Song Kul is definitively my favorite place in Kyrgyzstan. Although I am a big fan of red rock formations (such as Jeti Oguz or the Sazka canyon), I found the lake Song Kul to be a gem: the landscape, the peace, the fresh air, the atmosphere... I will let the pictures show you what I mean.
Navigate back to the complete Kyrgyzstan Travel Guide
INFO & PLANNING TIPS - Song Kul lake
Song Kul, also written Song Kol or Song-Köl, is a 270 km2 lake at the altitude of 3016 meters.
It is for me one of the top destinations in Kyrgyzstan well worth the bumpy ride.
TIPS FOR TRAVEL PLANNING ADDICTS - Song Kul
Getting to Song Kul
- Several roads lead to the lake but many required a 4WD - 2 main ones leave from each side of the lake but they might be closed when there is snow.
- The most common route is off A365 coming from Kochnor. Transportation can be arranged by the CBT (Community Based tourism agency)
Visiting Song Kul
- To really enjoy the place, I recommend staying 2 nights. this way you can maybe go on the lake or ride a horse around or simply meditate.
- Bring very warm clothes including hat and gloves. It is very high and it gets cold at night
Arrival at Song-Köl
After a beautiful but long day driving from Tamga, we drove on a pass and finally discover Song Kul lake. What a moment! It was one of the top places to discover on my list and my excitement was very high. Luckily the place did not disappoint!
Tour of the lake looking for our yurts
The lake was a lot bigger than I expected and the road takes a long detour at one end. The nomads settle everywhere around the lake but you never know exactly where. So we stopped at all the camps trying to find ours. No-one knew our hosts. And there were not many signs. We kept driving, the views were stunning and I loved every minute of it, looking towards the lake or towards the mountain. The place is majestic.
Watching sunset
We never found our camp so we asked another one set up near the lake if they could host us. I decided to go exploring and watch sunset. I missed the beginning of dinner but enjoyed it so much. I found horses grazing and felt so much peace lying down in the grass watching them live their lives.
Surely by now you understand why this is my favorite place in Kyrgyzstan, No?
Song-Kul at night
I took advantage of being away from the developped world to admire and capture the stars. Or at least I tried to...
Morning freeze and peace
After a very cold night, I decided to skip breakfast and explore the area. The water was frozen in some places!
The lake was quiet and shining under the bright sun. See how clear the water is!
It seems like the cows and the horses really like the place too.
Meeting the nomads
As I was photographing the place like a crazy women, I met some nomads and their animals. Like most Kyrgyz people they were really happy for me to take their pictures.
Then they went back to their animals...
Leaving the lake
I was extremely sad to leave the place. Next time I will have to stay longer. Luckily the mountain pass on the other side of Song Kol lake was opened and we discovered new perspectives on the lake and a new road!
Want to see more of Kyrgyzstan's beauty?
Discover more planning information, things to do and places to see in my online Kyrgyzstan Travel Guide.
Who wants to go there?
the photos are so beautiful!
You have some really beautiful shots. I especially like the one with the snow capped peaks, the herds on the grassy slope and the road leading down to the lake. Kyrgyz-Travel offers nice trips to the lake and region. Check them out sometime here: http://www.kyrgyz-travel.com/trip-to-song-kul-lake/ and let me know what you think! I hope you get a chance to visit this majestic place again sometime soon.
Lovely photos! Which time of the year did you visit / when were the pics taken?
Thanks
Thanks Alex
They were taken around mid-June.