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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures
Central Asia 2026
Day 11 : Chon-Kemin To Issyk-Kul
Central Asia 2026 Day 11: 25th May (Monday)
Medium-size Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan):
This is page 11 of a 16-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page.
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1. Traffic Directions!
Central Asian countries are left-hand drive, and vehicles drive on the right side of the road. So do bear this in mind when crossing the road OR when sitting at the front passenger seat. I made this mistake several times and boarded the car at the driver's side, with the driver giving me a surprised look 😂.
2. Getting to and from Central Asia.
Several airlines fly direct to Central Asia from their originating country. We were fortunate that AirAsia X flew direct from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
We flew return via AirAsia X, starting from KLIA Terminal 2 to Tashkent International Airport, and returning from Almaty International Airport to KLIA Terminal 2, buying tickets earlier to get cheaper fares. We also packed light (20kg checked-in luggage for two people plus an additional 7kg of cabin luggage), totaling 41kg of luggage.
We flew return via AirAsia X, starting from KLIA Terminal 2 to Tashkent International Airport, and returning from Almaty International Airport to KLIA Terminal 2, buying tickets earlier to get cheaper fares. We also packed light (20kg checked-in luggage for two people plus an additional 7kg of cabin luggage), totaling 41kg of luggage.
3. Getting around Central Asia.
We were on a private guided tour, and had a 15-seater black Weichai Eurise vans (Chinese version of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter), with local guides taking us between the cities/towns.
In Kyrgyzstan, we took a short Tez Jet flight from Osh to Bishkek to avoid the testing mountainous roads; flight tickets were bought by our guides earlier.
Note: Traders in bazaars, markets, and small local shops only accept cash. The "sum" (ISO code: UZS) is the official currency of Uzbekistan. The "som" (ISO code: KGS) is the currency of Kyrgyzstan. The tenge (ten-gay, code: KZT) is the currency of Kazakhstan. It is divided into 100 tiyn.
Touch 'n Go e-Wallet can be used in Kazakhstan, just make sure the e-wallet is set to Kazakhstan.
4. Immigration & Customs Requirements
Malaysian passport holders do not need a visa to enter most Central Asian countries for short-term stays and can visit Uzbekistan visa-free for up to 30 days. There is no need to fill in immigration forms.
Note: Malaysian passport holders can install the MyBorderPass app for fast immigration clearance to get in and out of Malaysia; use the app to generate a QR code just before passing through the 40 dedicated MyBorderPass gates (only at KLIA & KLIA2, 20 gates each), and getting through will be a breeze!
5. Places & Things of Interests
There were many scenic and interesting places along the route, but one should not miss the following places (Note: click on the GPS coordinates below for a directional map to the respective places):
- Chong-Kemin Nature Park (Чон-Кемин улуттук паркы) (GPS: 42.85334, 76.59003) at Chon-Kemin.
- Hiking at the Kok Moinok Canyons (Кёк-Мойнок-Первое) (GPS: 42.50608, 75.81888) from the Kok Moinok Entrance Carpark (GPS: 42.50852, 75.82212) to the Kok Moinok Inner Canyons (GPS: 42.50353, 75.81916).
- Chong-Kemin Nature Park (Чон-Кемин улуттук паркы) (GPS: 42.85334, 76.59003) at Chon-Kemin.
- Hiking at the Kok Moinok Canyons (Кёк-Мойнок-Первое) (GPS: 42.50608, 75.81888) from the Kok Moinok Entrance Carpark (GPS: 42.50852, 75.82212) to the Kok Moinok Inner Canyons (GPS: 42.50353, 75.81916).
- Eagle Hunting Show (GPS: 42.13053, 76.98019) at Bokonbaevo.; a display of Hunting with Eagles.
- Stony Beach @ Tong (GPS: 42.17336, 77.04339) at Tong District, Issyk-Kul.
