I spent two weeks in rural Kyrgyzstan with a team from Habitat for Humanity, and it was, without exageration, the most amazing two weeks of my life. I highly recommend going to the villages. I was in Barskoon on the south side of Issyk Kul. Bishkek is an interesting city, but extremely influenced by both Western and Soviet forces; the villages on the other hand are very traditional. The Kyrgyz are very proud of their culture and heritage and strive to keep it alive, which is wonderful to see.

Don’t leave Kyrgyzstan without trying some Kumis (fermented mare’s milk) from a road-side yurt. I thought it was revolting, but it was quite an experience.