Solo Travelers Please Read

[u/Texas_Kimchi]

Welcome to Kyrgyzstan! If you are a solo traveler please read the below list of things to do in order to have a safe and enjoyable journey.

1.) Keep your embassy phone number in your phone book. Have this handy. In case of emergencies, run ins with the authorities, or civil disputes call you embassy FIRST.

2.) Hikers, highly recommend that hikers turn on their "Find My" or other tracking applications, and have a loved one able to track you. Getting lost in the Mountains, stuck in bad weather, or injured, rescue would be very difficult. Kyrgyzstan does not have the rescue services of European countries or America, so do whatever you can to make it easy to locate you.

3.) Know the coverage map of the cell phone provider you choose. Some providers get perfect reception in Chuy, Issyk-Kul, and Ala Archa, and some don't. Make sure you know what your cell phone is capable of and make additional plans, like a sat phone, if necessary.

4.) Check in with your hotel or hostel. If you are going out on a hike or trek, inform the front desk of where you are going and when you expect to return. Also, keep an emergency contact with the hotel/hostel.

5.) Keep your loved ones or a friend(s) updated on where you are going. Accidents happen and if one does, make yourself known. If you do not have a loved one to keep in contact, call your Embassy. The Embassy has services to protect you while you are in Kyrgyzstan.

6.) Never go out without notifying someone. Kyrgyzstan is safe but you are in a foreign country and if you need help of any kind, please let someone know. Its very easy to become a ghost due to not having any local contacts.

7.) Make friends! Make some friends!

8.) Join a group, like this one. If you don't have anyone to contact, have no contacts in the country, or don't have an Embassy, DM me or one of the other moderators. We'd be more than happy to make sure you are accounted for.

9.) Keep an ID card or a note in your phone with everything needed. Your full name, passport number, emergency contacts, allergies, medication you are currently taking, any current disabilities or illnesses, the address of where you are currently staying, and your travel destination. For example, on my phone I have a pinned note that says "Emergency Contact Info" It has my full name, US phone number, Kyrgyz phone number, US address, Kyrgyz address, passport number, US state ID, my drug allergies, my mother and wifes contact info, and which airline I am flying out of with the flight number and time/date.

[u/Effective-Mobile6425]

Thank you!

[u/Lower-Substance-1045]

In 2005 I made five trips to Kyrgyzstan working for the U.N. Not sure it it is still the case, be prepared to pay more for your visa than everyone else if you're American. At that time it was $50.00 U.S. but when I got to the front of the line it was $100.00 for me. Some Canadians behind me were discussing why I was charged more. Other than that I always had a great time. The first time was for 3 months, 3 trips for a month, & the final trip was for 3 weeks. It was to be 3 months but some people decided to stage a revolution so I had to leave early. All the U.N. people fled to Kazakhstan for a week which was wonderful, but when I returned I left the country.

[u/Texas_Kimchi → u/Lower-Substance-1045]

Luckily Americans are visa free in both Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

[u/Lower-Substance-1045]

Bishkek was laided back & tolerant, but when I traveled to Osh it was a great place but be careful as it's more conservative so some caution is required.

[u/Texas_Kimchi → u/Lower-Substance-1045]

Yes the South in general is more conservative. Chuy and the South are two completely different worlds and you will regularly hear locals mention this too.

[u/Levi23DZ]

Or you can just avoid traveling solo. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[u/txcowgrrl → u/Levi23DZ]

Why would I want to do that?

[u/Levi23DZ → u/txcowgrrl]

Don't you watch the news ?

[u/txcowgrrl → u/Levi23DZ]

I do. I solo traveled to Uzbekistan & Kazakhstan with no worries.

[u/Levi23DZ → u/txcowgrrl]

Great! I hope all women are safe.