Digital Nomad

Background: I've been traveling for almost three years, working remotely for 2 1/2 of them and ended up in Kyrgyzstan because a Portuguese guy in Skardu, Pakistan recommended I visit Song-Kul. I was also interested in Bishkek as a place to work from in the future since I've heard rumblings that it's a good place to do so - umm what?? lol. I speak Russian fluently so this part of the world fascinates me and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Uzbekistan in September so I figured I'd check it out again.

First things first, most importantly - WiFi: Is good, one of the very few good things about Bishkek. Much better than wifi in Uzbekistan. Think 50-70mbps.

Accommodation: I am staying in a decent hotel in the center for less than $20 a night. Just checked Airbnb prices and they are... waaay overpriced. Probably due to an influx of Russians and also believe it or not there are quite a few tourists in Kyrgyzstan, a lot more than I anticipated that likely are the cause of the ridiculous prices.

Food: Groceries and street food are on the cheap side, you can buy water and bread for a fraction of a dollar, samsa for like 75 cents and shawarma for less than $2. Eating out in restaurants can cost about $6 consistently. The restaurants aren't that good though in my opinion.

Getting around: There are buses that are probably a fraction of a dollar but I've been using Yandex (local Uber, there is also another app for taxis that I haven't used) and that runs about $2 a trip. Not really a walkable city.

Things to do: Work. Yeah... almost nothing to be honest, ranks up there for most boring cities I've been to. There is a main square that isn't anything special, a few museums, a market and that's about it. Most of the stuff worth visiting Kyrgyzstan for is outside the cities, Song-Kul was very beautiful and same with Fairy Tale Canyon. Burana is a short ride away. Everything else is better accessed by renting a car in my opinion and is difficult to get to so I'd say this country is much better to visit for a short time as a tourist rather than doing weekend trips from cities (the cities are pretty depressing).

Language: Russian will get you far, some people in the center speak English but I wouldn't expect to have an easy time with it. People in hospitality will be able to speak it. Outside of Bishkek and in the more rural parts, there is more Kyrgyz with supplementary Russian (maybe less the more remote you are).

Currency: No issues using my Betterment debit card withdrawing money but basically everywhere accepts cards.

Nightlife: There are bars and clubs, I haven't gone to any because I am not interested in that at the moment.

Dating: Yeah, nothing to write home about. If you've been to Latin America or Southeast Asia you will have to lower your expectations.