The title "Село Боконбаево" translates to "The Village of Bokonbaev."
National Ethnic Complex "Bokonbaeva Village"
Bokonbaeva is a picturesque village on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, which serves as a center for ecological tourism in Kyrgyzstan. The village is located at an altitude of 1800 m above sea level, approximately 160 km from Karakol and 280 km from Bishkek. It is the administrative center of the Ton District in the Issyk-Kul region of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, with a population of 10,405 people.
The valley where the village is located is a unique oasis surrounded by the rocky foothills of the Terskey Alatau.
This is a typical agrarian settlement, and the main occupation of the local population is agriculture. However, animal husbandry, an ancient craft of the Kyrgyz, is also practiced. Cows, sheep, and horses are grazed in the mountain steppes around the village.
Bokonbaeva emerged during the development of Central Asia (and, in particular, the Tian Shan) after the region was annexed to Tsarist Russia. The settlement was founded in 1912 by settlers from Russian provinces and was named Koltsovka after one of the settlers. Before this, the area was known as Kok-Kotan. Later, Koltsovka was renamed Kunchigys, and since 1944, the village has borne the name of the Kyrgyz poet Joombart Bokonbaev, who died here in a car accident.
Located in a paradise corner, against the backdrop of breathtaking mountain landscapes and the shimmering blue of Lake Issyk-Kul, it attracts hundreds of tourists from various countries each year, eager for unity with nature, simple rural life, and acquaintance with the unique Kyrgyz traditions.
To revive national customs and traditions and attract more foreign guests to their region, the community-based tourism organization "Bokonbaeva-Manzhyly" collaborates with the Kyrgyz Association of Community-Based Tourism (KATOS) to hold an annual falconry festival. Experienced falconers, about a dozen of whom live in the village, demonstrate hunting techniques with golden eagles and falcons on small and large game, their behaviors and characteristics, and can also organize real hunting experiences for tourists.
Professional eagle breeders from Kyrgyzstan and other countries come here to showcase their skills. Everyone interested can observe the work of specialists:
1. Features of raising wild birds;
2. Various hunting methods for birds;
3. Methods of breeding golden eagles;
4. Characteristics of hunting large and small game.
Fans of traditional crafts will also find plenty of interesting activities here. For example, in a special craftsman town, tourists can observe the work of folk artisans:
1. Traditional products for horse breeding;
2. Carpet making;
3. Creation and painting of souvenir products;
4. Lessons in traditional Kyrgyz cuisine;
5. Master classes by national musicians;
6. Concerts by national dance ensembles.
Bokonbaeva offers various ecological treks in the nearby Terskey Alatau range lasting from 2 to 7 days. In addition to trekking, the community-based tourism group in Bokonbaeva offers four yurt camps set up in different locations: from the lakeshore to the foot of the mountains. Tourists can also choose from 10 guesthouses, where hospitable hosts, who have undergone special training in hospitality and customer-oriented service, warmly welcome them. Here, one can experience the traditional life of the Kyrgyz. How wonderful it is to rise at sunrise, have breakfast with boorsoks and drink fresh kumys, ride horses across dewy green meadows, then have a hearty lunch of beshbarmak, byzhy, and jorg, swim in the warm waters of Issyk-Kul, or go fishing, and in the late evening listen to the songs of akyns by the campfire.
