Uzbekistan is one of only two double-landlocked countries in the world (the other is Liechtenstein) – its five bordering countries are Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Despite seemingly being in the midst of a huge, sparsely-populated landmass, nowhere encapsulates the Silk Road heritage more than Uzbekistan. With its rich history and monumental cities, fertile green valleys and desert landscapes, virtually every region of Uzbekistan has something different to offer. Check out my Uzbekistan travel experiences below!

Kokand, Margilan, Tashkent, Nukus, Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, Termez

Uzbekistan is by far the most touristy and tourist-friendly country in Central Asia. If you’re unsure if you can handle the marshrutkas (shared taxis) in Kyrgyzstan or the vastness of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan is a good place to dip your toe in. While other Central Asian countries are more notable for their landscapes and nomadic cultures, Uzbekistan is filled with historical cities and accessible, tourist–friendly sites. The route between Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva is the most frequented by international travellers. These three historic Silk Road cities have the most historical monuments located within the cities, appealing to intrepid, history-minded visitors of all ages and persuasions. After wandering through Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan without encountering the typical hordes of tourists, Uzbekistan was a reminder that they still exist – riding around in snazzy air-conditioned coaches and being herded into tourist restaurants and attractions.

Away from the famous Silk Road cities, there are plenty of other interesting places in Uzbekistan that don’t see the same level of tourist footfall. One of these is Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region in the northwest of the country. With its own flag (yellow, green and blue) and language, Karakalpakstan is an anomaly in Uzbekistan. Their language is more similar to Kazakh than Uzbek. This area is known as being the poorest region in Uzbekistan and has chronic drought issues. The Aral Sea used to cover much of the Karakalpakstan region prior to its destruction as a result of calamitous agricultural policies during the Soviet era. We really enjoyed our time in Karakalpakstan, and found traveling there a much more authentic and rewarding experience than just following the crowds at the Silk Road cities.

The desert fortresses of Khorezm and Karakalpakstan seem like a different world to the busy tourist sites of Samarkand

Uzbekistan has a rich history, having been at the centre of several different historical kingdoms. The most famous is the Timurid empire, founded by Amir Timur in the 14th century.  The Timurids ruled over a vast empire stretching across Iran, Iraq, Turkey, the South Caucasus, Pakistan and Northern India, and Amir Timur is presented as the national hero of Uzbekistan. Much feared on the battlefield, this military strategist was also influential in promoting the flourishing of sciences and art within the bounds of his empire. He was also credited with mass construction projects and erected many magnificent Islamic buildings such as madrassas, mosques and mausoleums (Khoja Ahmed Yasawi’s mausoleum in Turkistan (modern day Kazakhstan) is a prime example). He is also an enduring symbol of justice in Uzbekistan – law codes attributed to his name promote justice, equality, fairness and charity. One of his descendants, Bobur, was the founder of the Mughal Empire which was hugely influential in northern India.

Samarkand sees plenty of visitors thanks to its Timurid monuments

It’s impossible to visit Uzbekistan without coming face to face with the national hero – often depicted on towering bronze statues as a stern-looking figure on horseback or seated in a grand chair. It’s said that Islam Karimov, the first president of Uzbekistan, saw himself in the figure of Amir Timur, and was responsible for greeting a veneration around him after Uzbekistan became an independent country in the early 1990s. Other notable historical Uzbek figures are Ibn Sina (considered one of the fathers of modern medicine alongside Hippocrates and Galen), Ulugh Beg (a direct descendant of Amir Timur and the third Timurid emperor, he was a renowned Islamic mathematician and astronomer who is considered a pivotal figure in the history of global astronomy) and Alisher Navoi (a contemporary of Amir Timur who is widely regarded as the greatest Uzbek poet and founder of early Turkic literature). You will see plenty of reference to all of these figures throughout the country.

The statue of Amir Timur in Amir Timur Square, one of the main squares in Tashkent

The Timurid capital city was Samarkand. After the Timurid empire fractured, a series of Khanates (regional fiefdoms each ruled by a dynastic lineage of Khans) took control of the area of Uzbekistan – the three major khanates were based in the cities of Khiva, Bukhara and Kokand, with Bukhara later becoming an Emirate. The Bukhara, Kokand and Khiva Khanates were the dominant powers when the Russian Empire conquered the area in the 1800s. For this reason, Uzbekistan can claim to have at least four former imperial capital cities, as well as its modern-day capital of Tashkent and the autonomous capital of Nukus. 

Grand Silk Road cities such as Bukhara are a major draw for visitors to Uzbekistan

Despite religion being banned during the Russian occupation, the majority of the population of Uzbekistan are Sunni Muslims – we observed that Uzbekistan was much more overtly religious than Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The Fergana Valley area is known as being particularly conservative, which may be one reason that it receives less tourists than other parts of the country despite it being culturally rich and densely populated. One other notable difference compared with neighbouring countries is that Uzbekistan is the only Central Asian nation that officially uses the Latin alphabet rather than the Cyrillic one. Despite this, you can still find relics of Cyrillic around the country – we ate at a couple of restaurants that only had Cyrillic menus, for example.

A major reason for Uzbekistan’s historical prosperity and importance is its location on the Silk Road. This trade route was named as such because it initially brought silk to the west from China. Silk was a precious commodity in the medieval world with the production of silk and cultivation of silkworms fiercely guarded secrets by the Chinese. As secrets often do, this one got out and made its way to Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan was and still is a major centre for silk production. Margilan and Bukhara are the biggest silk producing regions in Uzbekistan. 

Margilan silk is renowned throughout the region

Uzbekistan also boasts being a significant producer and exporter of cotton, although there is little profit in growing the crop with most of the pickers struggling to earn a living whilst working in the fields. The over-proliferation of this crop, which was heavily pushed in the area by Stalin during the Soviet era, only exacerbates long-standing socio-economic problems in the region. We saw fields upon fields of cotton around the Khorezm area. It was intriguing to see wild cotton growing along the edges of fields in trees, instead of small plants like we’re used to seeing. 

Uzbekistan has rich, fertile agricultural areas and desert landscapes

Because of Uzbekistan’s history as a centre of trade, bazaars are a big thing here. The Uzbek word for shopping literally translates to ‘doing bazaar’. You can find some of the most heaving, chaotic bazaars in Central Asia in Uzbekistan. From our experience, nobody was pushy or annoying (maybe a little in the tourist area at the Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent) and we didn’t feel at all uncomfortable or out of place wandering around and exploring by ourselves.

When we first arrived in Tashkent we felt like we were in a dystopian dream, with rows and rows of white Chevrolet cars parked along the sidewalk or being driven on the busy thoroughfares. 90% of the cars we saw in Uzbekistan were white Chevrolets. We were told that many Uzbeks dream of owning a white Chevrolet –  it’s a symbol that they’ve made it so to speak. Chevrolet has a manufacturing factory in the Fergana region, and with import taxes so high it means that owning a Chevrolet is much more affordable than buying an imported car. This situation made catching a Yandex particularly challenging when virtually every car is a white Chevrolet – we had to make sure the license plate was correct before getting in. The prominence of white Chevrolet cars is actually a running joke amongst Uzbeks.

White Chevrolets are everywhere

Uzbekistan is a really easy country to get around thanks mainly to its extensive rail network, a legacy of the Russian era. With spotless clean stations and coverage in almost every town and city, you can’t beat Uzbek trains for their price and convenience. For more information about train travel in Uzbekistan, click here for my blog post.

The rail network makes travel easy in Uzbekistan

As Uzbekistan is a big country, flying is also an option and domestic flights are also relatively cheap. For moving around within cities, Yandex Go is a lifesaver. We had one or two dodgy experiences in Uzbekistan (a taxi driver in Margilan who didn’t accept the ride on the app and asked for cash instead, and one really weird guy in Nukus who accepted the ride but then didn’t move and tried to force us to cancel), but this accounts for probably only 1% of the Yandex journeys we made in the country. The vast majority of the time the service was spot on and the price was so low that we almost felt guilty about using it. Make sure to tip if the service is good! In order to use Yandex, I recommend buying a SIM card with data in Uzbekistan – other travelers seemed to think this was prohibitively difficult and expensive, but we picked one up from UCell with 20GB data for less than £5 in Kokand with no problems.

Another important thing to note when travelling in Uzbekistan is that all licensed accommodation providers (i.e. guesthouses, Airbnbs, hotels and hostels) have to register your stay with them. This is a mandatory requirement for all licensed premises and visitors in the country. Once you’ve been registered, the accommodation can then provide you with proof of registration in the form of a slip of paper (or send it to you digitally). You need to collect these registration slips in case you’re asked to show them when leaving the country. We weren’t asked to provide these in the end but we heard of other travelers that were. It’s highly recommended that you stay on top of this, if you can’t provide proof of registration for the full duration of your visit you could be fined. This archaic system of registering tourists is a relic of the previous authoritarian administration. It’s slightly annoying yes, but something you have to make sure you stay on top of. 

