Tuesday 16 / April / 2024
MUSCAT: With tourist visas to Kyrgyzstan now easily available to both Omani citizens as well as foreign expats in the Sultanate, those who wish to visit the country have a great opportunity to do so.
Visas for Omani nationals can be obtained on-arrival in Kyrgyzstan, while residents from Oman who wish to travel can receive their visas online, before travelling to the country. With this in mind, companies in Oman have developed tourism packages for those wishing to visit the Central Asian nation. Travel Point, for example, has introduced an offer that provides flight tickets, hotel accommodation and breakfast for just OMR133 per-head, and are hoping that this will see more demand for Kyrgyzstan during National Day holidays.
“With this, you get your flight tickets, as well as hotel accommodation and breakfast,” said Shamveel Baig, operations manager at Travel Point. “We have various itineraries for people who wish to travel to Kazakhstan. When it comes to offers over National Day, people are interested in travelling, but because the holidays have not been officially confirmed, people have not been enquiring firmly. Currently, Azerbaijan and Georgia is still some of our most popular destinations.”
“In the last few months, however, people have been travelling to Kyrgyzstan and we had a group of about 25 Omanis who went there last month,” he added
Passengers who travel to Kyrgyzstan will need to approximately pay an additional OMR50 to organise guided tours through their package, which lasts for three nights and four days.
Kyrgyzstan is best known for its natural beauty and scenic landscapes. Iconic spots in the country include the Issyk-kul Lake, which is about four hours from the capital, Bishkek, and is known for its lakeside beaches. People also flock to it for its crystal-clear, pristine blue waters.
Kyrgyzstan’s eco-resorts are located close to its tourist attractions, one of which is Ala Archer National Park, a located frequented for hiking, trekking, camping and barbecuing. A lot of people go there to witness the winter snows framing the landscape, with the country seeing snow from November to March. Another prominent location is the Reina Kench eco farm. The country’s landscapes make it a nature retreat where people can unwind and re-energise themselves.
Shamveel Baig added, “We have seen an increase in the number of Omanis who have travelled to Kyrgyzstan, but the number of expats going there has really not picked up. Currently, the packages that have been released by us have received confirmations from about 15 to 20 families, but even these are tentative and depend on the holiday announcement for National Day. Once the National Day holidays have been declared and there is an intimation, then, people began finalising their holidays.”
Visas to Kyrgyzstan for residents in Oman cost US$43. They need to be booked online in advance, while Omani nationals can get visas on arrival once they land in the country
