Beauty of Kyrgyzstan - Places we visited in Issyk-Kul Region

Beautiful nature in the land of Kyrgyzstan :)

Here we are!!! Let me share with you the wonderful nature in the land of Kyrgyzstan :)

Broken Heart - Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan

On our way from Karakol to Bokonbayevo Village, we passed through few places, mostly beautiful nature that were not to be missed!!! First, we stopped by to see a large cliff that looked like a heart broken into two, that was why it was called the "broken heart". 

Djety-Oguz or "Seven Bulls" Rock Formation in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan

Soon after, we stopped again to see the 35km length Djety-Oguz (in Kyrgyz language, it means "seven bulls" since the rock formation composed by tertiary (Paleogene) reddish deposits shaped just like it. There were many legends about the this rock formation, so with the 'broken heart' and they had become the symbols of the Issyk-Kul region and favorite images for photographs and paintings (As to say: "If you have not seen it yet, means you have not been to Issyk-Kul region").

Sea buckthorn tree - Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan

Not far from here, we saw many sea buckthorn trees on the side of the road. Our driver stopped by and cut one of the branch full of it and gave it for us to eat when we reached to our next accommodation. Remember the last post where Issyk-Kul Brand Shop was one of the must visit places in Karakol and sea buckthorn juice was one of the local product produced and sold over there? So this was how the fruits and the tree looked like. You could eat it raw and just plucked it directly from the tree.

The first waterfall - Barskoon Gorge, Kyrgyzstan

We drove to Barskoon Gorge and hiked up to see the cascading waterfalls named as "Tears of the Leopard," "White Beard," "Splashes of Champagne," and "The Bowl of Manas", named after the legends. So many legends to be found here in Kyrgyzstan. The above photo was the first waterfall we visited, which was also the nearest and easiest to reach.

"Tears of the Leopard Waterfall" - Barskoon Gorge, Kyrgyzstan

The "Tears of the Leopard" came from the story of the female leopard cried when she lost her three children while went hunting. The tears then became a waterfall with three ledges. This was the second waterfall we visited, said to be the most beautiful one among the three. Here, you could see the beautiful Tian Shan furs (spruce-like trees) and barberry trees (you could see the barberry fruits on the picture above :)).

One of the two Yuri Gagarin monuments at Barskoon Gorge, Kyrgyzstan

We saw one of the first astronaut's monuments in the area - Yuri Gagarin - as he often visited this place, spent some time here to recover from his mission to space.

Horses for rent - Barskoon Gorge, Kyrgyzstan

The view was really beautiful. The air was fresh. Nature was all you could see. You could pay and ride the horse if you wanted to. I chose to hike instead as I had been eating too much and needed to do some exercise :D

All these places were located near the Issyk-Kul Lake, one of the largest and deepest mountain lakes in the world that did not freeze even in the coldest winter, surrounded by the beautiful Tian Shan mountains. You could check the Kyrgyzstan map out and see how big the lake was and where were the places I mentioned located. And wherever we went, we could see the beautiful Tian Shan following us.

Royal Gate Yurt - Issyk-kul, Kyrgyzstan

The above photo was one of  the yurt camps that were available for rent (quite a new one), overlooking the lake and also the snow capped Tian Shan mountain range. We stopped there to have our lunch and I had a chance to see the view inside the yurt. Most yurt was equipped with personal bathroom (unlike some who had separate share bathrooms and toilets). You could see yourself how beautiful it was!!!

Skazka Canyon or the Fairy Tale Canyon - Kyrgyzstan 

And before we moved to our "private rent" yurt camp (since it was only us stayed in the area for the night), we headed to one last beautiful nature of Kyrgyzstan called the Skazka Canyon or known as "Fairy Tale Canyon". 

Skazka Canyon or the Fairy Tale Canyon - Kyrgyzstan

Skazka Canyon or the Fairy Tale Canyon - Kyrgyzstan

This was the place where you could see the limestone clusters, bulging sandstone and the colorful soil, one of the best destinations to visit in Kyrgyzstan. If you plan to visit Kyrgyzstan, this place is a must visit place!!! 

