Kyzyl-Oi

Kyzyl-Oi, the red valley, sits where the Kökömeren river runs through a basin of red and ochre hills, with irrigated green fields and poplars along the water making a sharp contrast against the bare slopes. It is a small farming village of a few hundred people with a set of homestays, and it lies on the scenic back route between the Suusamyr valley and Chaek and on toward Song-Köl, which is why travellers stop. There is nothing to do beyond walking in the hills, riding, fishing in the river and sitting in a garden, and that is the appeal. The Kökömeren is also rafted by the few operators who run it. Homestays are organised through the village and serve meals from what the households produce.

What you actually see

• Red hills - bare coloured slopes enclosing the basin.
• The green river valley - irrigated fields and poplars along the Kökömeren.
• Village homestays - family accommodation in ordinary houses.
• Riding and walking country - open hills straight out of the village.

When to go

June to September. The road over the passes at either end is snowbound in winter and rough in spring. July and August are warmest; September brings clear air and harvest.

Honest expectations

Homestays are basic with outdoor toilets and shared rooms. There is no restaurant, no ATM and one small shop. The roads in from both directions are rough and slow. There is genuinely nothing organised to do, which suits some travellers and not others.

Nearby

Suusamyr valley lies northwest; Song-Köl is southeast beyond Chaek.