Rai lakes
Rai lakes — this is how two reservoirs call, those few residents of Almaty who are familiar with them. Why they are so named is unknown, either because of their beauty, or because of their ability to heal wounds and illnesses, but more on that later!
Our answer to the Salt Sea lies only 560 km from the city of Almaty. The road will run not only along the highway with impeccably smooth asphalt, but also in places off-road, therefore, it is not advised to drive a passenger car. First you need to get to the station “Matai”. This is the most famous place, then you will need to be more careful, you are waiting for 33 km along the old asphalt road and a pointer to the Rai lakes!
Further bumpy sand dunes begin, among which it is easy to go astray. After passing through them 27 exhausting kilometers, you will be surprised at the sight of the dark blue surface of the water. This is a salt lake.
It is almost impossible to drown in a salt lake (due to the high salt content), but it is also impossible to stay here for a long time. The maximum time allowed is 20 minutes. In 20 minutes, the lake water manages to exert its beneficial effects on the human body.
After swimming in the salt lake, you must rinse in the lake with fresh water, which is nearby. Everyone here knows about the benefits of salt water and is happy to retell stories related to this place. The most popular stories related to the healer Raikhan-ana.
According to popular legend, a woman named Raikhan, ill with leprosy, is left alone with a serious illness. The husband and native children turn away from her and the woman decides to leave home. Her path was long and hard, until she reached two lakes. From the loneliness and inevitability of death, Raikhan decides to drown himself in a salt lake, but all is in vain. The lake throws it ashore again and again and, having become exhausted, it falls asleep. After waking up, the woman discovers that the ulcers on her skin have begun to heal. She plunges into the lakes for several months until completely cured. After Raikhan completely copes with leprosy, she decides to devote her life to a good cause. They say that during World War II, a woman took soldiers on lakes and helped them heal wounds. Raikhan-ana met her death here, on the lakeside. The oblast akim even erected a dome on her grave, which means that the stories about the Raikhan woman are not just a beautiful and kind legend, but a real story!
Rai lakes are definitely worth a visit! Local people say that in order for salt water to help the body cope with an ailment, you need to plunge into it for two weeks, but you can limit yourself to a couple of unforgettable days on the clean shores of, as yet, little-known lakes!
If you want to book a tour to the Paradise Lakes, write to us!
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