With our lovely guide - Ms Aisuluu at Skazka Canyon, Kyrgyzstan 

Formed as a result of thousands years of ice, water and wind erosion, this magnificent desert like landscape had transformed into an array of sculptures and formations, where red, yellow, orange and brown spires of rocks rise out of the earth and into the sky.

Talking with stone - Skazka Canyon, Kyrgyzstan

Skazka Canyon or the Fairy Tale Canyon - Kyrgyzstan

At this point of time, you could see all the photos I took, it was like I was the only visitors of this magnificent place and it seemed like those produced for the post cards, weren't they? We were very lucky and grateful indeed because there were not many visitors visiting this place when we were there. I mean, some area was small and meant to be climbed in a very small group of people. I could not imagined how it would be if a big group of people visiting this place at the same time.

You need to wear shoes with strong grip as to prevent slippery while climbing. It was not advisable for people who had weak knees. It was advisable to walk with your guide as well since the area was huge. You might get lost if you wander around alone because no signage available. And yes, we were lucky too for the great weather!!! :)

Statue of Sayakbay Karalaev - Kyrgyzstan

We passed by the above statue on our way to our camp. It was the statue of Sayakbay Karalaev - a Soviet and Kyrgyz famous storyteller and manaschi (a reciter of the epic Kyrgyz poem Manas). You could find his face in the 500 som note of Kyrgyz money too :)

Sunset view at Elistet Yurt camp, Kyrgyzstan 

We had a really great time exploring the Skazka Canyon and our driver drove as fast as he could so that we could catch a lovely sunset view from our yurt camp :)

View from our room - Elistet Yurt camp, Kyrgyzstan

We stayed at Elistet Yurt camp, a very beautiful camp where all of our yurts were overlooking to the lake (you could wake up with sunrise view in front of you). The room was very big for 2 of us (they gave us one double and one single bed inside). There was standing jacuzzi inside the big bathroom too where you could take a bath and listen to the radio at the same time.

Overlooking Issyk-Kul Lake - Elistet Yurt Camp, Kyrgyzstan 

Below, we could take the staircase down and visit the lake that were made looking just like a sea or the beach with sands. The mountain views at the side was equally marvelous. Apart from the usual green mountains, you could also see the colorful ranges of mountains :)

Dinner at Elistet Yurt camp, Kyrgyzstan 

They prepared our dinner freshly cooked there. As the appetizer, we were served beef cooked with cucumber, colorful paprika and tomato together with the local bread and butter. A big bowl of chicken soup was perfect for a cooling night (and also for its nutritious value). As main, we were served with white rice and another sautéed beef with vegetables.  

Full moon night at Elistet Yurt Camp, Kyrgyzstan. My favorite photo :)

It was a full moon night. There were cats and dog at the area. This cute and playful kitten entertained us during our stay there. He ran here and there surrounding us. They even wanted to come inside our rooms. Hahahaha... It reminded me of my roommate who ran here and there, trying to shoo the kitten away from entering :D Thank you Claudia for capturing the lovely photo above. Love it so much!! Also for the local beer treat ;P Cheers!!!!

To summarize, let me share this Youtube video "Welcome to Kyrgyzstan" where you can see the beauty of Kyrgyzstan with a lovely music and song :)

Where to go and what to do in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

We spent a night in Karakol. Karakol is the forth largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located near the eastern part of Issyk Kul Lake. It used to be a place where the Russian military outpost founded in 18th century, and also the place where the place where large number of Dungan, the Chinese Muslim fleeing warfare in China. I will share here some of the places that you can visit or things you can do in Karakol.

Holy Trinity Cathedral (Russian Orthodox Church) - Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

1. Visit the Russian wooden Orthodox church called Holy Trinity Cathedral. The building was constructed in 1894-1895, replacing the earlier church that was destructed by the earthquake. During that period, this church was initially built as a chapel for the Russian military personnel. Later on, after the 1917 revolution, it also served as a school, sport hall, theatre, and even a coal store, before it was briefly returned as a church. By 1961, again it was not used as church until the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991. 

