Kyrgyzstan’s ‘Warm Lake’ is so nice that even Alexander the Great kicked up his heels here for a while as he was busy conquering the world.
A bit more than a quick weekend trip, the village of Karakol sits at the far end of Issyk-Kol from Bishkek.Though only a day’s drive from the capital, though, it feels at times like a whole world away.Beyond just the town’s natural beauty at the edge of the lake in the foothills of the surrounding mountains, Karakol is also home to a significant group of Dungan immigrants who crossed from China into Kyrgyzstan in the late 1870’s.Their local mosque is a fully-wooden beauty painted in vibrant colors and peopled with awesome folks.In fact, as I was there, a big group of pilgrims were preparing for their Hajj trips to Mecca. I’d like to claim that joy was in the air, but in truth it seemed more like a logistics session than a celebration.It was a bit too cold to head up into the mountains when I was in Karakol (well, too cold for my tastes anyways), but I plan to cart myself back out there shortly after I return to Kyrgyzstan in order to take advantage of the amazing-sounding hiking opportunities as well!Or, perhaps more realistically, just for some time to pull an Alex and kick back on the beach?
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Getting to Karakol from Bishkek is pretty straightforward, with share taxis and minbusses leaving from all the bus stations in Bishkek for Karakol (and other points on Issyk Kul en route). Fares in a minibus start from 300 Som, or in a share taxi for 550 Som. If you have your own transportation as part of a long trip through Central Asia or a rally adventure through the region you’re in even better shape. the A365 highway leaves from Bishkek directly to the city of Balykchy on the western edge of the lake. The quicker route is to take the north shore and ride the A365 all the way to Karakol. Alternatively, the A363 takes the south shore of the lake for a more scenic ride at a slower pace.
