Kyrgyzstan

2025: The year in six photos

/ mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

It’s almost time to ring in 2026, so it’s time to look back on the year that’s been.

2025 is sharply defined by photographs for me, which bring back places I’ve visited and moments that have created a lasting impact.

I was lucky enough to travel far and wide again, although the summer was marked by a lull with staycations closer to home.

I hope you enjoy exploring those locations. A Happy New Year to you and may 2026 prove healthy and rewarding.

1) North African island

A stretch of Djerban coast, the blue of the Mediterranean and the Spring sky.

A winter sunshine holiday to the Tunisian island of Djerba outdid expectations. Rarely content with beachside relaxation, I hired a bike to explore the island’s compelling architecture and landscapes, meeting Tunisians along the way. The holiday grew into a fully-fledged trip.

• Explore stunning Djerba here

2) Seaside sunsets

A summer sunset on St Anne's beach on the Lancashire coast.

This summer I turned my regular day trips to England’s north-west coast into little staycations. I was rewarded with blazing, rich sunsets on St Annes Beach in Lancashire and went on a 20km hike along the Fylde Coast. Don’t head home, book a hotel.

• Enjoy more Lancashire summer sun here

3) Purpose-built capital

A cluster of high rise buildings on the Astana skyline, including the iconic Bayterek Tower.

2025’s long distance adventure took me to the vast Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan. It boasts monumental landscapes but the new capital of Astana impressed me the most with its bold, modern architecture. You just have to look up in this city.

• See the riches of Kazakhstan here

4) Memorable stay by the bay

A group paddling in the water seen on Morecambe South Beach in the last light of day.

I turned regular day trips to the Lancashire seaside town of Morecambe into a short break, staying at Art Deco landmark The Midland Hotel. I captured the bay’s legendary dawns and dusks, with a walk to neighbouring Heysham thrown in. This was so much more rewarding than rushing home to Manchester.

• Enjoy more of Morecambe’s marvels here

5) Far flung mountains

A yurt encampment nestling in the mountainous landscape of Kyrgyzstan.

Mighty Kazakhstan was followed by a visit to far smaller, rugged Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. Valleys studded with yurts and a vast lake posing as this landlocked country’s seaside made this a memorable short stay.

• Discover more of Kyrgyzstan here

6) Manchester keeps on growing

The high rise tower of new development Square Gardens in Manchester.

The development of Manchester city centre continued at speed in 2025, and I was in the right place to capture it. Square Gardens with its sleek blue towers became a new favourite – a preference likely to change in 2026?

• Explore more of Manchester here

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Kyrgyzstan: Small but mighty

/ mikeosbornphoto / 8 Comments

I finally made it to Central Asia after years of travelling to other places instead.

This vast region – made up of five countries or ‘stans’ – is full of natural wonders, remnants of the Silk Road and endless terrain.

Some travellers choose to visit all countries in one epic trip, but I plumped for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in a relatively swift bite.

Vast regional superpower Kazakhstan was followed by a quick glance at much smaller Kyrgyzstan – but did it do it justice? CONTINUE READING BELOW

Tap/click first image to see gallery

Crossing the land border into Kyrgyzstan was a choreographed but swift procedure. One young border guard grinned to see my passport photo hair has since disappeared.

This brief foray into the country was largely based around Karakol, a provincial city within striking distance of the Chinese border.

It boasts a beautiful wooden Orthodox cathedral topped with gold, a colourful mosque built without a single nail and many old Russian-style cottages with ornate shutters.

A lush valley among the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan.

Kyrgyzstan’s mountain valleys have a lush Alpine feel

Karakol was the launch pad to experience Kyrgyzstan’s landscape – verdant valleys surrounded by the mighty, snow-capped Tien Shan mountains.

These lands are studded with yurts and horsemen. This is breath-taking, open countryside, making even short hikes a tonic for the soul.

At Jeti Oguz Canyon, the rugged rock turns a rich terracotta colour. Little tip: look for the coffee hut perched there which serves an excellent brew and deliciously creamy hot chocolate.

There’s a different side to Kyrgyzstan when you reach Issyk-Kul Lake. This vast body of water is a place of pleasure boat rides and even boasts beaches and piers. It makes up for the coastline this landlocked nation doesn’t possess.

The lake’s cool vibes were followed by a long trip to a very sultry Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital. My enduring regret of this trip was not booking a couple of extra nights to explore the city.

Mike Osborn taking photographs on Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan.

Testing my ‘sea’ legs in landlocked Kyrgyzstan. Photo: Wiktoria Tomkiewicz

After a final meal with the tour group – an eclectic bunch of nationalities and ages – it was time to prepare for a long, very early flight home. Bishkek will have a wait for another visit to Central Asia.

Kyrgyzstan felt more restrained and a lot less emboldened by oil and gas riches than their mightier Kazakh neighbours to the north.

But it’s a country blessed with landscape and beguiling culture. Well worth visiting if you come all this way. Stay a little longer if you can.

Next time: The start of a series on Kazakhstan – time to put those Borat myths to bed?…