Fergana Valley Region

The fertile Fergana Valley region is lesser-visited than the famous Silk Road cities to the west, but this densely populated region is a heartland of Uzbek culture. As well as traditionally being more religious and conservative than other parts of the country, the Fergana region contains a good proportion of the country’s agriculture and industry, both contemporary and traditional. The city of Margilan is synonymous throughout Uzbekistan with fine quality silks, while the small town of Rishton is renowned for its master potters. Historically, the city of Kokand was the epicentre of the Kokand Khanate which dominated large swathes of Central Asia along with the Khanates in Bukhara and Khiva. Visiting the Fergana region provides an authentic glimpse into Uzbek life and culture away from the tourist masses. The Fergana Valley cities are well connected by rail and it is possible to easily cross by bus from Andijan to Osh in Kyrgyzstan (or vice-versa, as we did). 

Born in Andijon in the Fergana Valley, Bobur was a local prince and descendant of the Timurid line who later founded the Mughal Empire, which dominated in India

The first thing you notice about the Fergana Valley on the map is the very unusual border demarcations that can only be described as a messy mish-mash of lines. The fertile agricultural region has long been inhabited by different ethnic groups, and following the independence of the Central Asian states it has been sub-divided between Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan amid much furore about the borders. This tangled tri-border region has often been the focal point of cross-border skirmishes, ethnic uprisings and conflict that can often lead to instability in the region.   

Kokand

Although there are other cities in the Fergana Valley to stay i.e. Andijan, Margilan, Fergana and Namangan, we opted to stay in Kokand as it was the capital of the Kokand Khanate and has more historical monuments than the other cities. Plus it was convenient to take a day trip to the silk hub of Margilan by train. 

Although the regional government are making efforts to promote Kokand as a tourist destination, for now it remains an authentic Uzbek city and much less touristy than the western Silk Road cities. If you’re looking to avoid the coach-tour sort of tourists, Kokand is the ideal city to get a real taste of the country. You’re unlikely to meet many other tourists strolling the streets – only the most intrepid travellers make it here. For example, you won’t find English menus in restaurants. 

There are plenty of places worth exploring in Kokand, such as the Jome Mosque complex (which is no longer a mosque)

As the former capital of the Kokand Khanate, there are plenty of historical monuments in Kokand although they are understated when compared to other cities like Samarkand and Bukhara. Highlights of the city include the stunning Khudáyár Khán Palace, Jome (Friday) Mosque and tomb complex of the Kokand Khans in the creepy Dahmai Shohon cemetery. 

Accommodation

Kokand City Hotel – A business-style hotel in the city centre which is part of the Reikartz chain. The breakfast buffet was pretty good 

Activities

Self-guided walking tour with stops at: 

Norbutabiy Mosque – largest mosque in the city, it’s right behind the cemetery. 

Dahmai Shohon Cemetery – contains the tomb complex of the Khans of Kokand – please be respectful, women should cover their hair as this is the final resting place of the Khans of Kokand. Interestingly, outside the tomb complex we saw some older ladies performing what I can only describe as a spiritual massage. When walking through the cemetery, stick to the designated walkways as I ended up covered in graveyard mud by trying to cut through. The graves are laid out in a rather higgledy-piggledy fashion which makes navigation challenging. 

Ladies offering ritualistic massages outside the tomb of the Khans

Old town medina streets – keep your wits about you as it’s very easy to get lost in the labyrinthine street layout – keep an eye out for the interesting plumbing system.

The winding old town streets are fun to explore but can turn into a bit of a maze

‘Tourism street’ – the main pedestrian thoroughfare in close proximity to Khudáyár Khán Palace

Jome Mosque – another historic Friday Mosque with a central minaret, this large complex is no longer in use as a mosque. The intricately carved pillars holding up the painted ceilings are a highlight. Inside the complex are some artisanal shops such as a silk shop which you can browse

The intricate carved pillars and roof designs of the Jome Mosque are a highlight

Kamol Qozi Madrassa – this small madrassa was closed when we tried to visit  

LINK?

Palace of Khudáyár Khán – built by the last Khan of Kokand before he was ousted by the Russian Empire. The Palace was a symbol of the wealth and power of the Khan of Kokand. The symmetry of the palace and the exquisite tiles covering the exterior facade are immediately what grabs your attention. The Arabic inscription reads: High Palace of Seid Muhammad Khudayar Khan. The palace used to extend further back with an additional harem section housing the Khan’s contingent of wives and concubines. Unfortunately this was demolished by the prudish Bolsheviks who viewed such practices as obscene. The Palace is open to the public for a small admission fee. We didn’t have any cash and the guy at the gate ended up letting us let us in for free. The rooms have been renovated to resemble how they would have looked in the late 19th century, with a throne room containing a replica throne. There are also some small museum displays and a small art gallery in one of the rooms.

Inside and outside the Khan’s palace

Foodie Places 

Burgers Kokand – you can’t go wrong with this fast food restaurant. Whether you’re craving pizza, burgers or even sushi, this place has you covered. Like in McDonalds, your order number appears on the screen when your food is ready. We particularly liked the fried chicken club sandwich. The price of the food here is an absolute steal given the quality.

Kokand Karvon Choyxona – our favourite shashlik place in Uzbekistan. You can’t beat their succulent skewers of meat with raw onion and cool yoghurt dip. A no airs and graces sort of place, just meaty skewers straight off the grill. When we visited on a weekday evening there was only a limited menu available of soup, shashlik, bread and salad – typical Uzbek fare. It also seemed very male dominated with only groups of men hanging out. This might be something to bear in mind if you’re a lone female traveler. Again, this place was fantastic value for money. 

Head to the Choyxona if you want an authentic shashlik experience

Payitaht1453 – An upmarket Turkish restaurant near the Palace. The clientele seemed to be on the wealthier side and the food was slightly more on the expensive side, but still affordable. Notably they have free-flowing aryan (yoghurt drink), almost like a chocolate fountain on display in a cabinet. 

Margilan

Margilan is less than 2 hours by train from Kokand. It’s the centre of silk production in the region. The opportunity to visit authentic and traditional silk factories and workshops is the main reason tourists visit Marglian. We visited on a day trip, taking a morning train from Kokand and returning in the evening. To get around the city and to-and-from the train station, Yandex Go works although we did have a few issues getting someone to pick us up from Qum Tepa Bazaar (in the end the guy who responded did not use the app properly and tried to ask us for cash). Margilan has a reputation as one of the most conservative cities in Uzbekistan and it seemed like there is a bit of a taxi mafia in town, so watch out.

Silk worms in the factory at Yodgorlik

Activities

Yodgorlik Silk Factory – Yodgorlik is one of the most well-known silk factories, and one of the most accessible to visitors. There are guided tours of the factory in English, although I did struggle at points to understand the guide. Just walk into the shop and ask for a tour. You might have to wait around a while for a tour as there is only one English-speaking guide (at least there was when we visited). It was very interesting to see the silkworm cocoons in the process of being heated, with the long strands of silk being unfurled from the cocoons. Watching the women weaving was also pretty mesmerising as they intricately crafted fabrics using a clunky wooden loom. Weaving is a whole body action requiring practice and concentration, it must take a lot of coordination between feet on the pedals and hands on the loom. Alongside the fully functioning silk factory, there’s also a shop where you can purchase silk and cotton scarves, traditional coats and other garments. US dollars as well as Uzbek Sum are accepted in the shop. 

Inside the Yodgorlik silk factory

Qum Tepa Bazaar – an enormous bazaar located slightly out of town. One side of the street is the food bazaar, while the non-food items are across on the other side. The bazaar is only open on Sunday and Thursday mornings so be sure to time your visit to Margilan to coincide with one of these days. It was one of the more wild and chaotic bazaars we had the pleasure of visiting. As it’s only open for two mornings per week, be prepared for masses of locals pushing past you and dodging old ladies. I’ve always wondered how locals can so calmly shop whilst having to navigate the hordes of other people at the bazaar – it’s a skill I definitely don’t have! This is a place to purchase silk and cotton fabrics at a more economical price than the silk factory, although you will have to find the silk area among the masses of other stuff first!

The busy and chaotic Qum Tempa Bazaar

Foodie Places

Anor Family Cafe – a fantastic place to stop for lunch, the food is delicious and the prices are reasonable. Not really a ‘family cafe’ at all, this is quite a large establishment. It’s crammed with visitors and locals alike. They have an English menu and the waiters speak some English, which is always a bonus. 

There is also a good selection of cakes at Anor Family Cafe

Tashkent

The capital and largest city in Uzbekistan, Tashkent also takes the title for most populous city in the whole of Central Asia, beating Almaty, Astana and Dushanbe. Tashkent is a modern cosmopolitan city, it is often jokingly referred to as ‘Europe’ by other Uzbeks from more conservative regions. 

