Tajikistan - Central Asia - page 339

which is in the grounds. It's a devil to find
at night, through gates where the unpaved
road makes a slight wiggle west of Gagarin
School (School 7).
Umriniso¨Homestay¨ HOMESTAY $
( % 93-500 69 42; Dubronov 14; B&B US$15) With
an incredible location in the central park be-
tween PECTA and fast-food cafe Tropikanka,
this lovable Pamiri house has the luxury of
a sit-down toilet plus a low-powered hot
shower and washing machine. Litvia speaks
English.
Lalmo¨Homestay¨ HOMESTAY $
( % 93-508 69 99, 22 69 99; http://pamirhomestay.
com; gagarin (Bandalieva) 2; bed/dinner US$10/5;
W ) With a friendly English-speaking
hostess and a beautiful flower garden,
it's worth seeking out this homestay up a
small stairway facing School 7. It's 200m
east of Pamir Lodge.
Bomi¨Jahon¨Hotel¨ gUESTHOUSE $
( % 93-553 43 33; [e-mail]; lenin 64; tw
without/with bathroom 144/192TJS; n ) Beyond
an unpreposessing entrance stairway, rooms
are fresh, new and the better ones are spa-
cious with ensuite bathrooms and fridge.
Lighting can prove under-powered.
Do¨Nazarbayg¨Hotel¨ gUESTHOUSE $
( % 93-410 70 57; [e-mail];
Atobek 40; s/tw 70/140TJS) Carpets are rucked
and wallpaper is bilious green but this new
place is as cheap as you'll find for an ensuite
private bathroom. Shared kitchen, ony four
rooms.
Khorog¨Guest¨House¨ HOMESTAY $
( % 93-571 03 20; zubaida.kirgizbekova@gmail.
com; Atobek 25; bed US$15, breakfast US$2.50)
Attractive timber decor and colourful fab-
ric lampshades give this tiny homestay a
design feel. There's a Western-style (shared)
loo and warm shower, though water supply
is limited to three hours in the morning and
three hours in the evening. Two intercon-
nected rooms have pine beds, and there's a
traditional Pamiri room with mattresses on
the floor. It's unsigned in a side alley.
o Lal¨Hotel¨ BOURTIQUE HOTEl $$
( % 232 30; www.lalhotel.tj; Azizbek 5/1; d incl break-
fast US$50-100; aW ) You'll find cosy, clean
rooms in this guesthouse full of colourful
local fabrics, and an apricot tree shading
a sitting pavilion in the small flower-filled
garden. Laundry (20TJS) and wi-fi (per day
15TJS) cost extra. The pricier rooms have

air-conditioning. Just a couple of the cheap-
est rooms are disappointing.
Hotel¨Kivekas¨ gUESTHOUSE $$
( % 93-809 19 28, 241 42; [e-mail]; Kirov
8a; dm/s/tw/q US$25/60/70/100; a ) Just four
pine-fresh new rooms in a hotel dominated
by its oversized sitting/billiard room where
loungers face the river. Rooms have fridge,
decent air-conditioning and private bath-
rooms with multi-head showers and a bas-
ket of toiletries.
o Serena¨Inn¨ BOUTIQUE HOTEl $$$
( % 93-500 82 24, 232 28; www.serena
hotels.com/serenakhorog; s/d/tw/lux
US$125/148/148/155; paiW ) Khorog's
best hotel has just six bedrooms with
Western-style bathrooms, mini-fridge and
fine linens, around a comfortable lounge-
lobby built with Pamiri timbers and design
elements. Built for the visits of the Aga
Khan, a big attraction is the terraced river-
side garden, with lawns, roses and willows
framing views across to Afghanistan. It's
5km northwest of Khorog Bazaar.
5 ¨Eating
Most homestays and guesthouses organise
dinner by advance request. There are nu-
merous daytime snack options around the
bazaar but only Chor Bagh and Serena Hotel
restaurants open on Sundays.
Look out in the bazaar for bottles of
locally made sea-buckthorn juice and tart,
high-vitamin dog-rose juice (shipovnik sok) .
Fakhriya¨ CHAIKHANA $
(lenin 191; mains 8-14TJS; h 10am-8pm Mon-Sat)
Deservedly popular for pre-prepared lunch-
es, manti , succulent yet lean shashlyk and
chilled flagons of kompot (fruit cordial),
this extensive, easily missed, mid-market
chaikhana is female-friendly and pleasant-
ly situated at the riverside within the large
gardens of the Parinen¨Inn ( % 93-502 37 50,
254 17; [e-mail]; lenin 193; s/d/
tw US$30/40/50; pn ) .
Choykhana¨Murghob¨ CENTRAl ASIAN $
(Bazaar; mains/beer/tea 8/7/1TJS; h 7am-7pm
Mon-Sat) One of many local eateries in the
bazaar area, the Murghob has a lacklustre
interior but its wide, open balcony over-
looks the river beside the main footbridge.
Bar¨Varka¨ RUSSIAN $
(gagarin 54; mains 7-14TJS, garnish 2.50-
5TJS, beer 8TJS; h 11am-10pm Mon-Sat; E )