Why around Issyk-Kul? The most beautiful nature of Kyrgyzstan, a relatively short distance and most importantly, this is a road that we have not yet conquered. The journey lasted 6 days, from August 18 to 24, 2008. Route: Almaty - Balykchy - ring around Lake Issyk-Kul - Balykchy - Bishkek - Almaty. Total distance: about 1500 km.
The trip was carefully planned in advance and a route map was drawn. The planned route is indicated in three colors. We drove strictly according to the plan. At that time, I did not yet have GPS navigation; my reference points were the names of the villages and a printed “headquarters” map on paper. The trip began with unprecedented adrenaline and something bright on the horizon. There were some concerns about safety in a foreign country, but the power of optimism and determination prevailed.
Route map
We refused the services of tourist buses and preferred a personal Toyota Cresta passenger car in order to visit all the places around Issyk-Kul and be completely independent tourists.
We left Almaty in the evening and by morning we crossed the Kordai border. We drove another 150 km across Kyrgyzstan through the Chui Valley and the Boom Pass. Before Issyk-Kul we made a stop in the city of Bylykchy (formerly Rybachye). In this city, on the transport ring, the conditional beginning of our journey around Issyk-Kul was laid, we leave the ring and return ships from the other side, thereby closing the ring around the lake. Not far from this ring, on a hill, stood a monument to Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky, looking in our direction and as if giving parting words on a long journey on behalf of the first explorer of the nature of Central Asia.
Everything went according to plan. We began to describe a ring around the lake, moving from the city of Balykchy along the northern shore in an easterly direction. We made our first stop for the night at the Zhetygen recreation center in the village of Bosteri. This was point number 1 on the route map. At the recreation center, we hardly agreed to rent one small house with two rooms. Usually houses are rented out to tourists for at least three days, so I had to pay a little more. Traveling tourists like us are extremely rare here. Most people go with a standard vacation plan - beach, beach, one trip with a travel agency to the mountains and again the beach... Personally, for me this is the most boring vacation, I love traffic and the road.
Issyk-Kul is a salt water lake located in the mountains of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. One of the most visited places by tourists from the cities of Bishkek (about 200 km) and Almaty (about 500 km), as well as Russians. About 80 rivers flow in, but not a single one falls out of the lake. Issyk-Kul is considered a resort place with its own microclimate. The greatest depth is about 600 m. The climate is a mixture of crystal clear air, a lake and the smell of fir trees.
I remember this trip 4 years later; the illustrated photographs taken on this trip had to be restored from a damaged archive DVD and with secondary processing. Unfortunately, not all of the photographs were restored, but the main ones were still published. A film taken on this journey has been preserved.
View of Issyk-Kul from the Golden Sands recreation center
Pier of the recreation center "CT-Almaty"
Self-portrait
Ferris wheel at the Golden Sands recreation center
Morning has come. We packed our things and drove further in the same eastern direction along the northern shore from point No. 1 to point No. 2. We had to get there in 1 day, including stops. A very beautiful and picturesque road lined with tall poplars, villages were often encountered. Issyk-Kul was on the right side and sometimes very close to the road.
Highway A-363 on the northern shore of Issyk-Kul
Mountains of the northern shore of Issyk-Kul
We stopped for a snack in the village of Tyup. This is the easternmost point of Issyk-Kul. Thus, we drove along the entire northern coast and headed south. By the way, the village of Tyup is the place where another road comes from the Kazakhstan border from Kegen. Hikers also often descend to Tyup, starting their two-day journey from the Kolsai Lakes from Kazakhstan.
On the way to the south, before reaching the city of Karakol, we decided to visit the museum of N. M. Przhevalsky, the discoverer of these places. The museum consists of a park and a museum building on its territory. Also on the territory of the museum there is a chapel, monuments and a grave with the burial of N. M. Przhevalsky. In the museum building we were met by an elderly woman, she is a tour guide of quite advanced age, because... has been working here since 1946. She spoke very interestingly and intelligibly about Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky himself, showing everything that was in the museum. We saw paintings, a globe, a map, a stuffed Przewalski's horse and weapons. The guide was extremely surprised that it is very rare to meet tourists like us with a program “around Issyk-Kul”.
Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky (1839, village of Kimborovo, Smolensk province - 1888, Karakol) - Russian traveler and naturalist. Undertook several expeditions to Central Asia. In 1878 he was elected an honorary member of the Academy of Sciences. Major General (since 1886).
Przhevalsky's greatest achievements are the geographical and natural-historical study of the Kun-Lun mountain system, the ridges of Northern Tibet, the Lob-Nor and Kuku-Nor basins and the sources of the Yellow River. In addition, he discovered a number of new forms of animals: the wild camel, Przewalski's horse, a number of new species of other mammals, and also collected huge zoological and botanical collections, containing many new forms, which were later described by specialists. The Academy of Sciences and scientific societies around the world welcomed Przhevalsky’s discoveries. The St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences awarded Przhevalsky a medal with the inscription: “To the first explorer of the nature of Central Asia.”
According to A.I. Voeikov, Przhevalsky was one of the largest climatologists of the 19th century. (source Wikipedia)
Quotes from N. M. Przhevalsky:
“Basically, you have to be born a traveler.”
“The traveler has no memory” (about the need to keep a diary).
“Travel would lose half its charm if it were impossible to talk about it.”
“And the world is beautiful because you can travel.”
