Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Pamir Highway
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From the deep, rugged mountain
Turkistan
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The turquoise dome and ornate
valleys of beautiful Badakhshan the
Soviet-built Pamir Highway (p351) climbs
up on to the treeless Pamir plateau to the
'wild east' town of Murgab and on past
the dramatic azure lake of Karakol into
Kyrgyzstan's stunning Alai valley. En route
you'll pass ancient tombs, hot springs,
remote Kyrgyz yurt camps and some of the
most spectacular mountain scenery in Asia.
It's one of the world's great mountain road
trips. Tackle it in a rented Soviet 4WD or as a
challenging bicycle ride.
Towards Murgab (p353)
tilework of the Timurid-era Yasaui
Mausoleum is easily Kazakhstan's most
beautiful building, and a rare architectural
gem in a land ruled by restless nomads. It's
also one of the best places to get a sense
of Central Asian Suism and meet local
pilgrims as they pray, picnic and tie wishes
to trees surrounding the holy shrine.
Yasaui
Mausoleum (p88)
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