Arslanbob is a village tucked in a lush valley in the Chatkal mountain range in the south of Kyrgyzstan. It’s a destination that is popular for its hikes, horseback riding, and skiing but more than anything else, it’s a village popular for its production of walnuts.
Next to the village is a forest that looks almost like it came directly from a fairy tale. This is the world’s largest natural walnut forest and is the livelihood of the 16000 ethnically Uzbek people living there.
During the harvest period, hundreds of families install themselves in handmade shelters in the forest for easier walnut collection. Walnut harvest in Arslanbob feels almost like a festival or a carnival. Families share food and snuggle around campfires at night to sing, share stories and a glass of vodka together.
Since Osh is the biggest city close to Arslanbob this will probably be your starting point when visiting this village.There is a direct mashrutka for Arslanbob that leaves Osh every morning around 7 and it reaches the small village a bit before noon.
