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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures
Central Asia 2026
Day 12 : Issyk-Kul To Jeti-Oguz
Central Asia 2026 Day 12: 26th May (Tuesday)
Medium-size Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan):
This is page 12 of a 16-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page.
< D11: Issyk-Kul | Go to Other Days | D13: Karakol >
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 van (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):
- 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.
- 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.
- Sayakbai Manaschy Statue (Саякбай Каралаев) (GPS: 42.16685, 77.23317) at Kaji-Say.
- Skazka Canyons (Каньоны Сказка) (GPS: 42.1565, 77.35431) near Tosor.
- Life-size display of a Sukhoi Su-24 plane (GPS: 42.15759, 77.53036) near Tamga.
- Seven Bulls Rock (GPS: 42.33777, 78.2315) near Jeti-Ögüz.
- Broken Heart Rock (GPS: 42.33917, 78.22703) near Jeti-Ögüz.
- Skazka Canyons (Каньоны Сказка) (GPS: 42.1565, 77.35431) near Tosor.
- Life-size display of a Sukhoi Su-24 plane (GPS: 42.15759, 77.53036) near Tamga.
- Seven Bulls Rock (GPS: 42.33777, 78.2315) near Jeti-Ögüz.
- Broken Heart Rock (GPS: 42.33917, 78.22703) near Jeti-Ögüz.
- The rare Kyrgyz White Honey from a road-side stall (GPS: 42.33183, 78.23930) at Jeti-Ögüz.
6. Food
a. Breakfast
Inclusive Fare at Chyrak Yurt Camp (Чырак боз үй лагери) (GPS: 42.17259, 77.04017) at Tong District, Issyk-Kul.
b. Lunch
Kyrgyz & Western Fare Lunch at Royal Gate Restaurant (Ресторан «Роял Гейт») (GPS: 42.17327, 77.35475) in Tosor:
Local Kyrgyz Floral Tea, Uzbek Bread (Obi Non), Chicken Salad, Tomato Salad, Mains of Laghman Noodles, Orange & Apples Desserts.
c. Dinner
Uzbek Bread (Obi Non), Apple Kompot, Crispy Eggplant with Chicken Fritters starter, Sliced Beef Salad, Lentil Soup (Shorabet Adas), Chicken Teriyaki Mains (tastes good, I think cooked with BBQ sauce and tastes like Char Siu).
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 Vell7 Hotel (Vell7 мейманканасы) (GPS: 42.44226, 78.21093) at Jeti-Ögüz.
One night at Vell7 Hotel (Vell7 мейманканасы) (GPS: 42.44226, 78.21093) at Jeti-Ögüz.
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 Tong District, Issyk-Kul, daytime temperatures average 25°C. While at Jeti-Ögüz, daytime temperatures average 25°C, while nighttime averaged 15°C.
A useful weather forecast site for Tong District, Issyk-Kul and Jeti-Ögüz is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.
A useful weather forecast site for Tong District, Issyk-Kul and Jeti-Ögüz 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
The day before was one of the most exciting days of our Central Asia tour; we left the cool hills of the Chong-Kemin National Park and headed for the lake district. En route, we stopped at Bokonbaevo, to see an exciting Eagle Hunting Show before ending the day with a stay at the Chyrak Yurt Camp, located at the edge of the scenic Issyk-Kul.
Today, we leave the lake district to head for a quiet, smaller town. Along the way, we will hike in a canyon..... and also see some bulls with a broken heart!
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Today, we leave the lake district to head for a quiet, smaller town. Along the way, we will hike in a canyon..... and also see some bulls with a broken heart!
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DAY 12: ISSYK-KUL TO JETI-OGUZ
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 Issyk-Kul Lake. It's a nice cool morning, with a clear and beautiful view of the lake.
Lakeview Western Breakfast at Chyrak Yurt Camp, simple and good.
Sayakbai Manaschy Statue on the hillside at Kaji-Say.
Sayakbay Karalaev (Kyrgyz: Саякбай Каралаев; 1894 – 7 May 1971) was a Soviet and Kyrgyz storyteller and manaschi - i.e. a reciter of the epic Kyrgyz poem Manas.
