Issyk-Kul is one of the largest lakes in the world, located in Kyrgyzstan between the Terskei Ala-Too and Kungei Ala-Too mountain ranges. Due to the fact that the lake during the year never freezes, you can relax here at any time. Untouched nature, mountain air and thermal springs have a beneficial effect on the human body. Therefore, those who are tired of daily fuss are recommended to go to this amazing place.
How to get there
The most convenient way to get to the lake is through Bishkek. Manas International Airport is located 20 km from the city. The flight from Moscow will take about 4 hours. You can buy a ticket for about $ 230. It will cost more expensive flights with docking in Istanbul or Novosibirsk.
Getting here from St. Petersburg can only be done by transfer in Moscow. In this case, the road will have to spend from 300 to 550 dollars. And the journey itself will take from 6.5 to 26 hours.
Buses and minibuses go from the airport to Bishkek. The fare is about 20 rubles.At the bus station you need to transfer to a bus that runs to the settlements located on the coast of the lake. The ticket price is about 275 rubles.
A train leaves Moscow for Bishkek several times a week. The road takes almost 3 days, and the cost of a train ticket is $ 150.
Rest on the lake Issyk-Kul in sanatoriums and boarding houses
Along the coast of the lake there are about 150 resorts and sanatoriums, which offer their guests not only a good rest, but also to improve their health during the holidays. Here they practice galvanotherapy, mud therapy and treatment with rhodon baths. Most health resorts are located in the northern part of the coast.
Among the most popular hospitals can be distinguished "Dordoy Ak-Zhol" in the village of Koshkola, "Altyn-Kum" in Chon-Sary-Oi and "Vityaz" opened in Chok-Tal. In Sary-Oh there are children's health camps and sanatoriums.
Rest in a boarding house with treatment is quite expensive, especially in summer. For example, in the sanatorium "Aurora" the day of stay will cost at least 6500 rubles. This includes the cost of accommodation, meals and health treatments. Out of season, the cost of recreation is reduced by about a third.
Hotels in Issyk-Kul: prices 2018
Hotels and hotels are scattered all along the coast of the lake. The cost of living here may vary significantly. So in a small hotel in Cholpon-Ata room rates start at 900 rubles per day. The average cost of a double room in a hotel is 2-3 stars within 3600-4600 rubles.
Rest in Issyk-Kul in the private sector
The most budget option for holidays in Issy-Kul is the private sector - these are guest houses, guesthouses and rooms for private owners. The cost of living here starts from 520 rubles per person. Children have a discount.
For a standard room in the guesthouse, tourists are asked to pay from 577 rubles in the period July-August and about 350 rubles at another time. Some of them offer guests food. Its cost is about 700 rubles per person per day.
Nutrition
Many hotels, hotels and guest houses offer complex meals to vacationers. Usually its cost is in the range of 500-700 rubles per person. For children, there is a special children's menu here.
In addition, on the coast you can find a huge number of cafes and restaurants, in which tourists are offered mainly national Kyrgyz cuisine - lagman, beshbarmak, kurut, etc. The cost of one dish here starts from 90 to 720 rubles.
Major resorts
Along the southern and northern shores of the lake there are dozens of resort towns and cities. The first resort that welcomes visitors coming from the airport is Balykchi, located in the western part of the lake. Many vacationers go exactly here because of a convenient traffic intersection. In its vicinity are concentrated many resorts and hotels. The resort is suitable for a beach holiday. But the attractions in this area are not many. The most popular of them was the ancient settlement, located in Toru-Aygyr.
One of the most popular resorts of Issyk-Kul was Cholpon-Ata, located 80 km from the village of Balykchy. Here, vacationers have the opportunity to improve their health thanks to the cleanest air and mineral springs. Fans of active pastime are offered to go mountain climbing, trekking, diving, snorkeling, ride horses, etc.
5 km from this resort is a small village Bosteri, popular among tourists with young children. There is a comfortable sandy beach, an aquapark and various attractions, including extreme ones: banana and boat trips, parachutes and paragliders, etc.
45 km from Balykchy there is a village Tamchi. He is known for its mud baths and mineral springs. In addition, you can see the oldest petroglyphs of Tamchi.
Beach vacation on the lake Issyk-Kul
The best beaches of the lake are in Bosteri and Cholpon-Ata. The most comfortable of them is on the territory of the Blue Issyk Kul sanatorium. It can be chosen, as tourists with children, and fans of outdoor activities. Here they will be offered to ride a catamaran, banana, pleasure yachts.In the evening on the beach begins a disco.
The central beach of the town of Cholpon-Ata is covered with golden sand. The entrance to the lake is shallow, and the water is very clean. Therefore, you can safely go here with the kids.
For those who prefer to relax in secluded places, Laguna Beach, located in the suburb of Cholpon-Ata, is suitable. It is also suitable for fishing enthusiasts.
The Golden Sands beach, located on the territory of the boarding house with the same name, has become the most popular beach of Bosteri.
Entertainment and Attractions
In fact, Issyk-Kul is a huge health resort. However, in addition, tourists can find a lot of impressions here. Fans of active pastime can go trekking, mountaineering, diving, go rafting on the Chu River or take a walk on the lake on a yacht. In addition, here they will be offered a wide range of excursion trips:
- the cost of a bus ride around the lake with a visit to the most interesting places in the region starts from 3200 rubles;
- 3-day excursion to the lake Ala-Kul, famous for its mineral springs - about 10,000 rubles;
- to explore the petroglyphs, Big and Small waterfalls or Lake of Milk, tourists need to pay 600-700 rubles;
- rafting or diving is possible for 1300-1500 rubles.
Rest in Issyk-Kul: the pros and cons, reviews
First of all, a trip to Issyk-Kul will be remembered by lovers of outdoor recreation. Clean air and amazing landscapes delight tourists from year to year. The region also offers excellent conditions for rehabilitation and active recreation.
Despite the cleanliness of the water in the lake, vacationers complain about floating debris. In some places there may be problems with cellular communication. Prices here can not be called budget, but if you plan everything in advance, here you can also relax relatively inexpensively.
