The big waterfall
About 80 m, two hours' walk.
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A vast walnut forest surrounds the village of Arslanbob (Arstanbap in Kyrgyz) in Jalal-Abad region, below the Babash-Ata mountains, a spur of the Fergana Range. Its walnut groves cover some 11,000 hectares, making it Kyrgyzstan's largest walnut forest, often called the world's largest; trees reach about 30 m, with wild apples, pears and plums among them. Tradition credits the forest to Arslanbob-Ata, the village's namesake: one tale says the Prophet Muhammad sent him to find paradise on earth, then sent seeds for this treeless valley, and he scattered them from a mountaintop. Another has Alexander the Great taking its walnuts to Europe, a story some link to the walnut's Russian name, Greek nut. A 2008 regional pollen study found most walnut stands about 1,000 years old, none over 2,000, and probably planted, as tradition holds. Paths lead from the village under the great trees. The small waterfall, with a prayer cave pilgrims visit, is about 40 minutes' walk away; the big one, about 80 m high, some two hours north. From late September to early October, families camp on plots leased from the state to gather the nuts. The village's community tourism office arranges homestays, guides and horse treks. The village lies at roughly 1,400 to 1,600 m, 50 km by road from Bazar-Korgon and 80 km from Jalal-Abad; a daily minibus from Osh takes four to five hours, so stay a night or two, ideally May to early October. Dress modestly in this conservative village. Osh's Sulaiman-Too is about 92 km south as the crow flies.
About 80 m, two hours' walk.
40 minutes' walk, by a prayer cave.
Families camp under the trees each autumn.
Around Arslanbob village, Bazar-Korgon district, Jalal-Abad region
A direct minibus leaves Osh's new bus station daily in the early afternoon and takes four to five hours, for about 200 som, per visitor guides; it heads back from Arslanbob's market at about 7 am. Otherwise, change at Jalal-Abad and Bazar-Korgon.
Yes: his shrine stands near the village centre beside a mosque, and pilgrims also pray at a cave by the small waterfall. Dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees; women should cover their hair; take shoes off where asked; and avoid prayer times, especially Friday midday prayer.