Uzbekistan in Central Asia on the historic Silk Road is an up and coming tourist destination-- with special interest to history buffs, architecture enthusiasts, craft lovers, and students of astronomy.
Why Uzbekistan?
Go for the Silk Road history.
Go for the crafts.
Go to admire stunning madrassa and mosque architecture.
Know that you will find very few of the "annoyances" you find elsewhere.
And, plan to be surprised by how little you could anticipate of this fast-changing country rooted in antiquity.
Expect also to find seemingly bottomless good cheer and kindness from Uzbekis.
Take Stock When You Hit the Ground
At the time of an Autumn, 2023 tour, there were scant sources of up-to-date information for Western do-it-yourself travelers. Online information is tilted heavily towards promoters of over-priced tour packages. Most of the tour videos you find online seem to feature the same well-worn and narrow tourist trails. Printed guidebooks are woefully out-of-date. You too might have the experience of searching for a guide book's highly recommended restaurant only to find that it no longer exists and the street it is on seems recently rebuilt.
Especially if your tour starts in Tashkent, where most international flights seem to land, the skyline tells you in an instant why you need to adjust your plans once you hit the ground. Building cranes crowd the cityscape vista. As you walk the city you are likely to pass a Soviet-era building being smashed by wrecking balls to make room for more aesthetically pleasing architecture.
Hotels and all types of accommodations are part of this fast growth– at least in Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara. Online booking services will help you bypass language barriers (see below) but once you are there you might find reasons to plant yourself in one or another spot. In Tashkent, for example, choosing a hotel near a major Metro stop is recommended. In fast-growing Samarkand and Bukhara you might want to zero in on accommodations closest to the historic sites where you want to spend your time.
Expect all the travel advisories you read– including this one! – to be relatively dated in short order.
Exception – Book Your Train Travel Far in Advance
If you are hoping to take sleeper cars across the country in one or another direction you likely DO need to plan ahead and buy those tickets ahead of your arrival. We were not the only ones who were unable to book the desired sleeper cars even a month before. This means that one thing you need to lock in before you get there is your route and how long you will take in all stops.
Booking Uzbekistan Railways tickets online is quite easy and painless when you use the English-language version of their site, perhaps with an added boost from Google translator. Getting refunds on train tickets is also straightforward at the train station ticket offices, if you are not too concerned about delays in credits appearing in your accounts.
Since local airlines (e.g. Uzbekistan Airways) can also get you from one end of the country to another, you can do some impromptu itinerary revisions. You too might find yourself wanting to diversify your trip from what can feel like all-mosque-architecture-all-the-time in the trifecta Samarkand-Bukhara-Khiva tour. Hiring a car or car with driver are likely good options we didn't have time or inclination to explore — other than for a day trip from Tashkent.
Spoiled Native English Speakers Should Expect Language Barriers
English is the third language – after Uzbeki and Russian. Russian influence is not only born from Uzbekistan's history as part of the Soviet Union. Look again at the map and you realize that Tashkent etc. are a relatively straight shot for Russians trying to escape winter. There is also reportedly an influx of new Russian expats who are fleeing conscription in the Ukraine war. Your hotelier, your waiter, your fellow hotel guests at the breakfast buffet or your "bodega" owner are often mono-lingual Russian speakers.
The Google Translator App for Uzbeki to English (and Russian to English) seems to work very well. That, and the Yandex App (see below), are enough reason to get a very affordable SIM card. Fellow longtime users of these translation apps will admire their sophistication compared to their relatively crude beginnings of not so long ago. How obsolete the guidebooks' focus on museums' lack of English translations seems to be. This especially comes into focus when you visit the signage-rich Museum of the Victims of Repression in Tashkent for what ends up feeling like a deep dive but quick course on Uzbekistan's Soviet era history.
