Blue water
Deep colour under clear skies.
Kalpak Travel — CC BY 2.0 · DaMitti — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kondephy — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ninara from Helsinki, Finland — CC BY 2.0
Yashilkul is a blue freshwater lake high in the Pamir Mountains, in the Gorno-Badakhshan region of southeast Tajikistan. It lies about 124 km in a straight line east of Khorog, the regional capital. The lake sits in the upper Gunt valley, covering about 3,600 hectares with a maximum depth of 52 metres. Just 1.5 km away lies a similar lake, Bulunkul, and the two are surrounded by wetlands and plains of sand and pebbles, together listed as an Important Bird Area. The water is a deep blue that shines under clear skies, framed by bare brown slopes with snow-capped peaks behind. The dirt track down to it gives wide views over the lake from above. The lake is in Gorno-Badakhshan, which needs a special permit, usually requested with the e-visa, so check travel advice before you go. The altitude is high and the weather cold even in summer, so bring warm clothes and water, and travel only by four-wheel drive with a driver who knows the route.
Deep colour under clear skies.
A neighbour lake 1.5 km away.
The Pamirs behind the lake.
Upper Gunt valley, Pamir Mountains, Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan
Yes, Gorno-Badakhshan needs a special permit, usually requested with the visa.
In summer when the roads are open, with warm clothes.