I had a great experience working with CBT to organize my individual day trips from Bishkek. They were very easy to work with and organized and the guides were outstanding.

We had an absolutely fantastic experience on our three day tour to Issyk Kul! We got to do a variety of fun activities, from enjoying nature on walks and a horseback ride to cultural experiences like an eagle hunting demonstration and a craft masterclass, to checking out some of how locals live at a hot spring and various stops on the road. Our guide, Zamir, was an absolute wonder–very friendly, full of interesting information on all kinds of topics, spoke excellent English, an expert driver, and was very dedicated to making sure we had the experience we wanted. CBT travel office staff were also very helpful to work with beforehand, and helped us organize a tour package that had all the activities we wanted to do. The food and lodging options on the tour were all excellent. One minor hiccup we encountered was a miscommunication about lodging–we were hoping to sleep in a yurt, and assumed that "accommodation in a yurt camp" on the itinerary would mean that, but it turns out we were booked for a hotel-style room in a yurt camp. When we brought this up our guide and the CBT office were very accommodating, and quickly changed a reservation to give us a chance to sleep in a yurt elsewhere, so we didn't miss anything. The office had selected the rooms option for us thinking that it would be a more comfortable experience given that the weather was getting cold, which was kind of them. I'd suggest that future travelers be as specific as possible about what activities/lodging they want during the booking stage to avoid miscommunication, but again, the entire CBT team was very helpful in fixing the issue once we noticed it.

I thoroughly enjoyed most of this trip and our coordinator Baitek was amazing, his positive energy, caring nature and responsiveness to our suggestions was great. The two treks were the highlights for me, though I also loved the eagle hunting demo and archery as well as the historical sites. Baiteks knowledge and enthusiasm for sharing Kyrgyz culture and history really added to the trip, alongside seeing Burana tower and the petroglyphs. My only suggestions are that the visit to the boatyard on day two seemed unnecessary and I would have loved some traditional dance or singing instead!

The trip was marvellous, the driver guide, Ulan, absolutely fantastic: kind, professional, friendly. Altogether a great experience. The only disappointing point: the forst yurta in Song Kul.

The guide spoke broken English, but was very accommodating. The horses were very calm, and all three of us, my fellow participants and I as beginners, had no issues with them. Once in a lifetime experience!