Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Month by Month
z
Asrlar Sadosi
Fetival
The two-day Arslar Sadosi
(Echo of Centuries) festi-
val is held over two days
in different locations in
Uzbekistan (see www.
asrlarsadosi.com). Folk
music, a handicrafts ba-
zaar, food, fashion and
displays of
kuresh
wres-
tling and
kopkari
(buz-
kashi)
are the draws.
z
Silk & Spices
Fetival
Four-day cultural festival
in Bukhara, featuring
music and dance, folk art,
fashion, handicrafts, exhi-
bitions and maybe even the
odd tightrope walker. It
can be in June.
April
Spring is kicking in, as
blooms start to appear
in mountain foothills.
Another excellent month
to visit lowland areas.
z
Horse Day
Turkmenistan's Horse Day
(the last Sunday in April)
offers a chance for horse-
lovers to see the country's
famous Akhal-Teke horses
in action at hippodromes
across the country.
TOP EVENTS
Navrus
, March
Independence
Day Celebrations
,
various months
Asrlar Sadosi
Fetival
, May
Roof of the World
Fetival
, July
At Chabysh Horse
Fetival
, Augut
March
Perfect weather in the
deserts of Turkmenistan,
southern Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan (towards the
end of the month). The
Karakum desert blooms
like a Jackson Pollock
canvas.
z
Navrus
Central Asia's biggest
festival is held round the
equinox (21 March in most
republics and 22 March in
Kazakhstan) and marks
the beginning of spring
and the Persian new year
with games of
buzkashi
(traditional pololike game
played with a headless
goat), family feasts and
funfairs.
May
It's starting to get hot in
the lowlands but can still
be chilly in the highlands.
High season in Uzbekistan
means you should make
advanced hotel bookings.
2
Watching Wildlife
in Kazakhtan
April and May are the best
months to spot Kazakh-
stan's 36 species of tulip,
while May and June are
the time to spot hundreds
of migratory bird species,
especially at Korgalzhyn
Nature Reserve (p107).
July
High summer is the time
to visit the mountains of
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and
southeast Kazakhstan.
Rich pastures bring
herders to their summer
camps.
z
Atana Day
This festival on 6 July
(which just happens to
be President Nazarbaev's
birthday) sees concerts,
fireworks, fairs and parades
in Kazakhstan's capital city.
