Kirov Reservoir

The Kirov reservoir sits on the Talas river west of the town, built for irrigation and now the main recreation spot for a region that has few, with strikingly blue-green water held between bare rounded hills. Families come out in summer to swim and picnic on the shore, and fishing is popular; simple guesthouses and holiday bases operate along the water. The setting is dry and treeless, which makes the colour of the water more striking than it would otherwise be. The reservoir feeds irrigation downstream into Kazakhstan, and the level drops noticeably through the season. It is a modest place, worth an afternoon if you are in Talas, and Talas itself is somewhere very few travellers reach.

What you actually see

• Blue-green water - the reservoir against bare hills.
• Shore picnics - local families swimming and eating on the banks.
• Fishing - lines and nets along the water.
• Drawdown margins - exposed banks as the level falls through summer.

When to go

June to September for swimming. Water is highest in early summer and drops through the season, leaving wide bare margins by August. Winter is cold and the region is hard to reach.

Honest expectations

Facilities are basic holiday bases rather than resorts, Soviet in style and condition. There is no shade on the shore. Litter is common at the popular spots. Talas is a long way from anywhere, so this is not a destination in itself.

Nearby

Besh-Tash park lies southeast; Manas Ordo is east of Talas.