.

See
Kyubyume, like its abandoned cousin Kadykchan at the other end of the old road, is of interest mainly to people who like abandoned cities.

Particular points of interest within the town are;
 * The abandoned theatre, which has a volleyball net hung from it and interesting graffiti.
 * A mineral spring not far from the abandoned petrol station and an old bulldozer blade. Filled with tyres and bubbling probably carbon-dioxide.
 * Old truck garages, which still have the shells of heating equipment and other materially worthless stuff lying around, and are filled with bird nests. Not far away is a destroyed banya and the telegraph repeater station.
 * Located towards the far edge of town behind some old play equipment is the telegraph repeater station, in a prefab building on stilts. Smashed electronic equipment fills most rooms, and there's a few good manuals and other stuff lying around.

Do
One can wait an entire day here for a lift if hitch-hiking. Easily!

Buy
There are no shops.

Eat
Bring your own food.

Drink
Bring your own water.

Sleep
Either find a comfortable nook or building that might not collapse, pitch a tent, or see if you can find anyone else in town.

Connect
Mobile phones do not work and the telegraph repeater station (and line) was long since replaced by satellite link. Communication with the outside world possible only by sat-phone or pigeon.

Stay safe
The usual rules apply when exploring derelict and vandalised buildings. They collapse, normally under snow or during periods of intermittent freezing. They are infested with broken glass, asbestos, and other goodies. There is no medical attention within 400 km, so don't expect to survive a serious injury. Bears and other wildlife are constantly re-entering the area, so behave accordingly. Be prudent with displays of wealth amongst people who have nothing, including no police checking on them.

Go next
The new road between Yakutsk (nearest town being Razvilka) and Ust-Nera is in good condition and passable by standard vehicles in summer and winter. The old road heads east 200 km across mountains to Tomtor (and Oimyakon), and thence another 250 km to Kadykchan and Susuman. It may be passable to four-wheel drives as far as Tomtor, but questionable thereafter. Inquire locally for more information. In particular, bridges are washed out, rivers can rise suddenly following rain, there are large, unavoidable and car-swallowing puddles, and sections of the road have washouts that may require ad hoc road work to get past. Bicycles and motorcycles are more suitable, though by no means trouble free. This route is not kept clear of snow in winter and is therefore impassable to all but the most dedicated and suicidal cross-country skiers.

title: Kyubyume


text:
Kyushu

Kyūshū (Japanese: 九州) is the southernmost of the four main islands of Japan. The climate is slightly warmer and more tropical than Honshu, and the southern and eastern coasts are regularly battered by typhoons each year. The terrain is generally mountainous with very fertile valleys much like the rest of Japan, except for the wide plain area at the top of the island - the location of the largest cities of Fukuoka and Kitakyushu.

Tourist information site
Visit Kyushu is the official multilingual guide site for the whole area.

Prefectures
The islands of Okinawa, leading southwest of Japan to Taiwan, are sometimes considered a part of Kyushu, and in fact the northernmost islands in the chain are administered by Kagoshima prefecture.

Cities

 * — one of the most famous hot spring towns in Japan: there are more here than anywhere else in the nation
 * — the largest city and main transport hub. Lots of shopping, museums, unique architecture, and one of the three big sumo tournaments
 * — The island's famous "sand bath" hot spring town
 * — southern city in the shadow of the Sakurajima volcano
 * — a coastal castle town known for its squid market
 * — Kyushu's main port town has a castle, a preserved historical port, and a space theme park
 * — castle town and hub to central Kyushu
 * — beach resort area in southern Kyushu. Surfing, golf, and Aoshima
 * — Japan's first port open to the West, home to the oldest continuous Chinatown, and the site of an atomic bombing at the end of World War II

Other destinations

 * — three islands where many "Hidden Christians" practiced when Christianity was illegal, also known for dolphin watching
 * — subtropical archipelago halfway to Okinawa
 * — an active volcano
 * — a mountainous national park chock full of volcanic craters and hot springs
 * — a rural town known for its wild horses, the Misaki horse, and great surfing
 * — a scenic gorge with deep ties to Shintoism
 * — island home of Japan's space program
 * — an island that used to be its own province known for its unique endangered cat species
 * — subtropical island famous for its giant cedars

Talk
Kyushu is home to dialects of Japanese that are almost incomprehensible to speakers of standard Japanese, so much so that it was used during World War II for preventing interception by the Allies of Japanese communications. Even native speakers of Japanese from Honshu often have problems understanding the conversations of locals. However, most people are able to speak standard Japanese and especially in the cities younger people may also have a decent command of English.

