Issyk-Kul, Bishkek tourist review of Kyrgyzstan. Lake Issyk-Kul Kyrgyzstan How to get from Omsk to Issyk-Kul
(also Issyk-Kol)- This is undoubtedly the main attraction of the country. Issyk-Kul is a unique place in all respects. The lake is located in the center of the vast Issyk-Kul basin, located between two huge ridges Kungey-Ala-Too and Terskey-Ala-Too, occupying almost its entire area. The lake's altitude is 1,700 meters above sea level, making Issyk-Kul the second largest alpine lake in the entire world, second only to Lake Titicaca in South America. The maximum depth of the lake reaches 702 meters, making it one of the deepest lakes in the whole world. The length of the lake’s coastline is almost 700 kilometers, which clearly demonstrates its scale. The lake is kept full of water by numerous glacial rivers descending from the slopes of the Tien Shan - there are more than 80 of them.
The water in Issyk-Kul is salty and it does not freeze even in winter. Thanks to this, the lake got its name: Issyk-Kul translated from Kyrgyz means “hot lake”. The lake creates a unique maritime climate in the valley, which is extremely unusual for the highlands and Central Asia in general. For example, winters here are much milder than in other regions of the country, and in summer, on the contrary, it is not so hot. The water in Issyk-Kul warms up to 20-25 degrees in summer, and therefore the lake is a favorite place for swimming both for Kyrgyzstanis and tourists from other countries.
Geographically, the shores of the lake are very different. Its western part is dominated by dry and sandy terrain, where there is fairly little vegetation and the water level is quite low. Closer to the middle, the lake expands sharply, and here are the deepest places of Issyk-Kul. In this area, the opposite shore is practically invisible, and the lake looks more like a real sea. In the eastern part, the lake is slightly fresher, due to the large number of flowing rivers. The shores of the lake here are marshy and grassy, there are many small islands, bays, etc. The water level here is the lowest.
The shores of Issyk-Kul are not only geographically different, but also culturally. The northern shore of the lake is traditionally more visited and tourist developed, thanks to its flat coastline and good beaches, which, for example, the southern shore cannot boast of. On the northern shore of Issyk-Kul there are many boarding houses, hotels, inns and holiday homes that welcome guests all year round. Particularly popular are the places near the city of Cholpon-Ata and the village of Bosteri. However, it cannot be said that the northern coast is more suitable for relatively passive recreation. There are not many geographical attractions here, but there are all the conditions for complete relaxation on the shores of the lake. Families, groups of friends, etc. will feel comfortable here.
The southern coast of Issyk-Kul is more deserted and calm. There are not many beaches here, but there are a lot of different attractions untouched by man. This is due to the fact that on the southern coast the coast is located close to the giant Terskey-Ala-Too ridge. Because of this, the coastline is very indented and the bottom of the lake is very rocky. The western part of the south coast is dominated by clay canyons and dried mountains and hills. The landscape changes only closer to the middle, when the mountains come closest to the shore. The southern coast is suitable for those who seek solitude, contemplation of nature and a “wild” holiday away from civilization and noise.
Issyk-Kul has an ancient and rich history. The first written mention of the lake dates back to the 2nd century BC. Primitive people lived on its banks, leaving behind numerous petroglyphs that can still be seen to this day. Ancient Scythian tribes also lived here, whose main city - Chigu - is now located under the water of the lake. Nestorian monks found shelter here, bringing the relics of St. Matthew to the shores of the lake (their exact location is still one of the main mysteries of Issyk-Kul). Among more modern attractions, it is worth remembering the city of Karakol, notable for its architecture, as well as the cultural center of Rukh-Ordo in the city of Cholpon-Ata. Also, every two years, the World Nomad Games, the world’s main competition in ethnic sports, are held on the shores of the lake.
How to get to Lake Issyk-Kul?
Hundreds of thousands of people visit Issyk-Kul every year, and therefore getting to the lake by car will not be difficult from almost any region of the country, especially in the summer. From Bishkek you can get to the lake from the Western Bus Station. Minibus taxis depart every 15-20 minutes. The price of the trip depends on the distance: a trip to Balykchy will cost you 150 soms, and a trip to Karakol - 400.
