The Details

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

From Southeast Asia, the easiest route to Bishkek is via Dubai, where low-cost airline

Flydubai (flydubai .com) operates daily red-eye flights to the Kyrgyzstani capital. Bishkek-based tour operator Travel Land (trvlland.com) can organize car rentals and guided tours.

WHERE TO STAY

Filled with Soviet-era monumental art and architecture, orderly Bishkek is also home to a Hyatt Regency and a two-year-old Sheraton hotel. Those looking for boutique charm, however, should check into the 14-room Navat

Hotel (navathotel.kg; doubles from US$85), a cozy option in the city’s historical district that’s just steps away from the Kyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theater and the National Museum of Fine Arts.

While tourism infrastructure is limited in the countryside, homestays and yurt visits can be set up through the Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association

(cbtkyrgyzstan.kg), which brings together 15 diverse destination communities across Kyrgyzstan.