A native of Osh, Talant has been working in community-based tourism since 2011. He is our local expert in planning travel itineraries in Alay valley and other parts of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
We have met a lot of people in Kyrgyzstan’s various community-based tourism organisations, and we can say Talant is one of a kind: always thinking how he can train youngsters, increase jobs and income, and working for the benefit of the whole community instead of a small circle of relatives and friends.
He can help you with the following travel services:
- Horseback tours in Alay valley, around Song Kol lake and Issyk Kol lake
- Trekking and hiking in Alay valley, around Issyk Kol lake and Chong Kemin Valley
- Transport across Kyrgyzstan
- Car rental in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
- Tours from Osh city to Dushanbe on Pamir Highway
- GBAO and Lenin Peak permits
- Guesthouse in Osh
I did the Pamir Highway from Dushanbe to Osh back in July organized through Talant and his company. Already beforehand Talant answered the many questions I had in a very professional and fast way. The pick up in Dushanbe also worked without any problem, the car was in a very good condition and throughout the whole trip I felt comfortable and secure. The driver spoke English alright and helped us whereever he could to get the best out of the journey.
As I joined a group that went hiking a lot along the way, there were some issues in some places to find the correct trailhead. In Jizeu Valley we first were dropped at the wrong bridge and for the hike up to Urtabuz peak, the driver wanted to bring us to a different trailhead than Talant had instructed us to go in advance. Those issues were fixed along the way, with help from our GPS and a phone call to Talant to clear things up. Those were the only minor downsides we had along the way. As hiking along the Pamir Highway is still in its children shoes and many trailheads are not marked at all, these issues were understandable and for me no problem at all.
Overall we truly had a great trip and I only can recommend to use Talants service. The Pamir Highway is definitely an adventure and simply a spectacular ride. If you decide to do it, I highly recommend to do a couple hikes along the way, as there is nothing better than to explore the stunning landscapes around you on foot. :)
My boyfriend and I wanted to visit the Pamirs but we had limited time. Luckily, Talant, was very responsive and knowledgeable and through our email exchanges he suggested at 6-day trip.
(On a tangent, at first my boyfriend and I were going to self-drive. We’d driven through southern Africa many times, but for this trip we decided that since we don’t know Russian or the local languages, it might be better with a driver. And my, was it a good choice! Seriously, if you don’t know the local language or the road conditions, self-driving will make you very stressed out.)
Due to our schedule we started from Osh to Dushanbe, which meant we started from the highest altitude. A bit of altitude-induced headaches aside, I think we made the right choice because the accommodation conditions during the first days were the toughest (but still cozy and friendly – no one was exaggerating when they said the Pamiris are the nicest and kindest people you’ll ever meet!) then things got easier.
Our driver, Joma, fixed us up with some of the best homestays on the route: clean rooms, hot showers, great food, and friendly hosts. Joma is also fluent in at least five languages, and his English is pretty much perfect, so not only did we exchange facts and jokes, but he was really helpful – indispensable, really – at the border crossings, stores, and restaurants.
According to Joma, Talant has roughly 15 drivers (each has their own car) on their list. From how professional Talant was, I can make a guess that all the drivers are great and if you book with him, you’ll get good service. But obviously, a special shoutout will go to Joma from us because honestly, throughout our trip and meeting other travelers with their drivers…well, we might be biased but we’re convinced we got the best person on the route!
