Lake Balkhash is the 15th-largest lake in the world, and one of the largest in Asia. Much like the Aral Sea it is also slowly shrinking due to the water diversion. Seven rivers, precipitation, and mountain snow melt from the Xinjiang region of China all feed Lake Balkhash. It still covers 16,400 square kilometers (6,300 sq mi).
What is unique about Lake Balkhash is the 3.5 km-long strait that separates the western and eastern halves. The western part is fresh water, while the other half is saltwater. The eastern part is 1.7 times deeper than its western counterpart. Weird!
On the east side of the lake is the city of Balkhash from which the lake gets its name. It is a city that relies heavily on fishing. There are hundreds of species of crustaceans and fish in the lake, although 22 are now in the endangered list. On the west side of the lake is where the military was stationed during the Cold War.
There are many attractions around Lake Balkhash. A few of these are:
Wondering how you can reach Lake Balkhash, well you can either take a train, bus, taxi or even self-drive whatever is convenient for you.
If you take a train it takes 12 hours 32 minutes and will cost you 5,001.33 KZT to 13,465.1 KZT.
If you take a bus it takes 13 hours 31 minutes.
If you drive from Almaty to Lake Balkhash it takes 7 hours.
Sunday: Open 24 hours.
Monday: Open 24 hours.
Tuesday: Open 24 hours.
Wednesday: Open 24 hours.
Thursday: Open 24 hours.
Friday: Open 24 hours.
Saturday: Open 24 hours.
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