Tosor is a small village on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, unremarkable in itself but sitting at the entrance to one of the more quietly extraordinary landscapes in Kyrgyzstan. You come here for the canyon.
Sights & Culture
Skazka Canyon
Skazka means fairytale in Russian, and whoever named it was not being fanciful. The canyon is formed from red and ochre sandstone eroded into shapes that have no obvious natural parallel, towers, ridges, and formations that shift colour as the light moves across them. It was discovered relatively recently as a visitor destination, which means it still has the feeling of somewhere that hasn't quite caught up with its own reputation. Walk into it slowly. The further in you go the stranger it gets.
There's a souvenir stand at the entrance selling the usual array of things, plus, on this visit, a full suit of armour at a thousand dollars. They were not negotiating. I did try.
Accommodation
Royal Gate Yurt Camp
Our first stay in a yurt, and it was a fairly upmarket one. They had hosted a music festival recently and parts of the setup were still around. The camp is on a cliff edge so the view is spectacular, and the restaurant itself is a modern yurt. It feels like it's not quite finished, but in a year or so it will likely be excellent.