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The Umai is a small family run 8 room guest house just off the centre of town. We provide B&B as our standard package but also have kitchen facilities capable of meeting all dietary requirements for breakfast, lunch, supper and more. In the garden we have a small sheltered bar that opens as necessary, and a great gas BBQ for those special occasions. We pride ourselves on providing you with a friendly stay that you will remember.
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Super recommended!! I found Ecoutour on the internet (and on the guide-book as well) and I was so lucky! They are very precise and cooperative in finding the best solution for my needs, very welcoming to let you discover the tradition and culture of this beautiful country! I was very lucky to have the best guide ever and a very safe driver during the mountains and yurt camps tour.
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Date of stay: August 2018Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Michael A, Manager at Umai Hotel
Responded 26 Sept 2018
Many thanks for you comments about Ecotour and we hope that your stay in the Umai was equally as enjoyable.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The room is clean and very basic for guesthouse standard comes with attached bathroom and fan. WiFi is relatively fast for this country and limited to some of the rooms and common area within the guesthouse. Food is home cook using fresh ingredients with twist of local taste, which is nice for us to taste. Located approximately 10 mins walk from central square in Bishkek.
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Date of stay: June 2018Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Michael A, Manager at Umai Hotel
Responded 22 June 2018
Very many thanks for your review. Sadly the wifi is not all it could be all over the property, but it does seem to be adequate for most purposes. We hope to see you again in the not too distant future. All the best, Mike
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We spent 3 nights at Umai Hotel, and each one was a pleasure. We arrived by taxi, and thank goodness I had carefully mapped the hotel on the Internet before we came, including looking at the streetview so that I would know which alleyway to turn in on. Otherwise, you will never find this place, and a taxi driver certainly won't know where it is. But once we got inside, I was bowled over by the warm welcome. They greeted us by name, and had some cookies and tea/coffee ready and waiting for us. Our room was very large, with a king-size bed, a single bed, and a baby crib (we didn't have a baby with us, but found that it made a good clothes rack). The bathroom was clean and simple -- loved how hot the water in the shower was! Elmira and Samira are the two very helpful, funny, and interesting women who run the Hotel and the associated Ecotour company. All of the staff is very sweet and courteous, almost to a fault. During our dinners, our waitress would hover nearby, frequently coming by to see if there was anything she could possibly clear away, always asking if we needed anything more. And we rarely did, because the meals here were outstanding and very, very filling. Dinner always had an appetizer as well as a main dish with a side and then a big dessert! We were a bit embarrassed that we could never finish it all. Dinner was served in a lovely flower-covered yurt-frame in the yard, and nearby is a covered bar where they will serve cold beer or other drinks if asked. It's too bad we didn't have more time just to relax in the garden and enjoy a few beers! We also went on a 3-night excursion arranged through the Hotel/Ecotour, which was wonderful and quite an adventure. I highly recommend them if you have any desire to arrange a day trip or longer excursion -- the prices are very reasonable and there's a great emphasis on meeting local people and travelling sustainably. And the personal, extra touches throughout our holiday really helped make this experience special. For example, on our last night, Elmira and Samira surprised us with bowels of ice cream before we went to bed! We were really quite sad to leave the next morning, as well as sleepy, since we had an absurdly early flight. But the hotel had arranged a friendly female driver for us, who came for us right on time. This is definitely the only place I would stay in Bishkek from now on, and I whole-heartedly recommend it.…
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Date of stay: July 2017
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Michael A, Manager at Umai Hotel
Responded 4 Aug 2017
Hello Marywhotravels - very many thanks for your review of the hotel and also the comments about our travel company Ecotour. We always strive to make everything, if not prefect, as friendly as possible and that is why we also have our guides wondering in and out and helping. Let us just hope that next time you are in Bishkek you can pencil in an extra to just lounge around in the shady garden enjoy cold beers. Hope to see you again in the years to come. Mike
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The hotel is very clean and with a huge sense of hospitality. The local people do not speak English, but the staff in the Hotel is very supportive and helpful. Mike, Samira and Elmira are just unbelievably AMAZING, they can do the impossible for you and adapt your trip with all your needs. They are really kind, strongly supportive, professional and very well organised. We couldn't expect a better hospitality. Thanks a lot guys!!!
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Date of stay: August 2016Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Michael A, Manager at Umai Hotel
Responded 30 Aug 2016
Hi Dani, Many thanks for your kind comments. We always strive to try and make people happy so that they can enjoy their visit to our country. Take care and regards to all in the group. Mike
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Home to Eco Tours, Elmira, Mike and staff made our cycling group feel right at home. The Guest House is a little way from the centre of Bishkek but our group had no problem either walking or cycling to the main attractions. The GH is a little difficult to find and would perhaps benefit from better signage from the road and at the site. Rooms are spacious, quiet and spotlessly clean. There is wifi but the ISP seems somewhat unreliable. Coffee and tea on tap and a great outside and covered bar area with a wide selection of drinks. A pint of decent local lager costs about 60p. Good breakfast of hot and cold food and delicious dinner made to order. The yurts mentioned in guidebooks have gone but there is a pleasant garden for alfresco dining and socialising. The GH was full during my stay and we were lucky to be treated to a mini concert by two wonderful local musicians by the thoughtful owner. You could just use the GH as a base to explore Bishkek but why not ask about tours in fantastic Kyrgyzstan and experience truely wonderful scenery and local hospitality?…
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Date of stay: July 2016Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Michael A, Manager at Umai Hotel
Responded 5 July 2016
Many thanks for your review. It was good to meet you and spend time chatting and putting the world to rights. We are glad that you enjoyed your tour and truly hope to see you back in Kyrgyzstan again. Enjoy Mongolia and their "strange" yurts. Mike
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Warm welcome, comfortable room, nice food, this hotel made a vry good start and finish to our nomadic culture and textiles tour in kyrgystan, which was a wonderful experience.what a beautiful and hospitable country.
