Tea (black or green) is common and comes in various forms. In the North of the country it is usually made strong and mixed with hot water when served – but in the South it is poured direct from the pot.
Sometimes referred to as the Switzerland of Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is blessed with gorgeous mountain scenery almost everywhere you look. The fact that the country is so little known is mostly down to its isolation and a lack of awareness of its very existence – Kyrgyzstan has only been a country in its own right for two decades or so.
Water is a defining feature of Kyrgyzstan. In winter it freezes on glaciers and buries the land deep in snow. In summer it melts into cascading streams, tumbling waterfalls and ferocious torrents which carve their way through jagged cliffs and rocky gorges.