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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures
Central Asia 2026
Day 14 : Karakol (Kyrgyzstan) To Saty (Kazakhstan)
Central Asia 2026 Day 14: 28th May (Thursday)
Medium-size Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan):
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):
- Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan Border Station (Кыргызстан-Казакстан чек ара бекети) (GPS: 42.80149, 79.18227) at Kegen.
- Charyn Canyon National Park (Шарын ұлттық паркі) (GPS: 43.35125, 79.07914) at Tamerlik.
- Black (Aktogay) Canyon (Каньон Актогай) (GPS: 43.25079, 78.89989) at Aktogay.
- Lake Kaindy (Қайыңды (көл)) panoramic viewpoint (GPS: 42.98783, 78.46600) at Saty.
- Kolsay Lakes National Park (Көлсай көлдері ұлттық паркі) (GPS: 42.98822, 78.32543) at Kurmeti.
- Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan Border Station (Кыргызстан-Казакстан чек ара бекети) (GPS: 42.80149, 79.18227) at Kegen.
- Charyn Canyon National Park (Шарын ұлттық паркі) (GPS: 43.35125, 79.07914) at Tamerlik.
- Black (Aktogay) Canyon (Каньон Актогай) (GPS: 43.25079, 78.89989) at Aktogay.
- Lake Kaindy (Қайыңды (көл)) panoramic viewpoint (GPS: 42.98783, 78.46600) at Saty.
- Kolsay Lakes National Park (Көлсай көлдері ұлттық паркі) (GPS: 42.98822, 78.32543) at Kurmeti.
6. Food
a. Breakfast
Kyrgyz/Western Breakfast at Hotel Akmaral (Ак-Марал) (GPS: 42.49259, 78.40507) in Karakol: including Pancake with Honey, and Greek Kalitsounia.
b. Lunch
b. Lunch
Kazakh Lunch at Marlen Guesthouse (GPS: 43.06863, 78.40436) in Saty:
Kazakh Black Tea, Boortsog Bun, Przysmak Świętokrzyski Crispy Snack, Biscuits, Vegetable Soup, and Chicken Plov. c. Afternoon Tea Americano Coffee and National Cheese Cake at Kolsay Lakes Town Restaurant (Колсай Лейкс Таун мейрамханасы) (GPS: 42.99154, 78.32629).
Kazakh Black Tea, Boortsog Bun, Przysmak Świętokrzyski Crispy Snack, Biscuits, Vegetable Soup, and Chicken Plov. c. Afternoon Tea Americano Coffee and National Cheese Cake at Kolsay Lakes Town Restaurant (Колсай Лейкс Таун мейрамханасы) (GPS: 42.99154, 78.32629).
d. Dinner
Kazakh Dinner at Marlen Guesthouse (GPS: 43.06863, 78.40436) in Saty:
Kazakh Black Tea, bread, bun, Przysmak Świętokrzyski Crispy Snack, Chak-Chak with Condensed Milk, Chicken & Beef Manti Dumplings, Biscuits, Sweets, and Birthday cake made by Marlen's neighbour.
Kazakh Black Tea, bread, bun, Przysmak Świętokrzyski Crispy Snack, Chak-Chak with Condensed Milk, Chicken & Beef Manti Dumplings, Biscuits, Sweets, and Birthday cake made by Marlen's neighbour.
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 Marlen Guesthouse (GPS: 43.06863, 78.40436) in Saty.
One night at Marlen Guesthouse (GPS: 43.06863, 78.40436) in Saty.
8. Communicating with Each Other
When travelling in a group, it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if someone gets separated from the group.
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 Karakol, daytime temperatures average 20°C. While at Saty, daytime temperatures average 28°C, and nighttime averaged 14°C.
A useful weather forecast site for Karakol and Saty 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 Jeti-Ögüz, a quiet, smaller town for the nearby Karakol, to tour the city in the morning. After lunch, a surprise awaited us when we went onto a former Russian Military Truck on a tough and gruelling 2-hour ride up to the Altyn Arashan Valley. It's a beautiful alpine valley nestled in the mountains near Karakol.