Ploy S, Israel
In the summer of 2019 vi went on a fantastic trip with Talant (we are a family of 4 people, kids are 15 and 12 years old. We started with a 5 days horse trek and continued to Pamir Highway. Everything was so well planned, we had great contact with Talant ( in the office) We are vegetarians and had some concern about this before we went, but our guides and driver managed to arrange for vegetarian food all the way. Horsetrek: Amazing trip! Highly recommendable! We had Kubat as guide with help from Sanjar and Nursultan (the horseman). They are all very young but very professional. The scenery all the ways was extraordinary, the horses were very well trained and we felt very safe (some of us can ride and some can not. For those of us with riding experience the horseriding was not boring as we rode in very varied terrain, crossing many rivers, and the horses were eager to walk. Those of us who had little experience felt safe as the guides were very attentive and the horseman had great control over the horses).The accommodation in the yurts was comfortable. We stayed one night in tent at Ak Tor Pass – it was of course less comfortable but breathtakingly beautiful, definitely worth it. (We were happy that we brought sleeping bags) Pamir Highway trip: From the final point of the horse trek we were picked up by our driver (and guide) Mohamad – he is a very good driver, extremely experienced (he comes from Murghab himself), a great guy with a good sense of humour. We felt very safe and good in his company. We loved the Pamir Highway trip too, it was exciting, very varied, fantastic landscapes and Mohamad managed to pick the good homestays on the way and book vegetarian food. We had good treks along the way, and it was nice to get out of the car and “feel” the landscape. All in all it was one of the greatest experiences of our life.
Isa, Denmark
What a superb experience!
We did 3nights 4days Alay valley trekking with Talant and it was amazing. Our guide Musa was excellent professional man. The mountains were splendid and gorgeous. Yurt stay was comfortable and warm. Even though it was a short experience, thus Talant`s team became very reliable organization for us. That’s why we did our 5days Pamir Highway tour with Talant again.
Strongly recommend!!!
– The briefing by tour manager Aziret was very helpful too. Special thanks to all staffs!
가 조직하는 3박 4일 알라이 밸리 트레킹 강추합니다. 2박 3일 알틴아라샨 트레킹, 2박 3일 송콜 트레킹에 이은 세 번째 트레킹이었는데 가장 좋았습니다. 가이드와 숙소, 차량 모두 CBT에서 완벽하게 준비해주기 때문에 부담이 적습니다. 호젓하게 키르키즈스탄의 아름다움을 만끽하고, 유목민의 삶을 차분히 들여다볼 수 있습니다.
Namhee Kim, South Korea
I had the opportunity to enjoy a 8d/7n trip along the Pamir highway. From Dushanbe to Osh. It was an amazing experience not only because the views, landscapes and people are just amazing! But also because everyone in Talant`s team were super friendly and helpful to organize this trip. Making it a memorable once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Starting from Talant who helped us big time to organize the best route that would fit our interests, at the same time that he was helping to answer all of the 1312390 questions we had before onboarding this trip. On top, he created a group of 3 solo-travelers which helped to make the trip way cheaper and nicer in terms of company.
I also recommend Nabi – the driver – who is an experienced driver with 5 years’ experience driving in such bad roads. He is very friendly and had always been taking care of us looking for the best options for us and stopping and waiting patiently anytime we asked – he is also starting to learn English which is appreciated from a communication stand-point
I strongly recommend the combo: Pamir highway – Visit Alay – Nabi to anyone looking for a unique experience.
Me and my wife had a fantastic time on the 9 day Pamir Highway tour with Bathra, organised by Talant. Starting from Dushanbe, we stopped off at many interesting places along the way to Osh, so that we got to experience the Pamir way of life. Bathra selected the homestays and they were always friendly, comfortable and good value. Jizef village was a real highlight! The car was big and comfortable (which it needs to be given the start of the roads, particularly khorog-alichur). Highly recommend using this tour agency to anyone interested in the Pamir Highway.
Ivan, UK
We had a wonderful time travelling through Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on the Pamir Highway. Talant was a very helpful presence on the other end of the emails, making it easy to organise from different countries. Our driver Alisher was fantastic, very competent and safe on some tricky roads, with an excellent sense of humour and very informative. The itinerary was flexible each day, Alisher was happy to provide suggestions. The scenery was stunning and the homestays excellent. Highly recommended!
Well well well. Where should I start?
This trip was simply incredible. But let me start with Talant. He is a genuinely nice guy and very well organised. Responds promptly to emails and is generous with his advice and time. We came to him with an itinerary which he helped us shape based on our desire to go off the “standard’ highway and our appetite for hiking. It turned out brilliant.