The church is beautified with flowers and trees at its surrounding, plus the snow capped mountains view as the background. Inside it was quiet, calm and peaceful. You could grab some wooden souvenir or accessories to bring home afterward. 

Dungan Mosque - Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

2. Visit Dungan Mosque - a mosque built and designed in 1904 by Dungan, the Chinese Muslim, without a single nail and looks resemble like a Buddhist temple. If you visit it in September, the place will look more like a garden with so many beautiful roses beautified the area. Fruit trees like pear, apple, and walnut would be full of fruits too!!! We were lucky that the staff plucking some of the apples and pears to be shared with us. I had them for breakfast next day and it was really wonderful!!! They were juicy, sweet and crunchy, most importantly, organic and grew with TLC (tender loving care) :D

Issyk-Kul Brand Shop - Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

3. Shop local products at the Issyk-Kul Brand Shop - a store that sells natural, high quality handmade products made by local community, such as: honey (Kyrgyzstan is famous for its pure white honey and varieties of honey from Kyrgyz mountains), wool products (bookmarks, wallet, hat, shawl, doll, slippers, bags, etc.), various local fruit juices and jams made of sea buckthorn, barberry, raspberry, walnut, etc., soaps, lip balm, hand cream, paintings, various handcrafts, etc. You can try some of the products before deciding to purchase or not. The store commits to support the local communities with OVOP - One Village One Product concept - to produce, sell, and earn from their products sustainably. You can find more information about the shop here. 

Dinner at Dungan Family House - Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

4. Have dinner at Dungan family house, tasting the dishes that Chinese Muslim would eat on their daily life. We were given a private room where 7 of us could peacefully enjoy our meal. They served 9 different types of dishes plus laghman (handmade pulled noodle - similar with Chinese lamian) as the base to eat the dishes with. The owner's son served us the food personally, explained their cultures and traditions, also origins with us. He could speak a little Chinese too as he went to learn Chinese in China himself, so that he could communicate better with his guests (many Chinese or Chinese Asians guests came and dined at his house). It was a great experience and for us, we could finally have something Chinese in our food after almost a week of mostly Central Asia food on our menus. Hahaha... Something spicy and delicious :D

5. Visit Karakol local bazaar. Unfortunately it had closed by the time we reached Karakol and we did not have time to visit the next day as we still have many places to go. But if you have more days to visit, it will be a great experience to see how it looks like and what types of things they sell over there.

We continued our journey to Bokonbayevo village and on our way, we passed by many places, which I will cover next. Stay tune :)

Kyrgyzstan - Land of Kyrgyz

Statue of Manas and Kyrgyzstan flag in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan

Bordering with Kazakhstan, China, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country blessed with Tian Shan and Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the capital and also the largest city in Kyrgyzstan. 

Issyk Kul Lake, Tian Shan mountain range and Kyrgyz flag reflections :)

It is also part of the Silk Road with Issyk Kul Lake as one of the stopover (a land route for traders, merchants, and other travelers from the far east to Europe) and was inhabited by succession tribes and clans, such as Turkic nomads, Mongol empire, Manchu-led Qing Dynasty of China, Dzungar Khanate, Russian empire, Soviet Union (USSR), and finally independent in August 31, 1991.

Beautiful nature of Kyrgyzstan :)

The word 'Kyrgyz' - in Turkic word means 'we are forty', which refers to the 40 clans of Manas, a legendary hero who united the forty regional clans into a single country back in 9th century. 

Ethnic Kyrgyz is the majority of its over 7 million population, followed by minorities of Russian, Uzbeks, Ukrainians, Germans, Tatars, Kazakhs, Dungans (Hui; Chinese Muslims), Uighurs, and Tajiks. Languages spoken are Kyrgyz, Russian, Tajik, Uzbek, and Uyghur. 

Beautiful Dungan Mosque in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz people used to raise livestock and engaged in farming. But since late 20th century, the country had become a source of nonferrous metals. There has also an increase in gold mining activities, plus they are rich in coal and some petroleum and natural gas. 

