– Region: Talas Oblast (Talas, 910m — birthplace of the Manas epic hero)

 – Elevation: 910

 – GPS Coordinates: 42.520° N, 72.240° E

 – Access Difficulty: T2 — 200km west of Bishkek (4hr shared taxi or 4hr drive via Kara-Buura Pass) 

 – Opening Season: Year-round (best May–Oct)

 – Winter Room: – Number of Beds: 300  – Showers: Yes — basic shower

 – Drinking Water: Yes — piped – Meals & food: Kyrgyz food + local cafes

– Mobile Signal: Yes — Beeline 4G – Payment Methods: USD 8–15 guesthouse | Shared taxi from Bishkek: 4hr, KGS 600

 – Short Description: TALAS (910m) = the HEARTLAND OF THE MANAS EPIC — the legendary birthplace of the Kyrgyz hero-king Manas and the setting of much of the world’s longest epic poem (500,000 lines). The MANAS MAUSOLEUM (Manas Ordo) 22km from city: a complex of traditional buildings marking the supposed tomb of Manas — an important pilgrimage site. BATTLE OF TALAS (751 CE): here the Arab-Islamic forces defeated the Chinese Tang dynasty — changing the religion of Central Asia to Islam and (through Arab capture of Chinese paper-makers) the spread of paper manufacturing to the world.