Lake Aydarkul in Uzbekistan is respectfully called a sea because of its size. The water is salty and the shores are sandy. Turquoise waves splash onto the beach. Few people know about this geographical marvel, and that the Aydarkul trip is not inferior to Thailand. However, this lake is for those who want to reconnect with nature and are bored with the patterns of monotonous civilization.
During the beach season, tourists for some reason are drawn in the direction of the mountains. Mostly they go to Lake Charvak to stay in a comfortable hotel and ride a banana boat. I think it’s too uninspiring, the more I’ve been there five times. Well, I wanted to experience something new, and the travel agency offered me an Aydarkul tour.
I agreed without hesitation because the tour operator said the trip would have a touch of extreme. Moreover, he said I would not be staying in a hotel, instead, I’d live in an authentic Kazakh yurt. Typical Aydarkul hotels are only at tourist bases, and in my case, it was supposed to be a complete merge with nature and local identity. Later I didn’t regret it at all, on the contrary, I got the impressions I dreamed of.
The Aydarkul trip included a transfer by minibus from Jizzakh town to the yurt camp on the shore of the lake. It is a popular trend there, and such unusual campsites are scattered all along the coast. There were about fifteen yurts in the camp, all of them very neat and made of tree branches with a double-sided felt layer according to ancient technology. The exterior of the yurts, including the roof, was covered with a dense material of unknown origin.
The Tashkent Aydarkul Lake tour promised to be unforgettable. I realized it as soon as I arrived there. Looking at the yurts, I imagined myself a fearless shepherd with a herd of sheep and cows or even the great Genghis Khan. The camp was almost empty, except for me and other tourists occupying 2-3 yurts. All the tourists were foreigners. There were several showers and toilets within walking distance. I couldn’t believe, they were very comfortable and clean.
All national traditions of ancient nomads were implemented in the interior, and the spirit of a certain asceticism prevailed inside. The floor was covered with carpets, and though the sleeping place was on the floor (without a bed), the mattress made of natural down with feathers was very soft and comfortable. An interesting fact: the yurt was warm at night and cool during the day, and there were no air conditioners or heaters.
In the morning, after a breakfast of fried fish and rice, my long-awaited trip to Aydarkul started. It is a long distance to the lake because it’s three kilometres away from the campsite. Why so far? Let me explain it. The water rises during the year many times, flooding everything in its way. There was no transfer from the yurts to the beach, but the locals delivered tourists in their old Soviet jeeps.
The lake impressed me deeply and made me learn what a real contrast is. Actually, the sea and the desert are not compatible, the more so the reservoir is not filled with rivers. Still, the water in it doesn’t dry up. The analogy with the sea is completely true, as you can not discern the shores on the other side. All you can observe is a turquoise sea surface, going beyond the horizon. Warm sand, cool clear water, rolling foamy waves. It’s a real seascape.
The only downside is that there’s no good shelter from the burning sun. The campground provided a folding beach umbrella, but it didn’t seem to be large enough. In the prone position, my legs remained uncovered and got sunburned in about ten minutes. Then I covered them with a towel and enjoyed the smell of the salty breeze. A couple of hours later the same “cab drivers” took me back to the base.
Daytime entertainment was camel riding, and in the evening an akyn sang songs. At 10 pm a modern disco with a DJ and lighting started. It’s so romantic. The food was simple (potatoes, rice, fried pike-perch), but the meals were incredibly delicious. Aydarkul travel is freely available, so if anyone wants to diversify his vacation, let him go to the sea in the middle of the desert.