Issyk-Kul. This name is exactly familiar to Russian tourists who prefer the Turkish "all-inclusive" primitive beauty of nature. Issyk-Kul is the second most popular route after Lake Baikal (in fact, it is called the Kirghiz Baikal) if we talk about the great lakes, if not within our homeland, then close to it. Issyk-Kul is a large high-altitude lake lying in the northern Tien Shan between the two mountain ridges of Kungey Ala-Too and Terskey Ala-Too.

Issyk-Kul does not freeze even in winter, so you can go to Kyrgyzstan at any time of the year. Mountain air, untouched by nature and hot springs, accessible all year round, have a curative effect always, and the picturesque species will cure any depression. In summer, bathing in the crystal clear water of the lake adds to all this.

Issyk-Kul does not freeze in winter, so you can go to Kyrgyzstan at any time of the year. Mountain air, nature untouched by production and thermal springs give a curative effect always, and the picturesque species will cure any depression. But in summer, when you can swim in crystal clear water (even from a hang-glider you can see the bottom of the lake!), Of course, the resort is simply attacked by tourists.

Main resorts: Cholpon-Ata, Karakol, Baet, Balykchi, Bosteri, Tamchi, Chok -Tal.

How to get to Issyk-Kul

Direct flights from Moscow to Bishkek are performed by airlines "Ural Airlines", "Air Bishkek", "Kyrgyzstan Air", "Aeroflot" and "Avia Traffic Company ". Aircraft are sent daily from the capital's ports of Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo. The journey by air will take 4 hours and will cost 3500-4000 rubles in one direction - this is in the spring and if you take care of buying tickets in advance. A cheaper option is a train: three days of tapping the wheels, and you're in Bishkek!

Issyk-Kul's climate

Although Issyk-Kul is geographically and the lake, the climate here is marine. The sun is staying longer in the region than on the Black Sea coast: 2700 hours a year. In the Russian capital, this figure, by comparison, is 1,700 hours. In winter, in January, the average temperature is from -2 ° C to -6 ° C. The season starts in July, although there is no special heat this month - the air warms up to +17 ° C on average - and lasts until October.

Pearl of Kyrgyzstan

Sights, excursions and entertainment in Issyk-Kul

In addition to the mild climate, mountain air and healing bright blue water, already mentioned, Issyk-Kul attracts people with its golden beaches, hot mineral springs and therapeutic muds: the lake is essentially a large health resort .But to the healing effect of relaxation here is attached a lot of impressions, because in Issyk-Kul, a lot of entertainment and places that can not be visited .So you will not be afraid of a boring sanatorium holiday! You can do trekking, mountaineering, go rafting along the Chu River or take a yacht ride on the lake .Cognitive tourism Kirghiz also managed to organize a good .

Will be in Cholpon-Ata, go to the Stone garden. The museum under the open sky is located on 42 hectares - the ruins of the city of the Great Silk Road are preserved here.

Cholpon-Ata

The resort center of the northern coast of Issyk-Kul Cholpon-Ata is famous for its health resorts. There are many thermal springs, hydrogen sulphide and mud mud, which are designed to improve the health of guests - adults and small. On the beach runs the largest in Kyrgyzstan water park and attractions.

Be sure to ride on the Ferris wheel: from the 70-meter height to see Issyk-Kul is definitely worth it!

For extreme sports, surfing, underwater hunting and parachute flights in tow, hiking in caves and mountain gorges are available. One of the popular routes is the Kungei Ala-Too Range, from which you can see the mountain gorges of Chon-Koy-Suu and Cholpon-Ata with their famous petroglyphs and barrowed burial grounds. Here the alpine meadows adjoin the eternal glaciers and waterfalls.

You can go all the family on a fishing trip or a racetrack - look at the breed of Kyrgyz horses bred at a local factory.

Will be in Cholpon-Ata, go to the Stone garden. The museum under the open sky is located on 42 hectares - the ruins of the city of the era of the Great Silk Road are preserved here. And in the cultural center of Rukh-Ordo there are 5 white chapels, each dedicated to a separate religion.

