Kyrgyzstan is one of the world’s best-kept secrets and a grossly underrated travel destination! Upon our arrival at Karakul Lake, I noticed several Kyrgyz yurts – circular tents traditionally pitched by nomadic tribes. There is a rest house for truckers that will serve a hardy dinner, its cheap but don't go expecting it to be pristine clean. One of Xinjiang’s most visited locations would have to be Karakul Lake. 3.) Karakul has an area of 380 sq km and lies at the altitude of 3914 metres above sea level. "Schwalbe Marathon Plus". About 33 x 24 km, it covers 380 square km. Ala-Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan. The lake’s name means ‘black lake’, in Turkic languages, such as Kyrgyz, Uyghur, and Uzbek. High in the mountains and rimmed by the yurts that local Uighur, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan nomadic people call home – its bright blue waters and the mountains that surround it are something of a mecca for photographers in the summer months. It sits on a desolate high plain. Karakul is located roughly 50 km south of the border with Kyrgyzstan on the Kyzylart Pass and 100 km from Sary Tash, the nearest village in Kyrgyzstan. Karakul lake is a large lake high in the Pamir mountains (altitude 3914 m). Lake Issyk-Kul-- this is the most famous place. - Water filter However, I was interested to see that here, there were both yurts made of the traditional felt, and also concrete – obviously the … If you are coming from Kyrgystan beware of possible Altitude Sickness.. From Sary- Tash (Kyrgyzstan) to Osh, there are asphalt roads also various shops in the smaller towns. In Karakul you should go to Lake Karakul, in my opinion, it`s one of the most beautiful place in the Pamirs, ... look at the great photos in the gallery! As you’ll see researching a trip to Central Asia there are several lakes and places by the name of Karakul (some with alternative spellings), including Karakol, Kyrgyzstan, and Karakul, Xinjiang, China. The country is 70% mountains. Aerial shot of the lake and village of Karakul. Karakul is kyrgyz for “black lake” and its indeed looks black when the sun is hidden by clouds. It's comfortable, cute, but there is nothing surprising. "black lake"), is a lake located 196 km southwest of Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.It is located in Akto County, Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture on the Karakoram Highway, before reaching Tashkurgan, the Khunjerab Pass on the China - Pakistan border and Sost in Pakistan. Highway 41 follows its southern shore, offering stunning views of the blue lake nestled against the snow-capped Pamir mountains. High mountains and beautiful - Ala-Too, Tien Shan and Pamir, wonderful glaciers in the north. Karakul (Lake), some four hours south of Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang Province, is quite simply one of the most beautiful places we have ever been. Its waters are incredibly clear. Basic recommendation: - Good tires, e.g. Bishkek for tourists is not very interesting-- it is a typical Soviet city. It is located in the Tajik National Park in the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan. Karakul is a small village on the Pamir Highway surrounded by a large Crater lake. Karakul, Qarokul (Kyrgyz for "black lake", replacing the older Tajik name Siob) is a 25 km (16 mi) diameter lake within a rather large 52 km (32 mi) impact crater. The Karakul or Karakuli (Uighur: قاراكۆل, romanized: Qaraköl, Қаракөл, lit. The water is too salty to irrigate more land – via ROTW Regatta Location and transport. It is a pleasant and safe country with, arguably, the most hospitable people in the world. Karakul Lake. Situated at 3600 meters, and hours from the nearest city, Karakul is isolated and pristine, yet easily accessible from Kashgar by regular bus service on the Karakoram Highway. Concrete yurts along Karakul Lake. But the country itself is beautiful.