Today, we leave Karakol and say GOODBYE to Kyrgyzstan; we will cross over to Saty in Kazakhstan!
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DAY 14: KARAKOL (KYRGYZSTAN) TO SATY (KAZAKHSTAN)
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.)
Kyrgyz/Western Breakfast at Hotel Akmaral (Ак-Марал) in Karakol: including Pancake with Honey, and Greek Kalitsounia.
The pancake was very good with their local honey, and the Greek Kalitsounia was delicious too. It's somewhat similar to the Malaysian curry puff, but larger and with a different filling.
Goodbye, Karakol. Heading to the border, crossing into Kazakhstan.
Passed by this wall mural as we were leaving the city, painted in a style that looks like a digitized print.
En route to the Kazakhstan border along Highway A363 near Tüp.
Further along, we turned onto Highway A362, to a beautiful scenery of green mountains and grazing cows near Kööchü.
And then saw sheep crossing near Keng-Suu.
This village is the birthplace of the prominent Kyrgyz author Tugolbay Sydykbekov and the current President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov.
Further along, at the Azs Bishkek Petroleum Petrol Station, a rest stop near Keng-Suu, a surprise Birthday Celebration for one of our co-travellers!
Kyrgyz/Western Breakfast at Hotel Akmaral (Ак-Марал) in Karakol: including Pancake with Honey, and Greek Kalitsounia.
The pancake was very good with their local honey, and the Greek Kalitsounia was delicious too. It's somewhat similar to the Malaysian curry puff, but larger and with a different filling.
Goodbye, Karakol. Heading to the border, crossing into Kazakhstan.
Passed by this wall mural as we were leaving the city, painted in a style that looks like a digitized print.
En route to the Kazakhstan border along Highway A363 near Tüp.
Further along, we turned onto Highway A362, to a beautiful scenery of green mountains and grazing cows near Kööchü.
And then saw sheep crossing near Keng-Suu.
This village is the birthplace of the prominent Kyrgyz author Tugolbay Sydykbekov and the current President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov.
Further along, at the Azs Bishkek Petroleum Petrol Station, a rest stop near Keng-Suu, a surprise Birthday Celebration for one of our co-travellers!
Horse crossing near Keng-Suu.
This region here is quite pastoral; cows, sheep and horses are commonplace.
10:20am - At the Kyrgz-Kazakh Border Station, crossing the Kyrgyzstan into Kazakhstan.
We have crossed into Kazakhstan, onwards to the next stage of our Central Asia Tour.
Near Qarqara (Karkara), a nice sight greeted us - "wild" horses galloping fast, leaving us behind in their dust!
Passing by Karkara, the town nearest the border.
Testing our Malaysian Touch 'n Go for purchasing at a Kazakhstan petrol station. It works!
Touch 'n Go eWallet can be used in Kazakhstan by scanning the local merchant's Kaspi QR codes, just remember to set the eWallet currency to Kazakhstan. This works through a partnership with Alipay+, giving you wide cashless coverage at restaurants, shops, and markets across the country without needing local cash.
Going along Highway A-362, en route to Saty, passing by the entrance road to Charyn Canyon. Near Kaz way. Cafe Kalamkas (Kaз way. Кафе каламкас).
Slightly ahead was a police checkpoint to ensure that vehicles are within the gasoline guidelines.
Kazakhstan is growing more possessive of its petroleum products as a gasoline shortage tightens its grip in Russia and the US-Iran conflict reignites. Vehicles are restricted from crossing state borders with extra fuel more than once per day. Dozens of special police checkpoints operate near road borders to inspect for hidden auxiliary fuel tanks and canisters.
Further ahead, passing by the Black (Aktogay) Canyon. We will not be visiting this canyon and the Charyn Canyon today; they will be in tomorrow's itinerary.
Passing Jalañaş (Zhalanash).
Previously a fishing village on the Aral Sea, Zhalanash now lies several kilometers from its shores. In recent years, it has become a tourist location for its old harbor, where several ship hulls had been left standing in the desert created by the retreating Aral Sea. As of 2017, these hulls have been dismantled for scrap metal, and only the bottoms remain. The town's economy is focused around camel herding.
