BEACHES, OFF ROAD and HOT SPRINGs in KYRGYZSTAN! - The Way Overland - Episode 63

Lake Issyk-Kul.. Animals, mountains, crystal clear water and the place all to ourselves, what more could we ask for?!

Well, we started off with some bad weather and a classic case of the flu wiping us for a few days. Thankfully as we emerged from the confines of the Troopy the sun returned ready for us to go exploring.

We continued driving around the lake to the town Karakol. A great spot to stock up before venturing up the valley to Altyn Arashan, a drive which we’d been told would be very difficult in our 4wd. We were up for the challenge and decided that it was worth a try to check out the hot springs and mountain views that the valley is known for. Plus it’d been awhile since we’d been on a more challenging 4wd track, which we breezed up… What was everyone going on about?!

The drive up was slow and steady over the rocky sections, a wee bit icy in the middle and muddy at the end of the valley. All of this plus the incredible views made for a really great day.

Getting to the end we finished off on foot to go and find the hot springs. The spring is a small manmade pool big enough for 2, maybe 3 people which is fed by a natural spring coming out of the side of the mountain. When we arrived there were already 2 people in the pool, so as to not make it awkward crashing their party we waited till they were done to jump in. With no one else around we had the whole place to ourselves.

There are guest houses in the village though we ventured back up the track a little bit and found a flat(ish) and protected spot to camp for the night and lit a fire, something we hadn’t done for a very long time though perfect for these night time temps.

That’s it for our little 4x4 adventure up Altyn Arashan. In the next episode we continue exploring the surrounding areas of Lake Issyk-Kul.

Thanks for watching!

Jolie and Mark

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