Since you speak Russian and enjoy independent travel, KG will prove a breeze. I think the presence of such a mob of kids will endear you to the Kyrgyz, and so further enhance your trip.
Visas are easy. At this time, 30-day visas (single and double-entry) are issued on arrival at Manas International Airport with no need for supporting documentation. You’re supposed to hand over a photo for each application, but often that’s just waved away. I recommend that you find out the likely cost of a visa beforehand – I showed some uncertainty and was promptly relieved of $30 more than the official price. You can find application forms at the consular office at the airport or download them from http://www.mfa.kg/
The airport is around 40 km from Bishkek and you’ll probably arrive at 2.00 or 3.00 am. What are you like at haggling with cab drivers?
There is no need to register for a stay of under 30 days.
Regarding horse riding and bunking down with nomads in the wild – I have no experience of either, but I think the following companies can help accommodate your own nomadic herd:
Community Based Tourism: http://www.cbtkyrgyzstan.kg/
NoviNomad Company: http://www.novinomad.com
As for your itinerary, I’d suggest an amendment – go to Issyk Kul first. There are networks of martrushkas, buses, shared taxis and private cars that can get you from Bishkek to the major towns around the lake, so it’s just a matter of deciding what you want to see in that region and where you’d like to stay. However, note that July is probably the summer holiday season for visiting and resident Russians who like to flock to the beaches to soak up some rays.
When you’ve had enough of that, I suggest you make you way south to Naryn as the overnight base for your trip to Kashgar. You could include a side trip to remote Song Kul on the way, for some horse-riding and yurty goodness.
Both the companies above and the Celestial Mountains Tour Company (http://celestial.com.kg/) can organise your travel from Naryn to Kashgar. Expect to pay around $350-$400 per vehicle (each with seats for 4-5 people) for the journey. The travel agents need a couple of days’ notice to organise a Kyrgyz driver to take you to the border, a Uighur driver to meet you there and the necessary permits to cross the restricted border regions. You can do most of the planning via email, if you can supply scans of the relevant passports and visas for China.
I recently wrote an account of my experiences in Chinese Visa from Bishkek
The journey involves an early start, but otherwise it’s pretty easy and you have the security of knowing that your transport is guaranteed. There’s a bit of hanging around at the border around until the Chinese come back from a lengthy lunch break, so take snacks and drinks to appease your troops.
If you’re keen, you could include an overnight stop along the way at the ancient caravanserai at Tash Rabat.
I won’t go on about the wonders of Kashgar because you don’t need any encouragement to go there.
Now, you can either return to KG the way you came (lots of agencies in Kashgar can arrange the same trip in reverse) or return via the Irkeshtam pass to go to Osh in the culture-rich Ferghana Valley. And from there, head back to Bishkek to complete a loop of the country.
I’ve written an account of this leg of my travels in China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan in November 2010
But in short, you can easily hire a taxi or other driver to get you to the border. However, you will all have to hitch across no-mans’ land and this will take some time for a group of your size. The Chinese guards will allocate passengers to the trucks and other vehicles as they cross.
Once through KG customs, you can expect to find shared taxis waiting. With your crowd, you’ll fill two at once and won’t face the lengthy waiting time that I did.
It’s a long drive to Osh over some rotten roads but you’ll pass through some astounding mountain scenery. There’s little in the way of accommodation or even food supplies until you get to Osh, so you should count on a long hard day of travel from Kashgar to Osh. And if this route interests you, it’s important to monitor the political climate there before committing to that part of the journey, in case the sentiments that led to clashes earlier this year resurface.
I visited Osh in early September 2009 and enjoyed the huge, bustling Osh market with many its Uzbek traders, groups of inquisitive students wanting to practice English, and walks along sunny streets. Others can give you reports on more recent events.
North from Osh, there are a number of towns where you might consider breaking your journey on the way to Bishkek. The road between the two major KG cities is the best in the country, and is rich with features that range from farmlands, to Soviet-era sanatoria, to peasant Russian families selling honey and petrol by the side of the road, to nomads offering nan, yoghurt and kymis from their yurts, to the sight of horses running free on steep mountain slopes.
If you’re pressed for time, shared taxis take 10-12 hours to drive from Osh to Bishkek (900-1000 som per seat) or you can fly with one of the local airlines.