The building of the N. M. Przhevalsky Museum
In the museum of N. M. Przhevalsky
"Przewalski's horse"
In 1879, Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky set out from the city of Zaisan on his third journey at the head of a detachment of 13 people. Along the Urungu River through the Hami oasis and through the desert to the Sa-Zheu oasis, through the Tan Shan ridges into Tibet, and reached the valley of the Blue River (Mur-Usu). The Tibetan government did not want to let Przhevalsky into Lhasa, and the local population was so excited that Przhevalsky, having crossed the Tang-La pass and being only 250 miles from Lhasa, was forced to return to Urga. Returning to Russia in 1881, Przhevalsky gave a description of his third trip. He described a new species of horse, previously unknown to science, which was later named after him. (source Wikipedia) 
Grave of N. M. Przhevalsky
"Blue spruce"
We leave the Przhevalsky Museum and move towards the city of Karakol. We pass through the city in transit without stopping and take the road along the southern shore of Issyk-Kul in a westerly direction. Not far from Karakol we turn into the Terskey Alatau mountains, into the Jety-Oguz gorge (translation from Kyrgyz - Seven Bulls). Sights of this gorge: Mount “Broken Heart”, rocks: “Seven Bulls” and a sanatorium for the rehabilitation of astronauts after a flight into space.
Broken Heart Mountain struck not with its split rocks, but with its sloping rock pattern on the left side. It seems that a huge mountain once fell on its side. On the back side of this mountain are the “Seven Bulls” rocks, these are seven rocks that somewhat resemble bulls. There is a Soviet-era sanatorium nearby; according to some sources, Soviet cosmonauts underwent rehabilitation here after space flights.
Jety-Oguz rocks
We learned that there was a waterfall higher up the gorge and decided to visit it. We continued moving up the Jety-Oguz gorge. The threshold became completely unsuitable for a rear-wheel drive sedan, but carefully, in the same row as Jeeps and Delicas, we crossed the river on log bridges and reached a beautiful mountain valley. Further to the waterfall there was only a path. Due to a lack of time, I used the services of a local horseman and saddled a horse. Words cannot describe the pleasure of a horseback ride high in the mountains, I really enjoyed it. Then we reached a place where the path goes along a steep slope and then I went on foot. There was a waterfall nearby, we took photos and started heading back. We left the Jety-Oguz gorge already in the twilight of the passing day.
Valley of the Jety Oguz River
Horseback riding to the waterfall
Trail to the waterfall
Waterfall in the Jety-Oguz gorge
The sun has set below the horizon, and we are moving along the southern coast of Issyk-Kul to the west in search of a recreation center for an overnight stay. The condition of the road was not the best, and in addition it was dark. There are practically no recreation centers on the southern coast, very few. We reached the village of Tamga. A military sanatorium, pioneer camp or recreation center was a military one. At the entrance, or rather at the checkpoint, a military man met us and told us about the conditions; the beach was on the other side of the highway. We went to look further for options. At night we drove half of the southern coast and stopped at the Altyn Zheegi recreation center near the village of Kadzhi Sai. Thus, according to the travel plan, route point No. 2 moved a little further from the planned one.
Morning has come. We wake up in a typical barracks of a Soviet recreation center called Altyn Zheegi. Our barracks are one-story, with high ceilings, a shared toilet and shower for all rooms. The territory of the recreation center is deserted, there is practically no vegetation. Everywhere is clean and tidy. There is a pier, a dining room and billiards. There are very few tourists; there are more local people who flock to the pier with fishing rods.
Evening at the Altyn Zheegi recreation center
Having looked around us, it became clear that we were in one of the best places to relax in Issyk-Kul. The recreation center is very sparsely populated, mostly quiet and the sound of the surf. The water is cleaner than on the popular southern shore, but colder since most rivers flow into the lake from the southern side. The beach has nice sand. As throughout Issyk-Kul, the evenings are cool, and during the day you can get a beautiful tan. The only entertainment was billiards and once they brought a jet ski for a ride for money. I am sure that connoisseurs of five-star hotels will not like it here, but we liked the southern coast of Issyk-Kul most of all, with the most ordinary and deserted recreation center Altyn Zheega.
After resting for about three days at the Altyn Zheegi recreation center, we went on a one-day excursion to Lake Tuzkel (other names: Salt Lake, Dead Lake), which was located on the same southern run, but a little further. To get to the lake, it was necessary to turn off the road near the Akterek River. However, local taxi drivers created an obstacle, dug a ditch and filled it with water. Thus, passenger cars will no longer be able to drive there. Of course, we used the services of those same taxi drivers and further, through this ditch we were taken in a dead Volga GAZ-24 to the Dead Lake. The road to the lake turned out to be picturesque; we drove along a dirt road along the Akterek River and past the former ship port. There was a toll barrier in front of the lake, despite the fact that we continued on foot, we had to pay again.
There were relatively many tourists on the lake, most of them smearing themselves with black mud. They say the mud of Lake Tuzkol has good healing properties. The water is so salty that some people swam across the lake on their backs for a long time. We walked around, took photos and returned to the recreation center.
Lake Tuzkol
Tuzkel (Kyrgyzstan: Tuz-Kol - salt lake) is the saltiest lake in Kyrgyzstan. Located on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul in the mountain frame of Terskey Ala-Too (1609 m above sea level). Its salinity varies with the seasons of the year. It has been established that it can reach 236 g/l and is almost the same as in the Dead Sea in Israel or the Great Salt Lake in the USA. (source Wikipedia)
After resting on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, we continued our journey to the city of Balykchy to close the ring around Issyk-Kul. Soon we reached the same place where we started, namely the transport ring, but from the other side, as planned. The ring around Issyk-Kul was closed!
