A Visit to Kaindy Lake

It was with mixed emotions that we said goodbye to our camp crew this morning. They were truly wonderful to us; setting up and tearing down camp, feeding us delicious breakfasts and dinners, apacking us a hearty lunch to take on our treks, setting up a portable sauna to help us recover from our daily exertions and transporting all of our luggage from one camp to the next. As great as they were, it was time for a proper ‘wash-up’ and a chance to sleep in a bed versus on the ground. We boarded our mini bus and ventured out across the Tien Shan Mountains and through the Kolsay Kolderi National Park. We stopped to visit Kaindy Lake, which was a unique experience as you can’t get there with a regular vehicle. About 10 kms from the lake we transferred to a Buhanka, a 1960’s Russian vehicle, which took us over rocks and through rivers and other undesirable obstacles. Our driver was very competitive and succeeded in overtaking anyone in his way and seemed to make a game out of hitting all bumps at high speed. We walked the last 500 meters to reach the lake, though a horseback ride was an option and I opted for that on the way back to the Buhanka pick up spot. It was my belief that I couldn’t visit Kazakhstan without getting on a horse and pretending to be a gaucho! Kaindy Lake is surrounded by alpine meadow and forests. The lake is also a forest submerged beneath its waters; it is recognizable by the seemingly dry spruce tree trunks that rise up atmospherically out of the lake, making it a popular attraction for local tourists and a perfect spot to enjoy a picnic lunch. Afterwards we transferred to our guesthouse in Qurmenti.Read more