Avoid this Soviet Exclave!

If you look at a detailed map of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia you will see some strange shapes appearing in the very south of the country. These are the Soviet formed exclaves belonging to both Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. They were formed in the 1950s to answer the question of what to do with small regions which were ethnically diverse from the Kyrgyz Republic the people had found themselves living in due to Stalin's map making.

These exclaves had always intrigued me and I wondered what life was like in them. However there is zero information online about visiting them. However I am always up for a wasted journey so I hired a car in northern Kyrgyzstan and drove 1000kms to one of these exclaves to see if foreigners were allowed to enter or not.

Join me on a wild adventure towards the mysterious mountain exclave of Shohimardon...

[zarathustra]

The hospitality of the locals you encounter never ceases to amaze me. Such lovely people.

[JohnnyFD]

Great to see another adventure mate! Now people can stop asking me if you're still alive.

[welfarestates]

Only this guy could get stuck in the snow, and immediately find friendly locals with food and vodka to share. I love this channel.

[nickpapagiorgio]

Bald you run into the most wonderful and down to earth people on your adventures! The man and his wife that invited you for tea brings perfect strangers in his home and puts out a huge spread of everything they can offer you it’s just amazing and the Kyrgyz people are yet another culture among the former Soviet republics that would give you the shirt off their backs and their last piece of food followed with an invitation to return someday again. So touching to watch these humble people offer such hospitality! Amazing video as always Mr. Bald and Alynchik

[SlavicAffairs]

How open and kind these people are it's beyond me... What a great vlog man, this video is a gem!

[shoebill]

I am from Kyrgyzstan and did not know about this sanatorium and Japanese prisoners of war in Kyrgyzstan, and that Gagarin was in Kyrgyzstan. Thanks for the story, and in general for such a video about my country.

[johku]

These videos make me feel like I'm there travelling with you! The best escape from reality, never stop making these.

[jarlalston]

Bald is like some kind of player in an open-world game, determined to unfog all of the map! Amazing video as always!

[krazed]

Fucking hell mate, there is ZERO other channels like this. You don't post beautiful structured planned movies, you just go out into the old world and get screwed over and over while also turning it into an amazing adventure. Beautiful stuff, Bald!

[MrSuperflydude]

One of the things that I find really compelling about Bald's channel is that it feels as if he's addressing the viewer personally, rather than speaking to his group of subscribers. I think that's pretty cool

[grimblegromblethegnome]

Seeing the hospitality of the locals is really heartwarming. They were all so welcoming and friendly!

[jonboz]

I must agree with the earlier comments: this is your VERY BEST ADVENTURE yet. Lots of challenges, some of which you overcame, others from which you had to retreat. Thank you for taking us to places and peoples we would never meet, all interesting and wonderful experiences. Much love!!

[Raynosaurus]

I don't think I've ever commented nor do I expect anyone to see this in a sea of comments...but this video is a damned masterpiece. Getting a view of the people and places in such a remote and rarely mentioned part of the world is fantastic. Thank you, Ben.

[WhereDoWeTravelNow]

The legend is back with an adventure. Made my day! You are a huge inspiration for all of us, mate!

[GhostWarrior]

I love your sense of humor man! 15:40 had me cracking up how they just stood there and it just skips to you showing it anyway haha! Been watching a while now and what hooked me onto your channel is that im bald at 25, want to travel the world, and come from poverty. so basically I'm bald and bankrupt as well lol. I've learned SO MUCH from you over the hundreds of videos ive watched over time. Stay safe out there Ben and a warm hearted thank you to you.

[joefusco]

Literally LOL’d when Alina popped up. Poor girl always gets dragged through the worst of it, what a trooper. You guys really had us on the edge of our seats for a second, glad you’re both ok. Preparedness, Mr. Bald, preparedness!

[manduul]

Mr. Bald, you should come visit Mongolia. It's a perfect blend of Nomadic history and Soviet influence. Having been a Soviet satellite state for around 70 years, there are plenty of old Soviet relics to explore. Rows and rows of Khruschyovka's, Soviet bus stops and abandoned Soviet air bases you can simply walk into are scattered all over the place. It's totally worth a visit!

[CaptCovfefe]

Absolutely incredible. The hospitality of the people of the former Soviet Union knows almost no bounds and continues to amaze me.

EDIT: Through no fault of my own, the replies immediately turned into a trollfest of communist(s) vs non-communists. Read at your own risk.

[kyleb]

I wish these videos never ended. They show parts of the world that a majority of people will never ever see.

[Beatmeup]

Those people that took them in and gave them that spread of tea and food were such wonderfully generous people. "Bring the best tea". So sweet. Forget all those staged "feel good" videos on the internet, THESE kinds of people restore my faith in humanity.