Beautiful lakes
Lake Baikal is so large that it is hard to fully grasp its immensity: 636 km long, about 60 km wide and up to 1637 m deep, making it the deepest lake in the world. Any view from the shore makes it look more like sea than a confined body of water. The crystal clear fresh water is drinkable at most places and is home to some very yummy fish, like the omul. The railway from Irkutsk to Ulan-Ude runs parallel to the shore for a while but to really experience the lake, go to Olkhon island or at least Listvyanka, a village on the shore 70 km from Irkutsk.
Most pictures of the "Pink Lake" will show the lake in an otherworldly, bright pink colour. The best chance of experiencing the lake in this state is supposedly on days that are both extremely windy and sunny. For the rest of the time, the waters here has a more murky, orange-ish glow. The reason for the this is that the micro-organism giving the waters its pink colour only comes to the surface when the conditions are right. However, less-than-perfect conditions should not dissuade you from the making the trek out here as the lake has plenty to offer other than it's colour. The lake is saltier than the Dead Sea, and anyone going for a swim here will float. For this same reason, much of the south shore is dominated by salt mining operations, where salt is extracted from the lake by hand and exported as far as Mali and Burkina Faso. This adds a certain cultural value to any visit to Lac Rose.
Lake Bled is tourist destination number one in Slovenia - not that it means much in little-visited Slovenia. On a backdrop of snow tipped mountains, lies the deep blue lake and right in the middle of it rises a tiny island topped with a white church. It is so postcard-perfect that you find yourself snapping pictures at every bend. The grassy shore can get crowded in summertime when locals (and the few tourists) cluster for sunbathing, swimming and chilling out. High above the northeastern shore sits the equally impressive Bled castle, perched on a clifftop with tiny Bled town below. You can either stay in town while exploring the area or even make it as a day trip from Ljubljana.
A 40-minute drive from lake Bled lies another beautiful lake named Bohinj. Contrary to groomed Bled which almost has a holiday vibe, Bohinj is a real natural treat. There is a trail around the lake shore which makes for a beautiful diverse walk. While the western and eastern ends attract picnicking families and young sunbathers, the secluded wooded northern shore seems to be favoured by nudists and other people looking for privacy among the shady trees.
Located in the remote far east of the already remote Pamir region of Tajikistan, the tiny village of Karakul would, under any other ordinary circumstances, probably go completely unnoticed by travellers. However, Karakul is anything but ordinary. It is the village's location on the shores of Lake Karakul that makes a stop here almost mandatory for anyone passing through the region. With the magnificent Pamir Mountains reflecting in the pristine lake waters, it is an image almost too good to be true. If you then throw in the fact that the only place to stay in town is in one of the tremendously charming local home-stays, a stop in Karakul is transformed from a "Might-as-well" visit to a "Must" visit.
The landscape at Yashilkul lake border the unreal. A clear blue sky above a dark jade green lake surrounded by an undisturbed colourless desert and a horizon sprinkled with white mountain peaks. You can reach Yashilkul by a short drive or long walk from Bulunkul village.
Chiaw Lan Lake was artificially created in 1982, when they built the Ratchaprapha dam. While it is never nice to flood a national park, the result seems rather genius. Steep, vertical limestone outcrops are now rising high out of the green, warm freshwater. Some outcrops reach more than 950 m straight up into the sky. The best way to take in all this beauty is to stay at some of the cool raft guesthouses made of floating bamboo poles tied together, and go exploring early in morning in a kayak. Though most people come here on a tour, it is easy to get here by yourself and then you can choose which area of the lake, you want to stay at.
The lakes of southwestern Uganda are famously beautiful, and Lake Bunyonyi is by far the best known - and easily one of the prettiest. It's fairly easy to get to from nearby Kabale, and the drive over has a few stunning viewpoints. This is the most touristy of the region's lakes, meaning that there are plenty of places to stay and organise canoe trips. Most resorts and restaurants are at the lake's eastern side - the rest of it doesn't really see many visitors, although there are plenty of small local communities living there. Bunyonyi is fairly free from hazards such as bilharzia, hippos and crocodiles - making swimming about as safe as it can get - and it has a lot of interesting places to visit. Punishment Island, for example, where pregnant, unmarried women were left to die. But more than that, it's a great place to just chill, particularly if for those on long, grueling overland trips.
There's no doubt about it - Lake Mutanda has to be one of the most beautiful lakes in Africa, if not in the world. Its gorgeous, island-dotted waters are surrounded by lush, green hills, the bird life is prolific, and clawless otters abound. As if that wasn't enough, the lake has one of the most dramatic backdrops possible: the Virunga volcanoes. Need another incentive? There's no bilharzia in the lake, nor are there crocodiles or hippos, so swimming is perfectly safe (although the locals will most likely think you're mad - only a mzungu would do something so bizarre). This place has yet to be properly discovered by tourists, so most likely you'll only be sharing it with local fishermen. It's within very easy reach of Kisoro - in fact, the adventurous can walk there from the lake's southern tip in just over an hour, passing through fields and villages on the way - but once at the lake you'll still feel like you're a very far way from anywhere populated. It's also a great place to try out a traditional dugout canoe. A definite highlight of Uganda, and one not to be missed!
Loch Ness is more famous for its mythical monster than its natural beauty, which is a bit of a shame for the lake is really pretty, monster or not. Loch Ness is the deepest lake in Britain (max depth 230 m) and 37 km long. Wooded mountains flank the lake, creating the perfect lakeside setting for picnicking, sailing, fishing... and, of course, monster spotting. For a place that is that famous for something that cryptic, you would think they would compensate with tacky Nessie stuff everywhere, but you hardly see any. Maybe the Scotsmen are too proud to fully take commercial advantages of the Nessie madness.