On the way home to Almaty, we stopped to visit relatives in Bishkek. Then they crossed the border and soon found themselves at home in Kazakhstan. The fatigue was pleasant; there were about 1,500 km of travel behind us and a sea of emotions. This journey will remain unforgettable for us.
While preparing this material, I involuntarily remembered a quote from the great traveler Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky, whose museum we visited during our trip - “Travel would lose half of its charm if it were impossible to talk about them.”
During the trip we created the film "Around Issyk-Kul 2008"
It is located above the village of Grigoryevka, which is 285 km from the city of Bishkek and 60 kilometers from the city of Cholpon-Ata. The length of the valley is 35 kilometers. A turbulent glacial river of crystal purity runs along the bottom of the gorge. Beautiful Tien Shan spruce trees grow here. The middle part of the valley is crowned by two snowy peaks: Kum-Bel peak (4200 m.) and Eshenbulak peak (4647 m.) In the Grigorievsky Gorge there are three beautiful alpine lakes: the Lower lake is located in the first part of the gorge, the Middle lake is located higher, in the area of pastures At -Jailoo (which means...
Semenovskoye Gorge- is one of the mandatory excursions for tourists vacationing in Issyk-Kul. It is located on the northern shore of Issyk-Kul, 40 km from the resort town of Cholpon-Ata near the village of Semyonovka. The length of the gorge is about 30 km. The Ak-Suu mountain river with the purest glacial water runs along the bottom of the gorge, and majestic Tien Shan spruce trees rise on the slopes. In spring and summer, the clean mountain air is filled with the aromas of alpine herbs.
In the upper reaches of the Ak-Suu River there are amazing waterfalls and the dammed lake Syutuu-Bulak.
Canyon or gorge "Fairy Tale" located on the southern coast of Issyk-Kul, near the village of Tosor, 4-5 km from the main highway. The Skazka Gorge is an amazing place where sandy red formations take on various fabulous shapes.
Be sure to visit when you are on vacation in Issyk-Kul, it will be very interesting, especially for children. You will find yourself in one of the miraculous fairy-tale cities. Here you will see a canyon called the “Chinese Wall” with a length of 5 kilometers, it seems to protect the peace of sleeping castles and amazing animals created...
Jety-Oguzor Rocks of the Seven Bulls (Kyrgyzstan Zheti-Oguz)- a picturesque mountain gorge in Kyrgyzstan, 28 km west of the city of Karakol (formerly Przhevalsk) along the southern shore of Issyk-Kul.
The Jety-Oguz gorge is located in the floodplain of the river of the same name on the northern slope of the Terskey Ala-Too ridge, encircling Lake Issyk-Kul from the south. Jety-Oguz (translated from Kyrgyz as “seven bulls”) got its name from a chain of weathered red rocks reminiscent of bulls lying on the ground...
Barskoon Gorge(Barsovo Gorge) is located on the southern coast of Lake Issyk-Kul in the floodplain of the river of the same name, 90 km from Karakol - above the village of Barskaun. The length of the Barskoon gorge is about 10-20 km. A highway is built through the gorge, which through the Barskaun pass (3754 m) connects the Issyk-Kul basin with the sky-high plains of the syrts of the Inner and Central Tien Shan. The purpose of this tour is to look at four magnificent waterfalls.
Chon-Kyzyl-Suu gorge, which in Kyrgyz translates as (“big red water”), is one of the most beautiful places on the southern coast of Issyk-Kul. The river got its name because its waters, eroding red sandstones, acquire a muddy red color. It is located near the village of Pokrovka, 50-60 km west of the city of Karakol and includes the coast in the area of the Kara-Bulun Peninsula and the Kichik-Kyzyl-Suu (30 km) and Chon-Kyzyl-Suu (40 km) gorges. The rapid Kyzyl-Suu river carries its turbulent waters along the bottom of the gorge with ...
Picturesque "Zhuuku" gorge located on the southern coast in the village of Kadzhi-Sai, 70 km along the Balykchy - Karakol road and 17 km south towards the Teskey Ala-Too ridge. At the last intersection, having left the village of Saruu, you need to turn right if coming from Bishkek or left from the city of Karakol.
The gorge is rich in vegetation as on the entire southern coast of Lake Issyk-Kul, such as sea buckthorn, feather grass, steppe shrubs and wormwood.
Tamga Gorge is located on the southern coast of Issyk-Kul Lake, 2 km south of the Tamga village. The name of the village and the gorge comes from the Turkic word “tamga”, which means “seal” or “stamp”. This area is famous for its Tamga-tash stones, on which Tibetan inscriptions are carved. As it turned out, the inscriptions on the stones are Buddhist prayers dating back to the 8th-9th centuries. Walking along the river you can see these stones, 3 stones are considered the most basic: the first stone is located on the right bank, and the other two stones are located on...
Resort, Altyn-Arashan gorge(Golden Spring) is located in the upper reaches of the valley of the Arashan River of the same name, it is located 10 km east of the city of Karakol. In the lower reaches of the Arashan River is the village of Ak-Suu (formerly Teploklyuchenka), named after the numerous hot springs located near the village. The spring water contains radon and is used in the treatment of diseases of the nervous system.