While my travel buddies went hiking up the Skazka Canyons, I waited for them at the archery and souvenir shop at the foothill. Many visitors thought that I was the shop operator! Hmmm... do I look Kyrgyz? I had to point them to a nearby yurt, where the young operator was taking a rest break.
Me, the novice Kygrz warrior.
I tried to string the bow, like what Odysseus did in the Odyssey; sadly, my warrior prowess was not up to par, and I didn't manage it.
Some views of hikers at the Skazka Canyons. I didn't hike because of my poor knees.
Beware, the Kyrgyz Warlord of Skazka Canyons!
Hmmm..... he does look handsome and oddly familiar 😂😕.
12:45pm - At Tosor, our van dropped us at the foot of a low slope, and we climbed up to a remarkable view: white yurts lined up in rows with the snow-capped mountains far away.
Good morning from Issyk-Kul Lake. It's a nice cool morning, with a clear and beautiful view of the lake.
Lakeview Western Breakfast at Chyrak Yurt Camp, simple and good.
Sayakbai Manaschy Statue on the hillside at Kaji-Say.
Sayakbay Karalaev (Kyrgyz: Саякбай Каралаев; 1894 – 7 May 1971) was a Soviet and Kyrgyz storyteller and manaschi - i.e. a reciter of the epic Kyrgyz poem Manas.
While my travel buddies went hiking up the Skazka Canyons, I waited for them at the archery and souvenir shop at the foothill. Many visitors thought that I was the shop operator! Hmmm... do I look Kyrgyz? I had to point them to a nearby yurt, where the young operator was taking a rest break.
Me, the novice Kygrz warrior.
I tried to string the bow, like what Odysseus did in the Odyssey; sadly, my warrior prowess was not up to par, and I didn't manage it.
Some views of hikers at the Skazka Canyons. I didn't hike because of my poor knees.
Beware, the Kyrgyz Warlord of Skazka Canyons!
Hmmm..... he does look handsome and oddly familiar 😂😕.
Local Kyrgyz Floral Tea, Uzbek Bread (Obi Non), Chicken Salad, Tomato Salad, Mains of Laghman Noodles, Orange & Apples Desserts.
(Laghman, also spelled lagman, is a dish of meat, vegetables, and pulled noodles from Uyghur cuisine. In Chinese, the noodle is known as latiaozi (Chinese: 拉条子) or banmian (Chinese: 拌面).
Laghman is likely a loanword from the Chinese lamian and appears to be an adaptation of Northern Chinese noodle dishes, although its taste and preparation are distinctly Uyghur.)
In the restaurant were several photos, but this one of a snow leopard caught my eye.
Since coming to Central Asia, I have been intrigued by this animal, a sleek creature that has somehow survived the harsh, cold weather of the snowy highlands. They have also been featured in several movies.
Further along, we passed by this Mig-23 statue located up on a hill in Tamga. Oops! We were mistaken; it's a Life-size display of a Sukhoi Su-24 plane.
The Sukhoi Su-24 (NATO reporting name: Fencer) is a supersonic, all-weather tactical bomber developed in the Soviet Union. The aircraft has a variable-sweep wing, twin engines, and a side-by-side seating arrangement for its crew of two. It was the first of the USSR's aircraft to carry an integrated digital navigation/attack system.
The Su-24 started development in the early 1960s and first flew in 1967. It entered service in 1974 and production ceased in 1993. It remains in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces, Iranian Air Force, Ukrainian Air Force, Algerian Air Force, and various other air forces to which it was exported.
3:45pm - At the Seven Sisters, aka Seven Bulls Rock. Why seven sisters OR seven bulls?
Nearby is a hiking trail that starts from the Seven Bulls Rock. It’s quite windy and cold here, so do layer up. The loop takes about 1–2 hours depending on photo stops. Along the way, marvel at the fiery red cliffs and try to spot the shapes said to represent seven legendary bulls. Pack water and a hat—the sun is strong, and shade is rare!
In the restaurant were several photos, but this one of a snow leopard caught my eye.
Since coming to Central Asia, I have been intrigued by this animal, a sleek creature that has somehow survived the harsh, cold weather of the snowy highlands. They have also been featured in several movies.
