Aydar Lake
Aydar Lake
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
19 reviews
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Bozeman-Dublin
Trim, Ireland11,327 contributions
Apr 2023 • Friends
An amazing sight to be trundling off-road through the desert and suddenly come across such a beautiful lake. It's over 200km long, 30km wide at its widest and an average of 13m deep according to our guide.
Beautiful blue water and sandy beach, it was artificially created in 1969 when flood waters were directed into a basin in the desert.
It's very remote, miles from anywhere and makes for a very pretty and tranquil stop.
Beautiful blue water and sandy beach, it was artificially created in 1969 when flood waters were directed into a basin in the desert.
It's very remote, miles from anywhere and makes for a very pretty and tranquil stop.
Written April 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelingAmos
New Jersey870 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
We stopped here before staying in a yurt camp as part of our Magic Land Tour with Global Connect. It was a refreshing break from the heat of the cities in the summertime. For a lake, I found it to be relatively clean. The water was warm and the sand was soft. Just watch out for the prickly plant on the sand.
Written August 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Celebrate Yoga and Wellness Foundation
United States90 contributions
Oct 2014 • Couples
The Aydar Lake (Uzbek: Aydar Ko‘li, Айдар кўли; Haydar ko‘li, Ҳайдар кўли; alternate spellings: Lake Aydarkul, Lake Aidarkul) is part of the man-made Aydar-Arnasay system of lakes, which covers an area of 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 mi²). This system includes 3 brackish water lakes (Aydar Kul, Arnasay and Tuzkan) located in the saline depressions of the south-eastern Kyzyl Kum (now in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan). The lakes are the unintentional byproduct of Soviet planning.
Up to the middle of the last century the Arnasay lowland remained a dry Salt pan during most of the year. Only in Spring, in the lowlands, would the small, ephemeral Lake Tuzkan glisten briefly, disappearing in the hot weather.
In the early sixties the Syr Darya was dammed up. Simultaneously the Chardarya irrigation dam was constructed. Floodgates were provided in the dam for flood control, and when in 1969 a raging flood occurred, these were opened as the dam's capacity was inadequate to cope with the flow. Between February 1969 and February 1970 almost 60% of the Syr Darya's average annual water flow (21 km³) was drained from the Chardarya Reservoir into the Arnasay lowland. In such a way new lakes were unintentionally created. Since 1969 the Aydar Lake has regularly received the waters of the Syr Darya River when they overflow the capacity of the Chardarya Reservoir. This has gradually filled up the natural cavity of Arnasay lowland to create the second largest lake in the region (after the remains of the Aral Sea).
In 2005 the Aydar Lake contained 44.3 cubic kilometers of water. Today the area of the Aydar Lake amounts 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi). It is nearly 250 km (160 mi) long and up to 15 km (9.3 mi) wide. The mineralization of the water in the Aydar Lake averages only 2 grams per liter (2,000 ppm).
Many sorts of fish including the Sazan (Cyprinus carpio), Pike perch (Stizostedion lucioperca), Bream (Abramis brama), Cat-fish (Silurus glanis), Hzereh (Aspius aspius), Chehon (Pelecus cultratus), Ophidian fish (Channa argus) were introduced to the lake, which nowadays works as a source of industrial fishing. The lake system provides between 760 and 2,000 tones of fish annually (according to statistical data between 1994 and 2001).
In addition to fauna common in the Kyzyl Kum, there are many kinds of water birds migrating from the Aral Sea that make their homes around the lake.
The Aydar Lake is located away from inhabited localities, therefore there is perfect silence around the lake. At the present time 345 families (approx. 1,760 people) reside near the lake.
The region of the Aydar Lake is an area of great potential for fishing, yurting and camel-back riding tourist activities.
Up to the middle of the last century the Arnasay lowland remained a dry Salt pan during most of the year. Only in Spring, in the lowlands, would the small, ephemeral Lake Tuzkan glisten briefly, disappearing in the hot weather.
In the early sixties the Syr Darya was dammed up. Simultaneously the Chardarya irrigation dam was constructed. Floodgates were provided in the dam for flood control, and when in 1969 a raging flood occurred, these were opened as the dam's capacity was inadequate to cope with the flow. Between February 1969 and February 1970 almost 60% of the Syr Darya's average annual water flow (21 km³) was drained from the Chardarya Reservoir into the Arnasay lowland. In such a way new lakes were unintentionally created. Since 1969 the Aydar Lake has regularly received the waters of the Syr Darya River when they overflow the capacity of the Chardarya Reservoir. This has gradually filled up the natural cavity of Arnasay lowland to create the second largest lake in the region (after the remains of the Aral Sea).