It’s clear from walking around that new money is everywhere. Sleek skyscrapers fight for supremacy along the skyline amongst an ever-growing number of high-rise buildings. Nothing could be more emblematic of the city than City Mall – a sprawling mall metropolis of trendy restaurants and designer clothing shops. City Park which is located next to City Mall is also reflective of the shiny-new cosmopolitan city. Obsidian luxury apartment blocks flank the manicured park alongside the sleek Hilton Hotel – at night these towering giants light up the sky with funky lights. 

Tashkent is a sprawling modern city

As a city that developed during the Russian period, Tashkent is known for its modern rather than medieval history – it doesn’t have many grand mausoleums and madrasas like Samarkand or towering minarets like Bukhara and Khiva. It’s all about the bustling Chorsu bazaar inside UFO-like domes, the dramatic Hotel Uzbekistan, the slightly underwhelming State Museum of the Timurids, the quirky Soviet-era metro stations, the looming Tashkent TV tower and peculiar art galleries such as the Kamaleddin Behzad Museum and Central Exhibition Hall of the Academy of Arts. Not all of Tashkent is shiny and modern though, around the Hazrati Imam complex you can still find the grandiose Islamic architecture and narrow, winding residential streets more commonly associated with bygone times.

You can still find winding old-town residential streets around the Hazrati Imam Complex

The Tashkent Metro links key areas of the city, especially the Chorsu Bazaar, Amir Timur Square and Independence Square. Built during the Soviet era, the metro stations are an attraction in themselves (each has a unique design) and the low fare cost makes it an ideal method of transportation around the city.

Tashkent is known for its distinctive metro stations, each with a different design

Tashkent is home to two of Uzbekistan’s most renowned museums, the State History Museum and the State Museum of Arts. Unfortunately, both of these museums were indefinitely closed when we visited.

Accommodation

Musafir Hotel – A small family-run hotel within walking distance of Chorsu Bazaar. The hotel is tucked away in a side street so you can’t hear the continuous traffic on the busy main road. The rooms were clean and comfortable so no complaints from us. The receptionists were also very affable and both spoke perfect English. We booked a cheap room which was located right next to the reception, but we weren’t disturbed by noise at all in the end. 

Airbnb located close to City Mall – Fab location and we loved the freedom of cooking our own meals. 

It’s easy to move about the city by metro and Yandex Go, so the location of your accommodation isn’t as important. 

Activities

Guruwalk with stops at Hotel Uzbekistan (A true icon of Tashkent, during the Soviet period this hotel was considered the finest in the city. This historic hotel boasts an all-star roster of former guests including an iconic Bollywood star – apparently they’ve kept some rooms on the top floor exactly as they were and it’s possible to see them for free without being a guest – there’s even a restaurant on the top floor), Amir Timur Square (huge equestrian statue of Amir Timir, located very close to the Timurid State Museum), Chorsu bazaar (locals and tourists alike head here to stock up on souvenirs and essentials), Palace of Grand Duke Nicholas Constantinovich (stately home belonging to the philandering grandson of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia after he was exiled from the Russian Court), Independence Square (home to the iconic mother and child statue sitting below a golden globe – apparently this plinth used to support a statue of Lenin after whom the square was previously named – this square is surrounded by important-looking government buildings).

The infamous Hotel Uzbekistan

Hazrati Imam Complex – an Islamic religious complex in the old town area of Tashkent. The complex is home to a collection of mosques, mausoleums and madrasas which you can explore. The complex is world-renowned for possessing the Qu’ran of Uthman which is a 7th century original copy of the Qu’ran. The Uthman Qu’ran is listed by UNESCO. We walked from the Chorsu Bazaar and got lost in the labyrinth of surrounding residential streets, if you want to head straight there it’s best to approach the complex directly from Karasaray Street instead of navigating the complex web of medina-like passageways like us. 

The Hazrati Imam Complex is reminiscent of the famous Silk Road cities like Samarkand and Bukhara

Riding the metro – believe it or not, this is considered one of the top things for visitors to do in Tashkent. You might ask why? Well, the metro was constructed during the Soviet era and preserves some iconic Soviet-style architecture and emblematic works of art. Some of the best metro stations to visit to see this Soviet-esque artwork and decorative architecture are Independence Square (in Uzbek: Mustakillik maydoni), Amir Temur Hiyoboni and Alisher Navoi. 

One of the unique and intriguing metro stations is themed around the Olympics

State Museum of the Timurids – we had mixed feelings about this museum. The building itself is grandiose and beautiful, it has a fantastic wall mural of Amir Timur and his court alongside a dazzling decorative ceiling. However we found the display to be a little underwhelming. Although there were many artifacts on display, there wasn’t a lot of background information about Amir Timur and the Timurid dynasty. The museum lacked a flowing narrative and information boards about the life and times of Amir Timur. The entry fee was relatively expensive and we also found the museum attendants a tad snobby and domineering – we were told off by one older lady for resting on the balcony on the top floor when viewing the mural. 

Museum of Applied Arts – formerly the home of a Russian diplomat, this museum now displays Uzbek craftsmanship including silk garments, intricate jewellery, woodcarving, metalwork, miniature painting, carpet-making and suzana weaving (throws used in the home). A nice place to spend the afternoon.

Kamaleddin Behzad Museum – this small museum contains both old and new miniature paintings – the newer miniatures are mostly original works while the older paintings are mostly replicas. This Islamic art style is intriguing to us, the detail on some of the miniatures is really impressive. There aren’t actually any original works by Kamaleddin Behzad, who the museum is named after, but it’s still a worthwhile visit particularly if you aren’t familiar with the miniature painting style. We visited on a parliamentary election day in Uzbekistan and the museum was being used as a polling station – we were still allowed in to look at the miniatures, which felt a bit odd. I managed to get myself locked in the toilet, much to the confusion/amusement of some of the election workers!

Central Exhibition Hall of the Academy of Arts (Xamar Art Gallery) – don’t be discouraged by the lack of reviews for this gallery. We accidentally walked into the building thinking it was the miniature museum next door, only to find some impressive modern art pieces. Entry is free, although slightly unorthodox as we were encouraged to enter the building by a couple of security guards loitering outside the entrance. The main gallery is located on the first floor and is a modern, minimalist gallery displaying works of art, sculpture and strange ‘modern art’ pieces. Downstairs in the entrance hall it looked like they were in the process of setting up an exhibition. 

Intriguing artwork at the Xamar gallery

Tashkent TV Tower – one of the iconic landmarks of the city, at the time it was built this was the fourth largest tower in the world. Dan is a bit of a tower aficionado and wasn’t impressed by the guide wires! It is possible to enter the tower and go up to the viewing platform, however this is only situated at around one third of the tower’s full height, which is a little disappointing. In the end we opted not to pay the fee to go in and just looked from the outside. You can combine a trip to the TV tower with a walk along the Anhor Canal, looking at the Turkistan Palace concert hall and Minor Mosque along the way. 

Tashkent City Mall & Park – a very modern complex in the centre of the city, the City Park has a large artificial lake with many bridges and viewing platforms. Popular music from around the world constantly plays from speakers and there are multiple food venues and other quirky attractions such as the ‘museum of celebrities’, which seems to be a waxwork gallery. It’s nice to come here after dark and see the colourful light displays in the park and surrounding buildings. The attached mall contains mainly familiar branded shops.

The ultra-modern City Park is a great place to visit after dark

Foodie Places 

Chorsu bazaar – a great place to pick up bread and snacks such as samsa. Look at the stalls that are popular with locals – that will tell you which places are good quality and safe to buy from

Pomegranate juice, bread baking and the meat section at the Chorsu bazaar

Safia cafe & bakery – a well-known bakery chain in Uzbekistan, we saw a few of these around (we even spotted an outlet in Termez). We got some samsa, which was actually cheaper (and no doubt more hygienic) than the samsa we got at the bazaar. We particularly enjoyed the pizza-style samsa. 

Roni Pizza Napoletana – we first tried Roni Pizza in Samarkand and couldn’t resist getting another when we got back to Tashkent. This chain offers authentic Italian-style stone-baked pizza, we rated it on par with some of the pizzas we have had in Italy. We noticed that they also had trendy cocktails, beer, shots and a variety of alcoholic drinks options on the menu for anyone in need of a stiff drink. The interior of the restaurant was very wacky with old-school James Bond movie posters and Elvis memorabilia. 

Bon Cafe – a self-described French patisserie, we enjoyed the food at Bon although it is a little on the pricey side. The huge slabs of delicious cake kept enticing us back to the cafe, especially the delectable red velvet cake. They have an impressive range of cakes, pastries and other sweet delicacies alongside smoothies and a light bites menu. Bon is a fantastic place to pop for lunch or refuel after walking around the city. Their club sandwich was out of this world (and I consider myself a pretty good judge of club sandwiches!). 

