Travelling Kyrgyzstan can be challenging, but some apps on your phone can make the world of difference. Here’s 5 apps (plus one bonus) that were invaluable on our trip to Kyrgyzstan. 

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1. Yandex Go 

Primarily a ride hailing app (the “Uber” of central Asia), we used Yandex a lot in Bishkek, Karakol and Almaty (Kazakhstan) and found the

journeys to be low priced. I particularly like to use a ride hailing app over jumping into a generic taxi in new places as the prices tend to be fair, you have a smaller chance of being “ripped off” and they are GPS tracked, adding a layer of safety. 

You can select to use cash or card - we had a strange situation where we had selected cash but the driver didn’t have any change, and all we had was a very large note. So Chrisy ran out of the car to try and break the note in a shop while I waited. With no language in common, the driver offered me an apple, not taking no for an answer, while I’m sat there owing him money! I’m sure the gifted apple would have not been far off the cost of the ride anyway so the whole thing baffled me, BUT this is yet another example of how friendly and hospitable the Kyrgyz are. 

An added bonus of Yandex, is that it can also be used for general navigation as Google maps is a bit unreliable here (and doesn’t show any public transport options at all). 

2. Google Translate

Unless you speak fluent Russian or Kyrgyz, this is essential. It varies depending on location as to which language is used primarily, so you’ll definitely need both. I always aim to learn a stilted “please” and “thank-you” at the very least but sadly I’m not fluent in any languages. The locals all seemed happy to communicate through the app when necessary, and it’s also helpful to download a Cyrillic keyboard so that they can reply easily if needed. 

Top tip - Be sure to download both languages in advance is you can use the app off grid when you have no signal.

3. maps.me (http://maps.me)

My go-to for offline GPS maps. Even if you’re using an e-sim, some areas we visited had poor to no mobile reception (Kyzart in particular). I like the safety net of knowing I can access a map even without signal. You need to download these for the country/area you’re visiting BEFORE you need them offline. The only downside is that there is a limit of having 10 maps downloaded at any one time. For most people, this should be enough if you delete the ones you don’t need anymore. 

4. Airalo 

Wifi is available in some cafes and hotels but wasn’t always reliable in Kyrgyzstan. Most UK phone plans that do offer travel bundles or roaming won’t include Kyrgyzstan. 

E-sims are the easiest and most cost effective way to use mobile data abroad. If you haven’t used one before, an e-sim is so easy to download and activate rather than swapping sim cards and risk losing your own. Plus you can still use Whatsapp as normal (if you change a physical sim, it changes your number and will scramble WhatsApp). But you won’t be able to call on your number while the e-sim is in use, but you can audio call through WhatsApp or other apps that use internet instead.

Most people will make the mistake of thinking they need unlimited data like your phone plan at home. If you’re out and about, you probably won’t need loads of data, just for ride hailing, navigation and keeping in contact. Avoid watching videos or doomscrolling with an e-sim and you’ll find you won’t actually need it that much. We tend to purchase a small data pack to start with - Airalo will notify you if it’s getting low so you can top up before it drains completely. 

Top tip - exit any apps you don’t need for now and turn on “low power mode” or similar as this will stop some apps working in the background and using your precious data. 

There are many e-sim companies out there, but we’ve always found Airalo to be reliable and reasonably priced - use discount code JORDAN2245 via this link for money off.

5. Whatsapp 

Yes it’s a bit obvious, but it is necessary for communicating with tour operators and your travel buddies. When using an e-sim, you can still call and video call via Whatsapp. 

BONUS - 2GIS for maps. 

There seems to be some download issues in certain countries on IOS so we couldn’t get it to download unfortunately. Everyone who did manage to get it (possibly easier on Android or if you’re using a VPN?) said it was superior for navigation in Central Asia. We will certainly try again the next time we visit!