Category: Layovers

72 Hours In Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: A Destination Guide

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Bishkek.  Capital of the Kyrgyz Republic.  Largest city, hub for culture and industry.  And the place most people first encounter when they arrive in Kyrgyzstan.  In fact, it’s very difficult to visit Kyrgyzstan and NOT end up in Bishkek for at least one night because all the flights leave in the middle of the night.  I’ve been in Bishkek a lot lately for training, so I’ve put together this guide to some of my favorite sights, hangouts, and day-trips that you too can do during your time there. Continue reading “72 Hours In Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: A Destination Guide” →

72 Hours In Osh, Kyrgyzstan: A Destination Guide

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Summer is here, which means that each week, more and more adventurous tourists come passing through my beloved home of Osh, Kyrgyzstan.  A lot has changed about Osh even since the Lonely Planet Central Asia and the Bradt Kyrgyzstan guides were updated in 2014, so I wanted to put together a quick destination guide to things to do and see in Osh for the DIY tourist who’s going to be passing through or staying for a few days.  Most tourists only budget a few days or even a few hours for Osh, but let me tell you, there’s plenty of reasons to spend more time than that here!

Lets get started! Continue reading “72 Hours In Osh, Kyrgyzstan: A Destination Guide” →

Medeo ice rink in Almaty, Kazakhstan

72 Hours In Almaty, Kazakhstan

Published on by Mark Jahnke

At the end of a recent trip to Bishkek for training, I decided to hop across the border to Almaty, Kazakhstan, to explore the city, do some sightseeing, and of course, eat me some Burger King.

Almaty was the capital of the Kazakh SSR and of Kazakhstan until 1997, and is still more than double the size of the next largest city.  With air connections to most of Europe and Asia on a variety of major airlines, it’s a great first stop for most on their Central Asian adventures. Continue reading “72 Hours In Almaty, Kazakhstan” →

8 Hours In Istanbul: A Destination and Layover Guide

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Istanbul is my absolute favorite city in the world.  Fortunately for me and other people traveling to Central Asia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and many lesser-visited countries in Africa, a long layover in Istanbul is a common occurrence.  Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport isn’t very big, isn’t all that comfortable, and for sure is not cheap in the slightest.  Luckily, though, if your layover is at least 6 hours, it’s very easy to take public transportation into the city centre to see some of the most spectacular sights in the world.

Continue reading “8 Hours In Istanbul: A Destination and Layover Guide” →

72 Hours In Macedonia

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Macedonia is not someplace I anticipated visiting until a dear friend of mine, Gwen, became a Peace Corps Volunteer there.  She sent me pictures and told me stories, and after looking up some potential plane tickets, stumbled upon a ticket that allowed me to add 4 days in Macedonia onto my strange open-jaw from Kyrgyzstan to Germany and back for – get this – only 20 Euros.

Now, we’re going to ignore the fact that Turkish Airlines cancelled my flight twice and then left me marooned overnight without food or shelter in Munich on New Year’s Eve, and cut straight to Skopje. Continue reading “72 Hours In Macedonia” →