For those who’ve not been to Bishkek before, or not for a long time, there are several suggestions we might make from our recent experience:

1. Apply for your Kyrgyzstan visas several days in advance, and you can receive up to one month tourist visas for $35/adult, $17.50/child. The embassy is only open for business Mon – Thurs, 10 am to 1 pm. It has also recently relocated to Luganskovo 30a, behind the Children’s Palace, and just up and across the street from the SOS clinic. If you need rush service (less than 3 days), the costs will be double.

2. If you wish, you can have help with processing your visa application at the Kazakh embassy in Bishkek. Sofia, at Travel Assist, will handle your details for $10/adult, no charge for kids. Contact Sofia at <sofia@travelassist.elcat.kg>, or at .

3. The embassy only receives applications/receipts for payment until 1 pm, and they only give out passports with visas at 6 pm, Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Fri. They are closed on Wed.

4. Should you need a place to stay in Bishkek, and don’t have friends you can move in with while your visas are being processed, Sofia can also host you at Philemon House, a Christian guesthouse/bed & breakfast with discounts for "volunteers". Reservations are necessary. The facilities are very conveniently located and comfortable, the food is good, and Sofia is very hospitable and easy to work with. For prices and reservations, contact Sofia.

5. Citizens of over 30 nations need not register in Kyrgyzstan. Check with Sofia for details.

6. If you haven’t been on the road from Almaty to Bishkek for some time, there is road construction off and on all the way, which will add an hour or more to your travel time each way. Even with virtually no wait at the border, it still took us nearly 5 hours each way, compared to 3 1/2 to 4 before the construction began.