Hello everyone,
Could you please advise?
Is it better to drive from the southern shore of Issyk-Kul to the northern shore via Karakol or along the western side?
We came here from Bishkek, and although parts of the highway are under repair, we'd like to see some new scenery. We're just worried that the road ahead might be in really bad condition.
Probably better to go via the western side. The road toward Karakol is under repair, and there are sections without asphalt.
Thanks! 🙂 Well, even on the way from Bishkek there were plenty of rough stretches with bumps and everything. It took us about six hours to get here.
Yes, that's true, but it gets even worse further on. 😄 We drove to Bishkek via Kegen four days ago. After Karakol the road is fine, but only if you're okay driving on unpaved sections. Then go for it! 😀 You'll be doing around 40–60 km/h, and sometimes you can even reach 80 km/h.
If you're not planning to visit the gorges, then I'd go via the western side (clockwise around the lake).
Yes, absolutely. Jeti-Oguz and Fairy Tale (Skazka) Canyon are beautiful. They're definitely worth the detour.
One hundred percent. Barskoon too.
So if you take it easy, you can comfortably continue along the southern shore while stopping at all the beautiful places on the way.
If you have enough time, then definitely. I liked the southern shore much more. The northern side is probably better for swimming and traveling with children, while the south is all about trekking through incredible landscapes.
We're actually heading there in the next few days anyway. 🙂 We've already visited Fairy Tale Canyon, tomorrow we're going to Barskoon. The question is how to get to Bosteri. From here, Broken Heart Rock is quite far away, so based on your advice we'll probably return via the western side.
Stop by Ak-Sai too if you haven't been there yet.
It's only about 80 km to Broken Heart. 😄
But that's almost all the way to Karakol, isn't it? Isn't that a bit too far?
I was actually thinking of stopping there on the way to Bosteri if we went along the eastern side, but now I'm not sure whether it's worth making the trip or not.
Jeti-Oguz was one of our favorite hikes. It's an easy trail, and we made it to a fantastic viewpoint overlooking the valley. We could have continued farther, but we were already satisfied with what we saw. We left the car a little above the Chinese construction camp.
After Karakol the road gets much better. So yes, if you have the time, it's definitely worth visiting Jeti-Oguz. (And you can have some delicious trout there too. 😊) It's about 15 km off the main road, though the access road is also in poor condition because of repairs, so you won't be driving very fast.