The most important condition for making your vacation bright and full of exclusively positive emotions is a properly planned route and accommodation. To make it easier for you to imagine how you can organize a visit to the lake Issyk-kul with its numerous boarding houses, excursions and boat trips, we offer a selection of highlights that will be very useful to you.
You can relax in Issyk-Kul at any time of the year. You just need to be prepared for the seasonal features of this region. The most favorable periods for a relaxing holiday are considered to be before July 15, when the season is not officially considered open, and after August 25, when the velvety passing of summer reigns on all coasts. But since most tourists want to relax in the midst of summer, they need to be prepared for increased demand and excitement, which, of course, affects the increase in prices, both for transport services and the cost of travel packages.
If you are traveling to Issyk-Kul from Bishkek or Manas airport, then the most comfortable option is that it will pick you up both from the airport and from any point in Bishkek, and after your rest will take you back from Issyk-Kul.
If you are traveling to Issyk-Kul from Almaty, then you can buy a ticket at the Sayran bus station, where regular buses leave for Issyk-Kul every five minutes for an hour from 22.00 to 23.00. The flight is predominantly at night, since the journey takes a long time and for the convenience of passengers, it is better to while away the travel time half asleep, while in a comfortable bus. In the morning you will wake up on the coast. You can also order a taxi or transfer from Almaty, but this service will be more expensive than the first option.
If you are traveling to Issyk-Kul from Russia, then most often Russians prefer to travel by train to Otar station, to Chu or to Bishkek, and then travel either by taxi or by regular or shuttle bus. You can also get to Bishkek by plane, landing at Manas airport, and then, which will take you directly from the airport to the desired location on the coast. Or get to the Western bus station, from which buses and route buses depart to Issyk-Kul. We advise you to plan in advance the route according to which you will travel or fly to the lake, as well as prepare all the necessary telephone numbers of the bus station, airport, taxi services and direct contacts of the place where you plan to spend your vacation. You can also contact tour operators who will expertly help you coordinate your transfer from any city in Russia and Kazakhstan, and will find you the most suitable accommodation options, but the cost of this service will cost an appropriate amount.
You can also contact the owners of the boarding house or guest house where you will stay upon arrival, and at a certain part of your journey, they can prepare vehicles to meet you and take you to your destination. When choosing a vacation destination, pay attention in advance to such issues as how close the boarding house is to the cities of Cholpon-Ata, Balykchy, Karakol; does the boarding house have its own beach and how far is it located from the cottages, is food included in the price of the tour, what infrastructure exists on the territory of the boarding house and beyond, is there a medical aid station in the boarding house, can they help you organize excursions to natural parks and historical places of the Issyk-Kul region.
It is very hot in summer, but due to the low humidity it is easily tolerated. But in the evenings and in the mountain gorges it can be cool, so we advise you to take not only light clothes, but also warmer jackets and sweaters.
We recommend that you purchase round-trip tickets at once, and during your trip plan not only the route to Issyk-Kul, but also back. And if it is quite easy to get from Issyk-Kul to Bishkek by ordering a taxi or using regular buses, then with train or plane tickets there may be difficulties due to the holiday season. Therefore, it would not be superfluous to stock up on the telephone numbers of several hotels in Bishkek, so that in the event of force majeure circumstances, you can calmly wait out this time there, and at the same time take several excursions around Bishkek and real oriental bazaars. We hope that your vacation will be pleasant, and tour operators, vehicle drivers and boarding house employees will do everything to make you experience what real hospitality means and want to return to Kyrgyzstan again.
In June 2012, my wife and I visited Kyrgyzstan. The decision to go to Central Asia arose spontaneously. We wanted mountains, delicious food and a mountain lake. I knew nothing about Kyrgyzstan before this trip. My friend, a teacher, who every summer takes her children on vacation to Issyk-Kul, told me about all the beauty of nature. The Silk Road and the traces of Tamerlane beckoned us to such an unfamiliar Asia. The decision has been made - let's go. Our choice is Cholpon-Ata.
