Even in a simple trip, there are some complexities. I wanted to get done with them earlier and then relax in Almaty. Three of the most recommended destinations were a bit of a drive away and in the same direction. It was strongly recommended that we make it into an overnight trip, and we did. A friend with a local contact got in touch with a local tour guide and she did the rest. In all honesty, her planning was immaculate and she came along for the journey.

We started relatively early from Almaty, after checking out and leaving our big bags in the hotel – we were going to check back in, a night later. We were all comfortably placed in a 12-seater van with some complimentary apples for the first leg of the journey – a 3-hour ride to Charyn Canyon. The roads are great and we took a short break in a gas station with a convenience store and clean loos. We arrived at the top of the canyon and got ready for a ~6km hike, round trip. There is a nice restaurant, a sovenir shop at the parking lot – something to look forward to at the end of the hike.

To begin, you walk down ~200 steps to a dirt road. For the base, you can choose to walk down to the river (2.5km) or take one of the transports. The transports are 2 or 3 rickety mini-busses with an open back. Each can seat maybe 12 people. Not recommended unless you are averse to walking or unable to walk. They are mostly empty on the way to the river, as it is downhill but there is a long wait on the way back for the uphill ride. The walk is quite pleasant with some photo-spots, side hikes and nice scenery along the way. The locals compare it is to the Grand Canyon. This maybe pretty but it is nothing compared to the Grand Canyon in terms of size. The walk ends in a riverside area with washrooms and some picnic benches. You can dip your feet in the cold river water before turning back. Its not a steep walk at all, but the cold water helps.

Once back, a lovely lunch awaited us – my first taste of a horse burger. The restaurant is nearly fine dining for that rustic location- something recently built with Japanese collaboration. The only challenge is that many hiking spots have the same restaurant with the same (not very large) menu. Getting such a nice hot meal in what feels like wilderness is fantastic.

The next destination was also going to be our stop for the night. It was a couple of hours to the Kolsai lake and we had cabins booked at the Kolsay Lakes Village, a small resort of cabins with no direct road access. The van would stop about a kilometer from the reception and there was a paved road to walk down. We stopped at a small village just before reaching to pick up some munchies and booze. While vodka is the choice of poison for this part of the world, the local congac was reccomemded and we got a bottle. The resort was spectacular – beautiful views of the Kolsai lake with maybe a 15 minutes hike down. A lovely restaurant at the reception and small but very functional cabins.

We didn’t anticipate or plan for how cold it was going to get in the night. It touched 3 degrees with a 0-degree windchill when we had planned for about 9-10. The vodka and the cognac helped. The cabins were very well headed and indoors was not a problem at all. We settled in and dinner was just around the corner. The guide and the driver joined us and helped us select a lot of local food, which comprised soups (with a lot of meat and dumplings) and flowery teas. Good meal followed by some good drinking sitting outside in the cold led to some very good sleep.

Early morning was even colder though that didn’t stop me from walking to the lake viewpoint. As others joined, we hiked down to the lake walked around a bit and clicked some pictures. The Sun came out and warmed things up make it a more pleasant walk. After breakfast and checkout we headed to the Kaindy lake – about 45 minutes drive in the van, another 30 in smaller 4x4s, and then a 45 minute hike. The hike felt a little longer and parts were quite steep and slippery, but we got there. There was an option to go on a horse back but the horses also dropped you a little far from the lake, still requiring that steep climb. The lake is stunning!

The lake was formed after an earthquake in 1911 that created a natural dam. Rainwater collected in the valley and formed the lake. The tree stumps still poke out of the water, reminding you of the story behind the lake. The lake provides some amazing photo opportunities and a few enterprising people had set up a 360 photobooth there with a revolving camera. A lot of pictures later hunger stuck and we headed back. It took a while to get back and we were famished by the time we made it back to the van. Lunch was arranged at this local bed and breakfast where the owner served a home cooked meal in traditional Kazakh style – very impressive and delicious. There were loads of candies and sweets on the table even before the meal was served. The family style meal included several dishes highlighted by a chicken curry and rice.

This was all in preparation for a long 5-hour ride back to our hotel. We stopped for a photo break in some beautiful meadows, a quick look at a scary canyon with no guard rails, and a gas station. The beautiful scenery made sure it didn’t feel as long as the drive was. We got to the hotel late evening, in time for dinner and slumber.