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.
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.
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.…
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!!!
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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