RE: entry 1 month visa

People from Malta can get visa at airport- http://www.mfa.kg/consular-service/citizens-no-visa-needed-2_en.html

So you have no worries. Australian are in the same section of this advice as Maltese and I got visa at airport no probems.

I dont think you can get Tajikistan visa at the border- you must apply in Bishkek- takes 2-3 days

Yes, the MFA (ministry of foreign affairs) is the best link.

You absolutely cannot get the visa at the border with Tajikistan. You will have to get this in advance in Bishkek. The embassy there is traditionally user friendly. Don't forget the GBAO permit.

Thanks a lot guys! That's great info! So I will hope they wouldn't have changed any rules as I did read on LP guidebook that visa regulations change frequently. I will also try to get the Tajik visa in Bishkek then.

However, what is a GBAO pls? Do you mean a LOI or is it something different? Do you think I will have a good chance of hooking up with another traveller or 2 to go trekking in both countries? I don't think these are very popular countries with travellers right which make them fascinating, true, but I don't think I'd like to go trekking completely on my own or with just a guide either.

thanks a million

travel2cool

Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, or GBAO, is the eastern 2/3 of Tajikistan. It's where the Pamir mountains and highway are. But there have traditionally been problems between the GBAO and the central government in Dushnabe. As such, you need a special permit to travel in this region. They should be able to take care of it in Bishkek.

Thanks so much for explaining that fluffy-bunny. Is the trekking in this area very hard? I've trekked in Nepal and Papua amongst other countries but unsure how it is here.

thanks again

travel2cool

Dear travellers

Can you please give me some advise re this itinerary. I have 1 month from mid July to mid August for Kyrgyzstan visiting Bishek, some other towns and trekking in the mountains while also experiencing one or 2 yurt stays. I also have then, another month for Taijikistan. As I have plenty of time, I was thinking to exit Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan to visit Samarkand. I read that a LOI isn’t needed to do this as I was thinking of getting a 3-day transit visa and then travel on to Tajikistan. My question is :

Can this short-stay transit visa be issued at the border with Kyrgyzstan? I probably won’t have time to get the Uzbek visa done at the embassy in Bishkek as I will have to get the Tajikistan visa done when there too… that’s why it’s important for me to know whether it’s possible to get the 3-day transit visa at the border.

I would like to trek in the Fan Mountains once in Tajikistan, maybe 2 or 3 different treks. Anyone been there? Can you tell me how many days I’ll be looking at, (with a guide and hopefully with another traveller who’ll be willing to join.. don’t know how safe it is to go trekking alone with a guide as a female) on each of these treks please as I saw these treks on LP but don’t say how many days each will take:

Starting from Shing or Rashnar on to Marguzar Lakes, over Tavsang Pass, Munora Pass and down into the valley and on to Dukdon Pass, down Karakul Valley, Sarytag and finishing in Iskander-kul. I saw this trek on LP but doesn’t say how many days it will take.

The other one is from Artush up to Kulikalon bowl, over Alauddin Pass and lakes, down to Chapdara Valley and then west up to Laudon Pass and back down into the Kulikalon bowl.

Then there is this 6 day remote trek with Pamir travel I read about, do you recommend this?

I am not a climber or a very experienced trekker so I don’t know if the treks I’ve mentioned will be too hard but I did trek the Annapurna circuit in Nepal, in Papua and in Torres del Paine and Parque de los Glacieros in Argentina but have no idea how trekking here would compare to these.

I would also like to trek the Pamirs. What about trekking here? Is there a trek you’ll recommend and how many days will it take please? I haven’t read or found enough info about this area yet. But I think that one can also hire a 4wd to do the Pamir Highway. As this is very expensive, it it easy to find 4 other travellers to share costs with?

Also what about crossing into Afganistan to trek the Wakhan Corridor? How many days for this trek? I really want to do this but read it’s expensive to get to the start of the trek, unless I find other travellers to share with (and don’t know if there would be travellers willing to do this trek as it’s Afganistan after all) and another problem will be to re-enter Tajikistan. Even if it will then be for just a few days but I have to travel on to Dushbane as I think it will be the closest place to fly out from, but not sure if I can be granted a double entry visa from the Embassy in Bishkek.

Sorry for my many questions but if you have any advise to give me, it will help me a lot.

Thanks a million

travel2cool