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Song-Kol Lake – The Pearl of Kyrgyz Jailoos

Song-Kol is a mountain lake in the Tian-Shan mountain range at an altitude of 3016m. Shepherds from Kochkor, Naryn and Ak-Talaa regions use Song-Kol as a jailoo – a pasture during the summer months. The road to the lake winds through mountainous terrain until it seems to disappear into the very sky itself. This is probably why Song-Kol is translated from Kyrgyz as “the last lake”. The seen that greets you is surprising. The wide, brilliant steel-colored expanse of the lake appears majestic, quiet and transparent, looking like a huge bowl of pure mountain air surrounded by hills. You will not see a single tree or a shrub around Song-Kol, but there is plenty of medicinal herbs and various flowers, like edelweiss, chamomile and sagebrush. The lake is 29 km long and about 18 km wide with a maximum depth of 13.2m. In summer, the water temperature is 11 – 12C.

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About Kochkor

Only 3 hours by taxi from Bishkek and surrounded by magnificent jailoos, Kochkor for many travelers is the best place to taste the nomadic lifestyle, so important to Kyrgyzstan’s history and culture. Friendlier and quieter than Naryn, its oblast capital down the Torugart road, Kochkor has 17,000 inhabitants, most of whom are farmers and shepherds. They live in yurts on jailoos during the summer, and some of them are more than willing, with CBT Kochkor’s intercession, to welcome tourists into their midst. For the lucky traveler, this means meadows that seem to touch the heavens, speckled with just enough humans, horses, and sheep to provide a sense of scale. It means carpets of flowers and clouds of butterflies. It means Kyrgyz hospitality unleashed, in all its muttony glory. And at Song-Kol, the crown jewel of the jailoos, as well as at smaller Kol-Ukok, it means fish jumping and water gleaming like burnished gold under the first rays of the morning sun. Naryn oblast is studded with similar scenes of natural beauty, and Kochkor is a wonderful point of departure for excursions into this majestic terrain.

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10 Things to Keep in Mind While Travelling in Kyrgyzstan

Please respect local people’s traditions, culture and religion. When entering a home, do not forget to take your shoes off. Do not smoke in homes. Inform your host about your meal preferences. Always ask before photographing people and try to establish friendly contact before shooting. Wear hiking shoes or boots, as trails are slippery and stony. Bring warm clothes and a raincoat. Weather in jailoo (pasture) may be rainy and cold, even in summertime. Always have a flashlights, sunscreen, and insect repellent. Use your head! Drinking alcohol while hiking is unsafe! Carry a plastic bag for litter. Pack up all non-biodegradable rubbish. Please do not drop cigarette butts or candy wrappers. High altitude vegetation is frail; avoid trampling and picking plants or flowers in quantity. Leave only footprints, take only photos!

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Sarala-Saz Jailoo (pasture)

Jailoo Sarala-Saz is an alpine pasture, located 60 km to the north west of the village of Kochkor. It is situated at the altitude of over 3000 m. The name translates from Kyrgyz as “the yellowish swamp”. It received its name due to its characteristic color of grass growing there and practically complete absence of shrubs and trees around. Near the jailoo there are several interesting tourist sites: the ancient burial mounds dated back to the 4th century, the gallery of petroglyphs and the mysterious waterfall hidden among the rocks, which is called “Find Me”. Every August the festival of national games is held in the meadows of Sarala-Saz.

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Kol-Ukok Lake

One of the most beautiful lakes of the region, Kol-Ukok lake is 17 m deep and has very cold water. ‘Kol-Ukok’ means ‘the Lake in a Chest’ and is located in the north east part of Terskei Ala-Too mountains. A white fish, and Savan trout — a regal, multi-hued fish — live in the lake. The area is a homeland to a variety of animals, as well as to a beautiful flower of edelweiss. Most importantly, you will be welcomed by hospitable people, descendants of ancient nomads, who drive their cattle here from May to October. Throughout the tour, you will observe the shepherds lifestyle, customs and family traditions, as well as see them making traditional, national Kyrgyz milk products – kymyz (fermented mare milk), airan (Kyrgyz yogurt), and kurut (dried salty cheese). Here you can also see cows and horses being milked.