Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬

#myhiddengems Did you know that there is a lake that has salt water to it? Yes, it exists! And it’s called Lake Issyk Kul. In Kyrgyz, Issyk-Kul means “warm lake” because it never got frozen in winter thanks to its salinity. This lake is one of the largest saline lake in the world and also the eighth-deepest lake in the world. Located in northeastern Kyrgyzstan, the nearest cities to enjoy this beautiful lake are Cholpon-Ata and Karakol. There are several option to reach the lake. You could take a bus from Bishkek, the capital, to Karakol. If you just want go to Cholpon-Ata, you could drop into the city because most of the bus are going through it before reaching Karakol. I personally went to Karakol first, then took a Marshrutka to the one of the most popular destination in Issyk-Kul Lake, which is Skazka Canyon (Fairytale Canyon). From there, you could enjoy the beautiful coastline of Issyk-Kul along with strolling on the canyon’s Mars-like terrain. Make sure to visit this stunning salt water lake in the heart of this landlocked country!