Rahim – our driver (with his excellent 4×4) was fantastic. He knew all the back roads, didn’t take unnecessary risks but made sure we got where we wanted to go even when the roads were extremely poor. He got us settled in good homestays, joined us for endless cups of tea and was a very pleasant guy. Cant recommend him enough.
As for the Pamirs – well, out of this world to put it simply. The 9 days was perfect to have about 4-5 hours driving per day and opportunities to do decent hikes like the Pshart valley, panorama ridge, and many unnamed ones.
We organised with Talant to be picked up at Lenin Peak basecamp and our tour finished in Khorog.
We had a fantastic trip with Talant; prompt responses facilitated smooth organising before even arriving in the country, Talant runs a tight ship. Our driver Nabi was not only a very skilled experienced driver but was a great guide and friend, we shared many jokes and good conversation on the journey. Nabi also chose very comfortable and friendly guesthouses and knew of great places to eat along the way. We loved the hikes and beautiful scenery in this historically and culturally interesting area. Highly recommended!
9 days Pamir Highway trip from Dushanbe to Osh:
My son, Andrew and I (67 year-old retiree) just completed this amazing trip that was planned and arranged with the help of Talant. From the beginning, Talant was very approachable and responsive to our queries and concerns online. I would say Talant’s expertise is clearly shown in his recommendations for the itinerary, driver, guide, homestays etc. His professionalism in arranging the whole journey has highly contributed to our enjoying and finishing the trip safely.
We had a marvellous duo – driver-cum-guide, Aziz and another guide, Bakir for the trip. They could recommend the best places that we should stop for taking the best picture, for getting food and supplies along the way etc. Language was not a problem at all because they spoke English well. They were affable, pleasant, funny and absolutely accommodating throughout. We cliqued so well from the very first day!
Aziz was adept in driving and he could manoeuvre his way on this challenging highway such that we had quite a comfortable ride inspite of some rough terrain. He knew his vehicle well and made necessary precautions so that we finished the trip without a hitch. He is quite a joker and entertainer too; very often he would sing to entertain us especially when the road was rough.
Bakir was an excellent guide and was always concerned about my safety and comfort. He was constantly inquiring on how I was and checking on my heart beat, blood pressure etc especially as we hiked up to Jiseu. He even offered to carry me if necessary; what a dear! He was highly knowledgeable and always ready to enlighten us on anything and everything we asked him pertaining to food, culture, places of interest etc. I had a minor discomfort one evening and Bakir took pains to get the local nurse to come to my hotel room to check on me even though it was late at night. And the next morning, he insisted and brought me to the clinic to make sure I was alright. Such a wonderful and absolutely professional guide!
Tajikistan is truly an amazing place and its people are exceptionally friendly, helpful and kind. We had an unforgettable experience travelling on this Silk Road adventure. This trio, Talant, Aziz and Bakir contributed enormously to our enjoyment of this trip and have become our good friends too. We highly recommend them to anyone who may be looking into a similar trip.
We were on a 6-day-Pamir-Highway-travel and went from Osh to Dushanbe. We were 4 persons sharing one car. We visited a lot of places during the 6 days and also had the opportunity to do 2 amazing hikes!
I really enjoyed the trip and want to thank Talant for the good planning.
Also special thanks to our driver Ibrohim Davlatnazarov, who did a really good Job. He was not only a very good driver on that not very easy roads but he also helped us in every situation, gave his best to meet all our wishes and was a good friend. He shared his insider knowledge with us to make sure that we have a great time in the Pamirs. Which we definitely had!
[Talant – the manager] Talant was very professional both during our email conversation when we were at our home country and when we spoke with him in Osh. He is knowledgeable about the tours and the area and willing to a healthy expansion of tourism.
