Kyrgyzstan is constantly engulfed in strifes and political turmoil, and several countries advise foreigners to not travel to Kyrgyzstan at this time.
While the US travel advisory tells foreigners that some attacks on Westerners have occurred, the view of Kyrgyz people on this is varied. Fights and assaults generally focus around nightclubs and bars, just as in any other large city. There is to date no indication that Bishkek is particularly dangerous to foreigners. As for other cities in the Kyrgyz Republic, there is little evidence. Tourists will of course be drawn by Kyrgyzstan's amazing natural beauty although travel by car through mountain passes and villages is not advisable.
Although bride-kidnapping is illegal in Kyrgyzstan, it is still common, particularly in rural areas, so women should be very careful - it would therefore be preferable that women travel with male family members or other men who they can trust to keep them safe. According to the United States Embassy, two American women were bride-knapped in rural Kyrgyzstan in 2007, and you certainly don't want to be one of them.
In the past there have been occasional reports of foreigners being approached by persons impersonating police and asking for documents in order to find an excuse to extort monies. These reports are uncommon, but one should always be on guard.
You could also work for local language schools. is usually good for working as a TEFL teacher or learning Russian and Kyrgyz languages.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Kyrgyzstan
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Kyrgyzstan - updated Apr 2024
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Kyrgyzstan Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
