Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hotel¨Vizit¨
gUESTHOUSE $$
(Map p240;
%
91 31 41; www.visit.kg; Akhunbaev
21A; d/ste 2000/2500som;
aW
)
The friendly
family-run guesthouse has deep brown walls
and incongruous stone faux-pillars down-
stairs, but brighter rooms upstairs (where
wi-fi is weak). Road noise can annoy and
the location is far from central though very
frequent marshrutkas 100 and 200 pass out-
side. Breakfast served in-room.
Jannat¨Resort¨
HOTEL $$$
(
%
077-799 3423; www.jannat.kg; Alamedin Valley;
r US$240-600;
aWs
)
If money is no object
and you'd prefer to be close to the moun-
tains, this luxury hotel some 20km south of
town makes a great alternative to sleeping
in the city. There are no views from the ho-
tel but the Alamedin Valley picnic hikes are
just 4km away. Obliging staff speak English
and there's an indoor swimming pool with
heated mineral spring-water.
5
¨Eating
Most restaurants add service charges be-
tween 8% and 15%. Some even extort extra
for background music.
Samsas
(samosas) sold from street stands
make a great snack-meal. Ball-shaped ver-
sions straight from a tandoor oven cost
around 35som while triangular flaky-pastry
versions are rarely over 20som.
Several new western-style coffee shops
such as Sierra (p242), Coffeé (p242) and
Espresso
(Map p234; www.espresso.kg; 122
Tynystanov; coffee 60-140som, cake/panini
70/120som;
h
10am-9pm;
W
)
are great plac-
es to sit, chat and use the free wi-fi.
Narodni 24-hour supermarkets are found
all over town. Cheap, if often cheerless,
cafeteria-style food is available at many an
askhana/stolovaya
(restaurant/canteen),
often hidden away in basements. A few such
places have been stylishly tarted up, such
as
Smyak
(Map p234; Jash gvardinya (Molodaya
gvardia), cnr Chuy prospekti; mains 30-70som,
chicken 150som, garnish 15som;
h
24hr)
.
For the latest reviews consult
Spektator
(www.thespektator.co.uk)
.
4
North of the Centre
A handful of options lie close to Leningrad
(Bayalinov), which parallels Jibek Jolu
around 800m further north. Marshrutka
121 from Soviet via Goin comes this way. Or
use 175 (from east bus station) or 167 (from
Manas) and walk east from Togolok Moldo.
Amantur¨Hotel¨
gUESTHOUSE $
(
%
37 34 02; www.amantur.312.kg; Leningrad (Bay-
alinov) 72; tr/q 1500/2000som;
aW
;
g
121, 175,
167)
A possible budget back-up for groups
of three or four, these unexpectedly clean,
if hardly tasteful, new ensuite rooms are
up dodgy-looking stairs above a car-repair
works, one block east of Togolok Moldo. No
breakfast.
Umai¨Hotel¨
gUESTHOUSE $$
(
%
077-280 2805, 46 08 03; www.umai-hotel-
kg.com; Donskoy Pereulok 46A; s/d/tr/ste incl
breakfast €30/45/55/60)
The eight plain,
high-ceilinged, en-suite rooms are very
fair value, and are set in a walled garden
so peaceful that getting anyone to let you
in might require making a phone call. Eng-
lish and German are spoken. The narrow
access road heads north from Leningrad
(Bayalinov) beside number 53 (between
Panfilov and Orozbekov) where marshrut-
ka 121 from Soviet will stop. If you see the
Pakistani Embassy, backtrack three very
short blocks east.
4
South of the Centre
InterHouse¨
HOSTEL $
(Map p240;
%
055-587 9777; www.interhouse.
kg; Topografic 9; dm/d US$15/30)
Those who
manage to find it love InterHouse's smartly
furnished dorms and the ample communal
space - kitchen, dining area and discordant
lounge with blush-pink chez-lounge. To get
here, head 500m south down Soviet from
the Vefa Center, 100m east along Skrabina
then dog-leg north/west up the unpaved
lane between 41 and 43.
Demi¨Guesthouse¨
BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$
(Map p240;
%
51 20 12; www.demi.kg; Akhunbaev
10; s/d/ste 2700/3600/5400som;
paW
)
If
you don't mind the slightly remote south-
city location, Demi is an excellent midrange
choice, with melifluous music in the eclec-
tic lounge-hall and a fountain garden that
is pleasant despite regular wafts of traffic
noise. The frequent marshrutka 200 from
Manas/Mira passes outside.
5
City Centre
Faiza¨
CENTRAL ASIAN $
(Map p234; Jibek Jolu; mains 60-160som, serv-
ice charge per person 10som;
h
9am-9pm;
E
)
High-quality rapid-service local dishes
at reasonable prices are brought by wait-
resses in scarf and tunic to heavy marble-