- Scenic views of the snow-capped Küngöy Ala-Too Range, seen across the Issyk-Kul from our stay, the Chyrak Yurt Camp (Чырак боз үй лагери) (GPS: 42.17259, 77.04017) at Tong District, Issyk-Kul.
- Stony Beach @ Tong (GPS: 42.17336, 77.04339) at Tong District, Issyk-Kul.
- Scenic views of the snow-capped Küngöy Ala-Too Range, seen across the Issyk-Kul from our stay, the Chyrak Yurt Camp (Чырак боз үй лагери) (GPS: 42.17259, 77.04017) at Tong District, Issyk-Kul.
6. Food
a. Breakfast
Inclusive Kyrgyz & Western Fare at Kok-Archa Inn (GPS: 42.6743, 76.05483) in the Tar-Suu Gorge, Chong-Kemin Nature Park at Chon-Kemin: Local Kyrgyz Floral Tea, fresh local strawberry & cherry jam, honey, salami sausages, cheese and bread; pancake with desserts of dried fruits & biscuit.
b. Lunch
Local Kyrgyz Floral Tea, Bread with Strawberry Jam, Vegetable Soup, Chicken Kuurdak with Potatoes, and Cake.
c. Dinner
Local Kyrgyz Floral Tea, Bread with Cherry Jam, Cucumber-Tomato Salad, Lentil Soup (Shorabet Adas) or Vegetable Soup, mains of Chicken Stew in Cream Cheese with Rice, and Desserts of Vanilla Ice Cream.
7. Accommodations and Tour Costs
This was a recce-guided tour that included all ground arrangements, food, entry tickets to parks, and accommodations, but excluded return airfare to and from Central Asia. We booked Air Asia flight tickets online through their website at a return fare of around RM2,000 per pax. Co-travelers who booked later paid more. Our two pax airfare included 20kg of checked-in luggage and an extra 7kg of cabin luggage, giving us a total of 41kg of luggage..
The ground arrangements included 16-seater van transportation between and around cities; Sharq Express Train fare from Tashkent to Bukhara, and from Samarkhand to Tashkent, and domestic Tez Jet airfare from Osh to Bishkek. The 4x4 Russian truck ride to and from Karakol to the Altyn-Arashan Valley was optional and cost USD40 per pax. So was the 4x4 van ride from Saty to Kaindy Lake and Kolsay Lakes National Park, which cost USD20 per pax.
Accommodations were in three-star hotels, homestays, and a yurt camp. For those interested in this tour, contact Eddie at +6012-6122600 for more details and ground arrangement costs.
One night at Chyrak Yurt Camp (Чырак боз үй лагери) (GPS: 42.17259, 77.04017) at Tong District, Issyk-Kul.
One night at Chyrak Yurt Camp (Чырак боз үй лагери) (GPS: 42.17259, 77.04017) at Tong District, Issyk-Kul.
8. Communicating with Each Other
When travelling in a group, it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest.
I pre-purchased the Maxis 15-day Multi-Country Roaming Pass at MYR99 and had it activated on the first day of our tour. This pass included complimentary Maxis Travel Care insurance for the pass validity period - i.e. MYR50,000 hospitalisation, and MYR2,000 lost baggage; T&C apply.
Alternatively, an almost similar GOGO physical sim card for 15-day 20gB can be bought from Lazada for MYR120 (excluding delivery).
I pre-purchased the Maxis 15-day Multi-Country Roaming Pass at MYR99 and had it activated on the first day of our tour. This pass included complimentary Maxis Travel Care insurance for the pass validity period - i.e. MYR50,000 hospitalisation, and MYR2,000 lost baggage; T&C apply.
Alternatively, an almost similar GOGO physical sim card for 15-day 20gB can be bought from Lazada for MYR120 (excluding delivery).
9. Communicating with Locals
Our local guides spoke excellent English, and those in the travel industry or bazaar traders spoke passable English. Other locals speak their local language (Uzbek, Kyrgyz, or Kazakh) or Russian (as they were former Soviet republics). Or one can use Google Translate on one's mobile.
