With neighbouring Nepal so unstable and Bhutan so expensive, this corner of the west central Himalaya provides a blissful, hassle-free escape: relaxation after high-level trekking; a gentle alternative to the serious stuff; or a mountain retreat to combine with visiting Corbett National Park or Ananda at Rishikesh. Imagine a pastoral Himalayan landscape, its valleys hiding stone-roofed villages set in groves of walnut and pomegranate trees, its terraced wheatfields and neat vegetable patches petering out towards a distant horizon that cuts the sky like a saw This is Kumaon, part of the Indian state of Uttaranchal. If you drink enough vino rosso, a treat after the wilderness, you might even end up buying one Adriatico Restaurant, 219 Chui Prospect, Bishkek. The Pinara hotel provides all the necessary four-star ingredients.

You can soak in the bath, sweat in the sauna, lie by the pool – and drink in the bar.Pinara Hotel, 93 Prospect Mira, Bishkek (00 996 312 542 349)Adriatico RestaurantCelebrate your return to urban life by tucking into a European feast. Pull up a chair at the Adriatico Restaurant which offers a range of traditional Italian dishes – quite a contrast to the indigenous Kyrgyz pictures on the walls. Noorgul has five traditional yurts, each capable of sleeping six to eight on carpets on the floor Meals can also be provided. For a small sum, Noorgul will invite neighbouring horsemen for an evening game of ‘kokboru’, a national sport involving two mounted teams fighting for possession of a goat’s carcass.Pinara HotelAfter 10 days of sleeping in tents and washing in streams, you may feel you have earned a taste of luxury when you arrive back in the capital.

But both effort and money are worth it.Noorgul’s Yurt CampStay with a shepherdess on the shores of Lake Sol Kul. The water has been piped into an indoor concrete bath for four – at a squeeze – but first you will have to cool it down with cold water from the river Ask the caretaker for buckets and expect to pay 30p a head. Issyk Kul Stud Farm, Cholpon-AtaJyluu Suu JacuzziKyrgyzstan is rich in natural hot springs, and the ones beside the Jyluu Suu campsite are particularly welcome after a long day in the saddle. The horses are primarily trotters, partly thoroughbred and trained for races up to 25 miles long. The best ones are held in neighbouring Kazakhstan, where the glittering prizes can include normally unattainable 4x4s.

For more details, call 00 996 3947 91320Issyk Kul Stud FarmKnown as State Stud Farm No 54 in the Soviet era, but now a privately owned all-purpose breeding and training stable. One of the great attractions here is feasting on his wife’s cooking over a vodka toast or three. After you’ve watched a demonstration of his skills, stay for the night in his traditional Kyrgyz home near Lake Issyk Kul. The shop specialises in Central Asian books in English, French, Spanish and German.Fat Boys, 104 Chui Prospect, BishkekEagle hunting with Sogan BaiOne of the last of the traditional eagle hunters, 66-year-old Sogan Bai has performed for Boris Yeltsin, among other famous names.