We crossed from China to Pakistan through the Khunjerab Pass. Being at 4693 meters, it’s the highest official border crossing point in the world, and also the highest part of the Karakoram Highway. The bus was not quite what we had expected but the ride through the mountains was epic and we had some fun …
From China to Pakistan: Khunjerab Pass, the world’s highest border crossing point Read More »
Tashkurgan is the last city on the Chinese side before the Khunjerab Pass and the border of Pakistan. Also, the border of Tajikistan is near. Therefore, majority of the inhabitants of Taskurgan are Tadjik, but most of the hotels and restaurants are run by Chinese, and some by Pakistanis. The mixture of cultures there is …
There’s a saying that you haven’t seen Xinjiang without seeing Kashgar. And that you haven’t seen Kashgar without seeing its Old Town. As Kashgar, the major trading point along the ancient Silk Road, was a fascinating place to see, we believe that it’s true. But also, you can’t visit Kashgar and the surveillance state Uygur …
At the moment, the political situation in China‘s Xinjiang is tense, and the Chinese authorities are not exactly looking forward to have tourists wandering around there. Therefore, crossing Irkeshtam Pass, the border between Kyrgyzstan and China, was not too easy. The border procedures took us around 7 hours, with numerous amount of checkpoints and controls. …
Irkeshtam Pass: Crossing the border from Kyrgyzstan to China Read More »
It was time to leave the city of Osh and to start our journey towards Irkeshtam Pass, the border between Kyrgyzstan and China. We had luck, again, as our Dutch friends Lena and Tjerk were headed to the same direction. We got a ride from them along the Pamir Highway to one of the last …
Leaving Kyrgyzstan: Pamir Highway, Sary-Tash, traditions Read More »
The second largest city of Kyrgyzstan, Osh, was going to be our last longer stop before leaving the country. Therefore, we spent most of the time planning our trip to China and Pakistan and preparing the necessary documents etc. But we also had some time for sight-seeing and fun having – and we liked what …
The village of Arslanbop in Kyrgyzstan lies 180 kilometers from Osh, so it made a good stop for us on the way from Bishkek to Osh. The mountain village itself is small, but it’s known for its walnut forest which is the biggest one in the world. Our timing for visiting Arslanbop couldn’t have been …
Arslanbop is a small village in Kyrgyzstan, but it hosts the world’s largest walnut forest. On our way from Bishkek to Osh, we had decided to have a stop there. The route between Osh and Arslanbop was one of the most scenic ones we’ve ever seen. The journey takes around 11 hours and there is …
Ride from Bishkek to Arslanbop – Too good to be true Read More »
After spending a lot of time in the nature and small places lately, we didn’t get too excited about staying in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek. We still enjoyed the things that a big city can offer – or at least we tried to. Getting to Bishkek In Bokonbayevo we went to the bazar where all the …
Karakol is a small city in Kyrgyzstan. It’s located at over 1700 metres, next to the Tian Shan mountains and the Issyk-Kul Lake. Our stay in this cozy city was all about hot springs and Ashlan-Fu (which is not a form of martial arts, btw). It’s autumn now, also in Kyrgyzstan. When we woke up …
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