We couldn’t resist the cakes at Bon

Besh Qozon – plov, plov and more plov. Come hungry for plov as you won’t find anything else on the menu except small side dishes. This is a popular chain for tourists and local people alike, it’s especially popular as you can watch the chefs cooking the plov in huge traditional plov dishes. Also there isn’t a menu so you have to ask what sort of plov they’ve got – you can either request your own portion of plov or order a larger dish of plov to share. We were taken here by an Uzbek friend as a final farewell meal before we headed home. 

Galmart located inside City Mall – Galmart is our favourite supermarket in Kazakhstan so we couldn’t resist when we saw that there was a branch in Tashkent. The quality here was just as good as in Kazakhstan.

Nukus

Nukus is the capital of Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region in the north-west of Uzbekistan. As well as being a bit of mouthful to say, Karakalpakstan is an interesting place to visit to see a different side of Uzbekistan. Karakalpak people are proud of their distinctive heritage, which culturally is more similar to Kazakh than Uzbek. Karakalpakstan is the poorest region in Uzbekistan – living standards in the city of Nukus are relatively high, but the further away from the city you get the more basic amenities become and socio-economic levels drop. 

The shrunken Amu Darya river flows very close to the city limits – this was one of the sources of the Aral Sea. As a result of the drying up of the Aral Sea, Karakalpakstan faced major desertification with most of the former wetlands now a barren desert wasteland. Nukus also struggles with water supply issues, and the socio-economic consequences as a result of the drought conditions. 

Water levels in the Amu Darya are a constant concern in Karakalpakstan

The warmth of the Karakalpak people really stood out here. We were told that amongst Uzbeks Karakalpak people are known to be straight-talking, honest and good-natured. We experienced this firsthand when we were invited over for tea by a local woman whom we bumped into on the street while trying to find some duct tape to fix my suitcase. Adelyia, who turned out to be studying English and medicine at university, offered to help us find some duct tape – apparently duct tape isn’t a thing in Uzbekistan. She then invited us over to meet her family and said her dad could fix my suitcase instead. Expecting just some chai (tea) and maybe some cakes, we arrived after a late lunch only to find a full dinner spread had been prepared especially for us including lagman, fried chicken and side dishes. With Adelyia translating we happily conversed for hours with the family, who were as curious about us and our lives as we were about them. We returned the next day to find her dad had in fact performed a miracle and sturdily fixed my case – after copious amounts of tea and the exchange of some small gifts (a British pound from us and a handmade necklace and scarf given to me) we left feeling much more enlightened about life in Nukus. 

Our new friends

Nukus is connected to the rest of the country by regular flights from Tashkent. There are also good rail links to Urgench (from there it’s possible to reach Khiva), Bukhara and Samarkand as well as on to Kazakhstan in the other direction. There are also shared taxis and marshrutkas running to Urgench and other cities in Karakalpakstan from Nukus. Yandex Go has just landed in the city, which is very convenient for travellers who don’t trust taxis like us. The taxi drivers on the streets in Nukus seemed particularly overbearing. 

Accommodation

Family Guest House-Friends-J – A warm, inviting guesthouse in close proximity to the Savitsky Nukus Museum of Art. There is a common area with coffee and tea available throughout the day for guests to help themselves to. The reception is staffed at all hours of the day, which surprised us as the guesthouse is relatively quaint. This guest house is in the heart of the city and there are plenty of restaurants nearby, Cinnamon Cafe is right around the corner and Sofram restaurant, just across the road.

Activities

Savitsky Nukus Museum of Art – also referred to as the ‘Louvre’ of Central Asia, this art gallery is renowned throughout the region and is by far the most notable attraction in the city of Nukus. The story behind this gallery is fascinating. Savitsky was a Ukrainian artist who assisted the Soviet archeological expeditions in this region in the 1950s. He became enamoured with Karakalpakstan and was instrumental in the creation of a museum in Nukus, initially formed from his collection of Karakalpak traditional jewellery and items. What he is most well-known for though is his love of Russian avant garde paintings. At a time when Stalin had outlawed all ‘anti-Soviet’ forms of art and ordered the mass eradication of avant garde paintings, Savitsky secretly started to collect these illegal works of art to preserve them and save them from destruction – often speaking to the families of deceased or detained artists and hunting down the banned paintings in basements or cellars. Horrifyingly, prohibited artists were exiled in labour camps, mental health detention facilities or shunned by society. It was said that local Karakalpak officials may have been aware of what Savitsky was doing and turned a blind eye, even though he was risking his life with this highly illegal and dangerous endeavor. Within Savitsky’s own lifetime he was not able to exhibit these banned paintings – it was only after his death that they could be displayed after the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

Savitsky is credited with saving certain artists’ work from being obliterated from art history, most notably Volkov, Tansykbayev, Karakhan, Ufimtsev, Falk, Kurzin, Mukhina, Malovich and Popova. Within this gallery you can find many magnificent, original works of art that would otherwise have been lost. We were very impressed by the gallery and spent several hours here. There were some tour guides in the gallery explaining the stories behind some of the paintings, I think this service was available for an extra fee although we didn’t partake.

Some of the works on display in the Savitsky

State museum of history and culture of the Republic of Karakalpakstan – an ethnographic museum covering the Karakalpakstan region, its people and culture. We love a good ethnographic museum and this one didn’t disappoint. The museum was very quiet, we were the only visitors and we were a little surprised by the number of people that seemed to be working there – the museum was absolutely full of attendants which seemed a little odd.

Markaziy bozor – about as far away from the Chorsu and Samarkand tourist-friendly bazaars as you can get. This is definitely a local bazaar catering solely to local people. We looked around just about every inch of this bazaar to try and find some duct tape to repair my suitcase. Just about everything can be found here – except duct tape!

The gritty Markaziy bazaar

Muynak & Mizdakhan Necropolis Day Trip with Islambek Travel

Islambek is a company which is based in Khiva but runs a couple of tours from Nukus as well, including this one. We decided to take this trip rather than trying to negotiate with local taxi drivers, and were glad we did. A very reliable company with unbeatable prices – it was only around $70 for a private car and driver for the full day trip. Our driver also happened to speak some English so we could ask questions along the way, which was an unexpected perk. The roads between Nukus and Muynak are something else, be prepared to be thrown around as you swerve around giant potholes along bumpy, stony roads. The roads are in dire need of repair – apart from the Pamir Highway, these are the worst roads we encountered. By the end of the journey Dan actually felt sick from being sloshed around. 

Mizdakhan Necropolis is a spooky ‘city of the dead’, situated on a sandy mound within eye-shot of Turkmenistan. It’s common custom to bury the dead outside the city in Islamic countries, unlike in other cultures where graveyards are usually in the middle of settlements. This creates large, expansive and atmospheric desert Necropolis areas such as Mizdakhan. The remains of a fortress citadel are located directly opposite the Necropolis, known as the ‘fortress of infidels’ as it was initially occupied by Zoroastrians. Prior to the arrival of Islam in the 7th century, followers of Zoroastrianism would leave their dead to be consumed by animal scavengers. With Islam came graveyards and the practice of burying the dead intact. 

The eerie Mizdakhan Necropolis

Inside the Necropolis you can find some notable mausoleums, which are mainly located in the monumental hilltop area and are marked on information plaques and maps. Old graves are mixed in with newer ones so watch your step. Entry is free, you can walk around and enter some of the mausoleums but please be respectful as the cemetery is still in use today. 

After Mizdakhan we then had a long drive to Muynak Ship Cemetery, on the outskirts of the town of Muynak. This former port town is the most accessible site for tourists to visit and witness the destruction of the Aral Sea (we also visited the town of Aral in Kazakhstan, which attracts far less visitors). The main source of jobs in Muynak today is in the natural gas industry, after the fishing industry disappeared. At the ship cemetery, you can visit a small museum on-site (we forgot to bring any cash so we couldn’t do this) or head straight to the rusted ships which are now docked on sand instead of the sea. Seeing the ships in the middle of the desert landscape really illustrated the environmental impact that the drying up of the Aral Sea had. Entry to the area with the ships is free and it is possible to climb/walk on some of the wreckages, they aren’t all structurally sound so watch your step! You’ll come away with some interesting photos of the ships – some of which have graffiti on. 

It was so bizarre and disconcerting to see the ships in the desert

Foodie Places 

Cinnamon Cafe – a trendy cafe popular with a young well-to-do crowd, Cinnamon was our go-to foodie place during our time in Nukus. There is a wide range of food on offer here, from shakshuka for breakfast to KFC-style chicken burgers to pasta. Everything we had was good quality and the prices were very reasonable given the quality of the food. There was also a great selection of mouth-watering desserts and cakes. The cafe is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and we often ate here multiple times a day. The menu was in English and the young waiters all spoke very good English as well. By the end of our short time in the city we were regulars at Cinnamon Cafe. 

Sofram Restorans – a Turkish restaurant which was located directly opposite our guesthouse. Pretty good Turkish food, we enjoyed the iskender and pide.

