Karakol Travel Guide and Other Gandy Tips, Karakol, Kyrgyzstan (B)

The instant I arrived in Karakol, I fell in love with it. The drive from Bishkek was long, (seven hours including many stops) but the scenery was so mind boggling that I paid no attention to the time.

I’ll begin with a little bit of history – Karakol is unlike any other part of Kyrgyzstan. Its diversity shines through in its people, food and local attractions giving off a wonderfully authentic feel.

Founded in the 1870s, Karakol’s former name Przhevalsk feels like a mouthful – and hard to pronounce – so personally I think it is fortunate that the name was changed to Karakol upon the city’s declaration of independence from Russia. The town, on both the Russian and Chinese borders, has a population of little over 140,000 and is made up of an eclectic mix of ethnicities: Kyrgyz, Russians, Kazakhs, Tatars, Uyghurs and Huis.

For various reasons, Karakol is considered the main tourist destination of the country. I was yet to figure out why, of course (but which I found to be true eventually). Much of that fame can be attributed to Karakol, I say – especially the landscape near the town. Today, there are several places to stay in Karakol, making it a huge draw for short and long-term tourists. Truth be told, whilst here, most visitors opt to stay on the meadows, mountains, or yurts in the valley, which does not make Karakol a lively place, but that said, tourism does contributes to the town’s economy in a very mysterious ways. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).