No whistles and bells, just friendly faces and some mighty big mountains.
What Kyrgyzstan lacks in gracious buildings and fancy cakes it makes up for with nomadic traditions such as laid-back hospitality, a healthy distrust of authority and a fondness for drinking fermented mare's milk. It is perhaps the most accessible and welcoming of the Central Asian republics.
Kyrgyzstan is on the whole a safe place to visit. However, travellers should avoid demonstrations, as political tensions do exist and protests can become violent. Demarcation of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border is in dispute and anyone crossing the frontier should only use official checkpoints, as some areas may be mined.
Can Mickey's magic tame toddler tantrums? All is revealed in our recent trip to Disneyland Paris
Discover whale-watching, bear spotting and extreme mountain-biking with the Winter Olympics hosts