In 2005 the Aydar Lake contained 44.3 cubic kilometers of water. Today the area of the Aydar Lake amounts 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi). It is nearly 250 km (160 mi) long and up to 15 km (9.3 mi) wide. The mineralization of the water in the Aydar Lake averages only 2 grams per liter (2,000 ppm).
Many sorts of fish including the Sazan (Cyprinus carpio), Pike perch (Stizostedion lucioperca), Bream (Abramis brama), Cat-fish (Silurus glanis), Hzereh (Aspius aspius), Chehon (Pelecus cultratus), Ophidian fish (Channa argus) were introduced to the lake, which nowadays works as a source of industrial fishing. The lake system provides between 760 and 2,000 tones of fish annually (according to statistical data between 1994 and 2001).
In addition to fauna common in the Kyzyl Kum, there are many kinds of water birds migrating from the Aral Sea that make their homes around the lake.
The Aydar Lake is located away from inhabited localities, therefore there is perfect silence around the lake. At the present time 345 families (approx. 1,760 people) reside near the lake.
The region of the Aydar Lake is an area of great potential for fishing, yurting and camel-back riding tourist activities.
Written October 16, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mr C
3,952 contributions
Aug 2018 • Friends
Aydar Lake is an artificial lake in the middle of the Kyzl Kum desert. Very remote. An excellent spot for a swim
Written April 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sherzod Norbekov
Jizzakh Province, Uzbekistan132 contributions
Jul 2018 • Friends
The Lake Aydar is largest water body in central Uzbekistan. The lake is easily accessible from Forish district, from the main road (4P36) near the village of Asmansay (turn off to the north near the market) as the road runs parallel to the Lake Aydarkul. We enjoyed our time in the lake swimming and fishing last summer. Mosquitoes are bothersome at night so I strongly recommend to make plans accordingly. The lake is close to the Nuratau Mountains so one can combine the trip to the lake with tour to the mountains.
Written January 13, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gad N
Tel Aviv, Israel171 contributions
Sep 2018 • Couples
A special place at the end of the world, far from civilization and located in the heart of the Kyzylkum desert. Man-made (unintentionally).
A huge lake with salty water (much less than I expected compared to ocean water, for example).
It is especially fun to swim in the warm days of Uzbekistan, although the shallow water trail has to go quite a bit until you reach a satisfactory depth. Some sting insects exist around.
The place seems to have huge tourist potential but in fact there are few tourist infrastructure.
A huge lake with salty water (much less than I expected compared to ocean water, for example).
It is especially fun to swim in the warm days of Uzbekistan, although the shallow water trail has to go quite a bit until you reach a satisfactory depth. Some sting insects exist around.
The place seems to have huge tourist potential but in fact there are few tourist infrastructure.
Written October 13, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rlkincaid
Rome, Italy9,483 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
There is a, let's call it, settlement-establishment where you can change, take a shower and even eat, discreetly I must say.
The lake deserves a digression, we went after sleeping the night in the yurts, and, being August, we also went for a swim and this too was an experience as we did not expect the waters to be slightly salty,
For lunch we tasted a slice of a local fish that was excellent in flavor and cooking.
If you have time, I would recommend the visit because, apart from this place, there is nothing else and everything is absolutely natural.
Frequented exclusively by locals.
The lake deserves a digression, we went after sleeping the night in the yurts, and, being August, we also went for a swim and this too was an experience as we did not expect the waters to be slightly salty,
For lunch we tasted a slice of a local fish that was excellent in flavor and cooking.
If you have time, I would recommend the visit because, apart from this place, there is nothing else and everything is absolutely natural.
Frequented exclusively by locals.
Written September 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John K
Frankfurt, Germany1,942 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Lake Aydar is actually a depression and consists of two lakes. Geographically, the border with Kazakhstan is not far. There is a yurt camp on the shore. If you have swimwear, you can swim here.
Automatically translated
Written June 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
E' possibile fare i bagno ad ottobre? Grazie
Written September 19, 2017
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