There are several ways to reach Osh:
1. Ground transport is safe to use. The 710 km road is in good condition. It is very
picturesque taking you through high gorges along the al kinds of mountains. It was reconstructed by the Asian Development Bank project involving a 140 million loan for Kyrgyzstan:
a) marshrutkas (scheduled shuttles to Osh departing from the Western bus station) and other vehicles for more than 6 people passengers are not allowed to go to Osh. The taxi now cost 1500 som (32 dollars) per seat comparing to 1300 (28 dollars) som before the clashes. It takes 8-12 hours to reach Osh. There are 3 large blockposts along the road where each car is stopped and checked and approximately 67 small block-posts checking the cars occasionally.
b) Traveling in your own car you should plan your route and timing considering the curfew time (10pm-5am) in Osh and Djalal-Abad regions.
2. Airplane – the cost of the air tickets significantly raised after the clashes in Osh from approximately 4400 som (about 94 dollars) per round trip to 5600 som (120 dollars). It takes 50-60 minutes to reach Osh airport. There are 4-5 flights a day. Air companies: Kyrgyzstan and Avia Traffic are flying. They are mostly using propeller An-24 aircrafts: 48 seats in each, it is noisy during the flight – difficult to talk, the 80-seat British irspace-142 is used by Avia Traffic when it has big load. Usually it is not a big problem to buy a ticket to Osh. However, the planes from Osh to Bishkek are fully booked and we would advise to buy the tickets at least a week ahead. Flying from Bishkek you should be aware that there is no paid parking in Manas airport, and it is better not to leave the car. The airport is in 30 km from Bishkek, Osh airport is 13 km from the city. The registration for the domestic flights is run on the ground floor of the airport Manas (the international flights are on the second floor). If you use VIP-lounge in Manas, it gives you an opportunity to relax while the VIP-lounge staff makes registration and luggage check-in for you. The plane flies on the altitude of 5400 meters above the sea level (around 18000 feet), which gives you an opportunity to see all the picturesque mountains and mountain lakes from above. Usually drinks are served on board. International flights from Osh are operated according to the usual schedule. The prices have grown for almost 70%. 13-60 year old passengers on the international flights departing from the Osh must have a certificate of non-being in the list of criminal search from the police. About 50% of the travel agencies in Osh have reopened. Kyrgyz Concept was the first to reopen its public office after about 2 weeks of serving the clients either by phone or in the Osh airport. During these 2 weeks our staff has helped hundreds of people in finding a seat in the airplane to Bishkek and getting information on situation in Osh.
Report on situation in Osh. July 10-11, 2010
Transportation in Osh: marshrutkas in Osh are already working. The buses and trolleybuses suffered during the clashes. Taxis are also available but are not recommended to use due to the safety reasons. It is better to hire private reliable drivers with cars in Osh. Kyrgyz Concept office in Osh can help you with this as well as with finding the reliable interpreters/guides. We noticed that there are 3-4 times less cars on the roads on the city currently. And every 10th car belongs to the international organizations which increased their presence in Osh significantly. The roads in the city suffered from the tank crawlers, but the main streets still are not in bad condition and you can ride on 60 km/hour with comfort. The A92 fuel costs 40 som/liter comparing to 35,5 som/liter in Bishkek. There are block posts in the main entrances to the city. The soldiers and police are checking documents and cars occasionally. After 10pm any movement on the streets is strictly prohibited except for the people and cars with special allowance (paper with signature and seal on the front window of the car) from the Commandant of Osh. The barricades are removed from the roads and it is save to move in the city during the day. However, starting from 5 pm there is much less traffic on the roads. Roughly on every second crossroads the traffic lights are working. The traffic police started to operate in usual mode (separate from the block-posts) last week. The drievers say the traffic policemen are loyal and polite at the moment. The traffic police office in Osh suffered from the clashes and the staff is currently working in the tents.
The borders
The Dustlik checkpoint on the Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan border remains closed from the Uzbekistan side for the citizens of Kyrgyzstand and Uzbekistan. However the citizens of third countries are allowed to cross this border in both directions. Kyzyl-Art checkpoint on the Kyrgyzstan-Tadjikistan border is open for all citizens in both directions as well as Irkeshtam checkpoint between Kyrgyzstan and China.
Accommodation, food and communications
All the hotels and guesthouses are working, the prices haven’t grown. It is not very difficult to find free rooms in most of the guesthouses and hotels. The soldiers are based in Osh-Nuru (former Intourist) hotel – a soviet-type hotel based among the administrative buildings close to the Mayor’s office, KGB office and the Police department. Therefore, this hotel is considered as one of the safest. Most of the guesthouses do not have a signboard and it is better to book them through agencies and have a driver to reach them. Some of the guesthouses and hotels are not reliable to book as they can sell your room to someone coming for a longer stay. In some of them the price for the foreigners differs from the price for the Kyrgyz citizens. Usually the guesthouses and hotels have a computer with Internet in the lobby to be used by the guests, a generator to have light during the electricity cuts, and reservoirs of water if the central water-supply is switched off. Almost all guesthouses and hotels include breakfast into the price and can offer you a lunch or dinner for the additional cost.
