Tour to the Koksai Gorge, Mashat Canyon, and Kishi-Kaindy Gorge
The Koksay Gorge in the Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve is the easternmost point of the reserve, located near the border of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and is located in a mountainous region.
It is home to beautiful tugai forests and Tien Shan spruce forests, which grow throughout the area. The Koksay Gorge is one of the reserve's highlights; it's an easy place to travel and spend time.
We offer horseback riding tours of this area of the Zhambyl region. You can stay overnight in the village of Zhabagly, where we have guesthouses.
- Distance of the route:
206 km
- Season time:
July – September 3 months
- Best time:
July - August
- Group size:
not more 8 person
- Days & nights:
3 days - 2 nights
Tour itinerary:
Zhabagly Village – Eltai Village – Iirsu Village – Aksu Canyon – Aksu Gamekeeper Canyon – Zhabagly Village (46 km).
After breakfast, we'll set off on an excursion to the Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve. We'll drive to the Aksu Canyon, located at an altitude of 1,620 meters above sea level, passing the villages of Eltai and Iirsu along the way.
Having reached the entrance to the canyon, we continue down, a 30-minute journey. After descending, we stroll along the canyon and take photos.
After lunch, we begin the hour-and-a-half return climb. We then return to Zhabagly Village, have dinner, and relax at the guesthouse.
Zhabagly Village – Asel Hotel – Kishi-Kaindy Botanists' Lodge – Zhabagly Village (24 km).
After breakfast, we head to the Asel Hotel, where we'll begin our horseback ride. From the hotel, we'll head to the Kishi-Kaindy Botanists' Lodge, located at an altitude of 1,800 meters above sea level. After 7 kilometers, we'll have lunch.
After lunch, we'll go horseback riding to a waterfall on the Kishi-Kaindy River. After finishing our ride, we'll return to the Asel Hotel, where we'll leave our horses. Then, we'll drive back to Zhabagly Village, have dinner, and relax at the guesthouse.
Zhabagly Village – Turar Ryskulov Village (Vannovka) – Kershetas Village – Mashat Canyon (136 km).
After breakfast, we'll head to Mashat Canyon, passing the villages of Turar Ryskulov and Kershetas along the way. After 65 kilometers, we'll reach the canyon and take a stroll. We'll see several varieties of tulips, such as the Kaufmanian tulip and the Greigian tulip. We'll also see plants such as the Kochi katran, the prickly almond, and the Karatavian allium.
After exploring the local flora, we'll head to the plateau below Mashat Canyon. While walking along the plateau, we'll also see several varieties of tulips, including Lemers tulips and the false two-flowered tulip. After completing our walk, we head back to the village of Zhabagly. After 68 kilometers, reaching the village, we conclude our tour of the Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve.
Photogallery:
