One thing I'd say is don't rush to the seventh lake just because it's the last one. We met several travellers who hardly stopped at the lower lakes because they were determined to "complete" all seven. Looking back, some of our favourite views were actually around the third and fourth lakes, where we simply sat by the water and enjoyed the scenery.

That said, conditions can change after heavy rain or during road repairs, so it's always worth asking locally before setting off. And yes, drivers are availalble and ready to negotiate right after you cross the border. 

The biggest surprise for us was how different each lake looked. We expected seven similar lakes, but each had its own colour and character. Some were a deep turquoise, others almost emerald green, and the surrounding landscape kept changing as we drove higher into the mountains.

We stopped far more often than we'd planned because every few kilometres there seemed to be another viewpoint worth photographing.