LAKE AYDAR KUL

Lake Aydar Kul was created following a spill from the Chardara reservoir in Kazakhstan in the 1970 s. Today it would contain more water than the Aral Sea, and its level continues to climb. Its waters are very fish-intensive and there are many migratory birds. A small yurts camp is located near Yangikashgan, 22 km from the lake, in a desert area populated by some Kazakhs herders. This is a very good starting point for a camel-back ride. The sandy dunes dotted with bushes are populated by a very diverse fauna, wild goats, wolf, sousliks, kebab… and also varans whose average length reaches one metre; in general, they avoid humans. The large varans, whose size exceeds that of a man, are much more dangerous, but they only meet in the remotest areas of the mountains. They can move over 50 km/h and shake their victim with a stroke. Also careful with scorpions hiding under stones or in damp places in the shade of the sun, very poisonous spiders, and some cobras. The ideal time to get there is not the month of July where the temperature is more than 45 °. Go, preferably in autumn or spring, you may have the chance to see the desert in bloom. The short season of tulips and poppies takes place just after spring rains, in March or April.

The tour operators in Tashkent can be contacted to organise the circuit or the B & B Komil in Bukhara, which offers three-day tours. It is also possible to go directly to Yangikashgan to negotiate with the owners who manage the yurts camp, but the rates are high.