Ala Archa is a large national park in Kyrgyzstan, located in the mountains and valleys surrounding the Ala Archa river, roughly 30km south of Bishkek.
The ruined citadel of Koshoy Korgon, is located just outside of the village of Kara-Suu. Not much is known about this fortress (at least according to my guidebooks, anyway) but it dates from roughly the 10th century, and was probably Karakhanid.
Community Based Tourism, or CBT, has offices throughout Kyrgyzstan, although their central office is located in Bishkek. CBT is an excellent resource for those travelling through Kyrgyzstan.
The tiny village of Kara-Suu is located just outside the somewhat larger village of Kochkor, just off the main road connecting Naryn with Lake Issyk-Kol. While there are not many ammenities to be found in this tiny place, the scenery is spectacular, and it is a great place to begina horse-trek.
Altyn Arashan (Golden Spa in Kyrgyz) is a hot-springs hotel located in a high mountain valley above Karakol. Don't let the term "hot-springs hotel" fool you - this isn't your typical spa.
Every Sunday morning from 5:00am to 10:00am, people from all over north-eastern Kyrgyzstan flock to Karakol with their livestock to participate in the Karakol Animal Bazaar. The bazaar is filled with sheep, cows, goats, horses and hagglers, and it is quite a site to see.
Sunken Pass is the pass through the mountains which separate the small village of Kul-Tur with the valley on the other side of the mountains to its south. It can be entered through the Kul-Tur Jailoo, and can be trekked on foot or by horse.
Kyrgyzstan isn’t exactly a great place for finding convenient public toilets. As we drove from Balykchy towards our destination of Karakoo, we found ourselves desperately in need of a pit-stop.
Tash Rabat is a stone fortress/caravanserai dating from either the 13th or 15th century (depending on the source), which was once a prominent stop on the silk road. Tash Rabat is only about 60km from the city of Naryn; however, due to the quality of the roads, the trip takes about two and a half hours.
Located in the center of the small village of Kochkor, CBT Kochkor will arrange homestays, horse-trekking, hikes and more for those interested. Additionally, they work in cooperation with the Altyn Kol group, which provides a place for local women to sell their handmade traditional felt goods, specifically shyrdaks, traditional Kyrgyz rugs.