Jalal-Abad Region
Sary-Chelek sits in Kyrgyzstan's south, in the Jalal-Abad region a different landscape entirely from the high steppe further east, with dense walnut-and-fruit forests giving way to a striking turquoise lake inside a UNESCO biosphere reserve. It's less visited simply because of the distance from Bishkek, but rewards travelers with genuinely different scenery, good hiking and a real sense of having found somewhere quiet.
Best season: May to October