Further along, we passed by this Mig-23 statue located up on a hill in Tamga. Oops! We were mistaken; it's a Life-size display of a Sukhoi Su-24 plane.
The Sukhoi Su-24 (NATO reporting name: Fencer) is a supersonic, all-weather tactical bomber developed in the Soviet Union. The aircraft has a variable-sweep wing, twin engines, and a side-by-side seating arrangement for its crew of two. It was the first of the USSR's aircraft to carry an integrated digital navigation/attack system.
The Su-24 started development in the early 1960s and first flew in 1967. It entered service in 1974 and production ceased in 1993. It remains in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces, Iranian Air Force, Ukrainian Air Force, Algerian Air Force, and various other air forces to which it was exported.
3:45pm - At the Seven Sisters, aka Seven Bulls Rock. Why seven sisters OR seven bulls?
This is a collection of seven red rocks that look like bulls lying on the earth. There is a Kyrgyz legend about how these rocks came to look the way they do.
"A long time ago lived two khans, one of whom had a beautiful wife. The other khan fell in love with the wife and stole her from her husband. This started a brutal war and fierce rivalry between the khans. The second khan asked a reluctant wise man for advice; the wise man did not want to get involved in the rivalry, but relented and told the second khan to kill his wife so that the first khan could never take her back.
The second khan organized a large festival, ordering seven bulls to be killed. When the final bull was killed, the second khan killed the wife. Blood ran from her heart, washing away the seven bulls and killing the khan and his servants. When the bulls came to rest, they turned to the red stone formation that can be seen today, called Jeti Oguz (i.e. seven bulls, in Kyrgyz)."
At the Broken Heart Rock. It represents the wife's broken heart.
"A long time ago lived two khans, one of whom had a beautiful wife. The other khan fell in love with the wife and stole her from her husband. This started a brutal war and fierce rivalry between the khans. The second khan asked a reluctant wise man for advice; the wise man did not want to get involved in the rivalry, but relented and told the second khan to kill his wife so that the first khan could never take her back.
The second khan organized a large festival, ordering seven bulls to be killed. When the final bull was killed, the second khan killed the wife. Blood ran from her heart, washing away the seven bulls and killing the khan and his servants. When the bulls came to rest, they turned to the red stone formation that can be seen today, called Jeti Oguz (i.e. seven bulls, in Kyrgyz)."
At the Broken Heart Rock. It represents the wife's broken heart.
Nearby is a hiking trail that starts from the Seven Bulls Rock. It’s quite windy and cold here, so do layer up. The loop takes about 1–2 hours depending on photo stops. Along the way, marvel at the fiery red cliffs and try to spot the shapes said to represent seven legendary bulls. Pack water and a hat—the sun is strong, and shade is rare!
En route to our homestay, we stopped at this small roadside stall selling honey at the Jeti-Ögüz village (also spelt as Dzhetyoguz).
Kyrgyzstan is renowned for its honey, especially its Kyrgyz White Honey, it is not easy to come by, and this stall seems to have only a bottle of it. This rare alpine, raw, and creamy prized honey comes from the nectar of the pinkish, wild mountain Sainfoin flower, which grows in the high-altitude of the Tien Shan and Naryn regions of Kyrgyzstan.
5:00pm - Checked into Vell7 Boutique Hotel, our stay for the night at Jeti-Ögüz. It's a new place, and we're one of its first customers. In fact, a few workers were still doing the final touches. Nevertheless, it was very nicely decorated and furnished like an upmarket boutique hotel. Our bedrooms were clean and super cozy!
Uzbek Bread (Obi Non), Apple Kompot, Crispy Eggplant with Chicken Fritters starter, Sliced Beef Salad, Lentil Soup (Shorabet Adas), Chicken Teriyaki Mains (tastes good, I think cooked with BBQ sauce and tastes like Char Siu).
Evening views from the hotel, with snow-capped mountains on one side, and green undulating hills on the other. A mosque with a unique spiral-designed dome can be seen nearby.
Дагы бир сонун күн келди!
(That's "Dagı bir sonun kün keldi!" meaning "It's another beautiful day!" in Kyrgyz)
(For more photos of Day 12, 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 12 of a 16-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page.
< D11: Issyk-Kul | Go to Other Days | D13: Karakol >
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