10. Weather
June is the beginning of summer, and the weather in Uzbekistan is dry, sunny, and hot across the board. At the Chon-Kemin, daytime temperatures average 27°C. In Tong District, Issyk-Kul daytime temperatures average 25°C, while nighttime averaged 11°C.
A useful weather forecast site for Chon-Kemin and Tong District, Issyk-Kul is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.
A useful weather forecast site for Chon-Kemin and Tong District, Issyk-Kul is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.
11. Navigation
Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook, Google Maps or Yandex Maps and Yandex Navigator.
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PRELUDE
Yesterday, we left Bishkek, and headed out for the countryside to stay at a pristine forest nestled in the cool hills of the Chong-Kemin National Park. En route, we passed by strawberry farms and mustard fields at Tokmok. We also visited the Burana Tower.
Today, we leave the highlands and head for the lake district. Along the way, we will do some hiking and attend an eagle hunting show!
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Today, we leave the highlands and head for the lake district. Along the way, we will do some hiking and attend an eagle hunting show!
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DAY 11: CHON-KEMIN TO ISSYK-KUL
Most of the posts below are linked to my Facebook postings during the trip and are embedded here with some comments. (NOTE: Click on respective posts to link to the FB post to read more details. If you can't see the posts, please log out of your Facebook first.)
Good morning from Kok-Archa Inn, it's cold here at Chong-Kemin Nature Park!
It's a crispy 11°C, not actually that cold, but for us from the tropics, it's cold but still enjoyable.
Good morning from Kok-Archa Inn, it's cold here at Chong-Kemin Nature Park!
It's a crispy 11°C, not actually that cold, but for us from the tropics, it's cold but still enjoyable.
Kyrgyz & Western Fare at our homestay, the Kok-Archa Inn, in the Tar-Suu Gorge, of the Chong-Kemin Nature Park:
Local Kyrgyz Floral Tea, fresh local strawberry & cherry jam, honey, salami sausages, cheese and bread; pancake with desserts of dried fruits & biscuit.
Took a short walk around our homestay and met a new friend, Mr. Ed, the horse!
Too bad, he can't talk like the real Mr. Ed in the TV series. Would have asked for some lucky numbers from him😝!
9:00am - We said goodbye to Mr. Ed and Chong-Kemin Nature Park. An hour later we made our first rest break at a туалет Stop (GPS: 42.51744, 75.82756) near Kyzyl Alma - Sushi Boom. It's a small stop but had beautiful, diverse scenery around it. We had also learnt to recognise the Russian word туалет, i.e., toilet. Necessity is the mother of all creations! 😂
10:30am - We arrive at the Kok Moinok Entrance Carpark, the hiking start point of the Kok Moinok Canyons. Google Maps doesn't seem to be able to plot a direction to this spot; fortunately, we had the local guides and van drivers who are familiar with the area. From the entrance, we trekked in, stopping often for photo ops, before turning back along the same route to trek back.
The Kok Moinok Canyons are narrow, distinct reddish-rock formations stretching 2.5 kilometres. They were formed after the ice age, when the melting glaciers eroded the cliffs to form the stratified layered patterns.
On the way back, we saw these pigeons nesting in the nooks of the canyon walls.
1:30pm - Arrived at Kyzyl-Tuu, for a garden lunch at Mr. Dinari's House:
Local Kyrgyz Floral Tea, Bread with Strawberry Jam, Vegetable Soup, Chicken Kuurdak with Potatoes, and Cake. Kuurdak is meat and/or offal fried in its own fat. The most common additions are just onions and possibly garlic. Potatoes, which originated in the Americas, were only introduced in the 19th century.
On the way back, we saw these pigeons nesting in the nooks of the canyon walls.
