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Bishkek

Introduction

Beautiful Ala-Kol Lake

Bishkek (Бишкек), the capital of Kyrgyzstan, is also the country's largest city with 900,000 inhabitants. It is located near the border with Kazakhstan. Although the city is relatively young (founded in 1878, it became the capital of the Sovjet Republic Kyrgyzstan in 1926) and has its origins in the Soviet period, it is one of the more pleasant urban destinations in the region.

Note: currently (mid 2010) the safety situation in Bishkek (and Kyrgyzstan in general) is not good and people are advised to avoid travelling to the country/city. If you must be here, at least avoid mass gatherings.

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Neighbourhoods

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Sights and Activities

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

Bishkek has a bitter climate, with harsh conditions, especially during the long and cold wintermonths of November to March. Rain or snow is possible year round but on average it is a dry country. Spring and autumn are wetter than the rest of the year when sunny and dry conditions rule the country. In the lower parts of Kyrgyzstan, summers are around 27 °C maximum, and around 15 °C at night. During winter, temperatures are between -5 °C and -15 °C but also here temperatures can drop well below -30 °C sometimes.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg Max	2.7 °C	3.3 °C	10.1 °C	18.1 °C	23.1 °C	28.4 °C	31.4 °C	29.9 °C	24.8 °C	17.1 °C	10.1 °C	4.8 °C
Avg Min	-8.6 °C	-7.3 °C	-0.3 °C	6.3 °C	10.9 °C	15.1 °C	17.5 °C	15.7 °C	10.6 °C	4.5 °C	-1.1 °C	-5.4 °C
Rainfall	26 mm	31 mm	47 mm	76 mm	64 mm	35 mm	19 mm	12 mm	17 mm	43 mm	44 mm	28 mm
Rain Days	6.2	6.4	8.5	8.8	7.9	4.4	3.2	2.2	2.7	5.8	6.5	5.6

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Getting There

By Plane

Manas International Airport (FRU) is serviced by flights from London, Frankfurt, Istanbul and Moscow, as well as Delhi and Ürümqi. In addition, the airport offers flights to a number of smaller regional destinations.

By Train

Bishkek has direct connections to nearby Almaty (Kazakhstan), and to Astana (either via Almaty or directly through Russia. Although both are not too far away geographically, the train ride takes a very long time, and service is frequently interrupted. There is also a direct train to Moscow.

By Car

By Bus

Kashgar, in the Chinese province of Xinjiang (Eastern Turkestan), is the only nearby destination that is serviced by bus.

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Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

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Eat

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Drink

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Sleep

Budget

Property	Address	Type	Popularity
Backpackers Hostel Free & Easy in Bishkek	47, Ulitsa Kara-Koo Archa-Beshik Jal	Hostel	-
Castle Hotel Bishkek	Cholpon Ata, Lake Issyk Kul Bishkek	Hotel	-
Crocus	Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek city, st. Komsomolskaya 5.	Guesthouse	-
Benny's Guest House	Togyzbaya Str 9, Ken Suu Village, Tyup raion, Issyk	GUESTHOUSE	-
Rodem House	109,Umetalieva st.	HOSTEL	-
Interhouse Bishkek	Topograficheskiy,9 Sovetskaya Cross Skryabina	HOSTEL	-
Silk Road Backpackers	8, Isanova Str. Apt. 49	HOSTEL	-