Degree of Master of

Recreation

Recreation is the second important socio-economic aspect of the Aydar-Arnasay lakes development. Recreational activity developed on the Aydar-Arnasay lakes system is represented the following types:

• 
  Camping (the Aydar Yurt Camp)
  

The most popular place for camping is “the Aydar yurt Camp” which is situated in the area of the Navoi region in the center of the Kyzylkum desert, around 10 km from the Aydar-
Arnasay lakes system. The camp is characterized by complete recreation infrastructure, which provides services both for individuals and special groups from 10 to 100 persons. Short walks around the area of the camp and to the Aydarkul lake, long Bactrian camel safaris along the Kyzylkum desert and also jeep tours to the Aral Sea are organized from the yurt camp (partnership 2006);

• 
  Ecological and ethnographic tourism (on the territory of Nuratau-Kyzylkum Biosphere Reserve)
  

The development of ecotourism in the territory of the buffer zone of the Nuratau State Nature Reserve has the objective of stimulating the local population to conserve wildlife nature. Nowadays ecotourism is seen in Uzbekistan as one of the powerful options to link economic and ecological sustainable development (UNDP 2007);

• Sightseeing

Sightseeing includes visiting cultural and historical sites such as native Uzbek homes near the Aydar-Arnasay and Alexander the Great Fortress;

• Fishing

Summing it all up, Figure 15 demonstrates distribution of the various types of recreational activity developed in the Aydar-Arnasay lakes.
Figure 15. Recreational activity in the Aydar-Arnasay lakes system (adopted from World database on protected Areas and modified by the author)

CEU eTD Collection
(Legend: 1- Aydar yurt Camp; 2- historical sites, i.e. Alexander the Great Fortress, Ok Namaz Mosque; 3- territory of the Nuratau-Kyzylkum Biosphere Reserve; 4- visiting center of the Nuratau-Kyzylkum Biosphere Reserve; 5 – fishing tourism)

3.