Apple Hostel Bishkek — Hotel in Bishkek City

We've had a very bad experience in Apple Hostel in Bishkek. Short version: they blamed us for something we didn't do (so we got in trouble with the police) and took our passports, so we almost missed our flight back. Long version: We've booked the hostel 3 times, 2 times with good experiences. The third time we came back we booked the double room again. It was 40 degrees outside and the airconditioning was broken. After one night without airco they said they will fix it that day, so we would have a working airco when we come back in the evening. When we came back in the evening the airco wasn't fixed, because the handyman doesn't work in the weekend (which they could have known the day and night before, ofcourse). First they wouldn't compensate us at all for the broken airco, after a long discussion they gave us a very small compensation (we couldn't leave cause it was late and we had to go to the airport in the morning). So we stayed and tried to sleep in the room. Then, in the middle of the night, the hostel employee came to knock our door and woke us up, telling us that our window was open (correct) and the airco was on (incorrect, it was broken). She told us to turn it off, otherwise they would have to give us a fine. We explained the situation and asked her to let us sleep. Then, after half an hour she was there again, with the same story. We asked her to let us - finally - sleep and agreed to pay the fine, just to avoid further discussion and to get some hours of rest. She kept on talking (quite loud, in the hall, in the middle of the night), so we closed the door. The next morning (when we had to go to the airport) there were two policemen knocking our door. Saying we have said bad words to the hostel employee and have pushed her away (which is abolutetely not true, we have never touched her and if I have said something not nice it was in Dutch. In English I've said 'leave us alone' and 'we'll never come back again'). So the policemen (or nephews of the hostel owner in a police costume) told us we didn't follow the law in Kyrgystan and we did something (blaming and touching a woman) you go to jail for for 3 days in Kyrgystan. They didn't speak English and the whole conversation went very slow (all we wanted was just to get our plane). In the end they let us go when we gave them money, so we could get our plane. So despite the two good times I would never take the risk to go to this hostel again. You can have a really good stay here (clean, friendly people), but if you say something about a small thing organized not that well (the not working airco), their reaction is absolutely unfair (lying and let the police take your passport). Luckily the police is that corrupt in Bishkek :) (we could just give them all our money we had left and didn't have to go the the police office and miss...

I would like to share my experience with Apple Hostel Bishkek as it comes to car rental. Unfortunately it was a bad experience:

We rented a Buhanka with rooftop tent with Aigul. There was about zero explanation of how the car works, the clutch was not in good working order and almost every window was broken. Questions through WhatsApp about the tent of the expat pedal that was on the car she could not answer. Almost every warning light was flashing but we should ignore them. Unfortunately the Buhanka broke down after only a few days. The engine would stop working if we drove up a mountain, every time we hit a road with more than 10% incline. Her first response was that the car was 100% OK. Second response was to avoid mountains, which seems rather rediculous in Kyrgyzstan. Finally, after very long contact and my perseverance, she agreed to get us another car. Even after she got the Buhanka back, she still keeps saying there is nothing wrong with it. That we were the ones causing the problems with the car. As a replacement we got a BMW X5. Not a campervan and not a real offroad car either, but we had no choice. It too broke down after only a few days. To change a flat tyre, not the right tools were in the car. Again, even after sending her photo’s as proof, she keeps saying that the right tools were there. We were done and wanted to stop renting a car with her. We got some money back for the days we did not rent a car but still had to pay for a lot of repairs and for towing back the BMW to Bishkek. Let me state the following: we did not break the cars, they broke down. That is a big difference. A breakdown can happen, but the solution was all but satisfying and she kept blaming us. For the BMW we had to pay the same amount as for the Buhanka campervan, which seems not fair. Aigul sold us a gas canister that did not fit the stoves we rented. She claims it was our responsibility to check if they would fit while she offered us this canister. We had to pay 60 euros for it and could not use it. Now she claims we did not give the canister back, so 60 more euros gone. Trying to find a financial solution was not possible. She did not want to talk to us anymore. I would strongly advise never to use Aigul’s services when it comes to car rental. I feel ripped off and because of her part of our holiday was ruined. We paid about 1200 euro’s for 3 days Buhanka and 4 days BMW. Even though the practical information here says that we are insured for all damage, we still had to pay for repairs. That is nothing less than a lie than.

Her final reply says it all: she just doesn’t care:

i had 50 customers this year for car rentals, so if 1 or 2. are unhappy/that is life/ can't do...

Not worth it. Don't do the horse trek.

I stayed at the hostel for two weeks, and it was tolerable, but there are better places, and I wouldn't stay again. This review is for the Song Kul horse tour booked through Apple from another city. It is difficult to get in and out of the starting point of the tour, making it expensive and leaving a bad taste in your mouth from being objectified and exploited by the taxis and tour partners. I honestly don't think it's worth it, and I regret the decision.

Locals are used to overcharging tourists, which creates a transactional and objectifying dynamic that is exploitative, exhausting, and unpleasant. So, the taxi costs 2500 som for the 1 hour drive from Kochkor, yet many will try to charge more, and the driver we got was an entitled, toxic man who made us an hour late and tried to scam us again during the ride.

Now, since the mashrutka to Bishkek isn't running after the tour returns to the guest house Apple Hostel contracts with, you can either hitch hike or pay an exorbitant taxi again. The guest house owner quoted us a disgusting 4,000 som to Kochkor. Well, I asked about a cheap place to stay and she said I could stay there for 1,000 som and get the mashrutka to Bishkek in the morning. I was in no position to argue because I was tired and had too much baggage to hitch hike, but this is more expensive than a hostel, and I agreed expecting somewhere decent. Nope. I slept in the luggage room on a pad, and the woman's alarm went off every five minutes from maybe 3:00 AM. Worst night ever, while my friends who hitchhiked got out.

It's just a nasty feeling that locals see you as nothing more than an object to extract as much money as possible from. These people should be ashamed of themselves for lack of decency and hospitality, but they're not. When people get greedy enough, they destroy their whole tourism industry because tourists can't trust anyone and no longer come. I'll walk instead of take taxis in some of the most ruined tourist places in the world since no taxi driver is fair, for example, and skip destinations entirely if I know they're like this.

The trek itself is pretty, and food was fine. Yurt accomodations vary, with some not bothering to make beds or change sheets at all. Horses and guide was good. It's painful to ride a horse that long though, so be prepared. This tour was my big splurge of the trip, and the price could have bought me two more weeks of accomodations and breakfast in Karakol, so it's not a good trade. What I'll remember most is being scammed, objectified, and used, not the grassy hills, and I regret the trip. Can't wait to get back to Bishkek and stay in a much nicer hostel for about...