I took hundreds of photos of Kyrgyzstan during my summer 2024 Central Asia road trip, mostly on my Camp Snap camera. Lots of GoPro videos, too. But I leaned on my Camp Snap, even though the picture quality is worse than an iPhone. You can see some iPhone pictures on my Instagram right here, too. But Camp Snaps let me capture candid pictures, and I can’t see them until the trip is over–that adds some excitement to coming home from a fun trip.
Anyway, these are some of my favorite Kyrgyzstan photos from the trip. I used two Camp Snaps on the trip, one with a vintage filter and another with no filter. Can you tell which pictures are vintage?
Kyrgyzstan might have been my favorite country of the month-long trip. It was rugged and mountainous, dotted with alpine lakes, and had endless fresh produce. The roads were bad and the August days were hot, but the crisp nights and mountain views were worth every uncomfortable moment.
Let’s check out my favorite photos.
- Table of Contents
- The people
- Kyrgyzstan valley views
- Hiking, lakes, & yurts
- More pictures
- Camp Snap Camera (screen-free adventures)
The People
The people of Kyrgyzstan were very warm and welcoming. During my two weeks in the country, I was invited to a party, had a family invite me for breakfast during a morning walk (and they gifted me a Kyrgyz football jersey!), and had many conversations with homestay hosts and strangers.
They were as intrigued by me as I was by them. I feel like when I return to Kyrgyzstan one day (to do some more hiking), I’ll have a good handful of new friends to visit.
- A newlywed couple in Jeti Oguz
- My first homestay hosts in Bishkek who invited me to a party and made my first night in Central Asia very comfortable
- Hikers in Ala Archa national park returning from the wilderness
- My friend Babasher performing one of many car repairs on the rough roads of Kyrgyzstan
- At the ~1,000 year old Burana Tower, these ladies happily posed for a photo and then asked me to be in one, too
- Fifth and sixth generation eagle hunters near Bokonbaevo, Kyrgyzstan
Valley Views
If you’re ever lucky enough to drive around Kyrgyzstan, you’ll make lots of roadside stops to take in the views. The country is 94% mountains, after all. And if you’re like me, many of your pictures will be valley views. From above, you’ll see villages and zigzagging roads. Walking in the valleys, you get to zoom in on the magic: hay overflowing from barns, old Soviet cars, and bountiful fruit trees.
Hiking, Lakes, Yurts and Ala Archa
Ala Archa National Park was my first stop in Kyrgyzstan (it’s pretty close to Bishkek), and while the weather wasn’t great for pictures, I managed to get a few cool ones I want to share. Ala Archa is a glacial-peak gem with yurt camping and scenic hiking. And it really set the tone for the rest of country.
Kyrgyzstan’s landscapes and scenery can be easily summed up as stunning. These are pictures from Ala Archa, Son Kul, Kel Suu, and Lenin Peak.
Some more Kyrgyzstan Pictures
Kyrgyzstan is mostly mountains, but that’s not all it is. Here are a few more pictures of Kyrgyzstan taken on my Camp Snap cameras.
Thanks for checking out my favorite Kyrgyzstan photos! I think I’ll visit Kyrgyzstan again, for the new friends I made and the mountains I didn’t get to climb, the hikes I didn’t get to experience. It’s a great tourist destination for mountain-lovers, so maybe you’ll add it to your list, too.
