15D Kyrgyzstan
Silk Road through the Celestial Mountains
Kyrgyzstan has been described as “the most accessible and welcoming of the Central Asian republics†with “incredible natural beauty and proud nomadic traditionsâ€Â. The dramatic Tien Shan mountains are the setting for spectacular alpine meadows, lakes and gorges.
Kyrgyzstan has 400 endemic botanical species (of note are tulips and wild onions), more than 10,000 species of insects and 360 species of birds (black vulture and imperial eagle among the highlights). Mammals include marmots, goitred gazelle and ibex (a favourite of the elusive snow leopard).