Salt lake and mineral springs
The Ak-Suu Kench hot spring is located in a picturesque place near the village of Teploklyuchenko, about 18 km from the resort town of Karakol. There are 3 swimming pools for adults and 1 for children. Cost for adults is 200 soms, for children 100 soms.
The analysis of water from well 1697, in the village of Oruktu, was carried out in the laboratory of the State Agency for Geology and Mineral Resources. KNIIK and VL also have archival data on this source included in the national standard KMS 252:20005. Mineral waters for drinking medicinal and medicinal table. According to organoleptic indicators, natural water from a well is a colorless, salty, odorless liquid; if it lags, it can form sediment. The reactions of the medium are slightly alkaline (pH-8.1).
Hot springs on the territory of the Ak-Bermet boarding house located in the village of Kara-Oy. The complex is open all year round.
There are 7 swimming pools with mineral water, the water temperature ranges from +37°C to +44°C, the depth is 90 cm. There is also a steam room and a pool with lake water.
Salt Lake (Tuzkel, Tuz-Kul, English Tuz-kul)- this is the saltiest mountain lake in Kyrgyzstan. The lake is also popularly called salt lake, dead lake, Kara-Kol.
Located on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, 73 km from Balykchy, 1 km from the coastline, in the mountain frame of Terskey Ala-Too (1609 m above sea level).
Mineral spring "Dolphin" is located in the village "Oruktu" in Issyk-Kul, about 50 km from the resort town of Cholpon-ata, towards the city of Karakol. There is a large sign on the highway, you need to go about 1 km towards Lake Issyk-Kul. There are 10 pools, in the center there are three pools with 48, 45 and 43 degrees respectively, in addition to these there are also free-standing pools, a contrast pool with cold ordinary water. In addition to the swimming pools, the territory has gazebos, changing rooms, massage rooms, and a cafe with fish dishes.
Museums and cities
The cultural center "Rukh Ordo" named after Chyngyz Aitmatov is located in the city of Cholpon Ata, which combines the history and spiritual heritage of various cultures and nationalities of the world. The idea of creating such a park for meeting with friends came to the mind of a member of the Kyrgyz parliament, Tashkul Kereksizov.
The ideological concept of the cultural park is striking in its depth: on the territory of the complex, in a circle at the same distance from each other, there are five white chapels absolutely identical in appearance.
The main attraction of Karakol is, of course, park-reserve with the grave and memorial of N.M. Przhevalsky.
9 km north of the city, near the pier in Karakol Bay, among the park there is a museum, a monument and the grave of N. M. Przhevalsky. On the way to his 5th journey, Przhevalsky dies in the city of Karakol and, at his request, he is buried on the shore of Issyk-Kul. It is located at the highest point of the eastern part of the Issyk-Kul coast. So the view from here...
Petroglyphs of the Cholpon-Ata tract located between the northern, western and northwestern outskirts of the city of Cholpon-Ata and the southern foot of the Kungei Ala-Too ridge, often spreading along the slopes of the spurs of this ridge. On an area 4 kilometers long from east to west and 0.6-2 km wide, there are tens of thousands of stones (boulders) carried by mudflows from the mountain gorges of the Kungei Ala-Too ridge.
The capital, soul and heart, relatively young city of the Kyrgyz Republic is considered Bishkek city. The city is located in the north of Kyrgyzstan, in the Chu Valley, at the foothills of the Tien Shan, 40 km north of the Kyrgyz ridge at an altitude of 700-900 m above sea level, 25 km from the border with Kazakhstan. The city's territory is 127 km². Old names - Pishpek, Frunze (named in honor of M.V. Frunze). Population - 901,700 inhabitants as of 2014. Bishkek, being the center of international tourism in Kyrgyzstan, can offer tourists...
On the one hand, the small and at the same time the largest administrative center, the capital of the Issyk-Kul region is Karakol city. The city of Karakol was called Przhevalsk in 1889-1922 and 1939-1992. in honor of the great Russian traveler N. M. Przhevalsky. Karakol is located in the eastern part, 12 km from the legendary Lake Issyk-Kul, in the lower reaches of the Karakol River, at the foot of the Terskey Ala-Too ridge at an altitude of 1690-1850 meters above sea level. This city is surrounded by the ridges of the central Tien Shan, peaks: Pobeda Peak (height 7439 m)
Boat trips and other excursions
On the beach of the Golden Sands boarding house there is modern water park. The water park is considered one of the largest in the world. There is a huge children's area with small but very interesting slides and attractions. For adults, all entertainment is more extreme. Here the pools are deeper and the slides are higher, and they lead straight into the lake. The beach also has the only roller coaster on the entire pond. Also on the Golden Sands beach there is one of the highest Ferris wheels, over 70 meters.
from Cholpon-Ata -10-15 km, duration - 11:00, 13:30, 15:00 and 17:00, price from 350-500 soms per person.
Balykchy- the closest city to Bishkek on Lake Issyk-Kul (186 km). If you just want to look at the lake one day and return to the capital, you will have time to visit Balykchy. For a beach holiday, it is better to go further to Cholpon Ata or to the southern coast.
Cholpon Ata = civilized beach holiday. Cholpon Ata is the main resort town in northern coast of Issyk-Kul. Go in the summer to swim in the lake and relax by the water.