Herding in Kyrgyzstan

Pasture in Kyrgyzstan

It is said now 50% of Kyrgyz population that lives in rural areas - primarily farmers - are growing rice and vegetables in the area (doing agriculture), and also raising dairy cattle to reduce poverty, improve their income inequality, increase food security, and also to generate employment

On our way after crossing Kazakh and Kyrgyz border :)

On our way after crossing Kazakh - Kyrgyz border, we passed by many nomadic herder going back home after grazing wild vegetation in the area. Usually riding horse and accompanied by dog, at least two persons managed their hundreds of cattle, sheep, and horse. It was such a beautiful scenery, at least for me, who lives most of my life in city. And I still miss to watch them walking on the road in front of us :)

Lush pines, greeneries, horses, living in harmony - Kyrgyzstan

The country landscape is amazingly beautiful!!! Mountain ranges, lakes, valleys, rivers, deserts and plains offer beautiful natures wherever you go. Their famous tourist destinations include Karkara Gorge, Djetty Oguz Gorge (7 red stones formation "Broken Heart" and "Seven Bulls"), Barskoon Gorge with its cascading waterfalls, Skazka Canyon also known as "Fairy Tale" consisting of limestone clusters, bulging sandstone from the colorful soil, and so on. 

Will cover them more on my next blog post. Keep on reading and following my blog :)

Beauty of Kazakhstan - Kolsay Lake

Kolsay Lake, Kazakhstan

This was the last nature we visited in Kazakhstan before we moved to the Kazakh - Kyrgyz border in Kegen town. Kolsay Lakes National Park is located on the north slope of the Tian Shan Mountains, southeast Kazakhstan, also known as "Pearls of Tian Shan". 

Signboards at the entrance - Kolsay Lake, Kazakhstan

Beautiful Kolsay Lake in Kazakhstan

There was road to access to this area. From Saty Village, where we stayed the night before, it took us around 45 minutes ride to this place. 

Flowers found around the Kolsay Lake, Kazakhstan

Kolsay Lake, Kazakhstan

With snow capped mountain at the background, the lake was surrounded by lush pines and other mountain floras. I could not take my eyes from its beauty :)

Perfect weather to visit the Kolsay Lake, Kazakhstan

Visiting this place in September was a great choice, especially when the sun was out, complimenting well the cold weather.

Me with the beautiful background and clear water at the Kolsay Lake, Kazakhstan

We visited the lower Kolsay Lake, a natural mountain reservoir, which was formed by landslides that blocked the Kolsay River. The trees at the surrounding were so beautiful. The water color was clear, consisting mixtures of greenish and bluish. There was a hiking trail too starting from there, but we did not cover that. We were just walking around and enjoying the beautiful view. 

Hope you enjoy the photos and the scenery too from your mobile, laptop or desktop screen, wherever you are around the world :)

Visiting Jeju Island during Typhoon Mitag - Day 2

Our first stop - Jeju coastal road view - Jeju Island

Thank Buddha, the next morning, the weather seemed good. I mean, we expected rain to happen, but there was no strong wind that we were worrying about earlier. Mr Won too (our driver for the day), messaged me early in the morning, to confirm about the car rental arrangement and the trip. And yes, we went on with our journey to browse the Jeju island instead of staying inside the room and doing nothing :)

Second stop - One of the 300 fishing villages view in Jeju Island :)

While planning for our trip to Jeju, we never thought of typhoon into the possibility of happening in our itinerary. Therefore, my sister planned to browse around east side of Jeju to see the beautiful nature that Jeju could offer. And it was where I went last time on my first trip to Jeju - towards the east, to visit Manjanggul Cave, Seongsan Ilchulbong, Seongeup Folk Village, Sangumburi Crater, Mysterious Road, and so on.

But I told my sisters that those were mostly nature and outdoor activities. We could not possibly climbing the Seongsan Ilchulbong in such rain and cold wind weather. The women diver might not want to dive in such weather as well. Therefore, we changed our plan and route. We traveled to the west and south of Jeju Island, and visited places that I had never been to before.

Morning coffee stop at Aewol Monsant Cafe owed by G-Dragon - Jeju Island

Actually that was my wishes to visit the other parts of Jeju Island. And the typhoon Mitag made my wishes came true. It was also my sister's wish to visit Aewol Monsant Cafe owed by her favorite singer - G Dragon and K-Pop Play Museum. So I guessed, both our wishes came true and thanks to the typhoon to make it possible :D

What is this??? Some kind of decoration?? Lol!!!