Classic Turkish pide at Sofram

Khiva

Pronounced ‘Hiva’ rather than Khiva by Uzkeks, this city is known for its iconic walled citadel or ‘Itchan Kala’ (old town), which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside Itchan Kala are more than 50 historical monuments such as mosques, madrassas and mausoleums. Outside of the old city walls is the modern town of Khiva, where most of the local people live. Khiva is also situated very close to the border with Turkmenistan, although crossing the border is prohibited even for locals. 

The sumptuous interior of the Toshhovli Palace harem

Itchan Kala is especially stunning at night with all the towers and madrassas bathed in a warm yellow glow. Walking the sandstone coloured streets after dark takes you back in time. You can almost imagine yourself strolling along the winding passages of the Silk Road city at its heyday. 

In order to visit most of the sites in the old town, it’s necessary to purchase a tourist ticket which lasts for 48 hours. The ticket can be purchased from the office outside the West Gate, card payments are accepted. Although it is a little pricey, it is pretty much essential to buy this ticket in order to enter any of the buildings and attractions in the old town. When entering the attractions the attendant will usually look at and possibly mark the ticket, although this doesn’t mean anything and you are able to re-enter the attractions as many times as you like. The ticket does not cover the Islam Khoja Minaret, Kuhna Ark (watchtower and balcony) and city walls – you have to pay extra to enter these. Interestingly, the ticket states that it is valid for 24 hours, but we were told this is incorrect and it is actually 48 hours. There are also turnstiles at the entrance gates to Itchan Kala, but these weren’t in use and we were told that tickets are not required to enter – despite this, sometimes people at these gates asked to see our tickets! There seemed to be a bit of confusion and miscommunication about the nature of the tickets in some cases.

You need to pay extra to climb the Islam Khoja minaret, but it’s worth it!

Itchan Kala is by no means crammed with tourists by Dubrovnik standards, but during peak season the narrow streets will be busy with tour groups. Unfortunately the secret about Khiva is out. Coach trips with tourists tend to arrive around mid-morning and leave in the afternoon, so I’d recommend having a nose around before they arrive or after they move on. Wandering around the old town streets first thing in the morning before the tourist hordes descended was a great experience. As usual, wherever tourists go there will always be enterprising stallholders displaying their wares for tourists to splurge on – the same is true of Khiva and throughout most of the walled city and in almost all of the old madrassas you can find merchants selling handicrafts. The walled city is teeming with guesthouses, as locals convert their homes into humble guesthouses. By staying in a guesthouse, you’re supporting a local family and business. We’ve seen tourists drive locals out of their homes in other tourist hotspots so it’s great that tourism hasn’t completely taken over Khiva. Local children were even excited to see us when we wandered into the residential backstreets. 

Another unique facet of the city is the traditional sheep-skin hats that resemble furry puff balls. In bygone days they were used during the winter by local men to keep warm. The quality and colour of the sheep-skin hat was also a sign of social status. You can pick one of these hats up as a souvenir in the walled city, or get a photo taken in one like we did. 

Dan was forced to take a photo with the hat

Located in a tiny corner of Khorezm region, Khiva is surprisingly difficult to access. The train station in Khiva is a hollow empty shell as there aren’t regular trains from Nukus or Bukhara – this doesn’t make much sense to me as Khiva is definitely a tourist hotspot, however it isn’t on the main train route. You may be able to catch one of the newer tourist trains directly from Khiva, but most of the time it’s easier to transit via the nearby city of Urgench. From Urgench you can now get a Yandex Go to Khiva, we did this both to and from the railway station in Urgench without any hassle. Yandex is quite new to the area but we never had any trouble catching a ride on the app. 

Accommodation

We had some debate about whether to stay in the walled city or not. By staying in the walled city, you have easy access to most of the main attractions and can experience the unique atmosphere after dark or first thing in the morning, without most of the vendors and group-tour tourists. If staying in a guesthouse you are also helping a local family and maintaining the authenticity of the old town. On the other hand, outside of the walled city are a number of large and modern hotels (particularly on the way to the train station) which are likely to have better facilities than the guest houses inside the walled city. We also found ourselves mostly eating at restaurants outside of the walled city, this is also where other facilities such as supermarkets are located. In the end we opted to stay inside Itchan Kala and our experience was a positive one. It just depends what your priorities are.

The area outside of the walled city is full of shiny new hotels

Khiva Amir Tora Guesthouse – a comfortable, unassuming guest house in the old town run by a local family

Activities

Itchan Kala – there are dozens of attractions in the old city that can be entered and explored with the tourist ticket. Many of the madrassas contain small museums, while others now contain craft workshops. You can easily spend most of a day just wandering around and entering the various buildings.

Islam Khodja Minaret – the tallest minaret in the old town, entering requires a separate payment to the tourist ticket (payable in cash to the guy at the base). It’s worth the money as the minaret provides excellent views over the entirety of the walled city, the surrounding new town and even into Turkmenistan in the distance.

It’s particularly nice to climb the minaret for sunset

Guruwalk walking tour – the tour of the old city took in numerous sites including several madrassas and palaces. As the tourist ticket allows re-entry to the attractions, it was great to be able to explore with a guide and then return later to have a look around at our own pace. We were lucky enough to see a local woman baking bread in one of the outdoor tandir ovens near to the Terrassa restaurant during this tour, the guide gave us a short explanation of the tradition and we even got to try some of the freshly-baked bread.

Bread baking in the public tandir oven

Khorezm Fortresses Day Trip with Islambek 

Islambek offers different sightseeing tour options including 10 fortresses, 12 fortresses and shorter half-day tours with the most iconic 3 fortresses. We opted for the 10 fortress option as we wanted to cram in as many as possible. Even though it seems like quite a large number to squeeze in, we never felt rushed. Most of the fortresses are in close proximity to one another which means short drives in between. This tour was fantastic value for money as we had a private car and driver for only $60 for the entire day. We also used this company for our trip to Muynak from Nukus, and found them to be excellent.

The fortresses are truly magnificent, mostly untouched in the middle of the desert. Unlike a lot of historical sites in Central Asia, most of these fortresses haven’t been restored or rebuilt at all and are totally authentic. At almost all of the fortresses we were the only visitors and were able to just wander around freely. Some of the fortresses are in better condition than others – some of them are just mounds in the sand while others are spectacular structures. We were amazed at the scale and grandeur of some of them. 

Fortresses in all shapes and sizes

By using a private driver you have the freedom to explore at your own pace without being herded along in a tour group. Make sure you bring a packed lunch with you to make the most of the day. 

Foodie Places 

Terrassa Cafe & Restaurant – don’t go here, it’s a tourist trap. We did and were very disappointed by the portion sizes and hefty price tag. The balcony area is nice but not worth being ripped off. Many visitors seem to rave about this restaurant, I can only assume they are unaware of the cheaper and better options.

To get the best prices you need to leave the walled city and go elsewhere. Outside the train station are two reasonably-priced, excellent quality restaurants: XonSaroy and Sofra. 

Enjoying the shashklik at XonSaroy

XonSaroy Restarani – a restaurant with a very fancy interior located outside of the walled city near the train station. The servers were friendly but didn’t speak any English and the menu was only in cyrillic script, but we were able to get by. They serve typical fare like lavash and shashlik, we had both and were impressed by the portion size and quality.

Sofra Restaurant – a thriving restaurant with an unexpected party-atmosphere in the evenings. Because it’s located outside of the walled city, there were barely any tourists here. Instead, the place was packed full of snazzily-dressed locals, many of whom seemed to be celebrating special occasions or a night out. Much better food, portions and much cheaper than Terrassa or other restaurants inside the walled city. This was a great place to try the famous local dish shivit oshi, which consists of cold green noodles with a yoghurt dressing and a meaty topping. They also serve Western classics such as dirty burgers and pizza – the burger was so big and juicy that they provided gloves to help with eating it! The restaurant had a really impressive promotional video playing on a loop on big screens – from the content of the video it looks like the restaurant also sometimes doubles up as a de-facto concert venue and nightclub, but we didn’t see anything like that happening when we visited.

You must try shivit oshi in Khiva!

Bukhara

Bukhara is one of the most popular cities for tourists in Central Asia, and with good reason. The former capital of the Bukhara Emirate and a key stop along the Silk Road, the monumental old town area is crammed full of historic buildings and monuments, craft stalls and mini bazaars. 

Following the collapse of the Timurid Empire in the 1700s, Bukhara became arguably the most important city in the region. Along with the Khanates of Khiva and Kokand, the Khanate of Bukhara governed a vast area including the old imperial city of Samarkand, later becoming an Emirate. The Emirate was conquered by the Russians in the 1800s but continued to function as a protectorate of Russia, with the Emir paying tribute to the Russian crown until the rise of communism put an end to the previous system and the Emirate was replaced with the Soviet Republic in the 1920s.