City on the northern shore of the lakesIssyk-Kul . It is located 265 km from the capital of the republic of the city Ishkek, 145 km from the regional center city Karakol . The city is famous for its white sandy beaches and clear lake waters.
We started preparing in about 3 weeks. We booked a room in a private boarding house in Cholpon-Ata for $8 per day and a transfer from Bishkek to the boarding house for $60. We bought train tickets from Yekaterinburg. I won’t go into details now, but it’s better to fly there by plane. The train is very exhausting, 4 borders, smugglers sneaking around the cars, dirty toilets, sanitary areas, heat.....
But we went to Kyrgyzstan full of optimism and did not notice all the inconveniences. Part of the adventure you might say.
And here we are at the Bishkek station. It's 1 o'clock in the morning. We are greeted by a smiling Kyrgyz man in an old Mercedes. The first thing we do is stop at the nearest exchange office. The exchange rate at that time was approximately 1 ruble = 1.5 soms. We decided to exchange 10 thousand for the first time. It was necessary to change more)))) And now we are driving into the night through the gorge to Cholpon-Ata. We chat with the driver all the way, he talks about the hard life in this country, about the lack of work, any industry in the country....
In the morning we were in Cholpon-Ata.
5 hours of sleep and we go to the lake! Beauty!
In close proximity to us is the pearl of Kyrgyzstan, the Blue Issyk-Kul sanatorium. The prices there are ridiculous, an average procedure such as mud or swimming in a mineral pool costs about 30 soms. But we are healthy, we are not interested in this, we are interested in the lake! The beach also belongs to the sanatorium. Very clean. Local children sell corn, fish and rent umbrellas.
The next day we go for a boat ride.
On the horizon is the southern coast of Issyk-Kul. Snow-capped peaks of the Tien Shan, China beyond the mountains!
We look back, and there is a thunderstorm in the mountains.....
In the middle of the lake, the ship drops anchor and those who wish can swim! I didn’t deny myself this pleasure either!
The thunderstorm is no longer there....
In the evening we go for a walk around the city. At the entrance we are met by the same Cholpon-Ata.
And another Kyrgyz woman.
There are also few museums in Cholpon-Ata.
Cholpon-Ata is home to a popular open-air museum, sometimes called the Stone Garden, located on an area of 42 hectares.
We got there on foot through the local airfield, thorns, sand and stones. Along the way we came across some construction materials :)
The museum displays prehistoric monumental images: cromlechs, funerary monuments, border stone fences, as well as petroglyphs dating back to 2000 BC. - 4th century ADMany of the drawings are made in the Saka-Scythian style: images of hunters, hunting scenes with the participation of tamed snow leopards. One drawing depicts hunting leopards in motion. This is the only image of this kind in Central Asia.
A lot of goats.
Has everyone seen a beautiful deer here?
Walking under the scorching sun, we got very burnt, even though we were smeared with the strongest sunscreen.
Therefore, the best time to visit the museum is early morning or late evening.
Not far from the petroglyphs there is a very interesting local history museum. Few people know about it; we came across it completely by accident.
National vessel for kymyz made of leather.
National felt carpet.
A smaller copy of a Kyrgyz yurt. I will talk about yurts separately in other posts about gorges and mountains.....
National musical instruments.
One of the most controversial impressions on us was made by the Cultural Center Rukh Ordo named after. Ch. Aitmatova. Entrance is quite expensive, about 300 soms per person. A little bit of everything from different cultures is mixed together. No hint of authenticity. For example, ancient Greece Hestia goddess of the family hearth and sacrificial firein Ancient Greece.
N territory There are 5 identical chapels: Buddhist, Orthodox, Muslim, Catholic Jewish .
Five identical chapels speak of the equality of all religions.
And this chair is made from walnut tree root....