By plane
Fukuoka is Japan's busiest international hub after the trio of Tokyo, Chubu and Kansai and has excellent connections throughout Asia and Japan. All the other prefectural capitals also offer limited service within Japan and to a few major Asian cities (typically Seoul and Shanghai).

By train
The San'yo Shinkansen line runs from Osaka to Fukuoka and many trains continue along the Kyushu Shinkansen line to Kagoshima. All Shinkensen trains stop at Kokura Station in Kitakyushu and Hakata Station in Fukuoka; a trip by train all the way from Tokyo takes about 5 hours by Nozomi and costs ¥23,150. There are no Hikari trains that go the full distance from Tokyo to Hakata, so with the JR Pass, you'll need to change trains. You can also go from Osaka to Hakata with the JR West San'yo Pass.

The Kyushu Shinkansen crosses the west side of the island to Kagoshima in the south. Many trains to Kagoshima start in Osaka, and the full course takes about 3.75 hours by Mizuho and ¥22,210. The JR pass is not accepted on Mizuho trains, but they are accepted on Sakura trains which make the journey in 4 hours. A journey from Tokyo (with a change in Osaka) takes a little over 6.5 hours and costs about ¥30,500, add an hour with the JR Pass for a Hikari to Sakura connection in Shin-Osaka or Okayama.

The Hakata to Kagoshima run takes about 1.5 hours. There are also good Limited Express trains servicing most anywhere of interest on the island, so you can take train from Hakata to just about anywhere else of interest on the island in about an hour in a half. The exception being Miyazaki which is about four hours from Hakata.

By bus
Willer Express is a company which provides daily night time bus services from Nagoya, Tokyo, and Osaka to Kyushu. They offer an online booking services in Japanese, English and Korean.

By boat
Fukuoka is also the gateway to South Korea via Busan by ferry, and a few ferry companies (including JR) operate the route.

By train

The train is the transport mode of choice on Kyushu. The Kyushu Shinkansen zips across from Fukuoka (Hakata) via Kumamoto to Kagoshima in 1 hr 20 min, and there is a fairly rapid express network covering most of the island. Some scenic local lines are attractions in their own right, such as the JR Hisatsu Line (肥薩線), which runs from Kumamoto via Yatsushiro to Hayato (near Kagoshima) and is considered one of the most scenic in Japan. These lines often feature services aimed at tourists and sightseers, such as the steam-powered SL Hitoyoshi, which runs on weekends from Kumamoto to Hitoyoshi.

The Kyushu Rail Pass, available only to visitors on tourist visas, offers unlimited travel on JR Kyushu's lines, including the Kyushu Shinkansen but not the San'yo Shinkansen to Hakata. The limited express trains throughout Kyushu are fairly reasonably priced, so the 3-day pass is probably not going to save money unless you're using the Shinkansen or spending a lot of time on the train.

The prices of the pass are as follows:
 * Northern Kyushu Area — 3-day pass ¥7,200, 5-day pass ¥9,260
 * All Kyushu Area — 3-day pass ¥14,400, 5-day pass ¥17,490

By bus
Buses serve those parts of Kyushu outside the railway network, but schedules tend to be very limited. There is also a highway bus system paralleling the train network, for which reservations can be done on a portal website. They also offer SUNQ 3-4 day unlimited travel passes: 4-day All Kyushu Pass ¥14,000; 3-day All Kyushu Pass ¥11,000; 3-day Northern Kyushu Pass ¥9,000 and 3-day Southern Kyushu Pass ¥8,000.

