Osh is the southern capital of Kyrgyzstan and a city that has a long history. It's the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan and is just 7km from the Uzbekistan border, making it a more vibrant and culturally diverse city than Bishkek.

It's known as the gateway to the Pamir Highway and the stunning, yet remote Alay Mountains along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border to the south. Whether you want to explore the mountains or cross over to Uzbekistan, you'll likely end up stopping in Osh for a night or two.

How to get there? Coming from Bishkek is a very long journey. You can find marshrutkas (local minivans) leaving from the new Western Bus Station in Bishkek early in the morning. I’d arrive at around 7am to ensure you get a set. The trip can be around 14 hours or so.

Where to stay? There's a range of accommodation in Osh, with everything from hostels to hotels available. I stayed in Wood Hostel (separate entry/pin for more info).

Things to do in Osh:

• Sulaiman-Too Mountain is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was a major place of pre-Muslim pilgrimage. Its five peaks and slopes contain ancient caves with petroglyphs. Climb to the top for beautiful views over Osh and to meet the crowds of locals doing the same

• Jayma bazaar is one of the oldest bazaars in Central Asia. You can find a bit of everything here from local fresh produce to traditional handicrafts

• Organise a Pamir Highway tour from Osh to Dushanbe. Many agencies start their highway group tours in Osh, so it's a good place to try and jump into a group and find other travellers to join

• Cross the border to Uzbekistan's Fergana Valley. The border is just a 10-minute drive from the city centre, so it's the main border town for those crossing to and from. You can either take a direct marshrutka across to Andijan or take a taxi to the border and walk across

• Head down to Sary Mogul to explore the Alay Mountains. I have a separate entry/pin for this, but from Osh, you can head south to the small village of Sary Mogul which has become the main base for hikes into the Alay Mountains