In a word, it’s a Resort City, everything for tourists. A few parting tips. If you are going on vacation to Cholpon-Ata, be sure to change the currency immediately in Bishkek, because the exchange rate changes very sharply closer to the resort area. Be sure to visit the fisherman's cafe. Best place in town, trout, all types of lagman other national chow. Delicious Arpa beer, very polite waiters. If you're going to the mountains, go and ask the price. He called a lot for tours to the mountains and gorges. There are comrades who offer very interesting forays not along the main routes. They have the appropriate Delica type equipment.
In the next post I will tell you about the Semenovskoye Gorge.
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“If you travel, then do it to the fullest! If you take pictures, then stop and take pictures!” - these were the main mottos of our trip to Lake Issyk-Kul in 2014.
The journey lasted 5 days, from September 7 to 12, 2014. Route: Almaty - Bishkek - Ortotokoy reservoir - Lake Issyk-Kul - Almaty, distance: about 1000 km.
Having spent the entire weekend at home without vacation, we finally decided, under the last rays of the September sun, to go on vacation to the blue Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. Hungry for landscape photographs, I prepared my camera and video camera.
On September 7 at five in the morning the whole family leaves Almaty towards the Kyrgyz border near Bishkek. Our cruise ship is a Toyota Matrix with a cargo box on the roof and, as always, not without CityGuide auto navigation. The video recorder served the role of capturing interesting views of the road. Our plan: to go to Bishkek, to visit my aunt, then to Issyk-Kul to the Rainbow recreation center near the village of Sary-Oy. The estimated distance, taking into account the arrival in Bishkek, is about 500 km.
Before dawn we drove onto the A-2 road "Almaty - Bishkek", leaving the city, we stopped at a Gazprom gas station, filled the tank full and drank tea. I really didn’t want to pay fines for speeding and I drove strictly according to the rules, the average speed was no more than 90 km/h. And I was not mistaken! My greed gave results, after 230 km to the Kyrgyz border, all of us who were driving according to the rules and who were overtaking arrived at the same time! Some drove and paid fines of at least 2,000 tenge two or even three times, others drove calmly and without risk. For information on the territory of Kazakhstan, the minimum fine for exceeding the speed limit by 10 km/h is officially a little more than 18,000 tenge, which is almost $100 US. It’s much cheaper to give a bribe, about 2000 tenge, that’s $10, but how lucky are you, what if they don’t take the bribe and issue a fine? The traffic cop's main tool for recording speed is a camouflaged, remote camera on a tripod a kilometer before the ambush.
Highway A-2 "Almaty - Bishkek" connects Almaty with Bishkek and Almaty with Shymkent via Taraz. The road is not bad in terms of road surface, in the 2000s it was completely reconstructed by the joint efforts of Kazakh and Turkish companies, the Kordai Pass was literally straightened, but there is one very big drawback, this two-lane road! Which is completely incompatible with the current driving style of the local population, “90” signs officially reduce speed instead of the permissible 110 km/h on all Kazakhstan roads. Having traveled almost 200 km from Almaty to Kurdai, I realized that I was driving like a turtle, i.e. 90 km/h. Still, they are not limited to a speed of 120-140 km/h, including buses, but trucks travel barely 70-80 km/h. Vehicles are very far from proper technical condition, the age of the cars exceeds 10-15, or even 20 years, no one passes technical inspection in the Republic of Kazakhstan, throw in 4000-5000 tenge ($20-30) once a year and off you go. Driving at night is at least dangerous, half of the cars do not have all the side lights at the rear and the headlights at the front, and some reckless drivers have even darkened front lights. Overtaking is easy and immediate; wedging in front of oncoming traffic and almost hitting a car with your bumper at a distance of half a meter is not a problem! And you think they don’t fight? They still fight, killing themselves and innocent people, which does not serve as a lesson to anyone from generation to generation.
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Fields near the Trans-Ili Alatau. Kazakhstan, Almaty region.
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Sheep at the foot of the Trans-Ili Alatau. Kazakhstan, Almaty region.
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Wind farm on the Kordai Pass near the A-2 highway. Kazakhstan, Zhambyl region.