When compared to Khiva and Samarkand, the two other famous Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan, Bukhara strikes a happy medium. It is more geographically spread out than Khiva and so feels less crammed with tourists as a result, but the historical area is still easily walkable unlike in  Samarkand. It has more polish than Khiva, but doesn’t feel as overrun and touristy as Samarkand does. 

There are plenty of authentic residential streets in the old town

Walking around the old town of Bukhara almost has a fairytale-like quality to it. Numerous public pools used to provide water to the residents of the city and some of these still exist in the old town, now providing picturesque artificial ponds with fountains. The magnificent mosques and madrassas, the bustling ‘trading domes’ and proliferation of merchants selling carpets and handicrafts hark to a bygone time, while there is still a sprawling residential area surrounding the old town – walking down these winding, narrow streets is an experience in itself. Importantly, the place still felt authentic despite being an essential stop for virtually all tourists in Central Asia. There were some crowds of tourists wandering around at times (usually from coach trips) but it wasn’t overbearing at all, at least in our experience and compared with the other Silk Road cities in Uzbekistan.

The dome architecture is a striking feature of Bukhara

The old town of Bukhara is dominated by the Ark, the huge fortress which was the official home of the Emir. Parts of the Ark were badly damaged by the Soviets in the 1920s, but the huge structure remains an imposing and unmissable landmark within the city. Once a walled city, the walls surrounding Bukhara are no longer standing but it is possible to see remnants if you go looking for them. We found some remnants of the walls which seemed to be being restored in a supermarket car park near the mausoleum of Ismoil Somoni, although they weren’t really worth the effort to seek out.

The imposing walls of the Ark

Hotels and guest houses are absolutely everywhere in the old town, we were shocked at the low prices. On the other hand, restaurants in the old town were relatively expensive and there seemed to be plenty of tourist traps, although we did find a couple of affordable places. If staying in or near to the old town, it’s worth having a walk around after dark as the historic buildings are lit up with colourful lights.

It’s worth mentioning that the railway station in Bukhara (Bukhara 1) is actually located several miles away in the nearby town of Kogon. If coming by train, you will then need to get a taxi from Kogon to the city itself. Luckily Yandex Go works well – I recommend walking past the hordes of taxi hawkers and hasslers and ordering a Yandex from the main road to get the best price and avoid any problems. We found Kogon to be a pretty unappealing place although it does contain a palace that was used by the Emir (not to be confused with the more popular Sitori-i-Mokhi Khosa). We wanted to visit the Kogon Palace as it is right next to the train station, sadly we didn’t have time.

Accommodation

Shak Hotel – a strange experience as we booked a different hotel, only to be transferred to Shak when we arrived as the hotel we had booked had a mysterious plumbing issue… We weren’t very happy, but as we were arriving quite late at night after a long train journey we just went with it in the end. Shak looks great from the outside, however the place is in need of a little bit of love and attention. It seemed like the management weren’t really interested in providing a good experience for the guests, and this was reflected in the price. For what we paid the hotel was fine, the room was comfortable enough and the breakfast was serviceable. Some minor touches and attention to detail were lacking, which is a little odd as given the quality of the premises they could probably charge double the price if they just put in a little more effort.

Activities

Guruwalk with Hamsa with stops at Magoki Attori Mosque, the Trading Domes, Ulugh Beg Madrassa and Abdul Aziz Khan Madrassa, Kalyan Minaret, Bolo Houz Mosque, Chashmai Ayub Mausoleum and Ismoil Somoni Mausoleum. The walking tour was a great way to get an overview of the main sights and historical buildings in the old town.

Ismoil Somoni’s mausoleum – the national currency of Tajikistan is named after him

Zindan – a small museum set in a prison that was used during the era of the Emirate of Bukhara. The small compound includes debtors’ cells complete with forlorn-looking mannequins in prison garb, and a deep pit cell which was used for those who had committed serious crimes. These unlucky souls would be made to endure dark, dank conditions and an infestation of bugs at the bottom of the pit. The complex is quite small, the displays mainly focus on the highly complex and convoluted legal hierarchies of the time and there isn’t too much to see other than the cells themselves and some small displays containing old swords and weapons. We learned later that the prison is most well-known as two British soldiers were apparently held here for several years during the ‘Great Game’ between Britain and Russia in the 1800s – there was pretty much no information about this in the museum itself!

Chor Minor – this four-pillared structure is further away from the other sites of the old-town, located in a medina-style residential district which makes walking there just as interesting as the building itself. Unfortunately the building reminded me of an upside-down udder – I couldn’t quite get past this.

The four-pillared Chor Minor

Ark of Bukhara – this imposing fortress dominates the city, and was the official residence of the Emir. We were told not to expect much from the Ark inside, but were pleasantly surprised. After paying admission, we were able to walk up to the top of the fortress where there were a number of small museum rooms with artifacts on display, craftsmen making trinkets and great views over the former Registan square. You can see the royal platform where the Emir used to make proclamations and sit and watch executions. Other than the museum rooms, the rest of the fortress is taken up by a large archaeological area. It seemed like probably 80% of the area atop the fortress was just rubble, which is probably why it had a bit of a bad reputation with locals, but we enjoyed it for what it was. Outside of the Ark on the site of the former Registan square there are now all sorts of amusements for tourists and children such as scooters, bikes, quadricycles for hire, inflatable football games and bouncy castles, boxing machines and even a guy offering camel rides.

Atop the Ark are small museum rooms and craft workshops, while touristy camel rides and amusements are outside in the old square

Kalon Mosque – one of the grandest buildings in Bukhara, the front entrance is for tourists while the back is still a functioning mosque. It’s necessary for female tourists to cover their hair when entering the mosque. Admission is paid, which allows you to access the courtyard area although it isn’t possible to enter any other rooms. Other than admiring the architecture there isn’t too much to see here, although we liked the view of the minaret and the tranquility of the place.

It’s mandatory for women to cover their hair in the Kalon Mosque

Fayzulla Khodzhayev Museum – located a short walk out of the main area of the old town, this was the house of a wealthy merchant during the era of the Emirate of Bukhara. The house has been preserved and it is now possible to enter. When we arrived there was nobody around, we wandered in and eventually a woman came to find us and ask for the entry fee. There isn’t a lot to see inside, a few small displays have been put up but the real attraction is that much of the house has been left as it was, so it’s interesting to see a typical house of a wealthy merchant from that period. There were at least three separate local couples decked in fine silk attire having their wedding photos taken in the short time that we were in here – we almost felt like we were trespassing on their special moment a bit!

Fayzulla Khodzhayev Museum is a popular venue for wedding photoshoots

Kukaldosh Madrasah – fascinating mural designs cover this madrassa with zoroastrian symbols such as the sun. It forms a pair with the lion madrassa in the Registan, Samarkand. 

Bukhara Art Gallery (‘Museum Art’ on Google Maps) – a small entrance fee but well worth it if you’ve got time to spare and want to break up the day with some art. It’s not exactly the Savitsky, but there were plenty of high-quality pieces of artwork in here (mostly 20th century) for the common observer to gaze at.

Sitori-i-Mokhi Khosa (Palace of moon-like stars) – the former summer palace of the Emir of Bukhara, it’s easily possible to get here via Yandex from the city centre. Swarms of domesticated peacocks roam the grounds – there are guys at the entrance to the palace selling bags of grain to feed to the peacocks, which is definitely a novel experience! The peacocks will actually peck the grain right out of your hand. 

Where else can you feed peacocks like this?

The palace itself was crowded with large groups of international tourists on coach tours. There isn’t much information in the palace itself, but we were able to find out some information just by overhearing and listening in behind the main tour groups. The palace has been left in its original state and it is possible to walk through one wing of the building, looking at the grand white hall, the chess room, the chaikhana and dining room. The actual walk through the palace is relatively short, but there are still some artefacts and sumptuous decorations on display. We particularly liked the antique Chinese porcelain vases in the chaikhana, which had been gifted to the Emir.

Scenes from the ‘palace of moon-like stars’

As well as the palace, it is possible to enter an outbuilding which was apparently built to house the daughter of the Russian Tsar, who never actually ended up visiting. It now contains displays of traditional and aristocratic clothing, including the king’s robes. We were also interested to see the traditional local burkha made from coarse horse hair – no doubt incredibly painful and irritating for the women to wear.

You can also visit the harem, which now contains displays of suzanas (an Uzbek traditional cloth that is often created and given by a bride as a kind of dowry). There is a pool for bathing behind the harem – the Emir used to mount the balcony and sit in the chair overlooking the pool in order to gaze upon his harem of wives and concubines. We always find visiting the harem to be interesting as it is such an alien concept for us. Historically, this place would’ve been off-limits to any visitors, it was for the Emir’s eyes only.

Foodie Places 

Bon Bon Café & Pastry – located away from the historic old town, initially we only visited Bon Bon because it was close to our accommodation but we were instantly hooked. We liked it so much that we came back to eat here every night. The quality and choice of food is high, but more importantly the prices are much more reasonable than the tourist-trap restaurants in the old city. Serving mostly Western fare, we indulged in steak, burger, pasta and fricasse and couldn’t fault the excellent food. The cafe also had a great selection of different cakes and flavoured teas, making it a perfect afternoon tea stop. 

