Kyrgyzstan (5TH)

Bradt's Kyrgyzstan remains the only English-language guide dedicated solely to this astounding country, described as 'the Switzerland of central Asia' and regarded by many as the most beautiful nation in the world. This new, thoroughly updated fifth edition extends its detailed coverage of everything this intriguing, little-known but easily accessible country has to offer, including trekking, mountaineering, horse riding, historical sites, festivals and Kyrgyz culture. Lying deep within central Asia, Kyrgyzstan's beautiful mountainscapes, dreamlike rock formations, Silk Road monuments and semi-nomadic culture are gloriously unspoiled. Most of Kyrgyzstan's mountain ranges belong to the Tien Shan system, the legendary Celestial Mountains of Chinese folklore, whose highest peak is Jengish Chokusu (formerly Pik Pobedy), which stands at 7,439m on the Chinese border. A trip here can be as adventurous as you please: gallop on horseback through the alpine meadows that surround 3,016m-high Lake Song-Köl; go trekking in the mountain valleys that lie south of Karakol; admire 5,000-year-old petroglyphs at Saimaluu-Tash; visit leafy Bishkek's Soviet-era statues; track down thrilling wildlife (including snow leopard and Siberian ibex); or simply laze on the shores of the vast Lake Issyk-Kul, whose beaches snuggle beneath towering mountains. Alternatively, visit Arslanbob (a charming Uzbek village and resort surrounded by the world's largest walnut forests); shop in the huge bazaar at Osh; drink kumys (made from fermented mare's milk); or watch the Central Asian equestrian sports of ulak tartysh (essentially polo, but with a goat carcass) and kyz-kumay (horseback kiss-catch). New elements of this fifth edition include the network of community-based tourism operators that can help with competitively priced accommodation, transport and horse hire; new skiing and snowboarding offerings that promote Kyrgyzstan as a year-round destination; details on whitewater rafting and paragliding;