[Nabi – guide and driver] Nabi was exceptional. He fulfilled all requiments we could ask. First of all he is reliable: for the whole trip we had someone to trust. He is expert of the area, confident about all the roads and prompt to answer all our questions about culture, fauna and flora, and quirks. He is a very good driver, tuning his style and pace according with road condition. He is kind and patient, always checking we were feeling well and enjoying the experience. His English was basic grammar-wise, but quite good in vocabulary. Nonetheless, he was able to make the most out of it. We couldn’t go deep into any topic, but we had satisfied pretty everytime our curiosity.
[The trip] It was quite expensive for our pocket but it totally worth it. The combination of mountains, valleys, lakes, wastelands, was pure beauty. Please be prepared that accommodation is very basic and meals are pretty similar: you are travelling through very remote areas where even “usual” basic comfort like water and electricity are scarce or absent.
Abramo, Italy
Fantastic trip. The itineraries are well thought out and can be adjusted to whatever interests your group. We had great hikes planned and Wakhan Valley side trip included. Communication with Talant is prompt, helpful and to the point. Great English. Our driver Muhammed (Mukha) was professional and accommodating to our needs while being a great friend. Overall a great trip to a special region of the world.
Victor, California, USA
This is a fantastic trip to do, and I highly recommend Talant. From beginning to end Talant and his team were professional and easy to work with. Our driver, Muhammed, was amazing – great driver, fun person, and has really good knowledge of the whole area.
Tajikistan is magnificent. We visited hot springs, ancient fortresses, petroglyphs, valleys, mountains, waterfalls. We drove some of the craziest roads in the world with spectacular scenery. We travelled along the Wakhan Corridor, looking across the river to Afghanistan villages perched on the hillsides. The home-stays were so welcoming, and we were fed and looked after extremely well.
And from the High Pamirs, the journey to Osh made us all want more. Kyrgyzstan is gorgeous. Green, lush, with spectacular views around every corner, this is a very beautiful part of the world.
What an amazing trip! Talant – thank you for making it so special. We are definitely coming back for more.
We had a wonderful time, driving from Dushanbe to Osh with our great driver, guide and now friend Habi.
Recommended to do the trip in this direction in order to avoid altitude sickness. Also recommended to ask Talant for advice on where to stop and which places to skip.
Pamir highway in 9 days: Dushanbe to Osh
We had an amazing experience on our 9-day Pamir Highway trip, including the Wahkan Valley. The organisation provided us a driver who also acted as guide during this wonderful trip, and alllt his for a reasonable price.
We booked our Pamir highway tour from Dushanbe to Osh with Talant. The communication with them online was already very good. We always received a quick response and they answered every question we might have. They found other people for us to share the tour with which significantly reduced the costs per person. The tour itself was absolutely wonderful. Our driver (kuba) was excellent and went out of his way to make our journey as comfortable as possible. He was very proffesional and was a good driver that clearly had experience in driving the sometimes challenging roads of the pamirs. He was careful and I felt very safe with him on the road. Our driver spoke good english and also showed us many places on the road, stopped whenever we wanted to take pictures and found us the best homestays and lunch stops. I can really recommend Talant for both the Pamir highway and the beautiful Alay mountains in Kyrgyzstan. Our stop in Sary mogul and the trek to the lakes near the Lenin peak base camp were one of the many highlights of our trip.
Talant was very responsive and helpful to our queries. Great experience. Thank you Baktiyar for the amazing 7 days trip across Pamir. We enjoyed our journey and moments :)
Talant arranged a custom tour for a friend and myself along the Pamir highway in Tajikistan. This will go down as one of the best holidays I’ve ever taken – adventurous, unique, and utterly beautiful.
Despite its proximity to some slightly dodgy parts of the world, my experience of Tajikistan was one of amazing people, great hospitality, beautiful sites and safety. The driver that Talant arranged for us was a knowledgeable and dedicated man, who did his best to make our ambitious schedule a reality.
Talant is highly recommended, and I’ll no doubt use them again when I go to Kazakhstan!