In my humble opinion, there was nothing special at the Aewol Monsant Cafe. The chandelier was not there (it was being damaged by his fans), puddled of water was found just in front of the cashier (and you worried your shoes would get wet while ordering your coffee and cake?), round hole as per shown in above picture, and the cost of coffee and food were exorbitant. Their signature drink - Dolce Vita - tasted nothing special and not worth for paying KRW 7,500 per cup. Only the expensive carrot cake (KRW 8,000 per slice) could at least taste good. If it was not belonged to G Dragon, I don't think people would still come and spend their money plus time there (I hope by posting this, the fans won't attack me with their comments :P)

Hallabong oranges roadside seller - Jeju Island

We continued our journey. Since the rain was there and wind was blown quite heavily, it was perfect for us to visit more indoor area. And our next destination was to visit the Osulloc Tea Museum. Find out more about the place information here. 

Osulloc Tea Museum - Jeju Island

We stayed indoor at this place. There were few photo spots completed with props featuring their tea products, a very good way to have a free advertisement done by the public (including me here :P).

Victims of expensive tea products :P - Osulloc Tea Museum

There was shop selling the tea and tea products inside. They even provided cups of tea sample so that you could taste before buying it. The prices of all products were very expensive. Check the price out here. But since it was the only tea shop that was available in the island, tourists were still willing to spend their money on the local products. The packaging of the tea was made very nice and that was actually where your money went to mostly :D

Tasted the tea and tea products - Osulloc Tea Museum in Jeju Island

There was cafe selling tea products too where customers could buy. We shared few items together, just to find out what it tasted like. Loved the green tea ice cream (KRW 6,000) and the Hallabong O Fredo (KRW 7,500), but not the green tea roll cake (KRW 5,000). The taste of the green tea on the cake was not strong enough. 

Jeju Osung Seafood Restaurant - Highly recommended by me!!! Must eat if you visit South part of Jeju Island!!!

By the time we finished tasting the tea desserts, it was lunch time and my stomach was hungry for warm food. Mr Won brought us to a traditional local restaurant nearby called Jeju Osung Restaurant. He recommended us to order the grilled Mackerel and seafood stew.

Wonderful seafood lunch at Jeju Osung Traditional Restaurant - Jeju Island

Oh man, I had hard time to find out the name of this restaurant!!! You have to try it yourself to find out how delicious their food is!!! The Jeju Osung traditional restaurant had been operated since 1973. And no, I did not get any sponsor in recommending you this place. Everything I wrote on my blog was based on my personal humble opinion, be it good or bad. And I loved the food they served here!!!

We ordered the seafood set for two (KRW 90,000) that included seafood doenjang jjigae or seafood stew (in long rectangular cooking pot that you see at the above picture - filled with 4 pieces of live abalone (sorry for boiling you alive...), a piece of medium size octopus, two giant clams, and very fresh hairtail fish), abalone dolsot stone pot rice (the one on right top), uni miyeok guk (Korean seaweed soup with sea urchin - the one with greenish things inside the bowl), breaded fried pork, and one stick of assorted skewer, with additional order of grilled Mackerel, and sea urchin bibimbap. We added those because we thought the portion for two would be very less. It was really more than our expectation!!! And the varieties and taste of the banchan (side dishes) was superb!!!! I had no words to explain :) Just go down and try! Total spend was KRW 121,000 for all.

Free two Americano too!!! :)

After payment, we were entitled to get two free cups of Americano (hot or cold) from the cafe located below the restaurant. Wasn't it a great perks to have after meal??? :)

Jungmun Saekdal Beach - Jeju Island

After lunch, Mr Won brought us to see the Jungmun Saekdal Beach. And lucky us, the rain was only started once we finished taking our photos. You could see from the photos how big the wind was. The waves had all turned white due to the heavy wind that blown from the sea. Fyi, touching the stomach of the Dol Hareubang (Grandfather rock) was believed to give a good wealth luck, and yes, we did that!!! Hahahaha.... :P

Play K-Pop Museum - Jeju Island

Stomach was full, and wind outside was still heavy blown. It was time for some indoor activity!!! Indoor activity?? Not as what you think Sherab!!! (In case you read this, lol!!! :P) Next, we went to the Play K-Pop Museum. I heard about the place last time, but that was all. Did not know what was inside. Mr Won was rushing us to faster enter the place as the show had just been started. What show? We found out only after reaching inside.

