Probably other country in central asia you've never heard of... One thing I tell you fore sure, this places that don't have people/tourists are always better than Bali and other like it! Cause you see the authenticity in every corner. Tajikistan is 97% mountainous, and has the highest water reserves in
Central Asian countries with more than 1,000 rivers, 2,000 lakes and
scores of glaciers.
Situated in the Fann mountains (located only 130 km away from Dushanbe), this triangular lake is connected to
Alexander the Great through a number of legends. In fact, ‘Iskander’ is
the Persian pronunciation of Alexander, however it has never been proved
whether the famous commander did ever visit this beautiful lake or not.
Surrounded by mountains and with an important nature reserve nearby,
Iskanderkul is a great spot for hiking, wild camping and swimming, with
several pebbly beaches along its shores.
Now... some legends about this place, cause, you'll be visiting it not only for the natural beauty, but also for it's history:
According to one of them, during the campaign against Sogdiana and
Bactria, Alexander the Great faced resistance in one of the mountain
villages, they didn’t want to obey to the great leader. Alexander then
ordered to change the flow of the river in order to drown the
disobedient; this is how Iskanderkul Lake appeared.
According to another legend, during his conquests, Alexander the
Great decided to halt on the shores of the lake, and his favorite horse
Bucephalus got cold after drinking ice cold water of Iskanderkul Lake.
When the horse was back in shape again, it jumped to the lake from a
high cliff. Alexander waited few days, then left his stablemen by the
lake, and drew his army away. Since then, during the moonlight, they say
you can see a snow-white horse that comes out of water to graze by the
lake.
How to visit:
Today there are a couple of guesthouses you can stay in right by the
lake, and there are lots of fun activities in close proximity. And try to visit Sarytag village too, that's nearby. In Iskanderkul, besides the lake, you have the Iskanderkul waterfall, the snake lake and the five springs.
You also have many choices with tours in a day trip from Dushanbe, or even from other places of the country:
Happy journeys in Tajikistan!
