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!

** Check out my other adventures in Central Asia and Malaysia here!

KAZAKHSTAN

Part 1: Ascension Cathedral, Shymbulak, Souvenir Shopping - here

Part 2: Charyn Canyon, Kaindy Lake, Kolsay Lake - here 

Part 3: First President Park, Kok Tobe, Museum, Metro Stations - here

KYRGYZSTAN

Part 1: Ala-Too Square and Museum, Souvenir Shopping - here 

TAJIKISTAN

Part 1: Iskanderkul Lake, Souvenir Shopping - here

Part 2: Hisor Fortress and Dushanbe City Tour - here

UZBEKISTAN

Part 1: Tashkent - Amir Timur Square, Broadway - here

Part 2: Samarkand - Gur-e Amir, Souvenir Shopping - here

Part 3: Samarkand - Registan, Bibi Khanym Mosque, Shah-i-Zinda, Hazrat Khizr Mosque - here

Part 4: Samarkand - Ulugh Beg Observatory, Afrasiyab Archaeological Museum, Ishratxona - here

Part 5: Bukhara - Lyab-i Hauz and Surroundings - here

Part 6: Bukhara - Ark of Bukhara, Bolo Hauz Mosque, Chor Minor, Po-i Kalyan - here

Part 7: Tashkent - Museums, Besh Qozon, Khast Imam Complex, Metro Stations - here

MALAYSIA     

Part 1: MICHELLE YEOH!, Petronas, Little India, Chinatown, Kwai Chai Hong, Jamek Mosque, Pasar Seni - here

Part 2: Batu Caves, Putrajaya, KL Tower - here      

The Buzz in Kyrgyzstan (Part 1): Bishkek, Check It Out!

- December 18-19, 2025, Thursday to Friday.

- Beyond the southern frontier of Kazakhstan lies a country hat is home to one of the world's longest epics: Kyrgyzstan! The Epic of Manas, whose narrative mirrors real-life historical events of the Kyrgyz people, is honored across the country; the country's main airport is even called Manas International Airport.

About to leave Kazakhstan, bought this Kazakhstan chocolate that people keep talking about. It was fine, but didn't taste any different from other chocolates.

First time to board a plane out in the snow. We flew to Bishkek via Air Astana.

- For Filipinos, an e-visa is required and can be easily accomplished online. If staying for 5 days or less, one can apply for a transit visa, which can be less complicated than a regular tourist visa, now called the Sapar visa (also applicable for business visits and visits for private matters). The Sapar visa requires more documents, and may also require an invitation letter (can be accomplished by a travel agency or hotel) even though it formally should not. However, there are many people in online fora who have shared that their visas were denied because they lacked the (supposedly not required anymore) invitation letter. Else, a visa-on-arrival is also possible, but an accomplished e-visa may give one more peace of mind. 

- Upon arriving in Bishkek, the country's capital, we rode a Yandex car to our hotel, Navat Hotel. It's one of the coolest hotels I've stayed in because it was made to really feel "Kyrgyz". The hotel describes itself as an "ethno-boutique" hotel. My family also had a late dinner at a nearby restaurant called Mubarak. During our first evening, I realized that English wasn't too widely spoken and I had to use the little Russian I knew to communicate with the restaurant we were at because there were just so many people there (and I think that's a good sign that the restaurant is good!)

Lagman (noodle dish) and kompot (some kind of fruit-infused juice popular in Central Asia; derived from the French "compote").

A photo of our hotel. I also took a photo of this in daylight the day after, but you know, since we're on the topic. Hahahaha.

- The following day, we explored the city. One thing about Bishkek is that most of its major attractions are located near each other (except for the Osh Bazaar that we didn't get to visit). There are no metro systems in Bishkek, unlike Almaty or Tashkent, so public transportation or hailing Yandex cars would be the way to go around. Fortunately, our hotel was located in the heart of the city so we just walked around.

- We first went to Ala-Too Square, built in 1984 and is the main square of Bishkek. The square has a few landmarks, including the Manas Statue, the flagpole with the Kyrgyzstan flag, and the Kyrgyz State Historical Museum. On the way to the museum, we were fortunate to witness the changing of guards!

