Join us as we visit Kyrgyzstan exploring Issyk-Kul Lake in this travel guide to the south shore focusing on adventure attractions such as hiking, horse-trekking and staying overnight in a yurt camp. The following is a list of all of the different things you can do while traveling in and around Bokonbayevo area of Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan:

Intro - 00:00
1) Horse-Trekking - 00:20
2) Skazka / Fairy Tale Canyon - 02:21
3) Manjaly-Ata / Valley of Sacred Springs - 03:00
4) Yurt Building Workshop - 03:47
5) Eagle Hunting Demonstration and Kyrgyz Archery - 04:56
6) Kyrgyzstan Yurt Stay in a Camp - 05:41
Outro (swimming in Issyk-kul lake ) - 06:06

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Visit Kyrgyzstan - Issyk-Kul Lake Travel Guide (south shore) video transcript:

For the next leg of our travels in Kyrgyzstan (
Кыргызстан), we made our way to the Bel Tam Yurt Camp on the south shores of Issyk Kul Lake (Ысык-Көл). We used this as our base for 3 days and from there, we took a few different side trips to some of the most popular sights and attractions in the area. Here’s a taste of what we got up to:

For this half-day trek, we drove from Bokonbayevo (Бөкөнбаев) to the Boz Salkyn Jailoo. Once we arrived at the yurt camp, we met our horses and set off on an incredibly scenic ride.

The second stretch of the trek involved riding uphill through the forest, but once we broke through the tree line, we were treated to amazing views of the surrounding area. The horses got a little break to munch on wildflowers, and we sat down to enjoy a picnic.

We had been hearing a lot about Skazka from fellow travellers staying at our yurt camp, so we were really looking forward to visiting.

The canyon’s name is very fitting as the landscapes really do look straight out of a fairy tale. There are parts where the hills look like they’ve been painted in shades of terracotta, rust, and ochre, and then you also have natural rock formations that rise from the ground. It’s a really nice place for a light hike and a bit of photo taking.

While the water of the sacred springs may be the main draw for pilgrims, for us, this attraction was more about the scenery. Narrow trails wind up, down, and around the hills and it makes for a fun hike through some pretty surreal landscapes. Just don’t forget to bring some water, because the sun can be really strong.

The yurt-building workshop was located in Kyzyl-Tuu Village.

Here we met Tolosun and his family, who all work together to bring the yurts to life. Everything you need for the yurts, from the wooden poles that make up the ceiling to the felt that provides insulation, is made here by different members of his family.

We also learned that this family holds the record for fastest yurt-building time clocking in under 10 minutes. They did it a bit slower for us so that we could understand and help out with the process, but needless to say, they’re pros at this.

Back in town, we made our way to Federation Salburuun, which is a group focused on keeping alive the tradition of eagle hunting that’s been passed down to nomads for centuries.

Eagle hunting happens during the winter months, but during the summer months you can attend demonstrations to learn about this tradition and watch eagles training with furs and hides.

Aside from eagle hunting, the group also practices archery and horseback archery.

We can’t talk about our visit to Issyk Kul’s (Иссык-Куль) South Shore without also mentioning the Bel Tam Yurt Camp.

Not only was staying in a yurt pretty cool, but we loved the friendly staff and the camaraderie amongst travellers at the camp. They had a massive dining tent where everyone gathered for communal dinners.

The highlight was getting to know other travellers and swapping tips and stories about Kyrgyzstan.

This is part of our Travel in Kyrgyzstan video series showcasing Kyrgyz food, Kyrgyz culture and Kyrgyz cuisine.

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