Although the city was well-known for the density of cafes and restaurants before the last clashes, it is now rather difficult to find a place to eat. The products in the cafes finish very fast, you should come as early as possible therefore. Out of more than 200 cafes about 10-20 are working currently. But almost every day the number of open cafes is growing. The prices in the cafes have grown for 10-50%. The prices for the main goods have grown. For example, 1 kg of sugar costs 60 som comparing to 45 in Bishkek, 10 eggs cost 80 som comparing to 50-60 in Bishkek, 1 liter of Coca-Cola is sold for 40 som comparing to 28 in Bishkek. Previously the difference in price between Osh and Bishkek was usually not more than 5%. Food products can be bought in the shops or on the new bazaar opened in the Western micro district, the prices on the bazaar are significantly lower. The main Osh bazaar is closer to the city center. It is currently closed and the Mayor plans to arrange a park zone instead of it. All the supermarkets suffered during the clashes and remain closed. The supply of electricity is not stable. There are 2-3 cuts during the day. The electricity is also switched off when it is windy. The cold water is turned off for about 2 hours a day. The conventional gas remains switched off except for the Western district of the city. The major streets are being cleaned by the municipal service. The landlines and mobile communication companies operate as usually. The internet providers are working. There are few Internet-cafes on Aravanskaya street that reopened already. All banks reopened their branches in Osh. The currency exchange offices operate a well. The exchange rates do not differ from the ones in Bishkek.
Refugees
About 2100 buildings (less than 5% of the buildings in Osh) have been damaged or destroyed during the clashes. Only a few are being reconstructed currently. The construction materials are sold on the special markets. But we haven’t noticed big activity on these markets. From 60 to 100 thousand refugees have returned to Kyrgyzstan. Most of the people who do not have shelter are registered in the special camps arranged on the territories of schools and kindergartens but prefer to live in the houses of their relatives. The biggest number of people who do not have houses stay in Anadyr district (about 30 thousand). Almost all hospitals are operating. International organizations like WHO, Red Crescent, Red Cross, Citihope International, Medicines Sans Frontieres and others are providing the hospitals with the necessary supplies and offering medical aid to people. All international organizations are widening their operations in Osh including UNDP, UNICEF, World Food Program, UNHCR, UN OCHA, USAID, EBRD and others.
1. Ground transport is safe to use. The 710 km road is in good condition. It is very
picturesque taking you through high gorges along the al kinds of mountains. It was reconstructed by the Asian Development Bank project involving a 140 million loan for Kyrgyzstan:
a) marshrutkas (scheduled shuttles to Osh departing from the Western bus station) and other vehicles for more than 6 people passengers are not allowed to go to Osh. The taxi now cost 1500 som (32 dollars) per seat comparing to 1300 (28 dollars) som before the clashes. It takes 8-12 hours to reach Osh. There are 3 large blockposts along the road where each car is stopped and checked and approximately 67 small block-posts checking the cars occasionally.
b) Traveling in your own car you should plan your route and timing considering the curfew time (10pm-5am) in Osh and Djalal-Abad regions.
2. Airplane – the cost of the air tickets significantly raised after the clashes in Osh from approximately 4400 som (about 94 dollars) per round trip to 5600 som (120 dollars). It takes 50-60 minutes to reach Osh airport. There are 4-5 flights a day. Air companies: Kyrgyzstan and Avia Traffic are flying. They are mostly using propeller An-24 aircrafts: 48 seats in each, it is noisy during the flight – difficult to talk, the 80-seat British irspace-142 is used by Avia Traffic when it has big load. Usually it is not a big problem to buy a ticket to Osh. However, the planes from Osh to Bishkek are fully booked and we would advise to buy the tickets at least a week ahead. Flying from Bishkek you should be aware that there is no paid parking in Manas airport, and it is better not to leave the car. The airport is in 30 km from Bishkek, Osh airport is 13 km from the city. The registration for the domestic flights is run on the ground floor of the airport Manas (the international flights are on the second floor). If you use VIP-lounge in Manas, it gives you an opportunity to relax while the VIP-lounge staff makes registration and luggage check-in for you. The plane flies on the altitude of 5400 meters above the sea level (around 18000 feet), which gives you an opportunity to see all the picturesque mountains and mountain lakes from above. Usually drinks are served on board. International flights from Osh are operated according to the usual schedule. The prices have grown for almost 70%. 13-60 year old passengers on the international flights departing from the Osh must have a certificate of non-being in the list of criminal search from the police. About 50% of the travel agencies in Osh have reopened. Kyrgyz Concept was the first to reopen its public office after about 2 weeks of serving the clients either by phone or in the Osh airport. During these 2 weeks our staff has helped hundreds of people in finding a seat in the airplane to Bishkek and getting information on situation in Osh.
