Central Asia: Itinerary Advice

Old May 25th, 2017, 01:25 PM
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Central Asia: Itinerary Advice

Hi guys! So finally after years about talking about it, I am heading to Central Asia!!

I have the whole month of July (will probably leave in late June) to explore and I need help finalising my itinerary if anyone would be so kind enough to help.

The three countries I want to focus on are Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

My rough outline is as follows:
June 27th: Fly to Tashkent from Moscow
28th: Tashkent
29th: Tashkent
30th: Tashkent
July 1st - go to Samarkand
2nd - Samarkand
3rd - Samarkand
4th - head to Bukhara
5th - Bukhara
6th- Bukhara

(I have a friend who recommended I go to Andijian but it is on the other side of the country so i don't know how to add that in without losing time)

And this is where I get lost....I want to cross the border between UZ and TJK but are there any cities that some fodorites can recommend to see via that route to Dushanbe?

In TJK, I really just want to go to Dushanbe and the Pamir Mountains. I am expecting around a week or so in TJK in all.

Then cross the TJK border to Kyrgyzstan, stop in Osh, Issyk Kul and eventually head to Bishkek.

I am planning to fly out probably the 1st of August to France.

If anyone can offer some advice, that'd be great. I do speak Russian so language barrier shouldn't be a problem (hopefully aha). I am planning to have all visas before I go.
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Old May 25th, 2017, 03:11 PM
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I highly recommend including Khiva after Bukhara. What guidebooks are you using?

I also highly recommend flying OUT of Tashkent airport rather than IN, so consider doing your itinerary in reverse.

If you do include Khiva, there are direct flights to Urgench from Moscow (see skyscanner.com), so you could start there and then work your way east. Check into taking the train in Uzbekistan.

Click on my name for my in-progress TR on Uzbekistan.
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Old May 25th, 2017, 04:41 PM
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I didn't get a guidebook yet (and tbh, I am not sure exactly if there will be good and recent English options for Central Asia here in Moscow). Do you have any recommendations? I tend to use Lonely Planet for other trips but I am open to new ones!

I looked at all those options but it seems that flying into Tashkent is the cheapest (and fastest). I did read the beginnings of your TR and if I fly into Tashkent, I guess I will have to brace myself for the worst. There are a lot of Uzbeks in Moscow so I kinda have some idea what it will be like.

Also, I read in your TR that you were avoiding rice and whatnot, I tend to eat primarily paleo, did you find it relatively easy to find healthier options other than eating lavash and plov?

Also, does anyone have advice on border crossing from UZ to TJK? I am reading about the Uzbek side being pretty thorough and relatively awful via Denau (closest to Dushanbe) so I am thinking maybe of crossing to Kyrgyzstan instead and ending my trip in TJK.
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Old May 25th, 2017, 04:50 PM
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I have Lonely Planet's "Central Asia" as an ebook on my iPad. I also have some hard copy Odyssey guidebooks, which are too heavy to take on a trip. There may be some Bradt or Trailblazer books as well. I would check to see whether any of them are available as ebooks.

I ate quite well in Uzbekistan, but I was with a tour group.

When I look on skyscanner.com for July I see cheaper flights from Moscow to Urgench than to Tashkent.

Can't help woth the border crossings. Did you check on LP's thorntree?
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