Weekend at Song Kul lake, Kyrgyzstan

Sleeping in a yurt, swimming in the lake and, wild horses!

In the summer of 2021, I spend around 3 months in Kyrgyzstan. As I said in the previous post, I volunteered for a contemporary art association, and thanks to this I was able to meet a lot of nice people, one of these was Bema.

I met Bema in Bishkek, and she helped me understanding how to travel in the country, and to know the city's history, as she is a tour guide. She lived in Italy and speaks Italian, so we had much to discuss. Thanks to her I made my first trip outside the capital to Song Kul Lake, she had a discount with a tour operator, so I booked a weekend trip to the lake. The accommodation was in a yurt camp near the lake, without electricity, tap water, or a phone signal.

A yurt is a traditional portable dwelling used by nomadic peoples in Central Asia, including Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Its circular structure is designed for easy assembly and disassembly, featuring a wooden frame covered with felt or canvas. The yurt's design allows it to withstand harsh weather conditions while providing a cosy and practical living space. Inside, it typically includes a central support column, a stove for heating and cooking, and beautifully woven rugs and textiles for insulation and decoration. Yurts symbolize the nomadic lifestyle and are still widely used today for both everyday living and cultural experiences, offering a unique blend of functionality and tradition.

Kyrgyzstan is a land of rugged mountains, pristine alpine lakes, and nomadic traditions. Its breathtaking landscapes captivate with their natural beauty.

Song Kul is a high-altitude lake nestled in the Tian Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Sitting at an elevation of approximately 3,016 meters (9,895 feet), it spans about 270 square kilometres, making it the second-largest lake in the country. This remote and pristine body of water is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, surrounded by lush summer pastures where nomadic herders graze their livestock. Song Kul serves as a quintessential example of Kyrgyzstan's untouched landscapes, offering a chance to experience traditional Kyrgyz culture, with opportunities to stay in yurts and partake in local customs.

It was a two-day trip. We left Bishkek on Saturday early morning because reaching the lake takes around 7-8 hours.

The group was around 15 people, a man from Saudi Arabia and I were the only two foreigners. We stopped on the way, in a little village, basically one street, for breakfast. I walked around it because I was curious to see this village, and how people live and trying to catch it in a picture.

We arrived at the lake at lunchtime, and we met the group of nomads that hosted us, they provided lunch, dinner and breakfast the morning after for us. We checked the yurts where we would sleep, the “toilets” and the yurt where we would eat. I immediately enjoyed the fresh air, the amazing landscape, and the peacefulness.

After lunch, we went swimming in the lake, the water was cold, but it was possible to have a great experience, the water was crystal clear like a pool. After I didn’t know what to do, there weren’t many options, I would have done a hike but I didn’t know any route and the guide didn’t help. So I decided to go to take pictures of the wild horses around the camp.

Kyrgyz culture and horses ride together. For centuries horses have been essential, for travel and war, for wealth and family. Nomads relied on horses to herd, hunt, and traverse the mountains. Skilled horsemen were warriors, and their horses were extensions of themselves. Owning a large herd signified prestige, while horses themselves were loyal companions, like Manas's legendary steed Akkula. Even today, Kyrgyz culture revolves around horses. They drink mare's milk, eat horse meat for celebrations, and value horsemanship. Children learn to ride young. Horses are woven into Kyrgyz epics, poems, and even proverbs. The Kyrgyz horse breed is tough and adapted to the harsh land. Modernity may exist, but horses remain a symbol of Kyrgyz identity, a cherished part of their heritage.

It was the first time I had seen wild horses, I didn’t dare to go too close because I didn’t know what could have been their reaction. There was the possibility of doing horse riding with the help of the nomads, but I didn’t want to try, I never rode a horse in my life and I didn’t think this was the best time to start.

After dinner, I enjoyed an amazing sunset, I went around the lake to take several pictures, and when I thought I was done I turned around and saw the moon rising at the horizon, it never happened to me before to have that experience, it was something unbelievable. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take a decent photo of the moon, I didn’t have a proper lens to catch it.

We made a bonfire and enjoyed an amazing full moon reflecting on the lake, its light didn’t give us the chance to see the stars.

The morning after we had breakfast and late morning we left the camp. We stopped on our way back to Bishkek to see the 33 Parrots Waterfall, a beautiful waterfall located in the Naryn region of Kyrgyzstan. The waterfall is roughly 30 meters tall and sits at an elevation of 2600 meters.

The name's origin, "33 Parrots," remains a bit of a mystery. There are no parrots in Kyrgyzstan and there's no clear explanation for the name.

The waterfall is a popular stop if you visiting Song Kul Lake. It's a relatively easy hike to get to from the main road. The trail is about a kilometre long and has a few steep sections, but it's manageable for most people. The refreshing spray from the waterfall is a welcome respite on a hot day, and the view of the surrounding mountains is simply stunning.

It was a nice trip, in a beautiful place, the negative part was being in a group with mainly locals, and sometimes I was excluded because of the language barrier. Putting that aside, Song Kul Lake is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in Kyrgyzstan.

I did more excursions to other amazing places and with different people, but how I met them and where I went is material for another article.

See you soon

Flavio