Naryn's lakes aren't all equally accessible, and mixing them up when planning a trip leads to disappointment. Here's the real difference.
Kol-Tor, near At-Bashy, is the easy one — a short ~2km walk from a 4x4-accessible trailhead, no permit required, doable as a standard day trip. Kel-Suu and Chatyr-Kul are a different category entirely — both sit in the China border zone, both require a border permit applied for at least two weeks in advance, and both need a genuine multi-day expedition with 4x4 and horseback or on-foot access at the end.
If you're short on time or want a straightforward add-on to a Song-Kul or Tash-Rabat trip, Kol-Tor is the right call. If Kel-Suu or Chatyr-Kul are the whole reason for your trip, plan well ahead — the permit timeline alone rules out a spontaneous visit.
Zoomy