Fleewinter

This basic yurt camp has a jaw-dropping setting by Song Kul Lake – one of Kyrgyzstan’s best-kept secrets. Song Kul isn’t as easy to reach as the popular Issyk-Kul Lake, so you can expect fewer crowds, a more authentic experience and empty stretches of golden sand all to yourself.

It’s a chance to escape the fast-paced modern world and embrace the nomadic lifestyle for a few nights. You can wake up each morning to views of the lake and mountains and breathe in that fresh alpine air as you watch the cows and horses stroll by. A stay here will be an experience you’ll always remember.

The camp’s 10 yurts have lots of local touches like rustic wooden beds and Kyrgyz felt carpets. They come with bed linen, pillows, blankets and a heated stove lit for you each night to keep the yurt warm and cosy.

Explore Song Kul on a full-day hike or head out on a horseback ride, then you can retreat to the camp’s hand-built sauna to unwind before dinner. The dining yurt serves home-cooked local dishes and its melt-in-the-mouth fish is caught fresh from the lake.