Dead Lake

Just 200 meters from Issyk-Kul, although this closeness on the scale of the lake itself is only apparent, there is another interesting tourist attraction - Kara-Kol, or Dead Salty Lake .In search of this natural miracle, it is better to focus on the city of Balykchi: from him to Kara-Kola a little more than 70 km .The lake is remarkable in that it is impossible to drown in it - such a concentration of salt! It is often compared to the Israeli Dead Sea .Here they go to treat skin diseases .The mud of Kara-Kola - black, blue and green - is attributed to an even wider range of healing properties .In general, from bronchitis, tonsillitis ... Only the effect of Issyk-Kul mud is, in contrast to Duramar's piyavochek: tested by numerous tourists!

4 things to do on Issyk-Kul:
  1. Rise into the sky on a hang glider and see the lake from a bird's eye view. You will see that it is amazingly blue and transparent: you can see even the bottom!
  2. Visit the Santash Pass, about which the legend is composed: Tamerlane tried many times to conquer the tribes living on the shore of the lake, on one of the campaigns he ordered his soldiers to pick up a stone and lay down a mountain, on the way back the survivors did the same, the mountain was half as much. These mounds were called Santash, which means countable.
  3. Get a telescope and at night admire the stars that hang at arm's length in Cholpan-Ata. Although - you can do without a telescope! In the megapolis, such luxury is not exactly due to the eternal smog.
  4. Dive into the depths of Issyk-Kul with equipment and with your own eyes see the ruins of ancient fortifications found at the bottom of the lake.

Barskaun

Travelers who have chosen the wild southern coast of Issyk-Kul are worth visiting in Barskaune. Local call it in their own way - Barskoon. This gorge in the mountains of Terskey-Alata, its length is 10 km. It was here that the Great Silk Road traveled to China. But Barskoon is famous primarily for its waterfalls. Everyone has his own, unusual name. Well, for example, Tears of a leopard, falling from a hundred meters high, or Spray of champagne. About each waterfall, local guides will tell you an incredible legend.

Do not be surprised when you meet in the gorge monument to Yuri Gagarin. The cosmonaut often and happily rested here.

Hot spring of Altyn-Arashan

There are a lot of curative thermal springs on Issyk-Kul, but Arashan consider the best Kirghiz, for what they call it gold. It is located 10 km from the city of Karakol, near the village of Ak-Suu. The main magic of this place is that here from the earth various sources of water are striking: in the Juuku spring water temperature is 34 ° C, in Djilis - 40 ° C, in Arashan - 50 ° C. The first two are hydrogen sulphide, and the last is radon. It is believed that the water of springs helps with diseases of the digestive system, heart, liver and joints.

You can swim in the sources of Arashan all year round!

Tanga Tash

Even if you are not a Buddhist, you should visit Tanga Tash. The local shrine, representing the world's worth, is a chain of three giant stones that are located about 1 km apart. Often, of course, travelers only get to one. On the stones - engravings with Tibetan rock paintings, which have a sacred meaning. This place, they assure it was here, energizes.

Dzhety-Oguz gorge

In the mountain valley Djety-Oguz there is a well-known resort, and it is known for being located at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level and built on hot hydrogen sulfide springs. The resort is surrounded by rocks that have eloquent names: Broken Heart, Seven Bulls - the Kirghiz with a description of native beauties is an obvious order. In Djety-Oguz, once there was an ancient settlement, where the rate of the Usun ruler was located. Dzhety-Oguz gorge stretches for 37 km, it is literally strewn with dark green spruce.

The cost of a one-day excursion in these areas ranges from 25 USD to 50 USD per person (2014).

Trekking for the Arab wind

Horses for Kyrgyz are sacred animals, they always lived close to people .Because horse tourism here flourishes .You can go on horseback for a one-hour walk, or you can go on a 15-day trek through the mountain passes and high-mountain glaciers under the wonderful name "Behind the Arab wind" .What kind of wind is to be sought and what are the Arabian syrtas, instructors will explain to you, if you dare .Tourists on this journey prepare their own food at the stake, and from the fact that they were shot or hunted, they take care of the horses - in general, office plankton for good and will clearly have something to boast about colleagues .

Before you go on a multi-day horseriding, make sure you have the strength and health. People suffering from vascular diseases, such a tour is contraindicated.

Where to stay at Issyk-Kul

Choose a place to stay overnight in Issyk-Kul is not difficult: its services are offered by more than 120 sanatoria, hotels, holiday homes, boarding houses. Remember only one thing: the northern shore is more comfortable than the southern one. Respectable cottages and mini-hotels will be found in the village of Bosteri. Here, lovers of exoticism and, as they say, a total immersion in the area will be offered for living a yurt. Feel like a nomad, as they say!