The Buzz in Kyrgyzstan (Part 2): Issyk-Kul, the Unfrozen Lake!

- December 20, 2025, Saturday.

- I honestly think that the best and more significant sites of Kyrgyzstan are outside Bishkek. Although Bishkek has its own charms, the remnants of old routes and cities from the peak of the Silk Road lie in the mountains and lakes of the country.

- Through GetYourGuide, I booked a day trip to Burana Tower, Konorchek Canyon, and Issyk-Kul Lake. That morning, our tour began with a visit to Burana Tower, close to the Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan border. The Burana Tower, a 9th-century minaret, is the only building remaining of what used to be the city of Balasagun. Balasagun used to be the capital of the Kara-Khanid Khanate and was a major city along the Silk Road trading routes. Over the years, big earthquakes, foreign conquests (significantly, by he Mongols), and the Soviet reusing leftover bricks for other construction projects led to the city's almost erasure from the map. The tower is actually surrounded by an archaeological site with minimal remains from the once mighty city. 

Can't get enough of frozen mountains.

Burana Tower.

I'm so glad I wore something really colorful, or else I'd disappear in the snow.

The tower, by the way, is just half of its original height. The top half was destroyed by an earthquake.

View from the top of the tower.

- We had lunch at a local restaurant after (no photos as we were too hungry to take photos!) before proceeding to Konorchek Canyon. Now, I really want to be honest, but my visit to the Konorchek Canyon was one of the reasons why I feel that Central Asia isn't too prepared for tourists. The parking site for the canyon is in the middle of nowhere and my sister and I really thought we were going to get kidnapped (my dad couldn't do treks so we didn't sign him up for the tour.) Our guide reassured that it was the correct location. After walking through the valley (??) for a while, we reached the side of the mountain that, I was surprised to know, involved REAL rock climbing to see the canyon. The way up - and eventually down - is through climbing a steep slope using a rope that had some wear and tear. I needed to climb four of those to see the supposedly nice canyon. I was fine with the first, but the second one was a bit high. When I found out I had to do more climbs, I literally gave up. There was no safety harness whatsoever. As a dude with sweaty palms, the moment I accidentally let go of the rope. it'd be the end of me. And if you're going to laugh at me or shame me for giving up, let me remind you that the rocks were extra slippery as it snowed the night prior. Some of the rocks had melted and refrozen snow (so they look transparent and invisible rather than white fluffy snow.) If you also know how badly I fell on the pavement in Kazakhstan because of invisible snow, you'd understand how much I didn't want to fall anymore. So yes, I gave up and we went back to the car. Fortunately, though we signed up for a joiner tour, I guess only my sister and I signed up for that day so we didn't have to negotiate with anyone else. (The Konorchek Canyon is amazing, honestly, but there are may other canyons in Kyrgyzstan that people could visit without having to climb up the side of a mountain with ropes and slippery rocks.)  

Exhibit A: Do you see this? This was the second rope that I had to climb. The first one was not too high so manageable. This one was around....15-18feet high? And if you zoom in on the rope, well, I'll let it speak for itself. The ice also you can't see too much, but even if my shoes were supposedly fit for walking on ice, I don't trust it as much after I had a bad trip in Almaty.

Exhibit B: This was the long corridor we had to walk all the way to the mountains from the parking lot. If we were kidnapped no one would know. (But I understand that it wasn't peak season so there weren't a lot of tourists around, unlike in the summer.)

- The place I was most excited about, and the main reason why I booked this trip, is the Issyk-Kul Lake. The lake is one of the biggest and deepest lakes in the world. It is also a saline lake (salt lake) and its salt content prevents it from freezing during winter. It also has a stunning view of the Tian Shan Mountains at the back! Historically, it was a popular stopover along the Silk Road routes, and saw many different groups of people settle in its shores. Today, many parts of its shores are seeing some development, mostly resorts or hotels. Our guide dropped us off at Green City, which has partly developed the area into a recreational park and resort. If what I understand is correct, Green City will also see modern housing and facilities in the near future. The summertime sees tens of thousands of tourists, mostly Central Asian, come to the lake and swim.

Saw a giant flag of Kyrgyzstan on a mountain on the way to the lake.

Not sure why there is a plane in the park.

The resort, try to see the mountains at the back.

It looks like a normal lake, but a lake that could tell so many stories from so many different groups of people.

Tian Shan Mountains.

- It was a long drive back to Bishkek after seeing Issyk-Kul Lake. During the drive, I realized that it might have been a blessing in disguise that I didn't push through with seeing Konorchek Canyon. not only because of safety matters (which was the most important of course,) but because the trek was time consuming. Had I completed the hike I probably would not have seen Issyk Kul with sunlight since the sun set shortly after we left the lake. - A little bonus at the end of the day, I guess, would be seeing the Bishkek Central Mosque from the car on the way back to the hotel.

Bishkek Central Mosque.

- Kyrgyzstan has a lot of potential and I do see the beauty of the country and its people. With all the improvements in the country, I hope that there will be more things to see and do in Kyrgyzstan in the near future!