We loved the food and flavoured teas at Bon Bon

Jam – a large, interesting looking restaurant with decent prices close to the old town. This place was inexplicably empty when we visited for lunch, we were the only people eating. Jam mainly showcases Central Asian cuisine, we had shashlik, lagman and aubergine salad. They also serve beer, presumably trying to cater to the foreign tourist crowd.

Sitora Kafe – a friendly and unassuming lunch place in the old town, this is very centrally located but much cheaper and more authentic than the tourist trap restaurants. The pumpkin manti with yoghurt dip was a highlight for me and Dan liked the plov, although it was served with raisins so be warned if you’re not a lover of sweet and savoury like me! This is definitely not an upmarket place, it is a local, almost gritty and rustic establishment but we couldn’t fault the food or price. Be aware that not all of the items that are advertised outside may be available on the menu, we went a couple of times and the menu had some items crossed off which didn’t seem to change.

Pumpkin manti at the down-to-earth Sitora Kafe

Samarkand 

A Silk Road city with several thousand years of history, Samarkand is best known as the capital of the Timurid Empire, and so it is one of the most historically important cities in the region. The Timurids dominated for a relatively short period of less than 140 years but had a big impact. Apart from the vast swathe of land they controlled, the Timurids were known for their judicial reforms, scholarly pursuits and intellect, with the third Timurid emperor Ulugh Beg becoming a world renowned scholar and astronomer who led the Timurid Renaissance in the 1400s. As a result, Samarkand was a place of theology, learning and culture as much as military conquest. 

Samarkand is the resting place of the founder of the Timurid Empire, Amir Timur, the national hero of Uzbekistan. Interestingly, this was not the intended destination; he was supposed to be buried in his hometown of Shakhrisabz, but the weather conditions made the mountain roads impassable so he was buried in the imperial capital instead. Shakhrisabz contains Amir Timur’s palace, another grand historical site of Uzbekistan. Sadly, despite the relatively close proximity we found that visiting Shakhrisabz was surprisingly difficult, with only one train per week, no buses and the only other option being haggling with unreliable taxi drivers. In the end, we decided it wasn’t feasible to visit. If you do want to go to Shakhrisabz, check out the train timetables as it seemed like a pretty easy trip on the days the trains sae running

Unlike the other famous Silk Road cities in Uzbekistan, Samarkand is not separated into an old and new town. Instead, Samarkand’s monuments are dotted around and interspersed among the modern city. Samarkand is the third largest city in the country and can probably be considered to be the tourist capital. The historical buildings are the largest and grandest in all of Central Asia, particularly the Bibi-Khanym Mosque and the Registan, which is the stereotypical picture-postcard image of Uzbekistan. 

The view from the Hazrat Khizr mosque

Samarkand has an interesting amalgamation of modern city and silk road antiquities. The city is vibrant and bustling and the historical monuments are spectacular. However, to be honest we had mixed feelings about our time in Samarkand. The entrance fee to some of the historical sites was relatively high by Uzbek standards, and we felt that the proliferation of mass tourism not only made it difficult to properly enjoy many of the sites but it also took away the charm of the place too. Samarkand felt far busier and more touristy than anywhere else we visited in Central Asia, with huge throngs of people at all the major attractions. Traipsing around with the tourist hordes is not really my idea of fun and, although it is clearly a must-see place in Uzbekistan due to its famous monuments, we probably enjoyed Samarkand the least of the many cities we visited in Uzbekistan.

Shah-i-Zinda is one of the many beautiful and famous attractions in the city

Accommodation

Sim Sim Hostel – this place is more like a guesthouse than a hostel. The proprietor, Oskar, is a local guy who previously lived in Brooklyn for 15 years and alongside having a stereotypical Brooklyn accent (mildly amusing for us) was very friendly and welcoming. He made sure we were happy with the room and recommended some places to eat nearby. The room itself was generous-sized and cosy – the radiator was always turned on at night. Don’t be put off by the poor reviews as these seem to be from when the place was under previous management. We had a good experience here.

Activities

Amir Timur Mausoleum (Gur-i Amir Complex) – the grand mausoleum of the famous emperor and national hero of Uzbekistan. This is one of the most popular sites in the country. It is best to visit around 6pm to avoid the crowds. Once the hordes of domestic and international tourists have departed for the day, the mausoleum is very peaceful and atmospheric. At points we were the only people in the main chamber with the grave of Amir Timur. Amir Timur’s grave is the black granite one in the middle. The complex also contains the graves of the famous Timurid emperors Shakh Rukh and Ulugh Beg.

Visit Gur-i Amir in the early evening to avoid the tourist hordes

Registan Square – one of the most famous sites in Uzbekistan and Central Asia, this grand complex of three madrassas is the focal point of the city. It is possible to view the Registan from a viewing platform, but in order to enter and look around you need to pay for the relatively expensive entrance – luckily the ticket allows you unlimited time to access all 3 buildings. The madrassas now contain craft workshops, while the Ulugh Beg Madrassa contains a small museum. It’s worth entering and looking around in my opinion, even if only to admire the complex from different angles. Come to the viewing platform at 8pm for the magnificent light show (although we were told it’s unreliable and sometimes doesn’t happen). 

The madrassas are impressive inside and out

Bibi-Khanym Mosque – a huge, grand mosque built by Amir Timur. The mosque has suffered extensive damage from earthquakes over the years, but the facade and structures have been restored. The inside of the mosque has been left bare and purposefully not been restored, which is an interesting quirk. The mosque was built in honour of Amir Timur’s favourite wife. Unlike the Amir Timur Mausoleum and the Registan, the entrance ticket here is valid for several days.

The Bibi Khanym mosque is seriously big

Shah-i-Zinda – a dazzling blue mausoleum complex which is a quintessential stop in Samarkand. It is essentially a row of mausoleums which have been richly decorated with vivid blue tile designs and Islamic geometric patterns. It is possible to enter the mausoleums, some are ornately decorated while others are more plain inside. The complex requires an entrance fee to get in and the narrow street between the mausoleums is crammed with tourists at all times of the day. A mausoleum at the far end of the complex contains the remains of the Prophet Muhammed’s cousin, who was said to be similar to the prophet in appearance and demeanour. As a result, this is a popular pilgrimage site for the Muslim community as well as for international tourists. It’s difficult to take a photo without anyone else in the shot. Women are supposed to cover their hair inside the mausoleums, but some international tourists did not seem to be doing this.

Ulughbek Observatory – Ulugh Bek was the third Timurid emperor, the grandson of Amir Timur, and was a keen academic and scholar with a particular interest in astronomy. The construction of this observatory was a key development in Samarkand’s scientific heritage. The site now contains a small museum and the remains of the enormous sextant which was used by Ulugh Beg and his contemporaries to measure and chart the stars. It’s still possible to see the sextant under the ground; there used to be a multi-layered tower around the sextant (arc) which is no longer standing. 

The remains of the observatory – don’t expect too much, this is all there is at the site along with a small museum

Afrosiyob Museum – located on a hill a little way out of town, the Afrosiyob museum focuses on the pre-Mongol history of Samarkand, which isn’t really talked about much anywhere else. Here you can find the famous Afrosiab Murals, which were taken from the nearby archaeological site. It was very interesting to learn about this under-represented era in the history of the city and region. We wanted to walk around the archaeological site too, but sadly couldn’t find an entrance within walking distance!

Click here for our extensive self-guided walking tour of all the major sights of Samarkand!

Foodie Places 

Roni Pizza – like I’ve died and gone to pizza heaven. We also ate at a Roni in Tashkent.

Unbeatable pizza at Roni’s

FriendS Kafe – cheap, cheerful and efficient service. It has a diner-like feel to it, opening early and closing late. This became our go-to place due to the decent quality, unpretentious service and good prices. Stroganoff and chicken fricassee were highlights. 

Istanbul Kebap – we entered for breakfast, fantastic menemen but weird service overall. There was a very long wait time for simple dishes. The staff struggled to understand basic English even though the menu was in English. There were communication and seemingly attitude problems from the servers which led to them not bringing requested items. The place wasn’t inviting for foreigners and the staff were legitimately incompetent. It’s a shame as the food was so tasty! 

Gruzinka – a Georgian restaurant, highly rated on Google. Khachapuri with pesto, tomato and cream was a highlight. A fancier establishment catering towards the more well-to-do crowd. The main dishes (sizzling meat stews) were slightly on the petite side for us, it was nice to try something different though. 

Georgian cuisine is popular in Samarkand and we enjoyed the food at Gruzinka

Chocolate – the place to go for all your cake needs, we paid daily visits to this cake shop to pick up a slice of cake to go. 