Castles
Kyushu doesn't have any original castles, but there are still some noteworthy reconstructions and interesting ruins to explore. Kumamoto Castle (Kumamoto) was often considered to be the best reconstructed castle in the nation, because they not only rebuilt the castle keep, they also rebuilt most of the other structures in the castle grounds. The castle keep and many other structures were severely damaged in the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake. It has been closed since that time and works to rebuild and restore the castle are ongoing. It is projected that the keep will be completed as early as 2019 while the full restoration of all buildings and walls is not expected to be completed until the 2030s. Saga Castle in Saga features one of the best palace reconstructions in the nation. They had to obtain special permission in order to build the palace at full scale in its authentic form due to size restrictions on wooden buildings.
 * Karatsu Castle, Karatsu
 * Hizen Nagoya Castle, Karatsu
 * Nakatsu Castle, Nakatsu
 * Usuki Castle, Usuki
 * Oka Castle, Takeda
 * Obi Castle Ruins, Nichinan
 * Hirado Castle, Hirado
 * Shimabara Castle, Shimabara
 * Hara Castle, Minamishimabara
 * Kokura Castle, Kitakyushu
 * Fukuoka Castle, Fukuoka

Gardens

 * Senganen Garden, Kagoshima
 * Suizenji Garden, Kumamoto
 * Mifuneyama Rakuen Garden, Takeo
 * Kuju Flower Park, Kuju

Temples and Shrines

 * Dazaifu Tenmangu, Dazaifu
 * Yutoku Inari Shrine, Kashima
 * Usa Shrine, Usa
 * Futagoji Temple, Kunisaki
 * Nanzoin Temple, Sasaguri
 * Kirishima Shrine, Kirishima
 * Udo Shrine, Nichinan
 * Aoshima Shrine, Miyazaki
 * Amano Iwato Shrine, Takachiho
 * Aso Shrine, Aso
 * Confucian Temple, Nagasaki
 * Sofukuji Temple, Nagasaki

World Heritage Sites

 * Yakushima, an island with a scenic primeval forest used to design the scenes in the movie Princess Mononoke
 * Munakata Shrine, Munakata
 * Hidden Christian Sites in Nagasaki, Hirado, Sasebo, Minamishimabara, Amakusa, and the Goto Islands
 * Amami Oshima
 * Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution

Eat

You'll eat well in Kyushu. Fukuoka, in particular, has a reputation as a foodie paradise and a particularly lively street food scene, since it's the last major city in Japan that still has yatai, outdoor stalls, set up along the riverside.

Some famous (or infamous) Kyushu eats include:
 * Tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen noodles in Fukuoka, widely considered the ramen capital of the world.
 * Mentaiko spicy cod roe, also a Fukuoka speciality. Only mildly spicy, and often served up in spaghetti sauce!
 * Raw chicken sashimi in Kagoshima. Tastes like, well, raw chicken.
 * Nagasaki chanpon, a hearty noodle soup topped with pork, seafood and thick noodles.
 * Chicken nanban, literally "Southern Barbarian chicken" — invented in Miyazaki, this is deep-fried chicken doused in a sweet sauce of Portuguese origin (hence the name) and served with raw cabbage and tartar sauce.

Drink
Kyushu is the home of shōchū (焼酎), the fiery Japanese distilled liquor, and it's still the drink of choice in these parts: if you order "sake", you'll get shōchū, not rice wine (nihonshu). It's typically around 25%, but some varieties can be much stronger. It can be distilled from nearly anything including rice, barley, brown sugar and buckwheat. Kurokirishima (黒霧島) from Miyazaki has a distinctive black and gold label and is Japan's best selling shochu.

Another Kyushu speciality is sweet potato shōchū (芋焼酎 imojōchū), particularly that from the ancient province of Satsuma (modern-day Kagoshima). Imojōchū has a strong smell that many people find off-putting, but like many acquired tastes, it has plenty of devoted fans too.

Stay safe
Carry a cellphone with you at all times and avoid areas where there are no streetlights, people, or busy shops/restaurants (just like anywhere else!).

