Iskanderkul accommodation reviews

[steven]

Please leave your reviews for accommodation around Iskanderkul lake below.

More info can be found in our Iskanderkul travel guide.

[CAHK]

I understand that there is a Soviet style resort by the lakeside of Istanderkul. Compared it with the homestay in a nearby village, would one would be a better choice?

[steven]

I would go for the homestay. I dont know the cost of the turbazas at Iskanderkul, but it' mostly a place where locals come to get drunk.

[Pamirski]

We only had lunch at the Turbaza at Iskanderkul, but that was fine. Additionnally we could buy a map of the region there.

[sheepbuttfat]

Without a doubt go to the homestay

[steven]

Just copying this in from another thread: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=11864

I stayed at Shezok guesthouse- above the shop by the bridge (marked on maps.me), right next to the lake. Lovely women running guesthouse, very simple but clean. No heating though so potentially could be cold, outside toilet.

No English spoken but we managed. She made me lunch, dinner and breakfast and I paid 105 Somoni for everything (another guy paid 60 just for the room). Don't think there is any other food options around.

Some nice areas next to the lake to sit and drink tea. Next day guesthouse women was going back to Sarvoda and got a car for me + 2 other tourists staying.

[raspberrysoda]

Went to Shezod (it says shezok online). The vibe from the owner was bad. Wanted to charge me 200 somoni for a double room while charging everyone else 100 (got him to let me do 100). The other guy there said free breakfast, which wasn't true, and if he invites you for something, make sure it's free. The room itself has no air conditioning to warm you up, was a bit dirty, and the beds were meh. Overall not the best experience.

The grocery shop prices below it were kinda expensive, but ok for western standards (30 somoni for a 1.5l Sim Sim beer), and the other products are also rated higher.

Close to the end of the 3rd camp, I talked to a guy named Jonibek, who said he rents out rooms for 50 a night, since he inherited 4 cottages in that area. This was the number he gave me - +99211133363, but idk if it works or not. He said his showers are outside.

Hitched a ride from the Zerafshan 2 bridge for 50, registration was 23 somoni, and luckily hitched a truck back straight to my next destination. Paying 300 somoni for a private taxi from Sarvoda is stupid, unless you don't want to wait up to 30 minutes for someone to pick you up.

There's a resturant with decent food on the 3rd or 2nd resort, got a Mastava soup and some bread for 18 tjs.

[Ryan]

NB - if you are travelling in shoulder season, check ahead to see if your intended guesthouse is open.

I travelled on the 25th of October to Iskanderkul, intending to stay at Sherzod guesthouse (marked as Shezok on MapsMe). It was closed, locked and empty, and there wasn't much sign of life in the rest of the houses at the tip of the lake either. A nearby private driver for another group of tourists told me that the owner had left for the season. He was taking his tourists to a guesthouse called "Dollish Guesthouse", where apparently it was $20 for half board. He said it was about 2-3km around the lake.

I decided to walk there. I could see a building about 3km around the lake that was marked as "Khayom" on MapsMe. When I got there, that was also locked and empty. As far as I could see, there weren't any other buildings until the presidential resort. I don't know where Dollish was, but it left me in a tricky situation.

Rather plan to go all the way to Sary Tag if in doubt about the season! What made up for it was that the lake was an absolutely stunning azure.

[willemspie]

In Sarytag you will find good homestays and some of those families live there year round.