Hologram concert by G-Dragon - Kpop Play Museum in Jeju Island

It was the Hologram concert by G-Dragon, my sister's favorite singer. The sound speaker and quality of the hologram made it as if we were attending the real concert!!! Impressive!!!

Felt like attending the real concert!!! Hologram concert by G-Dragon - Kpop Play Museum in Jeju Island

They played quite few songs and my eldest sister was enjoying herself very much, dancing all the way from the beginning 'til the end. 

My eldest sister was performing in concert with G-Dragon at K-Pop Play Museum, Jeju Island

It got the staff's attention and she was participating in the concert, dancing together with G-Dragon :D She was indirectly famous for the day too!!! :D :D :D Sorry for my loud out laugh on the video. Was too exciting that my sister got called on the stage hahahahaha.... :D

Other activities inside the K-Pop Play Museum - Jeju Island

After that we were all heading to the second floor where many interactive activities with Korean famous singers were available. Taking photo with them was one of the thing you could do. 

Bring your memories back home with this USB drive :D - K-Pop Play in Jeju Island

They would save all the files using the barcode of your ticket, which at the end of your visit, you could purchase the photo in paper at KRW 4,000 each page, or the cute recorder 16 GB USB drive containing all the photos you took earlier at KRW 15,000 each.

Live 360 3D show by PSY Man - K-Pop Play in Jeju Island

And before leaving the place, we managed to watch the fife-minute Live 360 3D show by PSY Man by wearing the 3D glasses provided. Quite cute but the ending was not that good.

Time spent at Teseum (Teddy Bear Museum) - Teddy Bear Safari - Jeju Island

Posing with various bears at Teseum - Jeju Island

Last place to visit before we went back to Jeju town, we stopped at the Teseum (Teddy Bear Museum) - Teddy Bear Safari. Well, it was a place where you could take photo with so many bears. If I was much younger, I might find this place amusing. Hehehe... But I felt just so so now lah... :D

Cute flower bears at Teseum - Jeju Island

Teddy Bear wearing different countries clothes - Teseum in Jeju Island

The wind blew heavier and rain was strong too by the time we went out from this place. Mr Won was worrying that we would get stuck somewhere due to this. However it was only lasting for a while. As our journey back continued, the weather had changed and we could leave our worry away. In fact, he could not believe that we had a very good day (as in, we were able to avoid any strong wind and heavy rain caused by the typhoon Mitag). SB really blessed our journey, thank you once again!!!

Chicken dinner at Mom's Touch - Jungang underground shopping center - Jeju Island

This time he brought us to the Jungang underground shopping center - the one located at old Jeju town - to have our dinner. Since we were still quite full from our delicious lunch, we chose to have fried chicken over heavy meals like rice or noodle. We asked Mr Won to have dinner with us too and had a chit chat over life in South Korea.

Final pose with Mr Won and his huge van - our driver for Jeju Island trip!!! :)

After dinner, we were allowed some free time to digest our food by walking around the underground shopping center and then were sent back to hotel to take a rest. 

Fyi, I knew Mr Won since five years ago when I was going for my first trip to Jeju island. Initially I thought of hiring him but since it was only two of us (and he was taking jumbo taxi that time), he referred us to his friend instead. And this time, since it was five of us, we finally had fate to travel together. 

He was such a positive, optimistic, and energetic guy in his sixties. He kept encouraging himself since the tour started and kept giving us information about Jeju Island and places that we visited. If you want to visit Jeju and want to get his van service, you can message me on the comment below and leave your email address so I can send his number to you.

So, that was about it!! The info about places we could go during typhoon Mitag. Hope it can help you when you visit Jeju Island next time :)