Go next
The Chugoku region offers many great experiences for travellers, such as:
 * Hiroshima, the first city to experience an atomic bombing
 * Okayama, home to one of Japan's Three Famous Gardens
 * Izumo, with the second holiest Shinto Shrine in Japan
 * Tottori, with Japan's only sand dunes.

title: Kyushu


text:
Kyzyl

Kyzyl (Russian: Кызы́л kyh-ZYHL) is the capital city of Tuva and is the geographical center of Asia.

Understand

 * There is also a tourist office near the monument.

By train
The best option is to take the train from Moscow to Abakan (76 hours), with one-way fares varying from approximately ₽4000-9500. The price changes according to peak tourist seasons in Russia: by far the cheapest day to travel is 1 January, while July is the most expensive.

By bus
It is possible to take a bus from Abakan in neighboring Khakassia. While a night bus is an option, don't take it! The route meanders through the gorgeous Sayan mountain landscapes of the Ergaki region, which would be foolish to miss. The train from Moscow arrives in Abakan at 06:00, and apart from the bus, there will be plenty of taxi drivers offering to take you to Kyzyl (approximately from Abakan) for ₽1000-1500. There is a possibility that you may have to register at the Russian-Tuvan border — just hand over your passport to the police officer, there is no fee for the service. You may even travel by bus from as far as Krasnoyarsk, but expect it to be a long evening and night in a bus. The road in Tuva is being renovated, but otherwise the trip is smooth.

Get around
The town is relatively small, so if you are staying in one of the hotels in the centre, all of the landmarks will be within walking distance. There are no buses in Kyzyl, but there are plenty of route taxi vans operated by locals who may speak little Russian and surely no English ('marshrutka') and regular taxis.

Around Kyzyl

 * Drive across one of the bridges in Kyzyl and take the back-road to the other bridge to see many eagles in their natural environment
 * Across the newest bridge turn left to a popular holy spring to respectfully see the prayer flags and offerings, and taste the water; be discrete if a shamanistic ceremony is taking place
 * Climb the mountain overlooking the town from the north, with its huge Buddhist mantra 'Om Mani Padme Hum' written in white stones
 * Make a Yurt home visit, first hearing the explanation of the customs of the yurt, then tasting salt tea from a bowl, araka (alcoholic sour milk), pine-kernels and throat-singing and after dark visiting the spirit world under the guidance of a shaman, sitting around a bonfire on the steppe
 * Drive south to the giant Arat statue overlooking the steppe around Kyzyl and the confluence of the Yenisei headwaters
 * On August 15, enjoy the annual Nadym national festival held nearby at Tos-Bulak, with wrestling (Khuresh), long-distance horse-racing and archery
 * Stay in the Yurt-hotel just north of Kyzyl along the Greater Yenisei valley (Bii-Khem)

Do

 * Visit one of the Buddhist temples — a nice small one is well situated on the steppe on the other side of the Yenisei, it may be seen in the distance opposite the Centre of Asia monument — and give the prayer wheel on Arat Square a whirl
 * Attend a concert with traditional throat-singing, and dancing, and see national holiday displays in Lenin Square
 * In winter, try the ice-slides, see the coloured ice sculptures and eat frosted buckthorn-berries with sugar
 * Near the park you may meet some students from the next-door university Department of foreign languages (English, French, German) who may like to practice their language skills with you in their little cafe there — your treat
 * Visit the town park towards the eastern end of town
 * Go to the open air disco at the stadium
 * Make a picture on one of the tanks near to the old temples in the center

Buy

 * Visit the traditional agalmatolite-stone carvers in the Artists Union near the centre, and buy souvenirs
 * Look around the central and suburban indoor and outdoor markets: fur hats
 * There are some souvenir shops and you might buy a flag or postcards, and, if the post is opened, some new stamps from the Republic of Tuva.

Drink
There is a night-club with strip-tease.

Connect
3G connection works very well inside the city.

Consulates

 * 🇲🇳 Mongolia

Go next
Many parts of the Tuva region request a special permit, to be obtained one year in advance with the Russian authorities. The fees are low if you get caught, but probably a foreigner is easy to be spotted in those areas and so you will be asked to drive back to Kyzyl.

title: Kyzyl


text:
L'Anse

L'Anse is a village of 1,800 people (2019) and Indian reservation in Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Get in
US-41 runs through town. M-38 begins in the Village of Baraga, across the bay from L'Anse.