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Date of stay: August 2015
Value
Service
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Michael A, Manager at Umai Hotel
Responded 15 Sept 2015
Hi Kate, Good to see that you enjoyed your time with us and that your trip with Ecotour was also a great success. Give my love to Wales, I'll get back there one day. Mike
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We used Ecotour and Umai hotel to support our first "out of Europe" Cycling holiday. We planned a 3 weeks unsupported tour around Kyrgyzstan. The team from Ecotours picked us up at the airport in the middle of the night after 17 hours of delay of our flight (Thank you Turkish Airlines :-() . Even at 03 am we got a kind and friendly welcome on our arrival at the Umai Hotel. Next day, we where transported together with our bikes to our starting point. The driver helped us with the money exchange, guided us around in the local supermarket and found fuel for our cooking stove. During our tour, we decided to change the pick up place, again no problem for Ecotour. We had promt replies on our mails and they showed up at the right place, at the right time. At the end of our tour we enjoyed 2 days of comfort, cold beer, nice food and good company in this friendly hotel. We warmly recommend this place and the services from Ecotour to anyone who wants to discover the fantastic Kyrgyzstan.…
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Date of stay: July 2015
Value
Location
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Michael A, Manager at Umai Hotel
Responded 2 Aug 2015
We are happy that you enjoyed our country and that the Umai Hotel and Ecotour were able to help you so much. Next time that you are down this way drop in and see us. Mike
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Umai Hotel is the base for EcoTours Kyrgyzstan and I cannot advocate for their accommodation and tour service enough. Umai is close to the city, has all amenities, but more than this, the staff are incredibly knowledgable and ready to help you have the best experience in Kyrgyzstan possible. I don't often do tours, but did on a friend's recommendation, and see this as the best way to see Kyrgyzstan. The owner and operator is very experienced in running her hotel and tours and has a lot of insight into history of, and life in, Kyrgyzstan. All staff are amazingly friendly and helped me with visas for other countries, organise diversions from the planned tour, airport transfers and ensured I was always well fed with a variety of foods Kyrgyzstan has to offer. Kyrgyzstan is a beautiful country, and I was able to see and do a lot only as a result of staying at Umai Hotel and travelling with EcoTours.…
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Date of stay: July 2015
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Michael A, Manager at Umai Hotel
Responded 14 July 2015
Andy, Many thanks for the review and choosing the UMAI Hotel and Ecotour. For so many people coming to this region is a once in a blue moon trip and we strive to make it as memorable as possible. Now that you have had a sample of Kyrgyz hospitality we hope that you will come again to our country and pop in and see us when you do. Mike
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Well: I never return to a place I've been up till now! In May and June I travelled the Pamir Highway and loved every second of it. It is quite a trip and what made it a holiday was ending at the Umai Guest House. I had been there last year, made a trip with Ecotours in beautifull Kirgystan and just felt so at ease at the Umai. So this year I returned :)....it feels safe there, it is clean, really good meals and such nice people! All of them speak either English or German as second language. They are so proud of their country and really share their love with you. They are so hospitable and will make a great effort for you. One of the owners arranged a superb visit to a spa for us, if you travelled the pamirs you will understand why!! Thank you Elmira, Samira and Mike!
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Date of stay: June 2015Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Michael A, Manager at Umai Hotel
Responded 5 July 2015
Hi MonicaMig - it was great to see you again this year and this time with partner. We all love seeing you and the girls really enjoy looking after you. Wonder if you can make it for a 3rd? Here's hoping. Mike
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We were in the Umai at the begin and the end of our fantastic tour in Kyrgystan in September 2014 and came back after a tour in Tajikistan in June 2015, we felt like coming home. The hotel is very quiet with a beautiful garden. Very helpful and friendly staff, the rooms are very clean, good beds, airco, free wifi, very clean bathroom,. The yurt in the garden creates a convivial athmosphere and we like the outside bar very much to relax with a cold beer or wine after a good filled day out.The food is also very good and varied. We like that place very much!!!!
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Date of stay: June 2015
Value
Service
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Michael A, Manager at Umai Hotel
Responded 3 July 2015
It was great to see the Vivat Club back at home base again - old friends are always welcome and thank you for coming to see us. Next time you are in the area don't forget to pop in.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.