We chose to stay in Ak-Sai Village while visiting the nearby canyon. This tiny farming village has only a couple of basic guesthouses inside people's home, but it turned out to be one of the most memorable stays we had in Kyrgyzstan.

ABATAY Guesthouse is a family-run place with lovely people, who don't speak much English at all but are some of the most genuinely hospitable people we met. They offer a couple of rooms in their house, which is a traditional stay with mattresses on the floor. But the shared bathroom is relatively new and nice.

They offer a bed, breakfast and dinner, and we had a traditional family meal there, with fresh ingredients from their garden. We even helped them in their fruit farm, picking raspberries, apricots and apples, which was such a wholesome few hours.

They can also drive you to the canyon and back for an extra fee. But we chose to walk, although I don't necessarily recommend this unless you're travelling on a tight budget!