Kyrgyzstan

Kel-Suu (means lake of water) made for a long day of hiking or to spend a night in a tent.
It is an amazing place for photos during the summer or during the winter. You will have a view of colorful mountains, magnificent granite cliffs, meadows, icy peaks and canyons.
The mountain lake located at the altitude of 3510 m., In the Kurumduk valley (means "the preserved valley") between high cliffs and to the east of the peak Sary Beles (4726 m.). Certainly, formed after a landslide in the 80s. There are different paths to access the lake, the length of which is more than 10 km (100-800 meters wide), then three passes link neighboring China (officially closed).
Along the way, you must present a special permit which can be arranged 1 month before your arrival. If you need this permit, contact us.

Jalal-Abad (also Dzhalal-Abad; since 2003 also spelled Jalalabad and Jalalabat) is the administrative and economic center of Jalal-Abad Oblasty in southwestern Kyrgyzstan, with a population of about 75,000. It is situated at the north-eastern end of the Fergana valley along the Kugart river valley, in the foothills of the Babash Ata mountains (at 40°56′N 73°0′E), very close to the Uzbek border.

Jalalabad is known for a number of mineral springs in its surroundings, and the water from the nearby Hozret-Ayub-Paigambar spa was long believed to cure lepers. Several Soviet era sanatoria offer mineral water treatment programs for people with various chronic diseases. Bottled mineral water from the region is sold around the country and abroad.

One of the branches of the Silk Road

Jalalabad oblast covers 33,647 square kilometers in the south-west of Kyrgyzstan. Except for the small fringes of the Fergana valley, it is a land of mountains. The world's oldest and largest natural walnut forests are in the Arslanbob region of Jalalabad. A pearl of the region is the Sary-Chelek nature reserve with a beautiful alpine lake surrounded by wild fruit orchards and snow-covered peaks.

The region is a center for fruit and vegetable growing and people are engaged in producing wheat, fruits, vegetables, maize, nuts, tobacco and silk-worm cocoons. There are some light-industry plants and hydroelectric stations.
 

The Ala Archa National pass is situated at the end of the Ala Archa valley, at the top of the Ala Archa glacier (West). From entrance of the park, it takes about one day hiking to the foot of the pass. It's possible to sleep in the ancient refuge of the old skibase, or to install tents on the field of the old meteo station. At the pass, there is no track, and it's difficult to find his way. To have a guide is recommended.

At the pass, you can enjoy a great panoramic view of nearest peaks like Toktogul (4361 m.) and other 4000 m. peaks.

The pass open the way from Ala Archa valley to the Karakol-West valley on the other side of the Kyrgyz Alatoo range.

A small Creek canyon! But you can walk two days around the red cliffs. The main valley named Konorchek, and the small canyon starting from the train bridge named Kyzyl Terek can be visited in 2 hours walk. A good option on the way to Issyk Kul lake.

Talas is a small town in northwestern Kyrgyzstan, located in a long valley between two imposing mountain ranges. Its geographical location is 42°31′N 72°14′E and its population is 32,538 (as of 1999). It is the administrative headquarters of Talas Oblasty. Its economy is traditionally oriented towards the Kazakh city of Dzhambul.

The mythical Kyrgyz national hero, Manas, is said to have been born in the Ala Too mountains in Talas oblast. A few kilometers outside Talas lies a mausoleum, supposedly that of Manas. However, the inscription on its richly-decorated facade dedicates it to "...the most glorious of women Kenizek-Khatun, the daughter of the Emir Abuka". Legend explains that Manas' wife Kanikey ordered a deliberately false inscription in order to mislead her husband's enemies and prevent the desecration of his body. The building, known as "Manastin Khumbuzu" or "The Ghumbez of Manas", is thought to have been built in 1334. It now contains a museum dedicated to the epic. A ceremonial mound also lies nearby.

The Talas river was the site of the Battle of Talas (751 CE), fought between Chinese and Arabian forces, which marked the beginning of China's precipitous decline from its greatest golden age.

Burana Tower is seven km. far from the city of Tokmok. It is an 11th century minaret, and one of the first buildings of such type in Central Asia. The original height of minaret was 45 meters. Today the tower is 24.6 meters high, the remaining part came down during an earthquake in the 15th century. In the 10th to 12th centuries, Karakhanids khanate was a great feudal state of Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

The founders, "karakhans", chigil tribes by birth, lived in the Tien-Shan and for a short time of the second half of the 10th century they conquered a large territory. One of the capitals of this state was Balasagun. In Karakhanids' time new towns and settlements were developing, the centers of big cities were improved and Moslem religious buildings were built in the town of Balasagun. Burana tower, mausoleums and other buildings found after archeological excavations are the witnesses of that build up. The town's life declined slowly, people left it, the buildings fell apart and finally in the 15th century it ceased to exit.

Lake Issyk Kul has a length of 182 km, a width of up to 60 km, and covers an area of 6,236 km². This makes it the second largest mountain lake in the world behind Lake Titicaca. Located at an altitude of 1,606 m, it reaches 702 m in depth. About 118 rivers and streams flow into the lake - the largest are Djyrgalan and Tyup. It is fed by springs, including many hot springs, and snow melt-off, and it has no current outlet. Its southern shore is dominated by the ruggedly beautiful Tian Shan mountain range. The lake is slightly saline and its level drops by approximately 5 cm per year.

Lake Issyk Kul was a stopover on the Silk Road, a land route for travelers from the Far East to Europe. Many historians believe that the lake was the point of origin for the Black Death that plagued Europe and Asia during the early and mid-14th century. The lake's status as a byway for travelers allowed the plague to spread across these continents via medieval merchants who unknowingly carried infested vermin along with them. A 14th century Armenian monastery was found on the northeastern shores of the lake by retracing the steps of a medieval map used by Venetian merchants on the Silk Road.