Kyrgyzstan in May: where to go

May is peak green: knee-high grass in the foothills, poppy fields on the slopes, and in the first days of the month a last chance at the wild Greigii tulips. Lower and mid-altitude valleys are fully walkable, the light lasts long into the evening, and you will have most trails — and most guesthouses — nearly to yourself. The high country still belongs to winter: dirt passes are typically plowed out only toward late May, yurt camps have not yet moved up to the pastures, and anything above 3,000 m remains an expedition rather than a trip. Issyk-Kul works for beach walks, not for swimming. Come for colour, light and empty roads — not for the alpine lakes.