Bishkek - Post Report Question and Answers
What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
Something with four wheel drive for the winters and a bit of clearance for driving in the hills. Roads aren't great, especially in neighborhoods and outside the city. - Jun 2022
High clearance would be good given the state of the roads. 4WD if you are into hiking and exploring the mountains. Snow tires are essential in the winter as the roads aren't plowed and you will spend half of the year driving on sheets of ice. Note that pretty much every car known to planet earth can be found here, with left and right-hand drive vehicles common. Like everywhere, the big Japanese and Korean car brands tend to be the best. - Aug 2018
I'd bring at least a small SUV or 4WD like a Subaru, there are both left- and right-hand drive cars available for purchase, but rumors that importation of right-hand drive will not be allowed in future - plus they are quite dangerous to drive. Bring left-hand drive for sure. Serious opportunity for hard core off roading if ones into that. - Sep 2017
The roads are insane. You'll never ride over so many bumps and dips in your entire life. They don't repair anything well. If there is a man hole opening, they won't cover it- they will stick in a tree branch so you don't run over it. In the winter, everything is covered in ICE. - Jan 2015
Bishkek is the final resting place for every type of vehicle known to man: Ladas mingle with American Lexuses, German station wagons and Japanese minivans. Take something rugged and simple that likes potholes and ice. If you buy a new car, it will soon get its first dent. - Dec 2011