Ala-Too Square.

Kyrgyzstan flag.

Changing of guards (and the State Museum at the back.)

Behind the museum is the statue of Vladimir Lenin. This used to be placed in front of the Ala-Too Square, and the square was named Lenin Square. In 2003 the government removed the statue and replaced by the Manas statue that represented Kyrgyz sovereignty and identity.  

- The Kyrgyz State Historical Museum is the premier museum in the country, opened first in 1927. The current building, however, was only built in 1984. The museum presents a historical narrative of Kyrgystan, with matching artifacts from the dawn of man until today.

Some of the earliest caps and tools in Kyrgyzstan.

A Buddha statue. Remember that Buddhism was one of the religions that was spread through the Silk Road.

Hindu and Buddhist artifacts.

A Kyrgyz yurt.

Horses and thick coats worn by various Kyrgyz groups in the mountains.

My kind of artifacts.

Costumes worn by prominent thespians in Kyrgyzstan.

Museum interior.

- I later had a brief visit to the Victory Monument, created in 1985. The monument shows a woman under what looks like a yurt; an eternal fire burns in front of her. A loser look reveals that the yurt's opening has a funeral wreath. The whole monument is a memorial for families who are waiting for members who went and fought in World War II.

Independence Monument.

- For lunch and the early afternoon, my family visited two malls right across each other: Gum Chynar and Tsum Aichurok. Gum Chynar appears to be a regular local mall, while Tsum Aichurok is a department store. Tsum Aichurok has a souvenir center at the top floor, so my family decided that we didn't need to visit Osh Bazaar anymore since we'd be looking for souvenirs there too (and Osh Bazaar was very out of the way.) 

Tsum Aichurok.

Gum Chynar.

This is the souvenir center at the top floor of Tsum Aichurok.

- We took the rest of the afternoon off to rest, just so we can pace ourselves for the long journey ahead. We hadn't rested much since Kazakhstan, so it was great to have a bit of down time as well. Our hotel was cozy anyway and it's nice to spend a bit of time there too. 

- Bishkek was convenient to see because it was so compact, so we were able to save so much time. I'm sure there are more interesting things to see in Bishkek, but because there was a lot of renovation works going on across the city, maybe the city will be better after its facelift. Still, I'm happy to have seen what the city has to offer!

** Check out my other adventures in Central Asia and Malaysia here!

KAZAKHSTAN

Part 1: Ascension Cathedral, Shymbulak, Souvenir Shopping - here

Part 2: Charyn Canyon, Kaindy Lake, Kolsay Lake - here 

Part 3: First President Park, Kok Tobe, Museum, Metro Stations - here

KYRGYZSTAN

Part 2: Issyk-Kul, Konorchek Canyon, Burana Tower - here

TAJIKISTAN

Part 1: Iskanderkul Lake, Souvenir Shopping - here

Part 2: Hisor Fortress and Dushanbe City Tour - here

UZBEKISTAN

Part 1: Tashkent - Amir Timur Square, Broadway - here

Part 2: Samarkand - Gur-e Amir, Souvenir Shopping - here

Part 3: Samarkand - Registan, Bibi Khanym Mosque, Shah-i-Zinda, Hazrat Khizr Mosque - here

Part 4: Samarkand - Ulugh Beg Observatory, Afrasiyab Archaeological Museum, Ishratxona - here

Part 5: Bukhara - Lyab-i Hauz and Surroundings - here

Part 6: Bukhara - Ark of Bukhara, Bolo Hauz Mosque, Chor Minor, Po-i Kalyan - here

Part 7: Tashkent - Museums, Besh Qozon, Khast Imam Complex, Metro Stations - here

MALAYSIA     

Part 1: MICHELLE YEOH!, Petronas, Little India, Chinatown, Kwai Chai Hong, Jamek Mosque, Pasar Seni - here

Part 2: Batu Caves, Putrajaya, KL Tower - here