Tourist infrastructure: hotels, guest houses, cafes are located in Cholpon Ata and neighboring villages from the village Tamchi to Korumdu.
There is sand and stones at the bottom, the water is clean. To the east of the village of Korumdu, the “black” side of the lake begins: there is clay at the bottom, the water is not transparent.
From Cholpon Ata it is convenient to visit the Grigorievskoye and Semenovskoye gorges, thermal springs, petroglyphs, and the Rukh Ordo cultural center.
South coast = wild beach holiday. The south of Lake Issyk-Kul is considered more picturesque, but less developed in terms of tourism. The choice of comfortable accommodation and cafes is still modest.
Come in summer with tents or live in yurts. Yurt campsites are located next to the Skazka canyon near the towns of Bokonbaevo, Kadzhi-Sai, and Tosor.
Karakol = mountains. No beaches, but from December to March there is a ski resort 10 km from the city. Many people celebrate New Year in Karakol.
From May to October, people go on one-day treks and multi-day mountain hikes from Karakol.
By car, visit the Karakol and Jeti Oguz gorges (Rocks of the Seven Bulls), waterfalls, Altyn-Arashan gorge, Broken Heart, Skazka canyon.
Need to book in advance?
In the spring, in order not to complicate my life, I rented housing online based on reviews.
Around the lake there are hotels, sanatoriums, cottages and the private sector. In the summer, rooms are rented out in each house; you can choose on the spot if you have time.
Prices from 400-700 soms ( 6-10$ ) for a bed in a yurt/hostel up to 50-100$+ per day in hotels and cottages. Bed and breakfast rooms in guest houses 20-30$ .
Weather and season in Issyk Kul
The season in the mountains is from May to October, for climbing the peaks July-August, when all trails are accessible.
Swim in the lake: mid-June to August. During the day air +21+28, water +20+22. In other months the water is icy and there is frequent rain.
In mid-April, only a dumb man did not tell me that the time was bad. +10+13, wet. We need it in the summer. I still believe that the time is always good if you fill your days with joy and don’t focus on the weather.
How to get to Issyk-Kul from Bishkek
Find transport from Bishkek to Lake Issyk-Kul at the Western Bus Station. You can get there by minibus or shared taxi.
Address: Bishkek, st. Chimkentskaya, 1
General taxi parking coordinates: 42.885137, 74.568090
Minibus
From Bishkek to Cholpon Ata 300 som(300 rub/4$), to Karakol 350 som (5$)
They depart when all seats are occupied. I waited for half an hour, returning from Karakol to Bishkek.
Just come to the station, go and see where the most passengers are gathered. Minibuses run from morning to evening.
Taxi
There are passenger cars (shared taxis) in front of the station; they leave when they are full. There are a lot of cars.
500-600 soms(500-600 RUR/9$) per person or 2000-2500 som($30-36) for the whole car.
On the way to Cholpon Ata 260 km, 4-4.5 hours, 405 km to Karakol, 5.5-6 hours. On the way, stop for lunch.
The Yandex taxi driver dropped me off at the shared taxi rank at 10.30 in the morning, and I immediately took the front seat in the Merc. 10 minutes later a family with a child arrived and we left.
Issyk-Kul in 4 days, route by car
Rent a car in Bishkek and go around the perimeter of the lake. Without a car it’s possible, you’ll just have to take a taxi or day trips to the mountains. Details below, but for now let’s imagine that you have a car.
Plan a trip around Lake Issyk-Kul for 4-5 days. It’s also possible in 2-3 days, it’s just tiring and you won’t have time to do much: the one-way trip from Bishkek takes half a day.
🐎 Logical route around Issyk-Kul on the map
The map can be enlarged and reduced. When you click on the icons, see photos of Issyk-Kul attractions.
Day 1. Bishkek-Cholpon Ata
▫ Departure from the center of Bishkek or from Manas airport at 8-9.00 am.
▫ Burana Tower- the oldest building in Central Asia (10-11th centuries). An important architectural monument with a sad legend. You can climb the minaret. Views of the steppe and mountains, an open-air museum. Located 80 km from Bishkek near the city of Tokmok.
9.00-17.00 seven days a week
GPS: 42.746634, 75.250376
▫ Dinner in a roadside cafe. Just look where there are a lot of cars. The food in the canteens along the highway is normal, the prices are low (200 rubles for the first, second, compote).
▫ Arrival at Cholpon-Ata or one of the villages, check-in to a hotel/guest house.
▫ Excursion to the cultural center " Rukh Ordo» named after Ch. Aitmatov.
9.00-17.00 seven days a week
Entrance 400 som (400 rub/6$)
GPS: 42.648172, 77.095115
Rukh Ordo is the spiritual center of Issyk-Kul. Sculptures of historical figures, paintings, photos and five chapels in honor of the main religions: Buddhism, Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, Orthodoxy.
There is also a memorial house of Chingiz Aitmatov and a wonderful view of Issyk-Kul. I was lucky to be completely alone in the complex. It’s rare to have such a sincere and romantic time alone with yourself.
▫ Visit Petroglyph Museum- rock paintings and inscriptions from the Neolithic era found around Lake Issyk-Kul and in the Chui Valley.
GPS: 42.661540, 77.057120
▫ Dinner at the restaurant “ Lamb» or any other in Cholpon Ata.