12:30pm - Switchback road near Paradise (Жұмақсай). I am using these locations to geotag our route.
1:00pm - Arrived at Saty, passing by the Taushelek Mosque. Our homestay is around the corner.
Checked in to Marlen Guesthouse, our stay in Saty. Couldn't geotag it on Google Maps, so switched to Yandex Navigator.
1:15pm - Kazakh Lunch at Marlen Guesthouse:
Kazakh Black Tea, Boortsog Bun, Przysmak Świętokrzyski Crispy Snack, Biscuits, Vegetable Soup, and Chicken Plov.
Rough roads on the way to Lake Kaindy. We have to take the 4x4 shuttle vans in. Young drivers drove fast & furious 🤢
12:30pm - Switchback road near Paradise (Жұмақсай). I am using these locations to geotag our route.
1:00pm - Arrived at Saty, passing by the Taushelek Mosque. Our homestay is around the corner.
Checked in to Marlen Guesthouse, our stay in Saty. Couldn't geotag it on Google Maps, so switched to Yandex Navigator.
1:15pm - Kazakh Lunch at Marlen Guesthouse:
Kazakh Black Tea, Boortsog Bun, Przysmak Świętokrzyski Crispy Snack, Biscuits, Vegetable Soup, and Chicken Plov.
Rough roads on the way to Lake Kaindy. We have to take the 4x4 shuttle vans in. Young drivers drove fast & furious 🤢
The vans are UAZ-452 Russian-made 4x4 vans nicknamed the "Bukhanka" i.e. 'load of bread" due to its distinct, boxy shape. They are renowned for their off-road capabilities, making them popular for traversing rugged terrains like those found in Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan.
From there, it's a one-kilometer hike into the lake's panoramic viewpoint.
It goes along wide gravel trails, across narrow bridges spanning the bubbling Kaindy River.
Lake Kaindy is a surreal, 400-metre-long mountain lake located within the Kolsai Lakes National Park and is famous for its hauntingly beautiful "sunken forest" of petrified trees, such as the bleached Schrenk’s spruce tree trunks that rise straight out of the vibrant turquoise water like ghostly ship masts. The lake was formed recently by the devastating 1911 Kebin earthquake. The quake triggered a massive limestone landslide that blocked a gorge, creating a natural dam that gradually flooded the spruce trees growing at the valley floor. Even during summer, the lake's water remains ice-cold, rarely exceeding +6 °C. This natural deep freeze has perfectly preserved the submerged trees for over a century, preventing them from rotting.
Another view of the are UAZ-452 Russian-made 4x4 vans, the fare for the ride was USD15 per pax to and fro Saty town and Lake Kaindy .
Another view of the are UAZ-452 Russian-made 4x4 vans, the fare for the ride was USD15 per pax to and fro Saty town and Lake Kaindy .
Next, 26 km and forty minutes away was Kolsay Lakes. Our van dropped us at the car park; from there we took a short walk down to the Visitors' Centre. This view above is from the centre.
Hiking around the lake takes 30 to 60 minutes, and there's a boating pier at the far end.
While the rest went for a walk around the lake, I had a wonderful Tea Time of Americano Coffee and National Cheese Cake at Kolsay Lakes Town Restaurant.
They were gone for a while, so I had to slowly pace my drinking 😂.
7:30pm - Back at Marlen Guesthouse, a Kazakh Dinner of:
Kazakh Black Tea, bread, bun, Przysmak Świętokrzyski Crispy Snack, Chak-Chak with Condensed Milk, Chicken & Beef Manti Dumplings, Biscuits, and Sweets.
AND we had another birthday celebration for our fellow traveller with a birthday cake baked by Marlen's neighbour.
LUCKY FELLOW, he got to celebrate his birthday in two countries (Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan) within the same day; that's a memory to hold dear😊.
(For more photos of Day 14, Click Here)
(On mobile, for more photos of the day: Go to AhPek Biker Page>Photos and click on the respective album)
(For more photos of Day 14, Click Here)
(On mobile, for more photos of the day: Go to AhPek Biker Page>Photos and click on the respective album)
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