Internet Access while travelling Kyrgyzstan
You’re planning your dream trip to Kyrgyzstan after seeing all that content on social media and you wonder, ‘what’s the internet like in Kyrgyzstan?’. While Asia is renowned for fast connections and great coverage, accessing the internet in Kyrgyzstan isn’t quite as easy.
The many high-altitude mountain ranges that cover the country combined with the spread-out nature of settlements creates an environment that is difficult and expensive to provide a large network of mobile data coverage. That said, you can still get online. Here’s what you need to know.
If you’re still planning, check out the perfect Kyrgyzstan itinerary here and the essential packing list here.
Honestly, we have way too much info to share from spending over a month in Kyrgyzstan for just a few blog posts, so be the first to know about the release of our upcoming Kyrgyzstan Travel Guide. The first 50 on the waitlist will receive our entire Google Maps pin list for free with their copy.
Contents
Wi-Fi Availability & Speeds
Most hotels, hostels and upmarket cafes in Kyrgyzstan will have some form of Wi-Fi, but speeds and reliability can vary hugely. In Bishkek, you can expect a stable internet connection and reasonable speeds (20-50Mbits) in most cafes, and close to routers in hotels and hostels. Once you leave Bishkek, Wi-Fi becomes more difficult to find. In the busy tourist towns like Karakol and Naryn, as well as in the other large cities, Jalal Abad and Osh, high-speed Wi-Fi can be again found in higher end cafes and hotels.
That said, Wi-Fi coverage can be quite bad in hotels and hostels, with some rooms we stayed in during our time in Karakol being out of reach of the accommodations Wi-Fi routers, meaning we had to sit in common areas to access Wi-Fi. Outside of the towns listed above, expect to only have Wi-Fi access in your hotels as it might be difficult to find cafes or other locations that offer Wi-Fi, especially with reasonable speeds! So, what would we recommend?
SIM Cards and Mobile Data
We strongly suggest picking up a local Kyrgyz SIM card when first arriving to Bishkek. Not only are unlimited-data SIMs with one-month validity cheap (expect to pay around 500KGS from an official retailer), they provide internet access beyond the restrictive Wi-Fi you’ll find around the country. Most official providers also offer eSIMs for the same price, that allow you to keep your physical SIM from home in your phone, while having access to Kyrgyz phone number and mobile data at the same time.
A local mobile data connection means you can access the internet while transiting, whether you’re aboard a 7-hour marshrutka journey or self-driving to more remote locations. Keep in mind that LTE (4G in Kyrgyzstan) coverage is still almost entirely restricted to towns and settlements, and not all towns in the country have towers to provide access. You should be sure to download offline maps for each road journey you plan to take, especially if you’re self-driving, as internet access during your journey will be spotty and very inconsistent.
When you’re in a town though, coverage is generally pretty good with fast-enough speeds for most tasks (~50Mbits). It’s important to note that power outages can happen anywhere, anytime in Kyrgyzstan, and when they strike mobile data towers are affected as well, another reason to have offline maps downloaded and prepare any other routes or information you might need while you’ve got internet access!
Is Kyrgyzstan digital-nomad friendly?
To be frank, it wouldn’t rank in our list of choices for digital-nomad spots. It might not even make the top 10. But I think that’s the whole point of this beautiful country.
The at-times difficult and slow internet access combined with the limited options for comfortable laptop-working environments (cowork-friendly cafes etc), make it hard to recommend Kyrgyzstan as a ‘good’ digital-nomad destination. That said, there are plenty of people who choose to make Bishkek their base, with a fairly relaxed visa situation that provides some countries with up to 60-days visa free access. If you could find comfortable accommodation that meets your needs, and you’re interested in easy access to some incredible nature, there’s definitely something for you in spending some time working and traveling from one of Kyrgyzstan’s bigger cities.
It would be the PERFECT digital-nomad location however, for outdoorsy folk who want seriously amazing hiking and trekking as part of their weekend routine, don’t mind a lowkey lifestyle, love Turkic & Kyrgyz cuisine and don’t rely on perfectly stable internet during their work days.
That’s It!
If you’ve made it down here, thank you so much for reading!
Now you’re ready for the trekking trip of a lifetime in Kyrgyzstan!