▫ Swimming in hot springs Ak-Bermet open air
8.00-22.00 seven days a week
GPS: 42.627311, 77.044881
From Bishkek to Cholpon Ata 260 km, 4-4.5 hours. Plus 1 hour for a circle to the Burana tower. General mileage per day if you visit all the places described above: 290 km, 6+ hours driving and 3-4 hours stopping for photos and visiting museums.
In Cholpon Ata they take boat rides on the lake Day 2. Cholpon Ata - gorge - Karakol
▫ Moving from Cholpon Ata to Karakol, 150 km, 3 hours
▫ Visit along the way Grigorievsky And Semenovsky Gorge, additionally 3-4 hours for a trip through both gorges.
Grigorievskoye Gorge The main advantage: these mountains are located only 40 km from Cholpon Ata behind the village of Grigoryevka. You can climb up the Grigorievsky Gorge and go down to the highway through Semenovskoye.
The road in the mountains is unpaved; from autumn to spring problems due to avalanches are possible. In the muddy rain, the car “drives”. Safer in an SUV.
Route through the gorges on the map:
▫ Check-in to a hotel/guest house/yurt in Karakol.
▫ Excursion around Karakol. The city was founded by Russian settlers in 1869. Here you can see the wooden Dungan mosque (built without a single nail), the Holy Trinity Cathedral, parks, and a market.
▫ Hot springs in the evening Ak-Suu 15 km from Karakol, GPS: 42.462262, 78.539709
▫ Ashlamfu in Karakol- signature dish, don't miss it. Contains noodles, starch, sauce.
Manti in Karakol Day 3. MOUNTAINS
▫ Trip to the ski resort and Karakol gorge
GPS: 42.303137, 78.485352
▫ Trip to the gorge Altyn-Arashan(“Golden Spring”), swimming in hot springs, overnight in a yurt Eco Yurt Camp Arashan.
GPS: 42.375820, 78.611852
You can go to the mountains on your own or contact Neofit (they organize excursions around the outskirts of Karakol).
Day 4. Karakol-Bishkek
▫ Return from Karakol to Bishkek along the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, 410 km, 6h 30min.
▫ Along the way there is a gorge " Jeti-Oguz"("Seven Bulls"). You can stay overnight and hike to the waterfalls along the “Valley of Flowers”. Overnight at the Golden Yurt yurt camp at an altitude of 2200m. The camp runs from May 5 to October 15.
GPS: 42.33777, 78.2315
▫ Trek to the waterfall Barskoon,GPS: 42.011728, 77.607603
▫ Visit to a picturesque Canyon "Fairy Tale", GPS: 42.156936, 77.358927
▫ Cultural Center « Aalam Ordo» exactly opposite Rukh Ordo, only on the southern bank, GPS: 42.198147, 77.223847
This is the maximum program. The road along the south of the lake is worse than the north, but more picturesque. Minibuses going to Bishkek don’t like to travel on it.
If you don’t have a car, you need to negotiate with a shared taxi driver or hire a separate car to see the south.
The northern road is also beautiful 
Issyk-Kul on your own without a car
My route:
Day 1. Bishkek→Cholpon Ata
▫ 10.30 departure from the Western bus station of Bishkek by shared taxi, 600 som/person
▫ 15.00 arrived in Cholpon Ata, checked into a family room Issyk-Kul Svetlana (rating 9.7 ).
Lovely family, clean, delicious homemade breakfasts. From the window there is a view of the lake, there is a passage to the beach.
The center is 2 km away, the owner Victor took us to the bank and the Narodny supermarket and told us everything.
He himself organizes excursions and takes tourists around the surrounding area in a jeep (gorges, hot springs, petroglyphs). Alas, he was busy, but he found me a car for tomorrow for a trip to the Grigorievskoye Gorge.
▫ 15.30 Spent an hour in the Rukh Ordo complex (400 som)
▫ Hot springs Ak-Bermet I didn’t go, although the owner offered to take me for 100 soms.
▫ 17.30 I was just asking passers-by where to eat in Cholpon-Ata. We recommended the restaurant "Lamb".
What will you eat? (they like the word "eat")
-Something simple without fat and meat.
-Take our signature salad.
OK. They bring 3 kg of warm veal, stewed with mushrooms and peppers. Such a light salad. I honestly have never seen so much meat anywhere. I also foolishly ordered trout fillet (350 g) and a liter of tea.
Gave 1000 soms (1000 r /15$ ) and stood up a little, although she didn’t even eat half of it. A shocking amount for dinner in Kyrgyzstan, but tasty and unusual.
Day 2. Grigorievskoe Gorge→Karakol
▫ 10.20. Departure from Cholpon Ata to the Grigorievskoye Gorge by taxi ( 1500 som/ 22$ per car). In summer they sell group excursions for 500 som.
Again in the summer, yurts are set up in the Grigorievsky Gorge and horses are brought. You can ride, sleep/eat/drink, take pictures with birds.
The whole excursion took 1h30min from the threshold of the guest house to the highway. During this time, they showed me a small stream of water - like a waterfall, and we simply drove along a dirt road in the mountains along the river.
But I met some yaks. They used to live high in the mountains (yak loves 3000m+), people hunted them. If I needed meat, I went and shot it. Now little yaks are walking with horsemen and their cows. Animals began to be tamed about 7 years ago. Domesticated and bred.
▫ 11.50 returned with the driver to the highway to Grigoryevka, waited for a passing minibus
▫ 12.30 minibus Grigoryevka-Karakol, 110 km, 2 hours, 120 soms
Clean and warm lakes for us!
