Plan a Perfect Day Trip to Kolsai Lake and Kaindy Lake from Almaty in 2024 With These Insider Facts

Have you ever been to any lake that is famous among the divers to explore the underwater forest? Have you heard the term “valley of castles? You think about these questions as we take you all on one last fascinating, thrilling and breathtaking ride to Black Canyon, Kolsai Lake and Kaindy Lake before we end our Kazakhstan trip. This has got to be one of the most memorable adventures till now. Till then hang on with us.

In case you don’t know who we are…….

We call ourselves Travel Freaks……

Returning to our story, we were still in awe of this amazing Almaty city after a fantastic day at Almaty. It was time for us to get a unique experience from what we had experienced till then. Read our previous blogs, if you are yet to read. You will get an experience of the place and also plan your itinerary.

This day trip was quite jam-packed, as a result, we needed to start by 6 AM, to return to Almaty City by night 10 PM. We barely slept at night out of excitement, as soon as the clock struck 4:00 AM, we woke up and got ourselves ready in an hour. Our hotel staff were pretty cooperative as they agreed to provide us with packed breakfasts.

In no time, we booked cabs and reached the designated place from where our bus would depart. We would like to mention that we booked a join-in one-day tour to Black Canyon, Kolsai and Kaindy Lake. In case you want to know more about them, you are free to contact us, we would love to help you out.

It was a chilled winter morning, we were shivering while waiting for the bus to arrive. The bus did arrive at 5:50 AM and we hurried to enter the bus. Our journey started at 6:20 AM. Now that our day trip started, you might want to know…….

1. How was the journey to the Kolsai and Kaindy Lake?

When we started our journey, it was quite dark even though it was close to 6:30. We could catch a glimpse of the morning sun until it was close to 9 o’clock. The road was super smooth and the bus did halt for a break after 2 hours to have some hot beverage. We had a great time enjoying an amazing view from the bus.

The best part of travelling in a bus within the Central Asia region is that they have a warm air blower within the bus to keep you warm. We were joined by 20 other members who were either from neighbouring countries or from the Southeast Asian region. We interacted with a few of them, especially those who understand English well. When it was close to 11 AM, we reached our first destination………

2. Black Canyon

When we got down from the bus, there was a cold breeze blowing. We saw some amazing rock formations when we went towards the cliff. The place was formed due to the erosional landscape that took place for millions of years.

There are three Canyons in this region: Charyn Canyon, Moon (Yellow) Canyon and the Black Canyon. Among the three, Black Canyon is the deepest among three. We had to peep to see the Charyn River flowing through the rock below. Scientists found out that the Charyn River was responsible for such a deep canyon in the rock. It was so deep that there was a sense of dizziness when we looked down for a minute.

Most importantly, there was little or no vegetation in the Black Canyon due to the arid soil. You can also plan to visit all three Canyons in a day or you can club with the lakes like we did.

After half an hour and capturing a few breathtaking snaps we got back on the bus for the next destination……

3. Kolsai Lake

It was almost 12:00 PM when we reached the parking. There were a few shops in the parking that were serving hot beverages along with lunch. Before we had anything, we decided to explore the lake and then have some hot beverages to warm ourselves up. We had a quick group photo before dispersing off to explore the lake.

There were three lakes and all of them were located at different elevations. The first one was easily accessible by road. There was a small hike of 20 minutes to reach the second lake. You can also rent a horse to reach the second lake. The path that led to the second lake was breathtaking and mesmerizing. The third and the last one was at a much higher altitude that we could not make due to deteriorating weather.

We loved the Tian Shan Mountains on the backdrop with the beautiful meadows that decorated them. The whole region was filled with dense flora and fauna. You can also opt for a boat ride in the lake if you wish to. For us, we loved looking at the crystal clear water that reflected the mighty Tian Shan Mountains.

After close to 1.5 hours, we returned to the parking and waited in one of the shops with a cup of hot tea. The owner was quite humorous and friendly. We loved the way she treated us.

By close to 1 PM we left for the last destination of the day……

4. Kaindy Lake

By close to 2 PM, we got off our bus in front of a restaurant to have lunch. While having lunch, our guide informed us that the road was quite bumpy ahead. After a break of half an hour for having lunch, we boarded a small bus that could take us close to Kaindy Lake.

The road was way too bumpy as one could imagine. It was a thrilling 40-minute ride and when we reached the designated place for going to the Kaindy Lake, it was 2:30 PM.

There were two possibilities for reaching Kaindy Lake, either you take a horse ride for 5000 Tenge to go to and fro like we did or you can trek for 40 minutes to reach the place. The main reason for taking a horse ride was mainly due to the muddy trekking route.

The horse ride was also quite thrilling. It was fun to solely control the horse rather than the guide, a first-time experience for us. After getting down from the horse, we walked for another 10 minutes to finally reach Kaindy Lake.

We could barely believe our eyes, as it was the first time we witnessed a submerged forest. On querying with a few locals we came to know that an earthquake in 1911 triggered a landslide blocking the gorge, creating a natural dam and submerging the spruce trees. Divers from all across the globe come to enjoy such beauty.

Due to the high altitude, the water remains icy cold even in the summer. The water was bluish-green in colour with the majority being frozen. We loved the ambience and the vibe that the place provided. Soon we started our descent. This time we could control the horse in a more enhanced way as compared to our onward journey.

We boarded the small bus by 4:30 PM and dusk was around the corner. It was close to 5:30 PM, when we reached the spot where we had our lunch. Soon, we boarded our Almaty bound bus and started our return journey to Almaty.

On the mid-way, we stopped at a cafe to have some hot coffee with snacks and reached Almaty by 9:30 PM. Most of the return journey was through some extremely dark road. There were no street lights either. An amazing and memorable journey came to an end. So does our trip to Kazakhstan. Yes, you read it right.

With heavy hearts, we reached our hotel, took our baggage, booked a Yandex cab and headed for the airport that was almost 16 km away. The whole Central Asia trip was quite memorable for us. Hope you guys enjoyed reading as much as we loved sharing. We boarded our 2:00 AM flight from Almaty to Delhi, thereby bidding adieu to this wonderful country. We are just a click away for any help.

Till do follow us for more exciting stories of a different place.

We are not going anywhere without this last question……

5. What kind of help are we going to provide?

Let us inform you that we prepare itineraries not only for anywhere in India but also for Asia. We have been travelling since we were toddlers. So here in our blogs and stories, we will give you a glimpse of our journey and help you plan your trip.

Read about our Uzbekistan blogs.

Read about our Kazakhstan blogs.

Read about our Singapore blogs.

Read about our Vietnam blogs.

Read about our Cambodia blogs.

Read about our Bali blogs.

Read about our Kuala Lumpur blog series.

Read about our Sri Lanka blogs.

Read about our Nepal blogs.

Read about our Char Dham blogs.

Read about our Ladakh blogs.

Read about our day trip to Hyderabad.

Read about our Madhya Pradesh blogs.

Do follow our Instagram handle @mindfulllofvacations and watch for the next destination story of a new place. For any query related to any trip, drop a mail at @mitkau007@gmail.com.

by mitkau