Ferghana Valley
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The Ferghana Valley is a region in the southwest of Kyrgyzstan.
Cities
- 1 Osh – Kyrgyzstan's second largest city, a fascinating, 3,000 years old, wildly diverse, Ferghana Valley market town home to Central Asia's biggest and busiest outdoor market.
- 2 Arslanbob – An Islamic village popular with local pilgrims and famous for its picturesque walnut tree forest.
- 3 Batken – The administrative capital of the Batken Region.
- 4 Chon-Alai
– A region southwest of Osh containing the Lenina peak, the highest mountain in Kyrgyzstan. - 5 Gulcha
- 6 Jalal-Abad – A good bet for visiting a Ferghana Valley town, as it is significantly safer and easier to get to than Osh or destinations further southwest.
- 7 Khaidarkan
- 8 Kyzyl-Kiya
- 9 Toktogul – Half-way between Bishkek and Osh with a beautiful reservoir, picturesque surroundings and horseback riding.
- 10 Uzgen
Other destinations
- 1 Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve (Сары-Челекский). A beautiful nature reserve very popular with locals (for weddings) and tourists likewise. Walnut forests, a crystal clear lake (with the same name) for swimming, diverse flora and fauna, magnificent view, numerous trekking routes, and horseback riding are just a few of the highlights of this park. You can hike up to the lake from Arkyt (Аркыт) village, which has many accommodation options on offer. This park is a must see like Tash Rabat, and you should not miss it. Entrance: 400 som (incl. camping), Car: 100 som.
Understand
The Ferghana Valley itself actually spreads over Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The whole valley is on the main route of the old Silk Road route between Kashgar and Samarkand.
The Kyrgyz part of the valley is at the eastern and southeast extreme of the valley, and spreads into the following 4 administrative districts: Osh and the surrounding Osh Region 
, the Jalal-Abad Region in the west, as well as the Batken Region far in the southwest of Kyrgyzstan.
Get in
Osh Airport (OSS IATA) has international flights and a domestic connection with Bishkek.
Get around
To get to Chon-Alai take a marshrutka or shared taxi from Osh. But hitch-hiking might be the more economical and faster option.
See
Do
Eat, drink and sleep
Please see the relevant city articles for details.
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