Plan Your Trip Community-Based Tourism - Central Asia - page 42

including issues with nepotism, reli-
ability and the tendency for service
providers to break away and found their
own rival businesses, and most of the
organisations are not yet financially self-
supporting. Remember also that these
are not professional tourism companies,
so be sure to pack a sense of humour and
expect some delays and schedule changes
during your trip.

Pamirs Eco-Cultural Tourism Association
(PECTA) office in Khorog.
Further east in Penjikent, the Zerafshan
Tourism Development Association is the
key to linking together homestays to make
a 4WD trip in the remote Haft-Kul, Zeraf-
shan and Yagnob valleys, or hiring guides,
donkeys and equipment for a trek in the
dramatic Fan Mountains.
The hub for ecotourism in Kazakhstan
is the Ecotourism Information Resource
Centre, which offers similar grassroots
adventures and homestays, from flamingo-
watching at Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve
to horse riding in Sayram-Ugam National
Park, though at higher prices than else-
where in the region. Wild Nature also
offers homestays, horse treks and nature-
watching trips. The best destinations are
probably Aksu-Zhabagyly Nature Reserve
and nearby Sayram-Ugam National Park
(www.ugam.kz).
The idea is starting to make its way
into Uzbekistan through a Unesco-
supported program in the Nuratau-
Kyzylkum Biosphere Reserve.
Central Asia's community-based tour-
ism projects are a fantastic resource for
independent travellers and deserve your
support. Our advice is to try to pack
some flexibility and extra time into your
trip to take advantage of what a par-
ticular branch offers. You can expect the
experience to rank among the highlights
of your travels.

Country Programs
Community Based Tourism in Kyrgyzstan
is the region's leader, with a network of
a dozen locations across the country,
sometimes overlapping with original or-
ganisation Shepherd's Life. Most towns in
Kyrgyzstan have CBT-inspired homestays
and the organisation now offers everything
from homestays and horse treks to folk
music concerts and horse-racing festivals.
In Tajikistan, Murgab Ecotourism Asso-
ciation (META) can put you in touch with
remote yurtstays, fixed-price 4WD hire
and English-speaking guides in a region
devoid of any formal tourist infrastruc-
ture. Mountain Societies Development &
Support Project (MSDSP) in Khorog has
helped establish homestays in the western
Pamirs, including the popular homestay
and hiking program in the Jizeu (Geisev)
Valley. For information on these and lo-
cal drivers and guides visit the nonprofit

TOP COMMUNITY-BASED ADVENTURES
The following adventurous trips can be arranged by community-tourism programs
in Kyrgyztan and Tajikitan and ofer exciting ways to get of the beaten track with-
out blowing your budget.
¨ Two- or three-day horse trip across the jailoo (summer pasture) from Kyzart,
Jumgal or Kurtka (Jangy Talap) to Song-Köl, Kyrgyzstan. (p273)
¨ Four-day trek from Arslanbob to the holy lakes of the Köl-Mazar and on to Kyzyl
Ünkur, Kyrgyzstan. (p287)
¨ Three-day trip from Kochkor to Köl-Ükök lake, Kyrgyzstan. (p278)
¨ Horse trek from Kyzyl-Oi to Balik Köl (two or three days), Kyrgyzstan. (p279)
¨ Six-day horse trek from Eki-Naryn to Bokonbayevo, Kyrgyzstan. (p282)
¨ Hunting with eagles in Bokonbayevo, Kyrgyzstan. (p272)
¨ Camel trekking for three days on the 'Roof of the World' at Rang-Kul. (p355)
¨ Excursion to Chatyr-Köl from Tash Rabat - day hike/horse trip or overnight at
the lake, Kyrgyzstan. (p285)