Lake Alakol

Alakol is a salt lake of around two and a half thousand square kilometres in the far east of Kazakhstan, in a basin between the Dzungarian Alatau and the Tarbagatai, and it is a domestic holiday destination rather than an international one: Kazakh families come in July and August for the water, which is mineral-rich and credited locally with benefits for skin and joint conditions, and for the beaches of smooth dark volcanic pebbles that are said to hold heat and be used in the same way. Resorts and guesthouses have grown up at Akshi and Koktuma. The lake is also important for birds, with relict gull colonies on the islands, protected as a nature reserve.

History

The lake's waters have been thought healing since the days of the Silk Road. In Timur's time it was said to be called It-Ichmes, "the dog will not drink", for its 8 grams of salt in each litre, and the Kimaks of the 9th to 11th centuries called it Gagan, after a town on the site of today's Koktuma (Wikipedia, Lake Alakol).

The landscape

• The pebble beaches - the smooth dark stones the lake is known for.
• The salt water - the mineral lake used for its supposed benefits.
• Resort settlements - Akshi and Koktuma along the shore.
• The bird islands - the protected colonies including relict gulls.

When to go

June to August is the season; the water is too cold outside it and most accommodation closes. July and August are peak and heavily booked. The lake is remote and the journey long whichever way it is done.

Practical notes

The season is short and accommodation fills months ahead. Facilities are basic Soviet-era style resorts with variable standards. Access takes a long train or drive from Almaty. Wind can whip the lake up quickly and swimming becomes rough.

Nearby

The Dzungarian Alatau lies southwest; the Chinese border is east.

Key facts