The Ak Suu gorge — also known as Semenovka after the village on the main road where the valley emerges. The canyon is some 25 kilometers long and an asphalt road leads some 15 kilometers into the mountains from the village of Semenovka, (named after the Russian explorer, Petr Semenov «Tianshansky»), following the valley of the Chong Ak-Suu («Big White Water»), past the Kyrchyn tourbasa which used to have a 240 bed hotel, and other facilities. The road leads to a jailoo (mountain pasture) at 2010 metres above sea level and the conurbation with the Kichi Ak-Suu («Little White Water») river. The river flows some 34 kilometers from the glaciers in the mountain peaks down into Lake Issyk Kul, through three small lakes, including Sutuu Bulak (which means «milky spring»). The jailoo was historically used as a meeting place for congresses of Kyrgyz elders. The Djel Karagey canyon is home to a Forest Reserve — with meadows and multi-cascade waterfalls. Here, from the end of June until the end of September there is a collection of yurts, which offer a wide range of services. The «yurt village» is marketed as an ethnological experience. Half of the twenty yurts are reserved for guests — and in the other half live several local families which provide the services, entertainment, etc. — so guests have a chance to experience authentic, traditional, elements of the Kyrgyz nomadic lifestyle. The yurts are all traditional — not like most of the yurta inns in Kyrgyzstan — for example, here you will end up sleeping on the floor under adiella — a sort of «duvet» — not in beds. Unfortunately, this also means that things like toilets, washing facilities and so on are also traditional. The of lack in modern conveniences, however, is more than made up for by the thoughtful programme — which explores the history, culture, crafts, food and games of the Kyrgyz people. It is possible to walk or take horses into the surrounding countryside; encounter half-wild yaks; watch demonstrations of crafts and horsemanship by masters; listen to traditional music; listen to a «manaschi» recite excerpts from the epic poem «Manas»; eat traditional foods; drink kumys and even participate in putting up a yurta — an all round, authentic, Kyrgyz experience.

On the shores of Lake Issyk Kul, not far from the village of Semenovka, is the dacha built in the 1960"s especially for the visit of Leonid Brezhnev — and used just the once. A rather modest building, set at the edge of marshland, a short walk from the beach, it is now unfortunately in a sad state of disuse and disrepair, although apparently there are plans to renovate and restore it.