Kazakhstan: Kaindy and Kolsai Lakes

Date: May 20th, 2026

It's not typical for me to join tour groups due to their strict schedules, which limit my ability to explore an area more thoroughly. However, since traveling around Kazakhstan isn't as straightforward as in Georgia, I decided to try JoinMe tour company based on a recommendation from another tourist, and my experience was quite satisfactory. On the first day, we toured the lakes, and the second day concluded at Charyn Canyon.

We woke up around 6 AM, though I only had two hours of sleep as I couldn't rest well. In the morning, we had breakfast consisting of porridge and plenty of bread with some berry jam. We gathered at the bus around 8 AM and set off for Kaindy Lake.

Posing infront of the yurt at the guesthouse

Kaindy Lake: It takes about 25 minutes to walk from the parking area to Kaindy Lake by following the stream. There are horse rides available, but the walk is quite easy. Kaindy Lake is charming and small, with limited camping spots but ideal for a picnic and grilling. The lake's waters are a pristine turquoise blue and green, surrounded by rocky terrain and pine trees. We had two hours to relax here before returning to the guest house for lunch.

Lunch included chicken rice, more bread, coffee, and some salad. I expected a bit more chicken, but we ended up eating a lot of rice, and fortunately, some of the grandmas in the group shared their food with us. After lunch, we took a short break and then headed to Kolsai Lakes.

Kolsai Lakes: These comprise two lakes, known as the lower and upper lakes, and we stayed at the lower lake. It is larger than Kaindy Lake and offers hiking opportunities. Apparently, Kyrgyzstan is 15 km away from the lakes, and China is 50 km away. Although one can hike from the lower lake to the upper lake, we didn't have the time. At the lake, you can go paddle boating, hiking and horse riding. Eric, Carlos, and I hiked around the lake, but afterward, I wasn't keen on hiking anymore. We relaxed on benches at various viewpoints. It's also a great spot for camping by the lake.

As Carlos and I were taking photos, we noticed two adorable kids walking with their father. The father, who didn't speak English, attempted to communicate something that was hard to understand. Eventually, the mother used an app to translate, revealing that the kids are twins. What a coincidence—my brother and I are twins too, and I tried to explain this to her.

After coming back from the lakes, we relaxed at the guest house and had dinner around 7 PM. The host provided us with dumplings, plenty of bread, salad, and tea. We were fortunate that the grandmas at our guest house shared their food with us :)

At night, the JoinMe team organized a bonfire on the other side of the village, and it was enjoyable. There was good music and plenty of dancing from the other tourists, but I felt hungry again afterward. Since I was a bit sleepy and not great at dancing, I wasn't very active. On the way back, Eric, one of the fellow tourists, shared that turtles are a delicacy favored by the Chinese. I had been telling him a story about when I was in the US, and a Chinese businessman approached me about exporting freshwater turtles from India to China. He explained that they raise these turtles as pets and eat them once they grow larger. It was amusing how Eric confirmed this and described the taste with such expressive gestures. Anyway, when I visit China, we're going to try some turtles.

I had really good sleep this night after 2 days of traveling.