Snigdha TiwariBatken – the administrative center of the Batken region, located in the south of Kyrgyzstan, about 240 km from the city of Osh. The altitude at which the city, a little more than 1,000 meters above sea level. Batken, home to about 25 thousand people. It has its own airport, where you will be able to reach about 1 hour from Bishkek.
Batken is not very well known, and most tourists come from within Kyrgyzstan itself or the surrounding republics. But the city is famous for its apricots growing nearby. They are famous with unique tastes known to all residents of Kyrgyzstan.
Since Batken is the central city of the region, hence convenient to begin the journey to gorges and the five thousandth tops.
Here are the 4 Beautiful Places To Visit In Batken.
1. Sarkent National Nature Reserve
The Sarkent National Nature Reserve is located in the Leilek district of Batken province.
The park covers an area of 40,000 hectares which was established to preserve the biological diversity of natural systems and is home to animals listed in the Red Book, such as brown bears, snow leopards, lynxes, golden eagles, saker falcons, and Himalayan vultures. The landscape is characterized by juniper forests.
Five beautiful lakes and massive juniper forests are located on the territory of Sarkent.
In Yurt Camp, which is located at the recreational territory of the park where you can enjoy the beautiful nature, plunge into the traditional life of people, taste delicious drink kymyz (mare’s milk) and ayran, as well as improve health with the help of clear mountain air and useful glacier water.
I am sure that you will not miss exploring this amazing nature reserve on your trip to Batken, Kyrgyzstan.
2. Ai Kol Lake
The Ai Kol Lake which means  “Moon Lake”, is located on the northern slope of the Turkestan Mountain Range about 3000 meters above sea level.
It is a small lake surrounded by large cliffs where you can observe its beauty only from afar. You need to go a long way to see the lake at a height of about 3000 m. The shore of the lake is surrounded by sheer cliffs, so you can’t go down, so the lake can be seen only through a small pass in spurs. The two streams flow into the lake. The water level rises in the summer and it falls down in winter, so the lake is covered with ice.
The  Ai Kol Lake is a real treasure, hidden in the highlands, which fascinates and captivates with its beauty and inaccessibility that you will not like to miss at all.
3. Aigul Tash MountainÂ
The Aigul Tash mountain is located at the entrance of the Kara Bulak village which is home to an amazingly beautiful flower whose red and yellow petals endemic to the area, called Aigul, that blooms in April.
According to legend, a maiden named Aigul was unable to withstand the news that the man that she loved had died in battle, and threw herself off the cliff of this very mountain. When spring came, wonderful flowers started growing in the places where the maiden’s drops of blood had fallen. People named the flowers Aigul and the mountain Aigul-Tash, after the maiden. The flower is listed in the Red Book.
As a result, the rare blossoms that grow on this mountain live a short, but radiant life. Â Their presence adds a unique beauty to the springtime scenery in the region of Kyrgyzstan silk road making it must visit place while traveling to Batken.
4. Karavshin Gorge
The Karavshin Gorge is situated in the Turkestan Range where this marvelous piece of nature contains rocky mountains, fast-flowing rivers, clean spring waters, and green meadows that much resemble the South American Steppes, giving itself the nickname “The Asian Patagonia,” as deemed by lovers of the outdoors.
It is frequently visited by tourists and mountain climbers, as there is a number of interesting itineraries for lovers of challenging climbs.
There are other gorges in the upper reaches of the valley: Ak-Su (Lyailyak) and Kara-Su. Peaks Slesova, Bird, Ortotyubek are located in the gorge Ak-Su. There are peaks Asan, Usen, Pyramid, and Yellow wall in Kara-Su George.
This picturesque place is unique because there are a lot of interesting routes. The road to the gorge Karavshin is, first of all, a sultry heat, apricot oasis, but in the end, a heavenly beautiful place waits for you.
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