Karakul Lake
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- This article is about the lake at the Karakoram Highway in western China. For the lake in Tajikistan, see Kara-Kul.
Karakul Lake (Kirgiz: "black lake") is located approximately 200km from Kashgar, Xinjiang province, China, in Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture on the Karakoram Highway, before reaching Tashkurgan, the Khunjerab Pass on the China - Pakistan border and Sost in Pakistan. At an altitude of 3600m (though a height of nearer 3,900 m has been quoted), it is the highest lake of the Pamir plateau, near the junction of the Pamirs, Tian Shan and Kunlun Shan mountain ranges. Surrounded by mountains which remain snow-covered throughout the year, the three highest peaks visible from the lake are the Muztagata (7546m), Kongur Tagh (7649m) and Kongur Tiube (7530m). The lake is popular among travellers for its unreal scenery and the clarity of its reflection in the water, whose color ranges from a dark green to azure and light blue. There are two Kirgiz settlements along the shore of Karakul lake, a small number of yurts about 1km east of the bus drop-off point and a village with stone houses located at the Western shores.
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[edit] How to get there
A daily bus (43 RMB) heading for Tashkurgan which passes the lake leaves from the long distance bus station in Kashgar at 9.30am Beijing Time (please note that the bus station operates on Xinjiang Time which is -2.00hrs BT; thus the departure time on the ticket is 7.30am). It arrives at the lake after about 5-6 hours. Alternatively, a taxi can be booked from most hotels in Kashgar for a set price of 500 RMB per car, per day (i.e. it can be done as a day trip).
[edit] Where to stay
There is a Chinese hotel with rooms (50 RMB) and semi-authentic yurts (30 RMB) at the bus drop-off point. The better way is to stay with a Kirgiz family in a yurt (30 RMB per yurt, 10 RMB for tea/dinner/breakfast) or village house. Alternatively, there is hotel accommodation in nearby Tashkurgan.
[edit] How to get away
The daily bus from Tashkurgan, heading back to Kashgar, arrives at the drop-off point near the Chinese hotel at around 12pm Beijing Time. If all seats are taken, there might be the chance to catch a taxi for around 120-150 RMB. Alternatively it may be possible to hitch a ride, although some form of payment will be expected (possibly around 70 RMB).
Many people visit the lake either as a stop off when travelling the Karakorum Highway between Pakistan and Kashgar, Xinjiang in China or as part of the aforementioned day trip from Kashgar.
[edit] Future
Karakul Lake is one of the greatest natural sights in Western China, a fact that unfortunately has not remained unnoticed by the Chinese tourism industry. So far, one Chinese resort has been erected where masses of tourists can be witnessed eating at a restaurant, riding a camel or getting a room/yurt for the night. Fortunately, so far this disturbing development is restricted to the hours around lunch time; in the evening and morning the dedicated traveller will still have the lake for him- or herself (together with the Kirgiz locals, of course). However, with the beginnings of the Chinese resort and the Karakoram highway currently being rebuilt into a larger road, there remains little doubt that even this remote part of China will soon be more tightly connected to the mainland and its ever growing tourism, with the unspoilt nature, relaxing quietness around the lake and traditional way of life of the Kirgiz people being threatened and possibly destroyed in just a few years.
The events of 9-11 had the side effect of reducing tourist traffic along this road, due to Pakistan being regarded as off limits to tourists immediately after. This has conversely slowed down potential development. However, tourists mainly from non-English speaking countries (including many Europeans) are once again making the trip. British and American Tourists are still largely absent due to continuing (but isolated) bad feeling towards them on the Pakistani side of the border. Tourists from English speaking countries can safely visit the lake from Kashgar but safety cannot be guaranteed on crossing to the Pakistani side of the border.
