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Welcome to Central Asia, land of the Silk Road, Pamir Mountains, Tien Shan (Celestial) Mountains, the open spaces of high plateaus and paradise of green valleys. Come and enjoy the nomadic way of life of the Kyrgyz people and discover this magical land with Shepherd’s Way Trekking.


Ishen	Gulmira	Rash

Shepherd’s Way Trekking was established in 1994. It is organized as a unique family business. When with us, you will be warmly welcomed by us and feel as if you are a member of our traditional Kyrgyz family. Its main base is located in Barskoon village, on the southern shore of Lake Issyk Kul, which is still relatively undeveloped and unspoilt – offering magnificent scenery. Shepherd’s Way Trekking specializes in providing horse treks in the surrounding regions. This gives a chance to see an abundance of wildlife, to meet and stay with authentic Kyrgyz nomads.

Once clients have visited Kyrgyzstan with SWT, like a magnet it pulls them back. We have clients that haven't just visited once, but return annually. Some have been returning for the last 10-15 years!

Barskoon is an ancient Silk Road village of around 9000 inhabitants .The locals are friendly and make you feel very welcome. Mahmud-al-Kashgari (also called al-Barskani) lived here during the 11th Centuary. He is best known as the author of the first ever comparative dictionary of Turkic languages, written in Baghdad during 1072-74 and including specimens of pre-Islamic Turkic poetry .He traveled widely to collect his information, his version of the known world, with Barskoon of the centre.
(Pictures)

The founders of the company are Ishen Obolbekov (the son of traditional Kyrgyz shepherds), his wife Gulmira and his brother Rash. They take the travellers on odysseys through the hidden valleys and verdant meadows of the Tien-Shan Mountains. The Tien-Shan landscape is the Obolbekov’s home. They spent their childhood summers on horseback in ancient Kyrgyz fashion, shepherding their family’s flocks into summer pastures hemmed in by snow-capped peaks. With the aid of excellent English skills, they now share expert knowledge of the area and people with foreign travellers from around the world.

Over the past 13 years, the company has received visitors from different parts of the world – such as Switzerland, France, UK, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Ireland, Czech, Russia, USA, Canada, Australia and Japan – and successfully organized more than 600 treks to different parts of Kyrgyzstan. Work began with just 3 itineraries. Shepherd’s Way Trekking has developed new routes and presently can offer its clients more than 13 itineraries around Kyrgyzstan.

In short Gulmira, Ishen and Rash belong to the unique Kyrgyz world, called by many people the “Switzerland of Asia”.

Address:
Shepherd’s Way Trekking
Gulmira, Ishen & Rash Obolbekov
P.O. Box: 2032
Bishkek, 720000
Kyrgyz Republic