Annoyances are Few– Taxi Drivers and Food Challenges
You don't have to worry about violence and crime in Uzbekistan. You won't be contending with beggars. Ubiquitous bargaining seems to always be light hearted and smile-rich– you aren't fending off hard sells. There are tourist police in the main tourist cities who DO speak English and DO have time and inclination to answer any and all questions in detail, and take you in tow. Friendliness is everywhere. At the time of our tour (October, 2023), being an American was a big plus– perhaps because of the Ukraine War or just an appreciation of the logistical difficulties in getting there. In this off-season tour at least, there was perhaps only one site (Samarkand's Shah-I-Zinda) when fellow tourists were a problem. If you are allergic to sharing historic sites with selfie-takers, today's Uzbekistan remains relatively uncrowded tourist-wise, even though there is a lot of attention obviously going into growing the tourism industry.
Spare yourself THE predictable annoyance that CAN spoil your time— the aggressive taxi cab drivers who seem to especially be Mafia-like price fixers at airports. You can bypass these unpleasant experiences by putting the Yandex app on your phone ahead of time and getting a SIM card asap. Yandex is the Uber of Uzbekistan. If you arrange a pickup by your hotel it's best to have those costs arranged ahead of time also– and do expect a markup.
If you are a foodie or health-conscious dieter, Uzbekistan cuisine might pose a challenge for you. The national dish is plov– a rice and meat dish cooked in oil. The famed plov centers in Tashkent use horsemeat. The breakfast buffets at every hotel we frequented were big on sugar-added cereals, cakes and cookies, pink hot dog looking sausages, and fried eggs. The autumn vegetable cornucopia you see in the food markets somehow doesn't seem to make its way to restaurant tables. You'll taste a lot of fat in the shashlik grilled foods. The international cuisine seems similarly weighted down with heavy oils.
There are food bright spots! World's best melons might sound like overreach–but they truly are outstanding autumn food finds. The famed Uzbeki bread is good and very very filling. If you too are lucky, you might stay at a hotel that serves tasty homemade kefir.
Top Picks for Your Time
For History Buffs:
Visit Samarkand's Ulugh Beg observatory and museum - for the WOW factor of seeing his scientific instruments and to share Uzbekistan's pride in Beg's contributions to the science of astronomy.
Samarkand's Registan is a top pick– including its museum and the separate audioguide tour you can purchase. You get vivid insights into how these historic madrassas were built and their role in Islamic history, science and culture.
Bukhara's Jewish Merchant House and Synagogue give a glimpse of a minority subculture in years' past and how it endures today.
Tashkent's Museum of the Victims of Repression (See above) provides a short course on modern history and helps you appreciate the complexities of Russian - Uzbeki dynamics even today.
For Arts and Architecture Lovers:
Samarkand's Registan is a superlative showcase of the elaborate workmanship in Islamic architecture.
Tashkent's Metro Stations are more like jewel cases than the drear typically associated with Soviet era architecture.
For Crafts Lovers:
Tashkent's Museum of Applied Arts not only has top notch quality artifacts of weaving, ikat, suzani, musical instruments etc. but also very cogent explanations of how these crafts have evolved.
Bukhara's Puppet Making Museum (bordering Lyabi Hauz Square) is highly entertaining in addition to explaining the history of that craft through puppet making family generations.
For Hikers and Walking Tour Enthusiasts:
In all cities make time to meander the safe alleys and streets behind and around the museums and other sites you visit. Be on the lookout for doors ajar and opening to lush courtyards you don't suspect from the street view.
Ugam-Chatkal National Park is a quick day trip from Tashkent, for refreshing air treks with magnificent views.
In Samarkand make sure your walk includes the path leading through the cemetery on the walkway from Bibi Khanym Mosque to Shah-i-Zinda.
For Shoppers:
Bukhara seems to be the best go-to place for crafts and fashions at all price points.
To Relax:
In Tashkent people watching at the many green space parks throughout the city is highly recommended.
Bukhara's Lyabi Hauz Square with its pond and a restaurant that rings it is a recommended place to hangout and enjoy the couldn't-get-better-autumn-weather.
THE #1 top pick for your time?? Chat up Uzbekis, who truly seem to be the friendliest locals we have encountered in any continent.
Read more at UZBEKISTAN TOUR Highlights — Silk Road Memories of Memories of Memories…
References:
Google Translate - https://translate.google.com/
Yandex (taxi) - https://go.yandex/
Uzbekistan Railways - https://railway.uz/en/
Uzbekistan Air - https://www.uzairways.com/en
Photos: Peter Kachergis
