Kyrgyzstan

Completely landlocked and fortressed by mighty mountain ranges, Kyrgyzstan is increasingly coming onto the radar of adventure-minded travelers. For those seeking to experience the wilderness scenery and cultural mosaic of Central Asia, you can hardly do better than this sweepingly beautiful republic.

A multitude of cloud-splitting peaks explains Kyrgyzstan’s bandied-about nickname of “the Switzerland of Central Asia," in fact, the Kyrgyz peaks well exceed the Swiss Alps in elevation and wildness. The severe heights of the Tian Shan culminate in the Kakshal Too high country along the China border, where Jengish Chokusu rears to a breathtaking 24,400 feet. Another of Kyrgyzstan’s king summits, 23,406-foot Lenin Peak, is a popular mountaineering target. With its conifer forests, waterfalls, river gorges, and glaciers, Ala Archa National Park provides a veritable playground for hikers, climbers, and nature nuts—and prime habitat for alpine denizens such as marmots and snow leopards.

The Tian Shan also guard another of Kyrgyzstan’s famed landmarks, the vast Lake Issyk Kul, whose beaches and bracing (but never frozen) waters have long attracted vacation-goers from across the region—and the snowpeak backdrop isn’t bad, either.

Like Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan has always been the domain of master horsemen, and feasting on the scenery from the back of a hardy steed gives you the chance to tap into your inner nomad. To further the experience, you can bed down in a traditional yurt, that circular shelter so intimately associated with the steppes and mountains of Central Asia. Tour companies provide other opportunities for relishing centuries-old Kyrgyz traditions, few of which are as arresting as falconry.

Spacious and often ignored by international tourists, this Central Asian heartland may just be one of the planet’s most rewarding destinations for outdoor adventure.