 A visit to a jailoo might be the most exciting experience of any journey to Kyrgyzstan. Jailoos feature amazingly beautiful landscapes and a special ambience that has changed little in centuries. Here, the traditions of a nomadic life - whole families living together in portable dwellings, tending cattle on broad pastures, singing songs and playing games that generations of shepherds have played - have been preserved.
In Kyrgyz, jailoo means a high-altitude summer pasture, usually 2500-3200 meters above sea level. The distinguishing feature of summer life on the jailoos is the yurt itself, the national Kyrgyz dwelling, boz uy ("grey house") in Kyrgyz, the top ventilation hole the tunduk featured on the Kyrgyz flag. Perfected over centuries of nomadic living, the boz uy is easily constructed, dismantled, and carried. The yurt's interior is warm in winter and cool in summer; it's no accident that the Kyrgyz people have used it since ancient times. At the request of visitors, a demonstration of how to assemble the boz uy can be organized by a hospitable Kyrgyz family, including explanations of each detail and descriptions of the raw materials of which the structure is made. Inside and out, the yurt is entirely handmade - even stabilizing straps are braided from leather or woven from wool. With the aid of local craftswomen, tourists may try their hand at making the Kyrgyz felt carpets called shyrdaks, which cover the floor of the yurt, decorating their creations to their own taste.
A stay at a jailoo immerses the visitor in a natural environment and the atmosphere of the nomadic lifestyle, which has been practiced by Kyrgyz people for ages. As befits the jailoo's mellower pace of life, activities are flexible. How will you explore the surrounding untouched corners of nature? On horseback, searching for petroglyphs and rock paintings? Or hiking to waterfalls, impetuous mountain rivers, and bubbling streams of clean drinkable spring water? Perhaps scrambling over small glaciers? In the evening, fuel up for another day with a fireside supper, surrounded by the clean air and sounds of a pristine mountain ecosystem, and spend the night in a yurt underatent of stars.
Enthusiasts of outdoor activities will want to go touring on horseback. A jailoo is surrounded by enough mountains and gorges to keep the most avid explorer occupied for days. Those more interested in culture and everyday life can participate in the preparation of national dishes from fresh, local, organic products,  or in the making of koumiss the national Kyrgyz drink made from mare's milk, widely-known for its curative and restorative effects. Other options include traditional equestrian exhibitions and competitions, colourful folklore shows, and concerts of Kyrgyz music, each contributing to the jailoo experience. It all depends on the tastes and preferences of the visitor.
Importantly, a trip to the jailoo is a golden opportunity for responsible tourism. Practically all elements of the tourist experience are offered by local service-providers (yurts, tents, horses, food, local English-speaking guides, etc.). As a result, quality and reasonable prices are guaranteed, and tourism revenues stay within rural communities. The Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association (KCBTA) "Hospitality Kyrgyzstan" is pleased to offer all visitors of the republic its services in the organization of jailoo trips and tours. KCBTA has 11 local membership organizations in 5 of Kyrgyzstan's 7 oblasts (regions), including 3 membership organizations in Naryn oblast, centre of jailoo life). Among these is the Shepherds' Life initiative, a small private association of shepherds' and farmers' families offering jailoo tourism.
KCBTA will arrange all administrative and logistical issues for your travel in the high mountain pastures. Simply choose a date for your meeting with this incredibly beautiful country, its ancient history, and its hospitable, nomadic people. |
