Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
8
Getting¨There¨&¨Away
There is no public transport to Song-Köl, traf-
ic is very thin and access routes are gener-
ally impassable from November to early May.
Kochkor agencies want around 3000som for a
vehicle to Batai-Aral or the south-coast yurts
(around three hours), a price that would be the
same one way or return. Private drivers might
charge less and you'll pay less than half if you
wait at the lake for a car that's going back empty.
But that can sometimes take a day or two even
in mid-summer.
CBT (p281) in Naryn have an interesting deal
that drives you to the lake and on to Kochkor for
the same price as a return trip and allows you to
enjoy both the Ak-Tal and Kalmak-Ashu routes.
The cheapest way to reach the lake is to walk
in from the north. A taxi from Kyzart to Kilemche
costs around 700som if you want to skip part of
the hike.
Lake access is also possible via the unpaved
Kara-Keche mining road that branches of the
Suusamyr road opposite the copper-roofed
new mosque in Dikan (aka Bashkuugandy at
Km123/99), 14km east of Chayek. This is cur-
rently 4WD only, and is in a ragged state with
several bridges washed out, though coal trucks
pass by every now and again, and self-suicient
cyclists have managed to pedal this way.
prices at each. If the agencies are closed,
most taxi drivers will know a few B&Bs,
many of which are 1km south down Sha-
men and Shopokova or in a southwestern
suburb near the stadium.
Shamen¨14¨
HOMESTAY $
(Lola Kurbanova;
%
077-360 6117; ömurov, first al-
ley; B&B/dinner 500/250som)
Unusually com-
fortable family home with freshly decorated
rooms, Western-style bathroom and a tea-
bed in the walled yard that is big enough
to place one or two tents (150som). It's bril-
liantly central, albeit down an alley that's
off-puttingly dark at night (turn at Ömurov
63). Lola's husband, Jusup, offers good-value
transport.
Saadogul¨Guesthouse¨
HOMESTAY $
(
%
077-315 3143; ömuraliev 27; B&B/dinner
500/250som)
Away from the centre but with
mountain views from the top of the road
and a dining yurt in the yard, this very
friendly family-run place has indoor show-
ers and Saadogul's son speaks English.
Tulekeev¨B&B¨
HOMESTAY $
(
%
055-927 2788; Soltonkulova 19; bed/breakfast/
dinner 350/100/200som)
A Jailoo-affiliated
guesthouse in a two-storey home with hot
shower. Curious upstairs decor includes a
wolf pelt and hagiographic memorials to the
family patriach.
Hotel¨
ROOMS $
(
%
077-877 3360; ömurov 30; dm/d/q
150/300/600som)
Recently repainted but
still ultra basic with long-drop behind the
willow tree in yard and no shower whatso-
ever. Entrance on Kasymov.
5
¨Eating¨&¨Drinking
BNB¨Stolovaya¨
CENTRAL ASIAN $
(Orozbakova; mains 25-40som;
h
8am-7.30pm)
Fill up for under US$1 at this popular cen-
tral canteen with a short menu of prepared
local standards.
Café¨Vizit¨
CENTRAL ASIAN $$
(Orozbakova 131; mains 80-180som, garnish
40som;
h
9am-9pm Mon-Sat, 9am-6pm Sun;
E
)
Clean and comfortable, if over-bright and
often in a hurry to close early, Vizit is still
open later than almost anything else in
town and is the only Kochkor eatery with a
menu in English. The duck
brazier
(sizzler)
is excellent and they prepare one veg-and-
potato dish that is actually meat-free.
Kochkor
Кочкор
%
3535 / POP 14,000 / ELEV 1800M
Four competing community-tourism out-
fits make Kochkor (Kochkorka in Russian)
an eminently practical base from which
to visit Song-Köl and other Kyrgyz
jailoos
nearby. Do be aware that such activities are
generally only practicable between June
and August. The town is not an attraction
in its own right, despite a distant backdrop
of mountain peaks. It's at its most interest-
ing on Saturday mornings for the
animal¨
bazaar
(Mal Bazaar;
h
8am-12.30pm Sat)
. At
other times you could nose around the
small
museum
(Sapar Alieva 8; admission
50som;
h
9am-noon & 1-6pm Mon-Fri)
, admire
busts of
Soviet¨heroes
or, like virtually
everyone else in town, congregate at the
bazaar
(Orozbakova)
.
4
¨Sleeping
There are over two dozen homestays in
Kochkor, costing 400som to 650som with
breakfast. Each is affiliated with at least
one of the four community-tourism agen-
cies so it's worth comparing availability and
