The Celestial Mountains Tour Company
The Celestial Mountains Tour Company and the Celestial Mountains Guest House (Naryn) were established in 1997. They were British owned and operated ventures established, registered and licensed under Kyrgyz law. They are, actually, two separate companies – but had the same three investors.
There are three investors. One came to Kyrgyzstan at about the time of independence and immediately fell in love with the country, its people and culture. He has since married a Kyrgyz woman, started a family and is now living in New Zealand. (Technically, his wife is now the “shareholder”). The second is based in the UK. The third came to Bishkek to help to open an office – and just stayed. He is now based in Bishkek and runs the companies.
The tour company, based in Bishkek, was established to offer tours and other services to travellers. The tours would cover the regions of Kyrgyzstan and, in co-operation with other local firms in those countries, to China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Pakistan. At first, the company chose to specialize in motor tours.
The investors felt that there were many people like themselves who weren’t mountaineers or hunters, but who would still be interested in visiting Kyrgyzstan. Maybe these potential clients had spent their long vacations at University travelling to interesting parts of the world, sleeping under bridges and in doorways – but now these “thirty-somethings” had jobs and responsibilities. As students they had plenty of time available to simply wander – but little money. Now they had money – but little time – they “had to be back behind the desk on Monday week”. They wanted to visit remote and interesting places – but needed to make the most of their “two weeks” annual leave – and didn’t want the hassle and discomforts they were happy to accept as students.
As part of their strategy, a number of hotels and guesthouses were planned throughout the Kyrgyz Republic, offering comfortable accommodation equipped to Western style and standards. The original plan was to establish tour itineraries travelling between them, and exploring the areas around them – events have developed somewhat differently and hence these plans have yet to be fully implemented.
The Guesthouse in Naryn was the first of these. Naryn was chosen as the site for the first investment because it has an important place on the road to the Torugart Pass – the only border crossing to China presently available for passenger traffic. A block of four apartments was purchased and converted into a small guesthouse with 12 guest rooms, clean and modern western style toilets and showers. In summer a number of yurts are also provided. Although it was originally intended to offer accommodation for tourists travelling to, or from, Torugart a growing number of travellers are spending more time in the Naryn region – visiting places like Eki Naryn, Salkyntor, Tash Rabat, At Bashy, Son Kul, and Kochkor, and guests have also included a large number of businessmen and visiting dignitaries.
Drawing upon their experiences in Naryn, the investors then planned and built a new hotel in the centre of Bishkek – The Silk Road Lodge – which opened in August 2000. It was the first (and for some time the only) hotel in Kyrgyzstan to be awarded an official star classification by Kyrgyz Gostandard. It has quickly established itself as a small, friendly, hotel – popular with tourists, businessmen, consultants and visiting dignitaries alike.
The Tour Company, the Guesthouse and the Silk Road Lodge have been featured on television and radio in Kyrgyzstan, Great Britain, Germany and Brazil and in books and newspaper articles published in Kyrgyzstan, The United Kingdom, The United States, Australia, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Thailand and China.
Technically speaking, “The Silk Road Lodge” is a part of the tour company, but the Guesthouse in Naryn is operated as a separate company which is registered in Naryn.
Ian Claytor serves as the General Director of both companies, and although the different companies have different staffs – they cooperate closely with each other and seek to maintain the same commitment to levels of service.
The Celestial Mountains Tour Company (and Head Office):
131-2 Kievskaya Street, Bishkek 720001, Kyrgyz Republic
Tel.: +996 312 212562, fax: +996 312 610402
tours@celestial.com.kg
www.celestial.com.kg, www.tours.kg
The Silk Road Lodge:
229 Abdymomunov Street, Bishkek 720033, Kyrgyz Republic
Tel.: +996 312 661129, fax: +996 312 661655
silkroad@celestial.com.kg
www.silkroad.com.kg
The Celestial Mountains Guest House (Naryn)
42 Razzakov Street, Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic
Tel. / fax: +996 3522 50412
naryn@celestial.com.kg
(or contact the Bishkek office)