After a few days of walking around the beautiful city of Almaty, it's finally time to explore the natural wonders of Southern Kazakhstan: the famous sunken forest of Kaindy Lake and the alpine lake of Kolsai Lakes at 1,800 MASL. As a solo budget traveler, I weighed all the options to visit these two stunning lakes without breaking the bank. In the end, the bus tours seemed the most practical option, which offers value for money and efficiency. Here's how I joined a budget-friendly tour to Kaindy and Kolsai Lakes, plus some travel tips and photos to inspire your trip!
Disclaimer: The name of the lake can be spelled either as Kolsai or Kolsay. For the sake of consistency, I will be using the spelling 'Kolsai' throughout.
๐ก Want more inspiration in Kazakhstan? Check out these posts:
- Alone but Not Lonely: My Solo Travel through the Great Steppe of Kazakhstan
- Wanderlust Hostel in Almaty
- A Morning Hike in Small Almaty Gorge in Shymbulak
- The Grand Canyon of Kazakhstan, the Charyn Canyon National Park!
- Banya Experience in Arasan Wellness & Spa Complex
- Border Crossing: Almaty to Bishkek by Public Bus (Ak-Zhol Border)
What's in the Kaindy Lake and Kolsai Lakes?
A popular tour from Almaty, Kaindy and Kolsai Lakes are two different stunning lakes located in Kolsay Lakes National Park. The national park itself is on the slope of the Tien Shan Mountains and is 120 kilometers from Almaty.
How to visit Kaindy and Kolsai Lakes from Almaty?
As of the moment, there are three possible ways how to visit Kaindy and Kolsai Lakes:
Budget-Friendly Way: Similar to Charyn Canyon, visiting Kaindy Lake and Kolsai Lakes in their remoteness, is a true challenge if taken with public transportation. It will be a combination of a bus and hitch-hiking with no guarantee and I couldn't really recommend it.
Cynthia of Journal Nomads shared instructions on how to go by bus and/or shared taxi in THIS POST. But she also doesn't recommend this option, as it is not the best option.
Straightforward & Easiest: By far, the most straightforward way of visiting Kaindy and Kolsai Lakes is by joining budget group tours by bus. I tried my best to avoid it, but it remains recommended repeatedly for a reason. You pay and go. However, joining a group tour comes with a catch. Either they are budget-friendly but time-constrained or hella expensive.
As a solo budget traveler, I could not afford a tour that would wait for me. So I went with a budget-friendly tour that included a visit to Black Canyon, Kaindy Lake, and Kolsai Lakes. A stop in Saty village for lunch was also included in the schedule, but meals were not included.
Convenience & Comfort: If money and time are not a problem, renting a car or renting a private car with an English guide is the dream. You get to explore and even hike up to your heart's content without the rush. An overnight stay in Saty Village is also usually added to give you enough rest and comfort from the long drive. I don't know how much a car rental would cost but private tours with an English guide could cost you $100 and above (depending on your negotiation skills).
Day Tour Costs & Logistics:
Mostly held in Russian, budget group tours are still the easiest way to visit Kaindy and Kolsai Lakes. Although the whole tour can't be translated into English, there are amazing guides who would still try their best to accommodate non-Russian speaking travelers.
As for the tour cost, I paid KZT 14,000 (USD 27/AED 98). I paid in person directly to Onyx Tour (reachable through WhatsApp at +77777306598). The tour cost includes stops to the following:
- Black Canyon
- Kaindy Lake
- Kolsai Lakes
- Lunch stop at Saty Village (lunch is not included)
However, the tour operator on the day of the tour is JoinMe Asia. Probably the most famous and largest tour operator in Kazakhstan, tours with JoinMe Asia are always well-organized. Even though I booked from someone else (like a third party), I was happy I ended up joining the tour with JoinMe Asia.
Highlights and What to Expect:
During myย Solo Trip through Kazakhstan, my priorities were visiting Charyn Canyon National Park, Kaindy Lakes, and Kolsai Lakes. The rest, including hiking peaks, were negotiable.