At sunrise, the freshly mown wheat fields shone golden, I stopped and photographed the field against the backdrop of the Trans-Ili Alatau. Then the road began as straight as a string for 40 km. Before entering the Kordai Pass, construction is underway of a transport interchange from the A-2 highway to the new concrete road "Western China - Western Europe" and to the village of Otar. Having climbed the Kordai pass, we saw the built wind power plants of an impressive size, about 20 meters high. Then we descend from the pass and the last village of Kordai before the border with Kyrgyzstan. We stopped at a currency exchange office and exchanged money, Kazakh tenge for Kyrgyz soms. Right there at the entrance, a rare “Chaika” GAZ-13 was being sold for an amount exceeding a little more than forty thousand US dollars.
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GAZ-13 "Chaika" for sale in the village of Kordai. Kazakhstan, Zhambyl region.
There were relatively few cars at customs, with about five standing in line ahead of me. The bulk of people crossing this customs office strive to go to the Kyrgyz Dordoi market, mainly private entrepreneurs for the purpose of resale in Kazakhstan at flea markets. Most leave their cars in a spontaneous paid parking lot near the border and go on foot or by taxi to Dordoi, which is not far from the border. After it was my turn at customs, I dropped off my passengers, went through the customs of Kazakhstan, crossed the Chu River bridge and stopped at the Customs of Kyrgyzstan. I was surprised by one procedure for filling out a declaration for a car; in a separate room I was given a declaration form in the Kyrgyz language; according to logic, the text of the Kyrgyz language should have been duplicated in the customs document, at least in international English! But no, everything is in the best traditions of corruption, customs officers offered me to fill out this document for a fee. I asked for a sample and coped with the Kyrgyz text myself. The border has been passed, we are in Kyrgyzstan!
From the border to the capital of Kyrgyzstan it is about 20 km; the asphalt, more or less not bad, ends at the entrance to the city of Bishkek. In Bishkek, only the central streets have good roads, the rest are like after the Battle of Stalingrad. Bishkek is a typical Soviet city, like all others in the Soviet Union, modern buildings are sometimes visible, but not in predominant numbers. On the streets, as well as in the country, the predominant number of Japanese-made cars with right-hand drive, Honda, a common brand in Kyrgyzstan. It’s not easy to buy a local GSM connection in the form of a SIM card in the city; we drove through the city center, quickly went shopping and couldn’t find it. We spent two hours visiting my aunt and drove with my cousin in two cars towards Issyk-Kul. From Bishkek we took the bypass road A-365 Bishkek - Naryn, Bishkek - Balykchy. The road goes from Lugovaya through Bishkek, then to the Boom Pass and to the outermost city of Balykchy of Lake Issyk-Kul, before Balykchy there is a branch to the border with China in Naryn. The road, unlike the Kazakhstan A-2, has four lanes and an excellent asphalt surface. This direction was reconstructed by builders from the PRC; a huge amount of work was done at the pass, where a two-lane road was turned into a four-lane one. Almost the entire distance to Issyk-Kul is limited to a permissible speed of 90 km/h. But not without reckless drivers, everything here is the same as on the A-2 and traffic cops with camouflaged video clips on tripods. On the way, we stopped at a local market by the road, the prices surprised me because they were almost the same as in Kazakhstan. The fact is that the average Kazakh salary is 500-800 US dollars, in Kyrgyzstan it is only 200-300. The price of gasoline differed; in Kyrgyzstan it is more expensive, at 44.80 soms per liter of AI-92! In Kazakhstan, after raising prices, 128 tenge per liter of the same gasoline, which is generally 22% cheaper. But in Kyrgyzstan, AI-92 gasoline at Gazprom gas stations is of the best quality from Russian manufacturers, in Kazakhstan at the same Gazprom gas stations AI-92 is produced locally in Shymkent.