Mila Demenkova
Fresh review
Tri-City Park is located in the town of Placencia, bordering Fullerton and the town of Brea. All these settlements are part of Orange County, in southern California. For all the time that we have been here, we have not figured out where one city ends and another begins. And, probably, it is not so important. They do not differ much in architecture and their history is approximately the same, and the parks are within easy reach. We also went to this one on foot.
Random entries
After describing the hotel, as promised, I'll tell you about the beach and the sea. Our hotel, as the name implies, had its own beach. Well, a little bit not your own, but one huge for three or four hotels. But sun loungers and umbrellas are free, the sea and sand are clean. The beach opens at 9 am. Closes at 6pm.
The sun in May is already quite harsh. You burn pretty quickly. But the sea is still pleasant - warm, but not hot. In general, swimming is good. By the way, there were no jellyfish either - I don’t know when they have a season there.
This year, September 1st fell on a Sunday, adding another day to the holidays. So we decided to somehow celebrate this day with our grandchildren in a special way. In the morning, after breakfast, I suggested going to the mountains: Medeo or Koktyube. But to my surprise received a categorical refusal in two votes. Polina motivated the refusal by the fact that she did not have a blouse, and it was cold in the mountains. I said I'd find her something warm. But she declared, purely feminine, that she would not go in anything. Maxim was just silent and staring at the computer monitor. I was just in shock, recalling my childhood, when any walk with my parents that promised some kind of entertainment, or at least ice cream, was a holiday for us. Yeah, too much entertainment for today's children. Not to say that I was offended, but some sediment remained in my soul. I went to the kitchen, put the chicken in the oven, as, finally, Maxim said: "Actually, you can go." The point, however, was for dinner, it was warm outside and you could go without a blouse, so Polina quickly agreed. While no one changed their mind, we gathered in five minutes. It didn’t make sense to go far and we moved to Koktyube.
This summer, my husband and I made another voyage - to Georgia. It turns out that since childhood he dreamed of going there and carefully concealed it, lying on the couch and watching TV shows about travel. True, I fully understand him, when, on duty, you have to roam the endless expanses of Kazakhstan, not always live in comfortable conditions, or rather, always in uncomfortable conditions, and besides, do work. Having returned home and stretched out on the couch, I don’t really want to pack my bags, go somewhere to look at ancient ruins or outlandish places. Here we have seen much that perhaps those who travel abroad have not seen. But when you retire, you have free time and completely different thoughts, you remember your childhood dreams. And if today you do not translate them into reality, then tomorrow you may not have time, time is no longer working for us.
Finally, in the spring of 1949, the day came when the last scaffolding was removed. The creators of the architectural ensemble once again walked around and carefully examined the entire structure. All the shortcomings that they noticed were corrected in the short time that remained until the day of the official delivery. The selection committee, along with Soviet architects and artists, included several leading comrades from the SVAG.
We have a few days left before leaving home and we have already seen enough cities, towns and even villages. But there was one more city that was significant for Saxony-Anhalt, the city - Halle (it’s more familiar to me, well, I studied even “before historical materialism”, or rather, under it, when all toponymy on maps was written in Russian transcription. And I studied on Faculty of Geography, and this toponymy, or as we called it - the nomenclature of the map, we handed in weekly and with prejudice. So, for me, these objects still appear as Halle and Harz and period).
I'll tell you a little about the hotel in Sharjah. We chose an inexpensive hotel with a private beach. And in general, we liked everything, except for the lack of alcohol, but this is of course not a hotel problem, but a problem of the Emirate of Sharjah as a whole.
October 9th, 2010
When Kyrgyz people say that they are going to Issyk-Kul, this does not mean that they are going to swim or otherwise spend time near the water. Most likely, they are heading to their home village or to relatives, and it will be very far from there to the water. Also, my “first coming” to Issyk-Kul this year took place mainly away from Issyk-Kul itself. After Kochkor I went to the village of Aksu near the city of Karakol. My friend Nurlan’s father-in-law, who lived there, recently died. Relatives were supposed to gather for forty days. And either Nurlan invited me, or I asked for it myself, but on the appointed day and hour I was also there.
On the way, I stopped for a couple of days at the resort village of Kadzhi-Sai, which I liked last year. At the end of the summer I returned there for two weeks. I’ll tell you about it separately later. That's where Kadzhi-Sai is located at the very end of the cape.
The name of the village Aksu is translated as “white river”, meaning “mountain river”. The Russian name is Teploklyuchenka (due to the hot radon springs nearby). Settlements around Issyk-Kul now often have two names - old Russian and new Kyrgyz. Kyrgyz, as a rule, is official. But not always: if the official name is still Russian, it means that the majority of the inhabitants in that place are Slavs.
The Kirghiz, like the Russians, remember the dead on the fortieth day and a year later. But, unlike the Russians, the funeral here lasts several days. On the first day, only relatives gather. Anyone can come on the second and third days.
In the morning, the women prepared borsok - traditional Kyrgyz bread in the form of individual small pieces.
The relatives gradually gathered.
This woman did not have children for a long time. And only in the second marriage a son was finally born.
A mullah came (in Kyrgyz “moldo”), and before slaughtering the sheep, they read a prayer.
According to custom, at the father-in-law's funeral, the animal must be slaughtered by the deceased's son-in-law. But Nurlan has long since become a “city dweller”; he doesn’t know how to slaughter sheep, so he only symbolically sharpened his knife.