Report on situation in Osh. July 10-11, 2010
Transportation in Osh: marshrutkas in Osh are already working. The buses and trolleybuses suffered during the clashes. Taxis are also available but are not recommended to use due to the safety reasons. It is better to hire private reliable drivers with cars in Osh. Kyrgyz Concept office in Osh can help you with this as well as with finding the reliable interpreters/guides. We noticed that there are 3-4 times less cars on the roads on the city currently. And every 10th car belongs to the international organizations which increased their presence in Osh significantly. The roads in the city suffered from the tank crawlers, but the main streets still are not in bad condition and you can ride on 60 km/hour with comfort. The A92 fuel costs 40 som/liter comparing to 35,5 som/liter in Bishkek. There are block posts in the main entrances to the city. The soldiers and police are checking documents and cars occasionally. After 10pm any movement on the streets is strictly prohibited except for the people and cars with special allowance (paper with signature and seal on the front window of the car) from the Commandant of Osh. The barricades are removed from the roads and it is save to move in the city during the day. However, starting from 5 pm there is much less traffic on the roads. Roughly on every second crossroads the traffic lights are working. The traffic police started to operate in usual mode (separate from the block-posts) last week. The drievers say the traffic policemen are loyal and polite at the moment. The traffic police office in Osh suffered from the clashes and the staff is currently working in the tents.
The borders
The Dustlik checkpoint on the Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan border remains closed from the Uzbekistan side for the citizens of Kyrgyzstand and Uzbekistan. However the citizens of third countries are allowed to cross this border in both directions. Kyzyl-Art checkpoint on the Kyrgyzstan-Tadjikistan border is open for all citizens in both directions as well as Irkeshtam checkpoint between Kyrgyzstan and China.
Accommodation, food and communications
All the hotels and guesthouses are working, the prices haven’t grown. It is not very difficult to find free rooms in most of the guesthouses and hotels. The soldiers are based in Osh-Nuru (former Intourist) hotel – a soviet-type hotel based among the administrative buildings close to the Mayor’s office, KGB office and the Police department. Therefore, this hotel is considered as one of the safest. Most of the guesthouses do not have a signboard and it is better to book them through agencies and have a driver to reach them. Some of the guesthouses and hotels are not reliable to book as they can sell your room to someone coming for a longer stay. In some of them the price for the foreigners differs from the price for the Kyrgyz citizens. Usually the guesthouses and hotels have a computer with Internet in the lobby to be used by the guests, a generator to have light during the electricity cuts, and reservoirs of water if the central water-supply is switched off. Almost all guesthouses and hotels include breakfast into the price and can offer you a lunch or dinner for the additional cost.
Although the city was well-known for the density of cafes and restaurants before the last clashes, it is now rather difficult to find a place to eat. The products in the cafes finish very fast, you should come as early as possible therefore. Out of more than 200 cafes about 10-20 are working currently. But almost every day the number of open cafes is growing. The prices in the cafes have grown for 10-50%. The prices for the main goods have grown. For example, 1 kg of sugar costs 60 som comparing to 45 in Bishkek, 10 eggs cost 80 som comparing to 50-60 in Bishkek, 1 liter of Coca-Cola is sold for 40 som comparing to 28 in Bishkek. Previously the difference in price between Osh and Bishkek was usually not more than 5%. Food products can be bought in the shops or on the new bazaar opened in the Western micro district, the prices on the bazaar are significantly lower. The main Osh bazaar is closer to the city center. It is currently closed and the Mayor plans to arrange a park zone instead of it. All the supermarkets suffered during the clashes and remain closed. The supply of electricity is not stable. There are 2-3 cuts during the day. The electricity is also switched off when it is windy. The cold water is turned off for about 2 hours a day. The conventional gas remains switched off except for the Western district of the city. The major streets are being cleaned by the municipal service. The landlines and mobile communication companies operate as usually. The internet providers are working. There are few Internet-cafes on Aravanskaya street that reopened already. All banks reopened their branches in Osh. The currency exchange offices operate a well. The exchange rates do not differ from the ones in Bishkek.
Refugees
About 2100 buildings (less than 5% of the buildings in Osh) have been damaged or destroyed during the clashes. Only a few are being reconstructed currently. The construction materials are sold on the special markets. But we haven’t noticed big activity on these markets. From 60 to 100 thousand refugees have returned to Kyrgyzstan. Most of the people who do not have shelter are registered in the special camps arranged on the territories of schools and kindergartens but prefer to live in the houses of their relatives. The biggest number of people who do not have houses stay in Anadyr district (about 30 thousand). Almost all hospitals are operating. International organizations like WHO, Red Crescent, Red Cross, Citihope International, Medicines Sans Frontieres and others are providing the hospitals with the necessary supplies and offering medical aid to people. All international organizations are widening their operations in Osh including UNDP, UNICEF, World Food Program, UNHCR, UN OCHA, USAID, EBRD and others.
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