Bishkek to Istanbul overland tour, 79 days

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION
Our 79 day-long trip means travellers can stay for one longer trip in Central Asia, covering several countries, instead of taking two or three shorter trips and additional international flights.

We have always been advocates of longer itineraries meaning we can travel slowly overland, seeing more of the landscapes and day to day life of each country as an alternative to internal flights or flights between countries.

We ensure that any crew needing to fly internationally stay for as long as possible in the region by making sure a trip starts at the end location of the previous trip. For instance, our crew members on this trip will have previously run a trip from Istanbul to Bishkek, without the need to fly in between.

Our trip pre-departure dossier includes information on how our travellers can reduce the carbon footprint of their trip, in particular of their international flight. This information is also available to read on our website and includes taking direct flights, choosing to travel on newer aircraft and travelling economy class as well as checking the carbon emissions of a flight on sources such as Skyscanner or Google Flights.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
Altyn-Emal National Park in Kazakhstan, once a hunting reserve and farmland, was made a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2017. We visit the park and include the entrance fee of approximately £3 per person which supports the work of preserving its unique ecosystems and the wildlife that inhabits them. The park’s desert, mountains, rivers and lakes include a range of habitats including steppe, alpine meadows, floodplains and reed beds which in turn support a myriad of species from bears, bats and birds to antelope, amphibians and wild cats including the endangered snow leopard. The park has worked to restore populations of Przewalski’s horse as well as the rare Turkmen Kulan and Gazelle.

All our clients receive information on how to travel responsibly at the time of booking and this is re-iterated by our crew at the start of each trip. Included in this are suggestions on how to reduce negative impacts on wildlife and nature in general, including observing national park rules and guidelines, not buying wildlife products and supporting conservation projects in the areas you are visiting.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY
The majority of accommodation we use are small locally owned hotels, hostels and campsites and our crew pay the owners directly which saves them unnecessary and expensive bank charges. We occasionally stay in homestays, for instance in Karakol and at Lake Song Kol we stay in traditional yurts. This additional income for the local community is further augmented by guided hiking or horse riding opportunities. This not only creates income for our hosts but also provides an opportunity for our travellers to learn about their culture.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY
We use a Kyrgyz operator that we have worked with for many years, to provide us with drivers and guides and these are all from Kyrgyzstan. At sites of interest, we use local guides from the community to impart their expert knowledge, for example at the workshop in Kyzyl-Tuu village that produces the wooden parts of yurts.