Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you're in Dushanbe for the weekend
in summer tag along with one of the day
hikes led by Hike Tajikistan (p317). The
twice-monthly excursions of the Tashkent
Hiking Club (p155) are also a good bet.
stantours.com) offers a week-long horse-
riding trip through the Kopet Dag
Mountains.
Kan Tengri (p68) offers horse treks
through the desert landscapes of Altyn-
Emel National Park and also in the
central Tian Shan. There are further
horseback options in the ecotourism
centres of Aksu-Zhabagyly Nature Re-
serve and Sayram-Ugam National Park
(ride between them in three days), at the
Kolsay Lakes in southeast Kazakhstan
and at Zapadno-Altaysky (Western Altay)
Nature Reserve near Ust-Kamenogorsk.
These are generally more expensive than
in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan, with horse
hire starting at US$25 per day.
The German company Kasachstan
Reisen (p126) offers interesting horse-
riding, 4WD and trekking trips in
Kazakhstan, in partnership with local
Kazakh agencies.
Horse Trekking
Kyrgyzstan is the perfect place to sad-
dle up and explore the high pastures.
CBT and Shepherd's Life coordinators
throughout the country arrange over-
night horse treks to jailoos (summer
pastures) around central Kyrgyzstan, or
longer expeditions on horseback lasting
up to two weeks. Horse hire costs the
equivalent of around US$15 per day, or
around US$50 per person per day with a
guide, yurtstay and food.
Horseback is the perfect way to ar-
rive at Song-Köl. Trips can depart from
either Jangy Talap, Chayek, Jumgal or
Chekildek and take around three days,
staying in yurts en route. The six-day
horse trek from Song-Köl to Tash Rabat
via the Mazar Valley is an adventurous
choice.
There are also good horse treks from
Karakol (Altyn Arashan offers some
lovely day trips) and Tamga (on the
southern shores of Lake Issyk-Köl), as
well as Naryn, Arslanbob, Kazarman
and Ak-Terek north of Özgön. Kegeti
Canyon, east of Bishkek, is another
popular place for horse riding.
For organised trips in Kyrgyzstan,
Asiarando (www.asiarando.com) , Pegasus
Horse Trekking (p257) and Shepherds
Way (p270) have all been recommended.
The Pamirs of Tajikistan and Kyr-
gyzstan are also sublime places for a
horse trek. The Pamir Trek Association
(www.pamirtrek.com) is an association of
horse guides from the Tajikistan Pamirs
and Kyrgyzstan Pamir Alai valley that
offers horse treks in these regions.
For a classy ride, you can't do better
than astride a thoroughbred Akhal-Teke
in Turkmenistan. The Alaja Farm (p377)
stables at Geok-Dere, outside Ashgabat,
offer half-day rides, and some travel
agencies can arrange multiday horse
treks. DN Tours (www.dntours.com) offers
an 11-day desert ride on Akhal-Tekes,
with camping and the opportunity to
stay in local villages. Stantours (www.
Camel Trekking
If you've got Silk Road fever and im-
agine a multiday caravan across the
wastes of Central Asia, you could be in
for a disappointment. Bukhara travel
agencies arrange camel treks north
of Nurata around Lake Aidarkul and
there are also possibilities at Ayaz-Qala
in northwest Uzbekistan but these are
mostly short jaunts from comfortable
tourist yurts (with electricity, plumbing
and three-course meals). The best time
for low-altitude desert camel trekking
is from March to May, when the spring
rains turn the floor of the Kyzylkum
Desert into a Jackson Pollock canvas.
For the full-on 'Marco Polo' experi-
ence, META in Tajikistan can give
information on one- to three-day treks
on Bactrian camels in the high-altitude
Rang-Kul region of the eastern Pamirs.
Mountain Biking &
Cycling
Several tour companies offer supported
biking trips over the Torugart Pass,
although die-hard do-it-yourselfers will
find the Irkeshtam crossing logistically
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