Kaindy/Kolsai/Saty - Pack your passport

[Mirnij]

Heyo,

This weekend I did a tour to charyn and the lakes and there is a new border guard point on the road between Shalanash and Karabulak (the village before Saty) that asks for IDs.
Copys or photos on your phone of your passport are not accepted.

Bribing attempts by our tour guide were unsuccessful, but he managed to talk them in putting *his* name on the protocol instead of the foreign tourists one and paid a fine of 12.000 Tenge.

Foreigners without ID are sent to 100km away Kegen to verify their identity (and pay the fine).
According to our homestay host they have absolutely no issues with sending whole busses full of tourists away because they did not have the original passport with them.

This post seems to be really new and tour operators might not yet be aware of it.

On a side note: Kaindy lake on a grey and wet Spring day is quite beautiful.

[Julia]

Hi.
Thank you for the info.

That check point is new. But the area of Kolsay lakes has been under guards control for many years. Border guards usually checked passports at the second kolsay lake.
Usually tour companies advise to have a passport and inform that there can be control around the lakes. Especially considering that you're a foreigner.
I'm just curious how your guide was going to take you to kolsay without probable meeting with guards or you didn't plan to reach the lake?


That also applies to Big Almaty lake.
Having passport is mandatory.

[Mirnij]

We only planned to go and went to the first Kolsai lake, so no one expected those issues.

[Lubylu]

Hi guys
Went to both Kaindy and Kolsai this week, with a guide. No request for passports at any checkpoint.

[haryia]

Sometimes they ask sometimes no, depends by your luck. I look like russian, and always nobody stop me, but some people that they forgot they get a fine..