How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 14 Bokonbayevo) 

Bokonbayevo/Issyk-Kul Lake. Visited 12 -13 July 2024.

After 2 nights in Bishkek, I rode a public shuttle eastward for 5 hours to Bokonbayevo, almost touching Issyk–Kul Lake.

Bokonbayevo is a small town; even the head statue of Lenin is unusually small and situated inconspicuously at the corner of a junction. The snowcaps on the mountain range rise above all the mountains to glow on a sunny day, trying to grab attention. 

Bokonbayevo and its snow-capped mountains
Bokonbayevo and its snow-capped mountains
Lenin's head statue in Bokonbayevo
Lenin’s head statue in Bokonbayevo

The following day, I took a taxi 7 km away to Wild Beach of Issyk-Kul Lake, the world’s second-largest mountain lake. I walked for hours along Wild Beach to Kadzhi Say Beach. The sun was out and beaming but at 1600 meters altitude, it felt like the breeze was blowing like air-conditioners.

The beach was of natural red coarse sand, swimming in clear, calm water. It brought back the memory of South Beach on the Red Sea in Jordan. The lake was still left natural, untampered, and undeveloped. The crowd was sparse, except for local picnickers and yurts. I wandered along the shore and saw some girls dipped in the water while others sat fully clad, content to watch the mesmerizing water from the beach. Some were in the water fully covered and in hijabs, while others just dipped in with tights. No bikini were sighted. The landscape confounded – surrounding the lakes, some mountains were parched brown, some were lush green with vegetation, while others were snowcapped, like cool heads in sunny summer.

It was a wonderful moment of solitude, the perfect spot for a loner. 

Wild Beach, Issyk-Kul Lake
Wild Beach, Issyk-Kul Lake
Yurts and anglers on Wild Beach, Issyk-Kul Lake
Yurts and anglers on Wild Beach, Issyk-Kul Lake
Wild Beach, Issyk-Kul Lake
Wild Beach, Issyk-Kul Lake
Wild Beach, Issyk-Kul Lake
Wild Beach, Issyk-Kul Lake

To go to the next Stop, click the link below:

How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 15 Karakol)

To start from Stop 1, click the link below:

How to experience the unique cultures of Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 70 days (Stop 1 Urumqi)

The Stops on this Trip:

China Urumqi > Turpan > Kuerle > Kuqa > Kashgar > Kuqa > Nalati (via Duku Scenic Drive) > Kuerdening > Yining > Sailimu Lake > Yining > Urumqi > Buerjin > Kanas Lake > Hemu > China Urumqi > Kyrgyzstan Bishkek > Bokonbayevo (Issyk kul Lake) > Karakol > Kyrgyzstan Bishkek > Uzbekistan Tashkent > Tajikistan > Khujand > Panjakent (and Haft Kul/The Seven Lakes) > Iskanderkul > Dushanbe > China Urumqi > Hami > Dunhuang > Jiayuguan > Zhangye > Lanzhou > Xian

The route map:

The route map

42 Comments

  1. Been messing around on 67bet10 for a few hours now. So far, so good! The interface is clean and they seem to have a decent range of options. Might be my new go-to. Check it out: 67bet10

  3. Okay, 719bet1. I took a spin on this one. Navigation was pretty clean, and the selection seemed decent. Always good to compare odds with other sites though! Here’s the link to 719bet1 if you wanna check it out: 719bet1

  6. 368bet, not bad! Had a fun time exploring their casino games, and the sports betting section is pretty extensive. Withdrawal process was surprisingly fast. I’d say give it a go, you might just find your new favorite spot! All the best on 368bet

  8. 888slot có chương trình “Slot Master” – thi đấu theo tuần, xếp hạng theo tổng cược hoặc số lần trúng thưởng, với giải thưởng tiền mặt và hiện vật hấp dẫn. TONY01-07

  15. naturally like your website but you have to check the spelling on several of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling problems and I to find it very troublesome to tell the reality nevertheless I will definitely come again again.

  17. remote gambling usa license, is gambling illegal in foxwoods blackjack match the dealer (Chance) uk and casinos for gambling for usa, or native united
    statesn casinos in montana

  20. free spins no deposit no wagering usa, united statesn roulette betting strategy and casino dusaes
    no deposit bonus codes, or 100 australia apple pay cash casino (Herman) free keep online
    spin winnings

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *