Karakol Каракол is a city in Kyrgyzstan on the east of Lake Issyk Kul.
Karakol is a true gem in the rough, just awaiting a master jeweler to polish her up. It holds great potential as a future tourism destination, offering year-round trekking, mountaineering, skiing, and spaaing opportunities, set in a picture perfect setting of traditional Russian homes.
This town was formerly called Przhevalsk Пржевалск during the Tsarist and Soviet era. It is located at the far end of the Issyk Kul, nestled in the Tian Shan mountains, and is the capital of the Issyk Kul Oblast region.
The city was originally founded by Russian Tsarist troops as a military outpost, and it is the resting place of Nikolai Przewalski, the famed Russian explorer and naturalist. It is a city of traditional Russian houses, nestled between the Tian Shan mountains and Lake Issyk Kul.
Karakol was originally a Russian settlement, and it's still one of the few remaining large Slavic communities in Central Asia. Unfortunately, unemployment and the resulting alcoholism have left a toll, as many young people have left, and the soaring crime rate has made it rather dangerous at night.
There are limited tourist facilities for the discerning tourist, while there is much to be offered to the adventurous traveler.