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Chu River. Kyrgyzstan, Issyk-Kul region. Without noticing and without slowing down, we drive up to the Boom Pass, the considerable work of builders from China is noticeably noticeable, a four-lane road runs almost along the cliff, constantly twisting and going around steep slopes. In the cliff at the bottom of the gorge is the Chu River and we are driving through the Chui region. My brother suggested that I change the route a little and drive a few extra tens of kilometers towards Naryn for the purpose of beautiful photographs, I certainly agreed. A reconstructed two-lane road goes towards Naryn, leading to a decent pass. I was driving the car at 60 km/h at 3000-3200 rpm on the tachometer. Next there was a beautiful and winding descent to the Orto-Tokoy reservoir. We stopped at an interesting picturesque place near the road from where a gorgeous panorama of the reservoir opens up. The Chu River flows into and out of the reservoir. Unfortunately there was little water, which could have been due to the dry summer. Then we moved to another point for photographing, drove a little and decided to go down by car to the water to the former bottom. Local vacationers were pleased with the cleanliness of the tourist spots; with well-maintained dirt roads, there was virtually no trash thrown out after a picnic. The mountains, rivers and lakes in Kyrgyzstan are very photogenic, the fact is that the nature here is very diverse in its colors, red rock, green oasis on the river and bright blue lakes. The Orto-Tokoy reservoir was built in 1960 for land reclamation needs.
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Chu River and Orto-Tokoy Reservoir. Kyrgyzstan, Naryn region.
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Orto-Tokoy Reservoir. Kyrgyzstan, Naryn region.
Then we drove along a road with a not very good asphalt surface, sometimes the speed was reduced to 60 km/h. Before descending to the city of Balykchy from the direction of Orto-Tokoy, the bright blue strip of Issyk-Kul opened up to us in the distance, in our minds we were already imagining a beach, a sun lounger and the Kyrgyz Sea with chebaks, but there was at least 100 km ahead! We have been on the road for 10-11 hours already, we have covered about 400-450 km. Our passengers are not ordinary, we have two children with us, 3.5 and 5 years old, we are traveling normally, which means that travel is in everyone’s blood, which is passed on from generation to generation.
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Highway Bishkek - Torugat - Balykchy "A-365". Kyrgyzstan, Issyk-Kul region.
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Seasonal trade of fish and honey on the coast of Lake Issyk-Kul. Kyrgyzstan, Issyk-Kul region.
Fish: farmed trout, wild trout and peled. Chonkiminsky honey (mountain). In front of the city of Balykchy, which was formerly called Rybachye, the environmental post where they collected tolls for travel to Issyk-Kul was removed. The worst and most broken road I encountered during my entire trip was in this city; sometimes it was impossible to drive over 30 km/h. Next is the A-363 highway from Balykchy and around Issyk-Kul, along the way there are villages, on the right Issyk-Kul, on the left the mountains of the Kungey Alatau ridge, and on the other side of the lake, more precisely in the south, the Terskey Alatau ridge, in a word, beauty, we are traveling! The light has passed a day on the road and we are there, about 550 km have been covered. Traditionally, we stopped at the Rainbow recreation center near the village of Sary-Oy on the northern shore of Issyk-Kul. One of the best cottage towns for a holiday in Issyk-Kul, a well-groomed beach, green territory, Issyk-Kul climate complemented by planted pine trees and a million of gorgeous roses. The cottages in the town are divided into approximately half, some are privately owned, others are rented out to vacationers, and there are also buildings with budget options.
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Recreation center "Rainbow". Kyrgyzstan, Issyk-Kul region.
But in "Rainbow" there is nothing for active recreation and we go by car to the city of Cholpon-Ata to ride a boat along Issyk-Kul. We drove 10 km from the village of Sary-Oy and here it is the same resort town of Cholpon-Ata with a population of ten thousand. If you are driving a car, then the first impression is that the roads are broken. Our car navigator showed the turn to the yacht club without error and here we are. Boats and motor ships inherited from the Soviet Union now take tourists around the lake for an inexpensive fee, for example, an hour-long walk around Issyk-Kul with swimming costs a tourist 300 soms, $6, but it’s worth it! Tourist walks around the lake take place at intervals of about an hour.