1:30pm - Arrived at Kyzyl-Tuu, for a garden lunch at Mr. Dinari's House:
Local Kyrgyz Floral Tea, Bread with Strawberry Jam, Vegetable Soup, Chicken Kuurdak with Potatoes, and Cake. Kuurdak is meat and/or offal fried in its own fat. The most common additions are just onions and possibly garlic. Potatoes, which originated in the Americas, were only introduced in the 19th century.
Apologies if the photos
look unappetizingly blue; we were sitting under a blue shade.
3:15pm - We arrived at the outskirts of Bokonbaevo for something interesting! Here we met the eagle hunter, Mr Artsan, with his eagle Karakas.
Together with an assistant, Mr. Artsan is going to show us how he hunts with Karakas!
The assistant takes Karakas to a hill slope about 300 meters away and waits for a signal.
With a whoop from Artsan, he releases the eagle; at the same time, Artsan runs dragging a dead fox on a line about 20-30 feet behind him.
Karakas approaches, swoops low with claws bared, trailing the dead fox. In one final, sharp swoop, it snares the fox in its sharp claws! Previously, a live rabbit was allowed to run for the eagle to hunt. But on humanitarian grounds, a dead fox is now used. As a reward, it is given some fresh meat.
Here's a video of how well-trained Karakas is. The assistant takes Karakas up to the slopes again, with another different call by Artsan, Karakas takes off, flies back, and lands on Artsan's forearm. They make a good team, but it takes a fair bit of training.
In Kyrgyzstan, a hunter who specifically hunts with eagles is a bürkütchü, from bürküt (meaning "golden eagle"). Their falconry custom involves hunting with golden eagles on horseback, and they primarily hunt red foxes and corsac foxes. They use eagles to hunt foxes and hares during the cold winter months when it is easier to see the gold-colored foxes against the snow. Each October, Kazakhstan's eagle hunting customs are displayed at the annual Golden Eagle Festival.
4:15pm - We arrived at the Tong District of Issyk-Kul Lake, and checked into the Chyrak Yurt Camp. Its vantage location at the edge of the lake gives it a cool, environmentally friendly atmosphere with a beautiful view of the lake. We will be staying in their yurts for tonight, with each yurt holding three or four persons.
After checking in, we adjourned for a drinks session at their dining area, buying the drinks from their counter. It was a good session, with the liquor warming us up as the crisp, cool breeze blew in from the lake.
Scenic views of the snow-capped Küngöy Ala-Too Range, seen across the Issyk-Kul from our stay, the Chyrak Yurt Camp. Every once in a while, a boat chugs along to liven the scene.
One can also go for a walk along the Stony Beach, running along the lake's edge.
7:00pm - Dinner at the dining room of the Chyrak Yurt Camp:
Local Kyrgyz Floral Tea, Bread with Cherry Jam, Cucumber-Tomato Salad, Lentil Soup (Shorabet Adas) or Vegetable Soup, mains of Chicken Stew in Cream Cheese with Rice, and Desserts of Vanilla Ice Cream.
Relaxing after dinner, we viewed the sun setting. It's a layered view with our white yurts at the blue lakeside, silhouetted against the nearby brown mountains and further away the white snow-capped mountains. What a glorious view!
And the local boys having fun on a board swing. They are the children of the camp operator, taking a break from their duties.
And the boys are back to their duties, performing the Kara Jorgo ("Black Stallion"), a ethnic Kyrgyz traditional dance, with some of us joining in the slow, smooth movements.
More sunset views, with the sun painting the clouds a fiery red, which is reflected onto the lake.
We end the day with a campfire night among the white yurts.
Жакшы уктайбыз. Кайырлы түн!
(That's "Jakşı uktaybız. Kayırlı tün!" meaning "We will sleep well. Good Night!" in Kyrgyz)
(For more photos of Day 11, Click Here)
(On mobile, for more photos of the day: Go to AhPek Biker Page>Photos and click on the respective album)
This is page 11 of a 16-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page.
< D10: Chonkemin | Go to Other Days | D12: Jety-Oguz >
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