According to Muslim tradition, when slaughtering cattle, blood should not be spilled on the ground. Therefore, it is collected in basins.
While the sheep were being slaughtered, the guests chatted cheerfully about something.
Then we prayed some more. Notice the woman in the blue headscarf on the left. This is Nurlan's mother-in-law. According to custom, the widow should wear a dark loose scarf. Married women wear headscarves tied at the back.
After the prayer, the sheep were butchered. Having removed the skin from the animal, the Kyrgyz leave it lying on the ground, using it as a “table” for subsequent processing of the carcass.
Almost the entire animal is used for food. They burn the hair on the head and legs in order to cook them too.
This is a traditional Kyrgyz table. They eat while sitting on the floor, on mattresses. A city friend once told me that it was unusual and uncomfortable for her to eat while sitting on a chair :)
After Aksu, we went to another village, where they commemorated our grandfather, who died a long time ago. There, too, they slaughtered a sheep and invited guests.
And THIS grew along the roads. They say that Issyk-Kul IS the best in Kyrgyzstan.
Then Nurlan and his family went back to Bishkek, and I stayed in the city of Karakol, the center of the Issyk-Kul region.
Previously, it was called Przhevalsky, in honor of the famous traveler who died here. Not far from the city there is his grave and museum. This is a map of his travels in the museum.
I was already in Karakol last year. This time I stayed at the guest house "Yak Tours". It is quite popular with Western tourists, of whom you can meet many there. Because it’s cheap - 350 soms for a place in a room (private, if you’re lucky) with a shared shower and toilet. And you can leave your things there when you go to the mountains. And, of course, since there are a lot of people there, you can find travel companions for the trek.
There are still many Russians left in the city. One day I attended a celebration in a local church. They celebrated something related to the main icon of the temple. A lot of people gathered. Even our military personnel serving here came.
When entering the temple, you had to walk under the icon (this, they say, makes your wish come true) and kiss the cross.
This church, by the way, is quite famous and is mentioned in all guidebooks. Another attraction of the city is a wooden mosque in the Chinese style, built by representatives of the Dungan people.
I photographed such a colorful visitor there.
Here is one of the bazaars in Karakol.
Another bazaar has several rows where you can eat ashlyam-fu, a traditional local dish borrowed from Dungan cuisine. (I will tell you in detail about Ashlyam-fu and Kyrgyz cuisine later).
From Karakol I went to the mountains for several days, to the Altyn-Arashan resort (meaning “golden spring”). It is extremely popular with Western tourists. The place is really interesting. It is located at an altitude of approximately 3000 meters. The road there is very bad, so many people walk - about 15 km with an ascent of 1000 meters. There is no special extreme there - the road just goes up all the time. The journey took me two and a half hours. If you don’t want to walk, you can rent a UAZ or a jeep in Karakol.
In a clearing in the valley there are half a dozen guest houses. Price with meals - 400-550 soms per day. Without meals, you can rent a bed for 200. The conditions are quite spartan.
At the end of the valley, in clear weather, Mount Palatka is visible.
Some houses have indoor pools filled with warm water from radon springs. The price of such pleasure is 100-150 soms per person. For this money you can sit there all day. But for health it is better not more than 15 minutes a day. After that you really start to feel hard. But overall, these baths are very relaxing. Because of them alone it is worth visiting Altyn-Arashan.
After Karakol, I went to the village of Barskoon, located near the lake. Here it must be said that the roads around Issyk-Kul are one of the few places in Kyrgyzstan where minibuses run regularly and frequently. Travel there is not expensive - from Karakol to Barskoon, for example, 70 soms.
There is a guest house in Barskoon, organized with the help of some French people. But it is a bit expensive (750 soms without meals). Therefore, in a minibus, with the help of the driver, I agreed to stay at the house of one of the passengers for 400 soms with meals. After that, the driver and I went to the beach to celebrate our acquaintance.
Barskoon translates as “tears of a leopard.” The main attraction here is the waterfall, located deep in the gorge behind the village. The next morning I went there.
I met this character along the way.
I didn't have to walk for long. Soon a hitchhiker was found to give me a lift. Actually, there are several waterfalls here. On the top right is a large one, below it is a second smaller one. And on the left, too, something is “leaking” a little.
Under the waterfall there is a monument to Gagarin, who rested in these places. There was an even larger monument nearby, but some vandals broke it.
This is the valley of the Barskoon River. Along it there is a road to the large Kumtor gold deposit, developed by a Canadian company. Fuel tankers and trucks constantly drive back and forth along the road, raising dust around.
In the valley there are yurts for vacationers, where you can eat, drink kumiss and milk, or rent horses for a ride. Here is a family of “five people” in one of these yurts.
Another day I went to the nearby village of Tamga to see a stone with Buddhist inscriptions - Tamga-Tash. In the 16th century, Kalmyk tribes came here, professing Buddhism, of whose presence only a few artifacts now remain.
Tamga-Tash is located about six kilometers in the gorge behind the village. Actually, there are several such inscribed stones there. Almost all of them are carved with the traditional Buddhist mantra “Om mani padme hum”. The one called Tamga-Tash is the largest of them. Finding it without outside help is almost impossible. At first I walked around the neighborhood for a long time looking for him. I've seen such landscapes.
And almost at dusk I found a local resident who showed me the right place.
