Spent $1,000 per person. How a Belarusian family vacationed in Kyrgyzstan
Minsk resident Elena, along with her family, vacationed in Kyrgyzstan in August. They spent 10 days driving around the most beautiful places in the country in a rented car. The woman told Myfin.by what they saw and how much they spent.
"If you want to see mountain lakes, it's better to take a crossover"
The family chose Kyrgyzstan for two reasons: firstly, they only considered visa-free destinations, and secondly, they wanted to visit a new country with beautiful nature. They planned to spend $3,000 for the entire trip for three people.
From Moscow, the Minsk residents flew to the capital, Bishkek, looked around the city a bit, and set off on a journey the next day. They started with the resort town of Cholpon-Ata, which is located on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. On the way, they stopped to look at the Kok-Moinok canyons.
"We rented a Kia Rio sedan. Thanks to the fact that the car ran on gas, we were able to save money. It cost about $500 for 10 days, we booked a month in advance. We wanted to choose taller and, accordingly, more passable cars, but there were none left. For our route, a low car was generally enough, but if you want to see mountain lakes, it is better to take a crossover.
As we were convinced, you need to book a car much earlier than a month in advance."
The travelers spent three days in Cholpon-Ata, where they had a beach vacation on the shore of Issyk-Kul, which is one of the 30 largest lakes in the world.
During the day they swam and sunbathed, then went to various interesting places.
"We visited hot springs - there are many of them in Kyrgyzstan, we went to the petroglyph museum. On the last day we visited the Grigorievsky Gorge and the Semenovsky Gorge - they need at least half a day. Entrance to the Grigorievsky Gorge for three people and a car cost about $5. Locals have a business there: horse riding, photos with a falcon. As soon as they see tourists, they immediately surround and offer their services - we didn't like that very much.
There are many yurts in the gorge where you can have lunch. The place is touristy, so the price tag is not small, but delicious and the portions are large. In general, Kyrgyz cuisine is very hearty and high-calorie."
"From paid entertainment - horseback riding and donkeys. From free - the starry sky"
Next, the Minsk residents went to the city of Karakol, where they spent two nights. They visited the Ak-Suu Kench hot springs, one hour for two adults and a child cost about $12. In Cholpon-Aata, the cost of thermal springs was slightly more expensive - about $14.
They went to Jety-Oguz, which translates as "Gorge of the Seven Bulls". The name came from the red rocks, which from afar look like seven bulls lying on the grass.
"We also visited the ski resort, climbed a mountain 3040 meters above sea level. The cost of the lift for the family cost us around $25. From Karakol we went to the Barksonskoye Gorge, there are waterfalls there. There was no need to pay for entry. By the way, of all the natural tourist spots where we were, they only charged for entry to the Grigorievsky Gorge."
They spent the night in the village of Bakonbaevo, and in the morning they drove off to see the Skazka canyon made of red sand and stone.
Until this time, the Belarusians' route was built around Lake Issyk-Kul, then they went towards the mountain lake Son-Kul.
"There are yurt camps, the place is touristy, so the prices are not small. From paid entertainment - horseback riding and donkeys. From free - an incredibly beautiful starry sky. In our yurt camp, in addition to us, there were Italians, Spaniards and a guy from India. Everyone was greeted by a restaurant in a yurt.
The next day we went towards Bishkek, from where we were flying out the next day. The road went through the "33 parrots" pass, we stopped at a waterfall. We spent the night on the way and the next day we were already in Bishkek, from where we flew to Moscow. A taxi from Bishkek to the airport cost $8."
An overnight stay in a yurt for 56 euros
For food, travelers preferred local authentic cafes. They often ate for $10-20 for three, but sometimes cheaper and more expensive. Breakfasts were included everywhere in the cost of accommodation, dinner was sometimes taken from the owners for an additional fee.
The most expensive financial item was the road, the "Lastochka" to Moscow and the flight in both directions for three cost $1558. The second place was the car rental, the third - the rental housing: they gave $460 for 12 days. Somewhere they lived in a hostel and it was quite comfortable, considering that only an overnight stay was needed.
"The most expensive accommodation option was the apartment in Cholpon-Ata, we gave €220 for three nights. A yurt on Son-kul cost 56 euros per night, but when I chose, I saw that there were also for €100. The price included breakfast and dinner. An apartment in Bishkek - €35, in other places we stayed in hostels - on average for €30-35. Everywhere was very comfortable, and the friendly owners told and showed everything."
And although the vacation cannot be called budget, Elena says that they were very pleased: they visited a colorful country with the nature of Switzerland and the Alps, enjoyed wonderful views and gained a lot of impressions. Therefore, they believe that the money spent is fully justified.
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