While we were waiting in the wings, we visited a museum right there in the yacht club with free entry for all visitors. The museum, which is one small room, told us about fragments of ancient clay jugs found at the bottom of Issyk-Kul, about ship instruments that we did not understand, and about the giant Issyk-Kul trout. As we were told, trout of normal size were artificially raised by fishermen in special nets immersed in the lake, but some “kind” person decided to give them life and released them by cutting the net. The trout destroyed the famous Issyk-Kul chebak, which was a small fish, very well remembered by all tourists for its unique taste, especially for beer.
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Trout in the museum near the yacht club in Cholpon-Ata. Kyrgyzstan, Issyk-Kul region, the city of Cholpon-Ata. According to one version, a trout released into Lake Issyk-Kul destroyed the famous Issyk-Kul chebak.
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In the museum near the yacht club in Cholpon-Ata. Kyrgyzstan, Issyk-Kul region, the city of Cholpon-Ata. We boarded the Karakol boat and went to the open sea. The children had so many emotions that it is impossible to describe, because this trip on the ship was their first time. The calling card of Issyk-Kul is clear water, the bottom is visible at 5-7 meters, where deeper there is a blue abyss. The lake is included in the list of the deepest lakes in the World, the greatest depth of Issyk-Kul is 700 meters! The height above sea level is 1609 meters, the dimensions of the lake are 180 x 60 km. The water is brackish and cold, but you can swim. For thrill-seekers who want to swim in the blue abyss of Issyk-Kul, the boat stops far from the shore at a depth of about a hundred meters. Those who want to swim wear life jackets, and those who do not want to swim at this time can enjoy the cleanest air of Issyk-Kul and admire the beautiful view of the lake. For your money, you can arrange a ride on the lake of any scale, and at your service there are boats, a steamship, and luxury yachts.
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Boat IK-89 "Admiral", project 1427, Polarnik type.
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Motor ship "Chingiz", project 1430, type Alexander Green.
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Lake Issyk-Kul. Kyrgyzstan, Issyk-Kul region, Cholpon-Ata city.
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Boat ride on Lake Issyk-Kul.
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Lake Issyk-Kul and the Kungey Alatau mountain range.
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Boat IK-56 "Cruise", project 376, Yaroslavets type.
Next we go to the former Cholpon-Ata airport. The terminal building and airport buildings have long been abandoned, and people use the runway as a road. We also did not miss this opportunity to drive a car on the takeoff. The runway itself is interesting in that it has a decent slope towards the lake, apparently for a short take-off run of aircraft and during landing for short braking. At one time, the airport received Yak-40 type aircraft from Bishkek and Almaty. In the summer season, there are flights from Almaty on Yak-40, Yak-42 aircraft to the new Tamchy airport near Issyk-Kul, which is 20 km from Cholpon-Ata. There is also another operating paramilitary-type airfield in the city of Karakol, the former city of Przhevalsk.
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Lake Issyk-Kul and Cholpon-Ata Airport.
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The terminal building of the airport in Cholpon-Ata.
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Runway runway heading "16" at Cholpon-Ata Airport (UAFG).
The runway is 1740 m long and has a significant slope. The height of the airport is 1652 m at sea level.
Now about what you can see in Issyk-Kul for active tourists. For me, lying on the hotel beach just to sunbathe is a waste of time. If possible, it is better to use your own transport or excursions and explore the surrounding area ahead. In 2008, I traveled around Issyk-Kul with a paper map in my hands in my car and this is what I saw: Grigorievskoye Gorge on the northern shore, Rukh-Ordo Museum in Cholpon-Ata, Przhevalsky Museum, Jety-Oguz Gorge, Dead Lake, picturesque There is a highway around the entire lake and I’m sure that I missed a lot of things along the way.
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Sunset over the Kungei Alatau ridge.
