WHEN Bobby Bolton packed up his life to travel the world two years ago, he didn’t expect to still be on the move – or to have found the places he has.
So far he’s travelled through 41 countries, and there’s one in particular that he encourages tourists to explore, and it’s well off the beaten track.
Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia with huge mountain ranges and crystal clear lakes.
It isn’t your classic holiday spot, but for anyone wanting a bit more than lazing about on a sun lounger, it might just be the perfect destination.
Talking to Sun Travel about his adventure, Bobby told us: “I would describe Kyrgyzstan as being Switzerland 200 years ago, there’s not a lot of development there but the scenery is fantastic.
“You can hike up the mountains, swim in the alpine lakes – it’s the best place and it’s really not touristy because there’s no infrastructure.
“It’s raw beauty, and it’s really cheap. It’s a third of the price in the UK in terms of food and fuel, which is what we spend our money on.”
Bobby and his fiancée Marie ventured in the mountains where they were invited to eat with local horseman who lived off the land.
They make their own honey and milk, eat beef from the cattle, and grow their own vegetables.
For anyone travelling like Bobby, by truck or car, he also added that it’s very easy to park as you can do it “almost anywhere, by beautiful lake, or at the foot of mountains”.
Bobby, who is from Wigan, travels around the world in his huge truck – and manages to do it on around £35 a day spending their cash mostly on food and fuel.
You can read more about Bobby’s travels in his book, Truck It!: The Drive Around the World That Saved My Life – and keep up with his travels at one.life.truck.it.
It isn’t just Bobby talking about Kyrgyzstan.
Original Travel reveals that there’s a growing interest in the country for “savvy travellers looking for unspoilt, off the beaten track destinations”.
Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordering Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan,
It’s surrounded by mountains as it’s part of the Tian Shan range which has some of the tallest peaks in the world – as high as 24,400 feet.
Other natural wonders include its alpine lakes, grassy plains and hot springs.
Amongst the landscapes are plenty of wildlife like snow leopards and Siberian ibex which are in the high mountains, and Tian Shan brown bears in forests.
The country also supports many bird species like the Himalayan griffin vulture and golden eagles.
One popular spot is Fairytale Canyon, or to use its official name, Skazka Canyon, a desert-like landscape made from red sandstone.
One visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: “An amazing place to visit in Kyrgyzstan. Mesmerizing scenery.”
Another added: “One of the most beautiful places in Kyrgyzstan. If you want unforgettable photos, then you definitely need to come here, not far from the main highway. Everything was great and a lot of emotions.”
As for alpine lakes, Kyrgyzstan has over 2,000 of them – one of the more impressive ones is Issyk-Kul.
It’s the second-largest high-altitude lake in the world and is known as the ‘warm lake’ because it never fully freezes due to its high salt concentration.
The hot springs at Altyn Arashan have both paid and free options when it comes to taking a dip.
These are in a mountain valley so you have to get there on horseback or via a 4×4.
It’s not all wilderness, mountains and lakes, the capital of Kyrgyzstan is Bishkek in the north of the country.
Other bigger cities include Osh, Jalal-Abad, Karakol, Tokmok, and Kara-Balta, and these spots are where you’ll find hotels, restaurants and cafes.
And again, this will not break the bank, checking prices on Wise, a meal for two at a restaurants will set you back 1,500сом which in British pounds is £13.07.
The price of a beer is 100сом which is just 87p and a cappuccino is 175.24сом which is £1.53.
When it comes to getting there, Bishkek is where the main airport is, but you can’t fly directly there from the UK.
To get there, the easiest journey for Brits is to head to Istanbul in Turkey and take a connecting flight from there.
One of the quickest journeys is with Pegasus, who fly from London Stansted to Istanbul Sabiha, and an onward flight to Bishkek taking a total of 10 hours.
Here are five lesser-visted coastal resorts that are crowd-free alternatives for 2026…
Black Sea Coast, Turkey
First up is the Black Sea Coast in Turkey, essentially the opposite side of the country to where you’ll find the likes of Antalya and Bodrum.
When it comes to attractions, some of the most popular sites are the Sumela Monastery which was built into a cliffside, and the Yedigoller National Park for natural beauty and lakes.
Northumberland, UK
The county was named by Airbnb as being one of the ‘trending’ beach destinations around the world.
The northern county of Northumberland has been getting lots of attention during summer 2025, with plenty of pretty beaches that are usually less busy than those in the south.
Trends suggest people are looking more towards the north in towns like Bamburgh and Embleton Bay. And an overnight stay in Northumberland can be as little as £45 per night.
Albanian Riviera, Albania
Albania is becoming more popular every year with some even calling it the affordable dupe of Italy‘s Amalfi coast. It’s cheaper, with incredible beaches, pretty towns and bustling cities.
In terms of affordability, in Albania, meals cost under £10 and accommodation averages £40 a night.
Black Sea Coast, Bulgaria
Just around the corner from Turkey is the Black Sea Coastline in Bulgaria where you’ll find cities like Varna in the north, and Burgas in the south.
In-between are popular resorts like Sunny Beach and Albena – which are known for their affordability. You don’t have to stick to the big resort towns though, there are other, quieter places like Nessebar, which is also one of the cheapest destinations in Europe.
Silver Coast, Portugal
There are plenty of beautiful places in Portugal and most of them are very well known like the Algarve which has golden beaches, and cities like Lisbon and Porto.
Just between those two cities is the Silver Coast which is more overlooked despite it being more affordable than other destinations. Here you’ll find the Aveiro, also called the ‘Venice of Portugal‘ because of its canals and gondola-style boats.
And check out the holiday destinations Sun Travel predicts will be HUGE in 2026 thanks to cheap hotels, flights and pints.