The first scheduled group tour that I was able to grab was the budget group tour to both Kaindy Lakes and Kolsai Lakes in one day. I didn't waste my chance and went with it. After almost 4 hours of bus ride, we had a short photo stopover at Black Canyon.
The Black Canyon's wide open gorge reminded me of our hike in Jebel Shams in Oman. Although the two gorges were in different regions, the terrain and colors had similarities, as far as I remember. The only difference was its full-flowing river while the gorge in Jebel Shams was completely dry.
Kaindy Lake - The Sunken Forest and the Soviet Taxi Experience
We continued our journey and then stopped at Saty village to switch vehicles. We transferred into a Soviet-era truck used by our group as a bus to cross water streams along our way to the Kaindy Lake. It was a wild ride with songs being played during the ride.
Apart from the water streams, the bumpy off-road ride made the journey wild! Songs in Kazakh and Russian languages were being played during the ride and those who knew the songs sang along. It was like a party while going deeper into the mountains!
From the parking lot, there was still a distance to reach the Kaindy Lake. There were three ways to goโhiking, riding a horse, or a taxi ride by marshrutka. Not wanting to spend money and mixed emotions with riding a horse, of course, hiking is the way.
The tour guide showed me the road to take (the same road used by taxis/marshrutka), and it was easy to follow. I took a steep shortcut along the way and still ended up on the main road. The shortcut wouldn't save a huge amount of time, to be honest. So if you're not comfortable cutting through, just stick walking on the main road.
As you go higher, you will see the opposite mountain where the trail taken by the horses is visible. It was on a lower level and could also be taken by people walking to the lake.
After walking past through the wooden planks, the Kaindy Lake opens up like a secret hidden deep inside a forest. Its striking color was absolutely mesmerizing even if seen on a midday (like our visit). Imagine visiting during the early morning or at a time when the sun is not staring straight at it.
While short and sweet, I walked back to the parking lot and ended up with iced coffee from one of the local stores. The older men applauded me for hiking alone and were so kind enough to strike up a wholesome conversation with me even though my Russian was limited.
Kolsai Lakes - The Lower Kolsai Lake at 1,800 MASL
After stopping for a quick lunch at Saty Village, the tour continued to the last highlight of the day, the Kolsai Lakes. Located within Kolsai Lakes National Park, there are three major lakes within the parkโLower, Middle, and Upper.
The Lower Kolsai Lake is the most accessible, as it's reachable by road and with facilities such as toilets, a coffee shop, cafeterias, and even guest houses and campsites. From the parking lot, it's just a short walk down to Lower Kolsai Lake. Wooden planks line the lakeside, making for a scenic walk around it. Despite visiting during the summer, I was greeted by a refreshing cool breeze thanks to the lakeโs altitude of 1,800 MASL.
The wooden planks run along the lake's edge, and I highly suggest you walk on it following them to their end. The path takes you to the other side of the lake, where it feels like you've entered into a forest, as you will be surrounded by trees on both sides.
Depending on the sun's angle, the time of day, and your vantage point, the lakeโs color shifts into slightly different huesโa mesmerizing detail, so you better maximize your time and explore!
During my tour to Charyn Canyon (on another day), the itinerary included a visit to Kolsai Lake as well. This time, I skipped the walk down the wooden planks. Instead, I grabbed a coffee at 1800m (the name of the coffee shop) and peacefully enjoyed the scenic view while enjoying my coffee. It was a completely different experience from my first visit with lots of walks and exploring, yet equally memorable.
Both Kaindy Lake and Kolsai Lake are equally charming and unique in their own ways. Itโs no wonder theyโre such popular day trips from Almaty despite the distance. Locals and tourists alike come to enjoy everything the area has to offerโwhether itโs having a picnic, horseback riding, endless hiking, or simply relaxing by the lake. And that's all for this post, see you later!
