Paardrijden in Kirgizië, Truly Nomadic Land

Absolutely phenomenal trip with Visit Alay in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Our guides Aibek and Bakt were fantastic. It was a really unique experience to see the Kyrgyz nomadic lifestyle which wouldn’t have been possible without Visit Alay who arranged all trekking (on horseback and on foot), accommodation, food and drivers - all for a very reasonable price. We had originally only booked the 3 day horse trek but had a few more days in Kyrgyzstan and on very short notice Visit Alay suggested and arranged going to Sary Mogul (a village between the Alay and Pamir mountains) and hiking at the travelers pass at Lenin Peak base camp. I can’t recommend Visit Alay highly enough - we had an unforgettable trip thanks to them!

What an amazing trip! My guides Dastan and Ysmaiylbek were fantastic, they were so friendly, fun and knowledgeable. They knew so much about the area having grown up in the mountain villages. They were so good with the horses and I felt completely at ease with them helping me through the horse trek. The scenery was spectacular and my phone is now full of amazing photos! We had lots of great conversations along the way and they taught me so much about the local culture. I really enjoyed the tour and it was the highlight of my trip!

We went on this trip with great expectations, but it turned out better than we hoped for. We did the 8-day hike in the Pamir-Alay mountains and it is exceptionally well organized, the first day you start with a friendly trek to acclimatize to the height. Then once arrived at Sary-Mogul we had a traditional dinner and went to play volleyball with the locals at the town's school which was really cool. The next day we started the trip with a series of incredible views and treks and a picnic at the top of the trek. That night we spent it on a yurt where we had a traditional dinner and managed to watch the stars as clearly as I have ever seen them. The rest of the days were followed by trekking, eating, and enjoying the views these mountains give. The terrain changes constantly, from forest, to arid to snowy and grasslands. It was an incredible experience to see all the terrains Kyrgyzstan has to offer. The guides that we had, Dany and Dastan, were really cool guys. They made sure that we had everything er needed, gave us great advice regarding the treks, and knew all the roads. They were really friendly, and we immediately connected with them, and I can say that by the end of the trip we became really good friends. They spoke fluent English and we could connect easily. Everyone was more or less the same age and we were joking and laughing constantly. They also took really cool pictures of us ;). In summary, if you are aiming for a hiking trip in the region, I'd definitely recommend these guys, they are professional, friendly and experienced at what they do. All the best, Darío.