The British commentator Alistair Cooke once opened his regular weekly “Letter from America” with the phrase: “The name Bishkek does not come tripping off the tongue or, I imagine for most of us, off the memory. …”. Since the events of March 2004, however, the name of Kyrgyzstan, (the small, Central Asian country of which Bishkek is the capital), is no longer a totally unknown quantity the answer to a Trivial Pursuits question. It still may not “trip off the tongue” but people have heard about this small mountainous country.

The dramatic scenes transmitted around the world, thanks to global television news networks, may have brought Kyrgyzstan to the public's attention … but they provided only a glimpse and told only about one part of the story of this young country.

'Discovery Kyrgyzstan' also gives you a glimpse of the country but we hope that it will be enough to whet your appetite to find out more.

In fact, the Kyrgyz Republic (to give the country its proper name) is a fascinating place … with mountain landscapes, (including three 7000m peaks); fast flowing rivers; alpine lakes; a pristine natural environment with a wide variety of fauna and flora; lakeside beaches; a traditional, nomadic, shepherd culture with an emphasis on 'hospitality'; historical connections with the Great Silk Road, characters such as Alexander the Great, Genghiz Khan, Tamerlane and Babur to the Great Game, and the former Soviet Union.

The range of possible activities is also wide and varied … mountaineering, trekking, horse riding, cycling, rafting, skiing, paragliding, traditional crafts, hunting, sightseeing, or just rest and relaxation on a lakeside beach …

Sounds interesting?, worth a visit?, but it might be a long way from home, with a different culture, and a different language … so, who can you trust to make the arrangements for you?

The members of The Kyrgyz Association of Tour Operators, (KATO) are at your service. They include among their number some of the longest established and largest tour companies as well as some of the smaller and more recently established ones. They know the country and the people: the places to see; the places to stay; the formalities and regulations. They can arrange for you transport, guides, accommodation, concerts of traditional music, demonstrations of traditional crafts or traditions like hunting with eagles, and other services.