SARY-CHELEK
There are many discussions about which part of Kyrgyzstan is more beautiful. One of the winning places take Sary-Chelek bio reserve. It lies in the western part of Kyrgyzstan and occupies 23,600 hectares and is located at the altitudes between 1200m and 4250 m above sea level. The reserve was established in 1959 to protect the pristine nature. Main habitats comprise forests, meadows, steppes, rocks and screes. More than 1000 species of plants, 160 species of birds and 34 species of mammals.The slopes are covered by walnut forests, apple, pear forests etc. The pearl of the reserve is the lake with the same name Lake Sary Chelek which stretches for 7,5 km. Its width varies from 350 m to 1500m and the extreme depth reaches 234 m. It is not allowed to camp in the reserve but simple accommodation in guest houses, homestays and yurts can be found in the neighboring villages. But these slight inconveniences are more than compensated with the astounding beauty of the nature.