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Clouds over the Kungei Alatau ridge. Kyrgyzstan, Issyk-Kul region. Well, here we are on the way home, we filled up the gas station with gasoline and slowly left Issyk-Kul through Balykchy. Well, what would we do without my favorite photographs of the railway? The railway here is especially beautiful! The line originates from the border station with Kazakhstan called Lugovaya, passes through the city of Bishkek, further along the Chui Valley and to the pass in the Boom Gorge, there are climbs, protection stones, and bridges, ending at the Rybachye station in the city of Balykchy. Old Soviet diesel locomotives lift small trains to Issyk-Kul; due to undemanded passenger traffic, there are few passenger trains. It's rare to see a train here, but I was lucky! First, we managed to photograph the train at the Kayamat-Kurkol station, and then a lonely diesel locomotive heading downhill on the stretch. The driver waved his hand at me in a friendly manner. This railway line was built a long time ago, it was marked on the maps of the famous Turksib, and that same Turksib from Siberia through Almaty to Lugovaya was built later. It was on this section of Kyrgyzstan from Lugovaya to Issyk-Kul that my grandfather worked, holding leadership positions in the field of track management. The pictures are taken, let's move on.
Driver of diesel locomotive 2TE10V-3522.
// zaleskiy.livejournal.com
Chu River. Kyrgyzstan, Chui region. When leaving the gorge, Boom took another picture of the Chu River from a high elevation on a rock, then the path along the Chui Valley along the Chu River to the border with Kazakhstan. Customs went through as usual, an evening drive to Almaty, an hour and a half traffic jam at the entrance to the city and we were home. Pleasant fatigue, a lot of unprocessed material in photo and video cameras, dried fish brought from Issyk-Kul, apricots, a light tan and most importantly - satisfaction from the trip.
zaleskiy
15/02/2017
Pages: 1
The purpose of the trip was the lake, of course. Covered in legends, supported by colorful photographs.... In fact, the trip turned into a nightmare.
It began with crossing the border - where all the staff as one demanded a bribe, this apparently is a national trait, since then all the way along all the traffic cops they met asked for money, or what are they called in Kyrgyzstan now?
The lake is really not a “fountain”, as the guide said, the lake “breathes” - it either decreases or increases, and is now at almost its lowest level. Yes - dirty. Yes - zero service. Our attempt to get a job in one of the hotels by the lake was a whole adventure; we chose the hotel on the lake in Bishkek based on reviews. One of the best was unanimously called the "Karven Four Seasons Hotel", in Bishkek we were regulars of the restaurant of the same name (by the way, quite decent), so we chose this hotel, and from Bishkek we headed straight there... We needed a Suite or a Junior Suite. There were no suites, two junior suites were shown... Oh and ah. Apparently the photo on the website is at least five years old - the renovation, to put it mildly, is "worn out" - in the literal sense - holes in the flooring, worn-out furniture, strings with linens hand-washed by vacationers stretched across the area. There is mold in the bathroom. Rooms from 200 bucks per night, in a short conversation with the guests it became clear that the dining room is just a DINING ROOM, without pretensions to anything else. In general, we didn't stay there. Let's go for luck. We stayed in five or six more hotels - and... yes. That one was the best. As a result, at one in the morning we stopped at an unfinished hotel, with a couple of already finished rooms with fresh renovations and furniture. The name has faded from memory. Not a dream, but at least the laundry is clean. To say that there is no service on the lake is to say nothing. Rudeness, bribery, terrible prices. My husband's sandals were torn, we went shopping - leatherette costs 5-6 thousand.
The nature is beautiful, the mountains are stunning, incredibly picturesque, but there is nowhere to live.
In Bishkek, by luck, we found a hotel in the very center of the city, not far from the already named “Four Seasons” restaurant, the “sayrake” hotel - after the adventures on the lake, we no longer hoped for anything, but we were pleasantly surprised. It was like arriving at the home of dear relatives, smiles, help in everything. Amazing. I recommend to all. Very good. The eldest’s birthday fell on days in Bishkek - so at breakfast they even brought her a cake - the security guard went to the store in advance. I brought balloons to the reception at night and they decorated the table. In general, we were cooperative in literally everything. Bishkek is a wonderful city - roses are blooming everywhere (we mostly walked around the center). If you go there again, stop only in Syrake. BUT this is very, very unlikely. Unfortunately.
