Destination 》Asia 》Central Asia 》Kazakhstan 》Kaindy Lake
Year Visited: 2019 – August
During my travel through Kazakhstan, I made 3-days trip from Almaty to Kaindy and Kolsai lakes. With help with few local friends, I contacted a local tour organizer going to Kaindy and Kolsai lakes for a weekend trip, leaving Almaty on Friday evening coming back on Sunday late at night. Though I was the only non-Kazakh or Russian speaker on the bus, I had an amazing time and made so many new friends.
Kaindy Lake, part of the Kolsai Lakes National Park, is the most beautiful lake of Kazakhstan. Formed as the result of a major limestone landslide triggered by the 1911 earthquake, creating a natural dam. The lake contains trunks of submerged trees that rise above the surface of the lake, often referred to as a “sunken forest”. Water in this lake is very cold, almost freezing temperatures.
After the most amazing hike to the Kaindy Lake, we had a wonderful evening with local friends––vodka, bonfires, music, and dance. We were looking forward to the next day’s visit to Lake Kolsai, which is much bigger and frequented by more tourists, as it is more accessible compared to Kaindy.
Window on the World 