There is a large number of lakes in Central Asia. It is oddly enough, that the explanation for this is the dry climate. The increase in precipitation would lead to the fact that the lakes turned into continuous streams.
Undoubtedly, the largest and most famous is the Caspian Sea in Western Kazakhstan. We used to call it the sea because of its impressive size, although it has no outlet to the ocean and accordingly, is a lake. In ancient times, the Caspian and Black Seas constituted the so-called Sarmat Sea. In the era of alpine folding, the Caucasus Mountains rose and the Caspian Sea turned into the largest lake in the world. It got its name thanks to the ancient tribes of horse breeders - the Caspians, who lived on its banks. The reserves of "black gold" at the bottom of the sea are striking and reach20 billion tons. But oil and gas are not his only wealth, because 9/10 of all black caviar produced in the world is extracted there! The Kazakh side of the Caspian Sea has a huge, yet to be discovered, recreational potential. The chain of world famous hotels has already noticed it, having opened their hotel "RIXOS Water World Aktau" there. And further north along the coast there is a fabulous place - Blue Bay, distinguished by sandy beaches and warm water. There we suggest setting up a camp on seashells and enjoying the sunset during our jeep tours.
The Aral Sea is not less famous, but with a sadder fate. The dimensions of the ecological catastrophe created by human hands are unbelievable. On our jeep tours to the Mangystau Peninsula and along the Silk Road, tourists always freeze silently while driving through the salty desert when they realize that we are driving along the former bottom of the Aral Sea. We see houses covered with sand, which were once fishing villages, where life was in full swing ... all this definitely makes you think. There is a program to save the Aral Sea with the support of the World Bank, the first steps have been completed. They even brought results. But whether the program will receive continuation after going through all the bureaucratic jungle is a big question.
Lake Balkhash is a unique natural phenomenon also located on Kazakhstani land. The uniqueness lies in the fact that the waters in its western side are fresh and muddy, and in the eastern one - salty and transparent. It is also noteworthy that the water is almost immiscible. The recreational potential of Lake Balkhash is great, it is warm, tourists can comfortably swim in it from May to September. There are a large number of holiday houses on the coast, and there are also sand beaches where we organize camping during jeep tours, mostly on the salty side. However, not only beach recreation is developed on Balkhash, because more than 20 species of fish live in it! We are the only ones who organize a difficult transfer to the underwater fishing base in the Ili delta, on the fresh side of Lake Balkhash.
In the deserts near Lake Balkhash, there is a network of small salt and freshwater lakes, which are rightfully called “Rayski Lakes”. Raiyski from Russian translates like “Paradise”. They are considered healing, and they got their name from the local healer Rai Ana (Raikhan Ana). As the locals say, a woman named Raikhan once fell ill with leprosy. Because of her illness, all her friends and relatives turned away from her. Out of despair, she went to die in the desert. A couple of days later, Raikhan came across the lakes, where she remained to while away her life. Swimming every day in a salt lake, the woman received healing, returned to the village and became a healer. Her grave still stands on a hill near the Paradise Lakes. According to tradition, everyone who visits her lakes should lay a branch of haloxylon to the grave as a sign of respect. Indeed, there is a certain mystical aura in the Paradise Lakes. Local officials have repeatedly tried to build holiday homes there, but every time something went wrong, and the lakes remained wild. Scientifically, the healthiness of the lakes is explained by the small red crustaceans, which we saw after shooting with an underwater camera. The salinity of the main healing lake is equal to the salinity of the Dead Sea: it is impossible to drown in it. Another curious fact is the phenomenon of the temperature difference between Lake Paradise. The water on the surface can be cool, but at the bottom it is so hot that it practically burns the feet.
In the 1960s, not far from the city of Almaty, the Kapchagai reservoir was formed. It is difficult to judge whether it brought the expected practical benefit to the city, but Kapchagay is nowadays the most popular and favorite vacation spot for every taste. The shores of Kapchagai are characterized by rocky coastal landscapes, sandy and pebble. There is a huge number of recreation centers and deserted places for those who like camping. The rivers Turgen, Chilik, Issyk, Talgar, Kaskelen flow into the Kapchagai reservoir. The border of the Altyn Emel National Park runs along its northern shores, where you can meet a large number of Red Book animals, such as argali or Przewalski's horse. Kapchagay is also suitable for lovers of scientific and educational leisure. Not far from Kapchagay, on the banks of the Ili River, there is a complex of Buddha rock paintings - Tamgaly-Tas.
While reading about the Great Silk Road, one can come across a description of some water "bowls" of extraordinary beauty, past which caravans passed. Is was the description of the famous Alakol Lake. Already in ancient times, caravans, unable to refuse after a tiring journey from refreshing in the waters of the lake, noticed that the salty waves miraculously restore strength and strengthen health. The skin abrasions on the legs disappeared from people, the wounds on the body quickly healed, even quarrels and resentments moved aside somewhere by themselves. Modern medical research confirms the medicinal qualities of lakes water. And also, as ornithologists note, this unique place on the map of East Kazakhstan to this day remains a kind of "Silk Road" for the bird tribe. Birds rushing from north to south, stop to rest on Alakol. The property of Alakol is also a specially protected relict seagull, which flew over that area back in the days of the dinosaurs.
Speaking about Kyrgyzstan, Lake Issyk-Kul has undoubtedly been and remains the pearl of the mountainous republic. This is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan, without drainage, it is included in the 30 largest lakes in the world by area and in seventh place in the list of the deepest lakes. The name translated from Kyrgyz means "warm lake". The lake also had names - "Tuz-Kul" - "salt lake", because the water is notable for its low salinity, and another name of the lake is associated with the presence of the Mongols in the vicinity of the lake - Timur-tu-Nor, which means containing iron. On the shores of the lake, there were deposits of magnetic iron sand, and the layer of such embankments often reached up to a meter. There was also the name of the lake - Dzhit-Kul, which translates as "fragrant lake". This old Kyrgyz name for the lake comes from the fact that the Issyk-Kul basin was once a blooming garden. The realized recreational potential is the legacy of the Soviet Union. The rare combination of sea and mountain climates attracts numerous vacationers and tourists. All along the coast there are numerous boarding houses and rest houses. Lake Issyk-Kul is the main source of tourism income in Kyrgyzstan. Nevertheless, there are still many undeveloped places on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, among which we noticed the most comfortable for overnight stays during jeep tours.
Traveling around Uzbekistan, the "sea in the sands" - Lake Aydarkul is considered a must-see place. The lake was formed artificially, in the basin of the Syrdarya river and is famous for its sandy beaches with clean salt water. Aydarkul is located away from human settlements, and therefore vacuum silence and an atmosphere of unity with nature reign there, for which it is especially appreciated by locals and tourists. The lake is part of the Nuratau-Kyzylkum Biosphere Reserve; the lake and the adjacent territory are inhabited by many waterfowl and semi-aquatic birds, desert and mountain animal species, including rare and endemic ones included in the Red Book (curly pelican, white-tailed eagle, black vulture and etc.).
