Youth Volunteer Organization “Leadership”

Leadership is a non-profit organization bringing together young volunteers with the mission of involving youth in civil society through volunteerism, project design, and cooperation both locally and internationally. Leadership was founded on November 1, 2005, as a youth volunteer organization under the auspices of the public association Leader, a center of civic society initiatives.

We have small station near the parking in airport to join bus station Bishkek to Karakol. Find for more details in the Directions to Meeting point.

FRU

We confirm the meeting place when we send the volunteer an invitation to participate in the camp. From the airport to the avtovokzal in Bishkek (bus station) Option 1: From the airport, you must go to the avtovokzal (or the bus station), where you will then get on a bus that goes to Karakol. From the airport, you can either take a marshrutka, which is a large van type of public transportation. When exiting the airport, this van will be to the right. There is a small sign with a van/bus on it where it comes. The marshrutka comes about every 30 minutes. The cost is standard 60 com. Just tell the driver avtovokzal" and he will tell you when you are there. The ride is about 20 to 30 minutes. Note: If you ask taxi drivers where the marshrutka is or when its coming, they will all tell you that it doesn’t exist or isn’t working that day to try and get you to take a taxi instead. Option 2: Option 2 is to take a taxi from the airport to the avtovokzal. This is an easier but more expensive route. A taxi from the airport to the avtovokzal costs about 700 com (for the whole car). So if you plan to meet up with someone, you can share a cab for the price of 700 coms. If you share with a stranger however they will try to charge you 700 coms each. For this option, people usually just hire the entire cab for 800 coms and it will take you straight to the avtovokzal. Note: You must haggle and bargain for taxi's. 800 is the usual price, but they will try to charge foreigners as much as up to 2,000 com and try to get away with that price. You must say 700 com and be confident and walk away if (when) they say no. The taxi driver will then say okay and take the 700, or walk away and find another taxi driver. With a taxi the trip is about 20 minutes. From the avtovokzal (bus stop) in Bishkek to Karakol: Option 1: At the bus stop in Bishkek, there are a line of about 15 marshrutka's (large van like types of transportation) each with its own destination. The second van goes to Karakol. It will be parked in the second spot underneath the sign that says Karakol. The standard price is 400 com (no aggling/negotiating required) and it will take you to the bus stop in Karakol. The entire trip is around 6 hours, and it stops half way through at a rest area where people can use the bathroom and grab a snack or bite to eat. If you have to go to the bathroom before then, just ask the driver to stop and they will stop on the side of the road (or a public outhouse if you are very lucky and there is one near). They often have them at gas stations so if you are shy about going behind a bush, tell the driver to stop at the next gas station with a toilet (which will be an outhouse). Option 2: The second option is a taxi. Some haggling is again required (they won't try to rip you off as much as at the airport, but they might say a price several hundred com above the normal price). Again say you know the price is 600 and they will usually agree to that price. However, in the summer it can be around 600 com and sometimes even up to 700 com. Step wagons (cars with 7 seats) will cost about 600 com, where a car with only 4 seats will cost about 600 coms. Aim for 600, as it is possible. As above, the trip is about 6 hours, maybe slightly faster (I usually take the marshrutka as there isn't much of a difference but its cheaper). The taxi will also stop half way through at a rest stop and will stop alongside the road if you say you need to go to the bathroom (men will just turn away from the road several meters behind the taxi, where women will find a bush to hide behind when a bathroom stop is needed). Note: Some taxi drivers will drop you off at the avtovokzal in karakol (same as option 1), but some will take you straight to your home address (for no additional cost). This is something that must be negotiated before you leave. Simply ask the driver if they will drive you to the avtovokzal, or all the way to your home.