Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GETTING
AROUND
Flying is the least interest-
ing and arguably the least
safe mode of transport in
Central Asia, but to some
destinations and in some
seasons it's the only sen-
sible alternative. Trains are
slow, crowded and generally
not very convenient outside
Kazakhstan. Buses are the
most frequent and conven-
ient way to get between
towns cheaply, though
trips can be cramped and
vehicles are prone to break-
downs. The best option in
many areas is a car: shared
taxis or private drivers are
often willing to zip you be-
tween cities for little more
than a bus fare.
standards on their domestic
routes.
Apart from the national
Central Asian airlines, there
are a couple of domestic
airlines, such as Kaza-
khstan's
SCAT
(www.scat.
kz) and
Bekair
(www.bekair.
com); Kyrgyzstan's
Air
Bishkek
(www.airbishkek.
kg),
Sky Bishkek
(www.
skybishkek.kg) and
Avia
Traffic
(www.aero.kg); and
Tajikistan's
East Air
(www.
eastair.tj). Unless you are
really counting the pennies
all of these except SCAT are
generally best avoided.
¨
Domestic and inter-
republic services are
no-frills; you might get a
warm glass of Coke if you
are lucky. For long flights
consider packing lunch.
¨
There are no Dushanbe-
Tashkent services. Major
internal connections still
run daily.
¨
Flights between the
biggest cities generally
stick to their schedules, but
those serving smaller towns
are sometimes delayed
or cancelled without
explanation.
¨
Routes and individual
flights are constantly being
cancelled or reintroduced.
The only sure way to find
out what's flying is to ask at
an air booking office.
¨
Flights are particularly
good value in Turkmenistan,
where a domestic flight
costs around US$20, but
you'll have to book them a
month or more in advance.
¨
Tickets for Central
Asian airlines are most
easily purchased from
private travel agents
(aviakassa)
. You'll often
need your passport and
visa. Many booking offices
have a special window for
international flights.
¨
You generally have to
pay for air tickets in local
currency (there's often an
exchange booth nearby),
though you can pay in US
dollars in Kyrgyzstan. Some
airline offices and travel
agencies accept credit
cards, especially those in
Kazakhstan.
Air
Flying saves time and takes
the tedium out of Central
Asia's long distances. The
Central Asian airlines have
some way to go before
meeting international safety
JIGSAW BORDERS
When Stalin drew the borders between the diferent republics in 1924 no one really
expected them to become international boundaries. Areas were portioned of on the
map according to the whims and horse-trading of Party leaders, without much regard to
the reality on the ground. As these crazy jigsaw borders solidify throughout pot-Soviet
Central Asia, many towns and enclaves are inding themselves isolated, as the once
complex web of regional ties shrinks behind new borderlines.
The Fergana Valley has been particularly afected. Buses no longer run from central
Uzbekitan into the Fergana Valley along the natural route via Khojand (in Tajikitan) but
rather take the mountain road from Tashkent over the Kamchik Pass (plans are afoot to
build a train line along the same route). Travellers (and locals) may ind it tricky to get to
more remote areas or trekking bases by public transport.
Trains are not immune to these border shenanigans, as many lines cross into neigh-
bouring republics. Trains between Dushanbe and Khojand (both in Tajikitan) route via
Uzbekitan (twice) and Turkmenitan, making the line impractical to foreign travellers.
Trains running from Aktobe to Uralsk, and Semey to Ut-Kamenogorsk (all in Kaza-
khtan), pass through Russian territory and foreigners are either not allowed on these
trains or may be asked for a Russian visa.
Some problems are short-lived as new transport connections spring up across the
region. Uzbekitan has built a railway line to Urgench and Nukus bypassing Turkmeni-
tan and roads have sprung up in Kyrgyz parts of the Fergana Valley to avoid Uzbek
border guards. But these are jut a few of the thousands of ties that bind the ex-Soviet
republics to one another and to Russia, and disentangling them will take decades.
