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The languages of Kyrgyzstan are Russian and Kyrgyz, a Turkic language related to Uzbek, Kazakh, and, of course, Turkish. Kyrgyz is more common in rural areas whereas Russian is the urban language of choice (in fact it's not uncommon to meet ethnic...

...Turkish Airlines from Istanbul ocassional flights to Urumchi (China), Delhi (India) By train By car Driving in Kyrgyzstan is, by European standards, dangerous. Obviously locals have become used to missing road drain covers, dry dusty roads...

... History The Kyrgyz are descendants of tribes from the Tuva region of Russia, which migrated to the area now known as Kyrgyzstan in the 13th century, during the rise of the Mongol empire. In 1876 the area was incorporated into the Russian empire...

By car Private cars and minivans run between Samarkand in Uzbekistan and Penjikent daily. From Osh in Kyrgyzstan minivans go to Murgab every few days for $15; hitch hiking on Kamaz trucks and ZIL petrol tankers is also possible anywhere enroute...

...out for wolves and bears!All the 'stans' come next along the Silk Route as we explore Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. From Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, there is a gruelling desert crossing that could take a few days but you...