Kolsai Lakes and the sunken forest of Kaindy

Three mountain lakes stepping up a spruce valley, and a lake with dead trees standing upright in the water.

Region

Almaty region

Start from

Almaty

Distance

about 280–300 km

Time needed

2–3 days

Best season

June – September

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

Car, tour or shared minibus to Saty

Permits

National park fees; Kaindy access via 4×4 shuttle

Why go

The Kolsai lakes are a chain of three lakes in the northern Tian-Shan, connected by a trail through dense Tian-Shan spruce forest. The lower lake has a road, a small resort and boats. The second lake is a beautiful hike up the valley. The third, near the border ridge, is wild and remote.

Nearby Kaindy is one of the strangest places in the country. An earthquake in the early twentieth century triggered a landslide that dammed a gorge. The valley flooded, and the trunks of drowned spruce trees still stick out of the cold blue water, bleached and branchless.

The base for both is Saty, a quiet village of guesthouses, cows wandering the street and hosts who cook enormous dinners.

The story

Kaindy's name comes from the Kazakh word for birch, because of the birch trees around the valley. The lake itself appeared after the powerful Kebin earthquake of 1911, which triggered a landslide that blocked the stream. The spruce trees that had grown on the valley floor were flooded but never fell, preserved by the cold water.

Divers sometimes explore the submerged trunks below the surface, a strange forest standing in green twilight. In very cold winters the lake freezes clear enough to see the trees through the ice.

Saty village, the base for both lakes, is a good example of how tourism has changed rural Kazakhstan in recent years. A decade ago most houses kept cattle and grew potatoes; now nearly every second gate has a sign for a guesthouse, but the cows still have right of way on the main street.

Getting there

From Almaty it's a long drive east, partly through the Charyn area, then up into the mountains to Saty. The last stretch of road has improved but can still be slow. Shared minibuses run to Saty in summer; tours are the easiest option.

To reach Kaindy, local drivers in Saty run 4×4 trips up the rough valley road; from the end of the track it's a short walk down to the lake.

A suggested plan

1. Day 1Drive from Almaty, stop at Charyn on the way, arrive in Saty by evening.
2. Day 2Kolsai: walk from the lower lake to the second lake, around 8–9 km one way with a steady climb. Picnic by the water, walk back.
3. Day 3Morning 4×4 trip to Kaindy, then drive back to Almaty.
4. Extra dayStrong hikers can continue to the third lake; check whether the trail is open and whether a border permit is needed, as it's close to the Kyrgyz border.

Where to stay

Guesthouses in Saty and Kurmenty, plus a few hotels at the lower Kolsai lake. Book ahead for July and August weekends.

Good to know

• Bring rain gear: summer afternoon showers are common.
• Cash is still useful in Saty; card terminals are not everywhere.
• Swimming in Kaindy is not recommended; the water is very cold.