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The Glossary
Lake Issyk Kul Travel Guide
Surrounded by the cities of Balykchy, Cholpon-ata and Karakol and known to the locals as the "pearl" of the massive snow-capped Tien Shan, Lake Issyk Kul is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the fifth deepest in the world. Mountain ranges ring the lake; to the north is the Kungei, while to the south lies the Teskei. Valleys worth visiting are Simeoneyka, and Barskoon among numerous others.
Before, Lake Issyk Kul was a favorite vacation resort surrounded with vacation homes, spas and sanatoria. When Soviet Russia fell, the charm of the lake came crashing as well. Now, the sapphire coast of Issyk-Kul invites travelers to uncover the civilization that lies in its deep waters whose existence many archeological probes have confirmed. Petro glyphs, Turkey stones with runic letters and Tibetan epigraphs have been found in the lake. One can come across remnants of old settlements such as Buddhist temples, Islam minarets, Christian monastery and Kyrgyz structures.
The most convenient way to reach Issyk Kul is via Almaty or Bishkek. You can also opt for a train ride from Bishkek to Balikchy if you want to catch the amazing view of the pass. All of the larger cities have bus and taxi stations where one can bargain for cheap rides.
There are many routes for hiking around Tien-shan surrounding Issyk-Kul, amongst the hundreds of kilometers of beaches popular for swimming and sunbathing. Local people believe that drinking the saline water of the lake has health benefits. However, the uranium tailing pond on the south shore makes it a bad idea.
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