MIR Corporation is unveiling journeys through two Central Asian countries: Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Highlights include overnighting in a yurt near Son Kul Lake, dining with a local family in Kochkor, browsing the 2,000-year-old Jayma Bazaar, experiencing an evening service at an Ismaili Muslim prayer house and exploring the mountain village of Kalaikhumb. New for 2019, the “From the Heavenly Tien Shan to the High Pamirs” tour is scheduled for August 5-22, 2019 5. The itinerary is expected as follows:
Days 1-4: Bishkek, Chon-Kemin, Son Kul
Begin in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, and then drive to the traditional village of Chon-Kemin to experience everyday life in the countryside. Spend a night in a yurt near alpine Son Kul Lake, surrounded by the towering peaks of the Tien Shan. Visit with nomadic shepherd families and witness a match of the Kyrgyz horse game kok-boru.
Days 5-7: Naryn, Tash Rabat, Kochkor, Bishkek
Meet with a community of villagers from the Afghan Pamirs and discover how they create felt according to traditional methods. Explore the 15th-century stone caravanserai in Tash Rabat, a former highland outpost on the Silk Road. On the way back to Bishkek, have lunch with a local family in the little village of Kochkor.
Days 8-9: Osh, Sary Tash, Murghab
Fly to Osh, and browse the 2,000-year-old Jayma Bazaar, Central Asia’s largest open-air market. Depart on the drive along the Pamir Highway and climb up over the 14,000-foot Kyzyl Art Pass into Tajikistan and down to Murghab. Enjoy views of the Pamirs and stop for a picnic lunch at Lake Karakul.
Days 10-13: Langar, Yamchun, Yamg, Khorog
Continue through the Wakhan Corridor, pausing to meet with local villagers and to see Buddhist stupas and fort ruins. In Khorog, capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, sit in on an evening service at an Ismaili Muslim prayer house and chat with a representative from a local Tajik NGO.
Days 14-18: Kalaikhumb, Dushanbe
Follow the Panj River to the mountain village of Kalaikhumb, once the home of a fortress. In Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, visit the Museum of Antiquities and the nearby 18th-century Hissar Fortress.
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