‘Historic’ – a mecca for meat-lovers, this shashlik grill house is right around the corner from the Registan. Serving delicious shashlik at a fantastic price. This is a down-to-earth venue with limited English spoken, the waiter was a bit of a goon and messed up our order but the food was good nonetheless. Make sure you arrive early if you want to have plov as by 3pm it was finished. Keep ordering shashlik skewers until you can’t stomach any more. 

Shashlik fresh off the grill at ‘Historic’

Termez

Located at the far south of Uzbekistan directly across the river from Afghanistan, Termez is well away from the country’s main tourist trail. As a major settlement of the fertile Surkhandarya region, Termez is one of the hottest parts of Uzbekistan and combines desert and agricultural scenes due to its proximity to the Amu Darya river. It has a long and storied history of settlement and occupation as a result, and is a must-visit for anyone with an interest in history like me.

Did you know Uzbekistan was once part of Alexander the Great’s empire in the 4th century BCE? Termez is a cross-roads of civilisations and religions. Nearby are the once-lost Greco city built by Alexander the Great on the Onux River, the archeological remains of Buddhist stupas and monasteries and Islamic mausoleums. In modern history, Termez marked the southern frontier of the Soviet Union. 

The historic settlement of Termez has occupied several different sites over the centuries. The modern city of Termez is Soviet-built and most of the historical sites and attractions are outside of the city centre. The city itself is pretty urbanised though and makes a good base, it has a pretty good supermarket and places to eat. We also enjoyed walking to the port area (although it is highly restricted) and being so close to Afghanistan. The bridge over the Amu Darya to Afghanistan is located near to the city of Termez. We heard first-hand that it is pretty easy to arrange an Afghan visa for $130 in Termez and enter Afghanistan – an American guy who was staying at our guesthouse had visited Mazar-I-Sharif in Afghanistan on a day visit from Termez the previous day, which we found fascinating.

The port area is highly guarded – Afghanistan is on the other side

Getting to Termez for us involved a night train departing after midnight from Samarkand, and then another 16hr night train to get back to Tashkent. There are also flights available from Tashkent which might be an easier option. Many visitors seem to be either unaware of Termez or hesitant to visit because of its proximity to Afghanistan, but we found it to be a really rewarding destination.

Termez really is the end of the line, it was the frontier of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union

Accommodation

Comfortable Homestay – a stylish modern guesthouse featuring a spacious open plan dining room, living room and kitchen. It almost felt like being in a show-home. The family (Akbar and wife) were very friendly and helpful – they didn’t live in the same building as guests but in a separate building in the complex. Akbar picked us up from Termez train station and took us around the city, and we arranged for a trip to all the archaeological sites in the region with him the following day. Akbar even presented us with a bottle of local wine which was much appreciated and went down a treat! The kitchen is well-stocked with everything you could possibly need to prepare your own meals. The rooms are huge with two double beds, and there are two bathrooms which is ideal. Very sociable as you can hang out in the living room and chat to other guests. I can’t recommend this place enough really. 

Activities

Archaeology Museum – a relatively large museum showcasing the fruits of the Termez and Surkhandarya region’s rich archeological heritage. There are some nice artifacts here and it’s a good starting point for understanding the various cultures, dynasties and religious groups that have occupied the region. Photography was an additional charge inside the museum (even with phones), other than that the staff were very friendly. They pointed us in the right direction to make sure we didn’t miss anything (it’s a little unclear which rooms actually contain exhibits), they even unlocked the vault to make sure we saw the gold/treasures room!

The archaeology museum is one of the few attractions in the city centres

Clock tower – there isn’t much to see in the city centre of Termez other than the museum, we had a stroll through the nearby Gorodzkoy Park and then walked past the Korzinka supermarket down to the clock tower (known as Katta Soat), which is one of the few notable landmarks. Along the street near the clock tower were a load of guys who seemed desperate to exchange US dollars, which we found a little strange. 

Day trip to the archaeological sites – we took a trip to all of the major archaeological sites in and around Termez with the host of our accommodation, Akbar. Akbar drove, walked round with us and provided some information in some places. It’s possible to see all of the following sites in one day by doing this – if trying to go independently it would probably involve haggling with local taxi drivers, most likely be less reliable and more difficult and expensive. However all sites apart from Kampyr Tepe are relatively close to city of Termez so it might be possible

Zurmala Stupa – a large, historical Buddhist site which is now situated in the middle of an agricultural area. It’s cool to look at but there isn’t much to see or do other than walk around the outside, there are structural supports and you can’t enter or stand on the stupa. A 10 minute stop.

Kampyr Tepe – this site is thought to be the location of the lost city of Alexandria on the Oxus. This was a hill fort and settlement constructed by Alexander the Great on the banks of the Oxus river (Amu Darya). The river flow has long since changed and the site is now a fair way from the water, it’s now possible to see the river beds which have carved out huge moats around the city. This is a really impressive site, it’s amazing to see the extent to which Alexander the Great was able to progress and conquer. The site is pretty large and you can walk around and see the remains of the ancient walls and structures. Compared to the restored historical sites around places like Turkistan and Samarkand, this is as authentic as it gets. There are shards of ancient pottery laying around on the ground.

Kampyr Tepe (Alexandria on the Oxus) is a truly impressive site

Fayaz Tepe – an ancient Buddhist site containing a reconstructed Buddhist stupa and the archaeological remnants of a temple and dwellings. It is possible to enter the stupa through a tiny passageway. This is still a Buddhist pilgrimage site – inside the stupa we found offerings with notes written in what looked like Thai script. You can also walk around the ruins of the ancient structures behind the stupa. This site was abandoned and the monks moved nearby to Kara Tepe, which is only a short distance away visible from Fayaz Tepe. There was a small fee to enter both this site and Kara Tepe.

Fayaz Tepe contains a restored stupa and an archaeological area

Kara Tepe – this site is located within the exclusionary border zone as it is just across the river from Afghanistan. Some have reported that the site is sometimes off limits, but we had no problems entering with our driver (who knew the guard). This is a really interesting and only partially-excavated complex of structures and caves. It is possible to enter and explore the caves but be warned, we met an American guy who entered one of the caves and was then trapped inside by a poisonous snake! He showed us the video and our driver confirmed that the snake was indeed poisonous, and was then too scared to enter the caves. 

Exploring the caves at Kara Tepe

At Kara Tepe it is possible to look over into Afghanistan, and you can also spot the mausoleum of Zul-Kilfi (also known as Ezekiel in the Old Testament) on the Aral-Paygambar island which is part of the DMZ between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. This area was previously used as a major frontier and garrison as it marked the boundary of the vast territory of USSR. We found Kalashnikov bullets from the Soviet-Afghan war laying on the ground here.

The mausoleum in the DMZ and a Russian Kalashnikov bullet laying on the floor at Kara Tepe

Vorota At-Termezi – a gate of the city of Old Termiz, the old city which was destroyed by Ghengis Khan. It is possible to walk on the gate and look over the site of Old Termiz, you can also see into Afghanistan here. Our driver pointed out a military base on the Afghan side and told us to wave as they were no doubt watching us through binoculars.

Mausoleum of Al Hakim At-Termizi – the mausoleum of a Sufi saint. This was a very religious place, with many pilgrims around and Imams constantly chanting duaas inside. Our driver told us that it was fine to go in as non-Muslims, but we still felt a little strange.

Kirk–Kiz Fortress – a fortress dating back to the 9th century, the original use is disputed. When we visited the fortress was in the process of being restored and turned into a tourist attraction in the Disneyland-like style of some other sites in Uzbekistan.

Kirk Kiz is being restored so probably won’t look like this for long

Kokildor-Ota Khanaka – an ancient building, you can walk around inside but there isn’t much to see, just some empty rooms. We found that one of the wooden doors at the side of the building had been taken down and it was possible to access the roof.

Sultan Saodat complex – a mausoleum complex which has been compared to Shah-I-Zinda in Samarkand, but slightly less grand and with far fewer tourists. This place still mainly functions as a religious complex. Sultan Saodat contains the graves of the Sayyid dynasty, who are said to be descendents of the Prophet Muhammad. You can enter the various mausoleum buildings and see the grave markers. There were no other visitors here, just several whitebeard elders loitering around. One of them was quite curious, he asked our opinions on various global political leaders and then said a duaa for us, much to the enjoyment of our driver!

This guy unexpectedly gave us an Islamic blessing

Foodie Places 

‘American’ – listed as an ice cream parlour on Google Maps but it is definitely not. It is a fast food joint serving burgers, fried chicken and luckily for me, fried chicken club sandwiches. Not the healthiest choice for lunch but cheap and filling with many tasty (and sometimes a little messy) options available. 

Enjoying the fast food at ‘American’

Namuna go’sht – a local restaurant with traditional table settings. Our driver, Akbar, ordered a pile of meat (don’t ask me from what animal), a cold slightly spicy tomato soup dish, salad and bread. Head here for an authentic experience – you might even be invited to join a vodka toast with some ruddy locals.

Cheers!

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