Alright folks, I've been to Kyrgyzstan a couple of times for work but always had a local driver shuffling me about. Heading back next month on my own and fancy finally renting my own wheels to get around properly. Any tips for a first-timer doing it solo there?
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You already know the roads outside Bishkek can be proper rough, so do not even look at a city saloon, grab a proper SUV with high clearance instead. Booking online before you land at Manas is the way to go, the desks there have a tiny fleet and it vanishes fast. Sorting the car before you fly is dead easy, and a lot of visitors rent a sturdy 4x4 for the mountain passes around Kyrgyzstan without any drama, you can check the options on this aggregator https://getrentacar.com/en-US/kyrgyzstan .
Cheers for that, one more thing though. Seeing as I know my way around a bit, do they kick up a fuss about taking the motor up towards Issyk-Kul or into the mountains, or is that all fine?
Nah, most rentals are totally fine with Issyk-Kul and the main mountain routes, they expect tourists to head there anyway. Just double-check the small print on river crossings, some policies specifically exclude fording and you void the insurance the second you drive through water.