Sary Chelek is one of Kyrgyzstan true gems. Located in western Kyrgyzstan, you can make a few days stop-over if you are travelling from Bishkek to Osh. Although it is a little difficult to reach, I think it is well worth a visit and take a day trip or stay a night at the lake.
Arkit (or Arkyt) is a village located south of the lake. From here it is about 15km to the Sary Chelek. Arkit is also the closest to the lake, and the easiest to access with public transport. The other village, Kara-Suu is a 2-day hike from the lake.
We stayed in a nice and cosy guesthouse (if I remember correctly, the guesthouse is called Siberia guesthouse) which is always filled with joyful children. These children are more than happy to pose for some photos.
The next morning, we start our trek to the lake. Towards the end of the village sits a beautiful Mosque, built along the river.
The trek up to the lake is easy to moderate and you’ll get to see some of the most beautiful scenery along the way. You can also opt to take a shared taxi or minivan to the Sary Chelek lake. A more efficient way is to hitchhike to the lake. In most months, there are some domestic tourists who drive there.
For those who drives, there is an ample parking space at the lake. The alpine lake, the largest in the western Tien Shan, is located at an altitude of 1940 meters above sea level. It is also possible to rent a motorboat and see the far part of the lake which is not visible from the shore.
If the local tourists asked you to join for their meal, be prepare to eat a lot. An I mean really a lot. My nephew tried to make an escape but he was force to sit back as the dining table to have more food!
We camp overnight at the lake and it was really cold that night. There’s also the option to sleep in a bunk bed if you prefer. The next morning we trek back to Arkit village and make our way to Arslanbob the day after. The marshrutka leaves at 6 am from Arkit to Bazar-Korgon and we paid 250 som per person. From Bazar-Korgon, you can take a bus to Arslanbob.