Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
of toilet facilities, but it's a
fantastic way to get a taste
of life on the high pastures
(including the freshest yo-
ghurt you've ever tasted!).
For upmarket yurtstays try
Ecotour ( % 077-280 2805,
46 08 03; www.ecotour.kg;
donskoy 46A, Umai hotel) in
Kyrgyzstan.
There are also yurts at
a half-dozen locations in
Kazakhstan, including Aksu-
Zhabagyly and Sayram-
Ugam national parks, plus
Burabay. Uzbekistan has a
yurt camp in the Kyzylkum
desert near Ayaz-Qala and
several yurtstays at Lake
Aidarkul.
BOOK YOUR STAY ONLINE
For more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet
authors, check out http://hotels.lonelyplanet.com.
You'll ind independent reviews, as well as recommen-
dations on the bet places to tay. Bet of all, you can
book online.
Locals you meet on the
road may invite you home
and ask nothing for it, but
remember that most ordi-
nary people have very limited
resources, so offer to pay
around US$10, with US$5
extra for dinner and break-
fast in rural areas.
Couchsurfing (www.
couchsurfing.org) is quite
well represented in Kazakh-
stan and Kyrgyzstan.
In Turkmenistan and Uz-
bekistan, staying with some-
one who hasn't gone through
official channels with the
Office of Visas & Registration
(OVIR; Otdel Vis i Registratsii
in Russian) could put them
at risk, especially if your own
papers aren't in order.
Hotels
Though some are better than
others, you often don't get
what you pay for in govern-
ment or Soviet-era tourist
hotels, largely because
tourists pay higher rates
than locals. Windows that
don't open or close properly,
chronically dim or missing
light bulbs and toilets that
leak but don't flush are com-
mon problems. All beds are
single, with pillows the size
of suitcases. That said, a lot
of Soviet-era hotels have
spruced themselves up in re-
cent years and the situation
is constantly improving.
Uzbekistan leads the way
in midrange private hotels,
which are popping up all over
the place. There are also a
limited number of party or
government guesthouses,
dacha (holiday bungalows)
and former government
sanatoria , which are now
open to all. Most cities have a
choice of several modern and
comfortable private-sector
hotels catering mostly to
local and international bizn-
ezmen, where nouveau riche
is the dominant style.
Some hotels will take
your passport and visa for
anywhere from half an hour
to your entire stay, to do the
required registration paper-
work and to keep you from
leaving without paying. Don't
forget them when you leave -
no one is likely to remind you.
We do not mention all
of a hotel's price options in
our reviews; even the worst
hotels often have a few lux
(deluxe) or half- lux (semi-
deluxe) suites for about twice
the price of a basic room,
sometimes with a sofa, bath-
tub and hot water. Strangely,
a room with a large double
bed often costs more than
two single rooms.
For top-end places you
may get a better room rate
by booking through a local
travel agent or an online
booking service, though
most hotels offer their own
discounts.
Yurttays
It's easy to arrange a yurt-
stay in central Kyrgyzstan
and the eastern Pamirs re-
gion of Tajikistan. Yurts range
from comfortable tourist
camps with beds, electricity
and a nearby toilet, to the
real McCoy owned by shep-
herds who are happy to take
in the occasional foreigner
for the night. The CBT and
Shepherd's Life organisa-
tions in Kyrgyzstan, and
Murgab Ecotourism
Association (MeTA; % Gul-
nara 93-519 18 02; www.meta.
tj; Osh 91; h call ahead) in
Tajikistan offer yurtstays in
the mountain pastures of
the Tian Shan and Pamirs.
Don't expect a great deal of
privacy or much in the way
Children
Children can be a great
icebreaker and a good av-
enue for cultural exchange,
but travelling in Central
Asia is difficult even for the
healthy adult. Long bus
and taxi rides over winding
mountain passes are a sure
route to motion sickness.
Central Asian food is dif-
ficult to digest no matter
what your age, and extreme
temperatures - blistering
hot in the city, freezing in
the mountains - lead to
many an uncomfortable mo-
ment. Islamic architecture
and ruined Karakhanid cities
may well leave your children
comatose with boredom
so make a summer visit to
amusement and aqua parks
in all the major capitals
(except Bishkek).
If you are bringing very
young children into Central
Asia, nappies are available
at department stores, but
bring bottles and medicines.
Forget about car seats, high
chairs, cribs or anything
geared for children, though
you'll always find a spare
lap and helpful hands when
boarding buses. It's possible
to make a cot out of the
blankets supplied in most
homestays. Lux hotel rooms
normally come with an extra
connecting room, which can
be ideal for children.
 
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