The Indian Trails bus line operates daily intercity bus service between Hancock, Michigan, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a stop in L'Anse.

See

 * The L'Anse Waterfront Park on Baraga Avenue within the downtown area is a nice and scenic location to rest.
 * The Falls River Falls in downtown L'Anse is a very long series of cascading falls that spans the entire width of the Falls River.

title: L'Anse


text:
L'Aquila

L'Aquila is the capital of the province of the same name in the region of Abruzzo in Italy and is located in the northern part of the province. It is a small, pleasant city that is surrounded by high mountains. The city was established by the German Emperor Corrado IV in 1254. According to legend, the town gathered the population from 99 local villages into the one city. Each group of villagers in-turn created their own church, resulting in a city of 99 churches and squares.

Understand
L'Aquila (Italian for "the Eagle") has come to tragic fame due to a 2009 earthquake but it is also a charming town with many historic buildings and home to the Gran Sasso National Laboratory, one of the biggest underground works of any kind in the world. The town was also the last home of Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, an early gay rights activist who died here and is buried at the local cemetery, making the town something of a "gay pilgrimage" site.

By motorcar
You can travel by car taking (the motorway connecting Rome and Teramo) that passes to the north of the city. L'Aquila can also be reached by other, smaller provincial highways.

By bus
There is an intercity bus (pullman) that travels directly from the Rome Tiburtina Railway Station to the main bus terminal found at the northern end of the city. There is also flixbus to/from FCO Airport.

By plane
The city has no airport so it is usually most convenient to fly to either the Ciampino or Fiumicino airports in Rome before traveling on to L'Aquila.

Get around
L'Aquila is small enough that it is quite easy to walk from one end to the other, but the station and the fountain of 99 are down a considerable hill from the city so you might prefer to ride a local bus up.

Churches
There are at least six churches to visit including the Duomo (the city’s main church), located on the Piazza del Duomo, and Santa Maria di Collemaggio (located outside the city walls), a Templar church with beautiful rose windows.. The final confrontation scene in the move Ladyhawke was filmed in this church.

Secular buildings
Other places to see include the Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo, which is located in the sixteenth century Castello located in the north end of the city. The castle was designed by the Spanish architect "Don Pirro Aloisio Escriva" and is one of the most impressive castles in central Italy and possibly one of the earliest types of this type constructed. The Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo has several different sections including paintings, Roman finds, but its most famous feature is the skeleton of a mammoth that was found in the local area.

Fountains
Finally, there is the Fontana delle 99 Cannelle, which is located outside the western walls. The fountain has 99 fountains that represent the 99 churches that were originally in the city.

Do
Besides the sites inside L'Aquila, there are many places to visit outside of the city including the churches of San Pelligrino and Santa Maria dell'Assunta in Bominaco, the medieval castle at Calascio, and the Gran Sasso National Park. In wintertime, Because of the nearby mountains there are several ski resorts throughout the region. Many of these skiers stay in L’Aquila which, could cause problems finding a hotel room in the winter season.

Markets
There is also a daily market that is held each day (except Sunday) in the Piazza del Doumo. There you can find a wide variety of goods including clothing on sale by small vendors. The market is open from 8AM-2PM.

Eat

Go next

 * There are local buses to and from Pescara, Sulmona and Teramo. See ARPA for timetables.
 * Bus 6D/6S/M6 to fonte cerreto funivia (cable car to campo imperatore / gran sasso)

title: L'Aquila


text:
L'Aquila (province)

Province of L'Aquila is in the Abruzzo region of Italy.

Other destinations
There are three national parks and one regional nature park in or partly in the province. The national parks are:

 * Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise (Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park)
 * Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga (Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park)
 * Parco Nazionale della Majella (Majella National Park)

The regional park is:

 * Parco regionale naturale del Sirente - Velino (Sirente - Velino Regional Natural Park)

title: L'Aquila (province)