Author Archives: admin

HISTORY Early History. 40,000BC – Neanderthal man remains found in cave near Samarkand. 3,500BC – Botai Culture of N Kazakhstan domesticated horses and horse-based nomadism becomes the dominant steppe culture. Cultural continuity begins in the late 3rd millennium BC, with … Continue reading →

Confidence tricks – alongside small bags going missing – are perhaps the biggest annoyance and danger to any traveller. These type of tricks are a mainly urban phenomenon. ‘Do you remember me?’, ‘My daughter goes to university in your home … Continue reading →

Uzbekistan Nov 5-17 2015 This is Central Asia’s cradle of culture for more than 2 millennia, the home of an arsenal of architecture and ancient cities, all deeply infused with the bloody, fascinating history of the Silk Road. In terms … Continue reading →

TIPS & OBSERVATIONS 1. Currency. Denominated Turkmen Manat (DTM). 1€ = 4.1 DTM This is a black market money country – the official rate is 1$US = 3.5 DTM. The black market rate is $1 = 18 DTM. As a … Continue reading →

Area. 447,400 sq km Capital. Tashkent Population. 30 million. Languages. Uzbek, Russian, Tajik, Karakalpak. Uzbek, a Turkic language, is official, has 15 million speakers and is the most widely spoken non-Slavic language from the former Soviet states. It was first … Continue reading →

This is Central Asia’s cradle of culture for more than 2 millennia, the home of an arsenal of architecture and ancient cities, all deeply infused with the bloody, fascinating history of the Silk Road. In terms of sites alone, Uzbekistan … Continue reading →

This is Central Asia’s cradle of culture for more than 2 millennia, the home of an arsenal of architecture and ancient cities, all deeply infused with the bloody, fascinating history of the Silk Road. In terms of sites alone, Uzbekistan … Continue reading →

Afghanistan October 31, 2015 Shighnan (also Shignan, Shugnan, Shughnan, Khughnan in the local language) is an historic region whose name today may also refer to a town and a district in Badakhshan Province in the mountainous northeast of Afghanistan and also a district in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in Tajikistan. The administrative centre of … Continue reading →

Tajikistan’s highland landscapes offer adventure for mountaineers, trekkers and adventure travellers. Rural homestays are the norm and rural transport is so irregular that most rent 4WDs. The people are predominantly Persian, rather than Turkic speaking, and enormously hospitable. It is … Continue reading →

Tajikistan – The Trip Oct 24-Nov 6, 2015 Its highland landscapes test climbers, trekkers and adventure travellers. Rural homestays form the bulwark of accommodation in timelessly photogenic rural villages hosted by a curious mixture of different facial appearances. The people … Continue reading →