On my way to Tash Rabat from Son-Kul, both in Kyrgyzstan, sitting on the comfortable seats of a minibus, I had to pinch myself just to realize that it wasn’t a dream. I could see green valleys on one side of the road and the rugged brown Pamir Plateau on the other. As someone who loves to travel (and later as an astroimager), I have been to many places in my home country, India, and a few outside. I have experienced many dream locations. But Kyrgyzstan takes the top position. I spent seven nights in this country only to want to come back and drown in its beauty again.
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A surprising choice
In late 2023, I began searching for a suitable place with enough dark skies and landscapes to spend a week in 2024. With almost eight months to go, I looked within India, and Ladakh was my first choice. Back then, I had no clue about Kyrgyzstan’s potential and it was not even in the list of top 10 places in my travel notebook.
However, after seeing the extremely high-priced flight tickets to Ladakh, I started considering alternatives. Then I came across an image of the Milky Way from Kyrgyzstan, posted by a traveler on Flickr, and it decided my fate: I would be traveling to Kyrgyzstan. Upon doing more research on potential places to go in the country, I knew I was making the right decision.
I came across an image of the Milky Way from Kyrgyzstan, posted by a traveler on Flickr, and it decided my fate: I would be traveling to Kyrgyzstan.
A gold mine for photographers
Kyrgyzstan is even more beautiful than pictures of it indicate. I explored four places for astroimaging: Son-Kul, Tash Rabat, Barskoon Valley, and Issyk-Kul. As a photographer, you will find interesting compositions at every step: Son-Kul with its vast lake surrounded by mountains, the stone caravanserai of Tash Rabat, the Barskoon Valley with its mountain river and gorge, and Issyk-Kul with its huge lake and Mars-like canyon. I never ran out of options.
If you are an astroimager, a landscape photographer, or even just a person who loves to travel, you should visit Kyrgyzstan at least once.
A bit of space history
Although the tour was slow-paced, it was not without a little adventure. Before reaching the Barskoon Valley, I had studied it on maps and found a statue of Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who hiked the area after his historic spaceflight. I instantly decided to photograph the statue with the backdrop of the Milky Way.
Since we reached the spot late in the evening, I did not get a chance to explore in daylight. At night, four of us searched for the statue and finally managed after 40 minutes of walking to find it — right beside our accommodations! However, it was fenced and we could not find a way to enter the premises. We also came across a board with “Military Area” written on it. Banking on our good intentions to merely photograph, we decided to jump the fence with our cameras. After getting our images, a little hurried and worried, we left.
Tips for travelers
If you are an astroimager, a landscape photographer, or even just a person who loves to travel, you should visit Kyrgyzstan at least once. The following suggestions will help you have a better experience during your trip.
- Check accessibility: Many dark-sky places here, including Son-Kul and Tash Rabat, are not accessible all year long because of harsh weather conditions. Even if you reach these places, you won’t find any accommodations, as nomadic families set up yurt camps seasonally.
- Book your accommodation early: The best time to visit is June to September, when you will also find favorable weather. Most remote places where you will travel for astrophotography do not have permanent accommodations. The yurt camps are limited in number and also only hold a limited number of guests. To ensure a comfortable stay, start talking to camp owners (mostly done via WhatsApp) at least three to four months before your travel dates.
- Choose the locations wisely: Remember, one astrophotography location within the country could be 10 to 12 hours away from another, so unless you are spending a month in Kyrgyzstan, choose your destinations wisely. Do not try to visit all of them; select fewer locations and spend more time exploring those.
- Rent a car: Although the country has public transport, it won’t take you to those dark-sky places. Once you reach Kyrgyzstan (or ahead of your trip), you’ll want to rent a car, either with or without a driver. This will not only give you peace of mind, but also require less travel time than buses or trains — and thus allow more opportunity for photography.
- Install a translator app: People in Kyrgyzstan are extremely welcoming and helpful. However, their language is mostly limited to Kyrgyz and Russian. Unless you can speak and understand these languages, install a translator app on your phone. This ensures you will fully understand them and they can understand you.
If you’re looking for an astroimaging getaway, Kyrgyzstan should be at the top of your list: This country offers vibrant landscapes and dark skies to travelers. You will have a memorable trip, and the proof will be in the photography you return with.
Soumyadeep Mukherjee is an amateur astrophotographer, astrophotography educator, and writer from Kolkata, India.
