Bradt's Kyrgyzstan remains the only English-language guide dedicated solely to this astounding country, described as 'the Switzerland of central Asia' and regarded by many as the most beautiful nation in the world. This new, thoroughly updated fifth edition extends its detailed coverage of everything this intriguing, little-known but easily accessible country has to offer, including trekking, mountaineering, horse riding, historical sites, festivals and Kyrgyz culture. Lying deep within central Asia, Kyrgyzstan's beautiful mountainscapes, dreamlike rock formations, Silk Road monuments and semi-nomadic culture are gloriously unspoiled. Most of Kyrgyzstan's mountain ranges belong to the Tien Shan system, the legendary Celestial Mountains of Chinese folklore, whose highest peak is Jengish Chokusu (formerly Pik Pobedy), which stands at 7,439m on the Chinese border. A trip here can be as adventurous as you please: gallop on horseback through the alpine meadows that surround 3,016m-high Lake Song-Köl; go trekking in the mountain valleys that lie south of Karakol; admire 5,000-year-old petroglyphs at Saimaluu-Tash; visit leafy Bishkek's Soviet-era statues; track down thrilling wildlife (including snow leopard and Siberian ibex); or simply laze on the shores of the vast Lake Issyk-Kul, whose beaches snuggle beneath towering mountains. Alternatively, visit Arslanbob (a charming Uzbek village and resort surrounded by the world's largest walnut forests); shop in the huge bazaar at Osh; drink kumys (made from fermented mare's milk); or watch the Central Asian equestrian sports of ulak tartysh (essentially polo, but with a goat carcass) and kyz-kumay (horseback kiss-catch). New elements of this fifth edition include the network of community-based tourism operators that can help with competitively priced accommodation, transport and horse hire; new skiing and snowboarding offerings that promote Kyrgyzstan as a year-round destination; details on whitewater rafting and paragliding; advice on border crossings; and greater detail about Köl-Suu (Kel-Suu) Lake in Naryn and the remote Batken province. With in-depth coverage of historical background, health, safety and public transport, accommodation information covering all options from low-cost to luxury, feature boxes offering insights into Kyrgyz culture and society, plus personal recommendations on the best yurt camps and chaikhanas, Bradt's Kyrgyzstan is the ideal companion for a successful trip.

Laurence Mitchell is a travel writer and photographer with an interest in forgotten places, border zones and territories in transition. Aft er completing a degree in environmental science and following a varied career that has included teaching English in rural Sudan, clerical work and surveying historic farm buildings, he retrained as a geography teacher, which he pursued for 12 years before swapping it for the uncertainties of full-time travel writing and photography. As well as guidebooks for Bradt including Serbia, Slow Travel Norfolk and Slow Travel Suffolk, he has written walking guides to East Anglia and contributed to publications that include Walk, hidden europe, Geographical, Discover Britain and Russian Life. He has also written two works of creative nonfiction: Westering and Flint Country. His blog can be found at eastofelveden.wordpress.com. In 1971, Gill Campbell joined an exploratory expedition which spent four months establishing a new overland route from London to Singapore. After two years teaching in New Zealand, she returned to the UK, spending several months backpacking across the Pacific, South America and the Caribbean. With few guidebooks and no internet, local people and fellow travellers were the only source of information. Alistair's early travels were often business related; he spent months, sometimes years, working in cities all over Europe and Asia. Whenever not at work, he was walking, talking, eating and drinking with local people. The differences between countries, between peoples, has constantly fascinated him.