Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Welcome to
Central Asia
With its medieval blue-domed cities,
kinetic bazaars and remote yurtstays,
Central Asia encapsulates the romance of
the Silk Road like nowhere else.
Footprints of History
From Alexander the Great to Chinggis
(Genghis) Khan to Timur (Tamerlane),
Central Asia's page-turning history litters
the land at every turn. Viewed from the
right angle, the storied oasis caravan stops
of Samarkand and Bukhara, with their
exotic skylines of minarets and medressas,
really do seem to be lifted directly from
the heyday of Marco Polo. Share a round
of kebabs with an Uzbek trader or wander
an ancient caravanserai, and historical
romantics will find the past and present
begin to blur into one.
Travel off the Map
For decades - centuries even - much
of the world has regarded Central Asia
as little more than a blank on the map,
synonymous with the middle of nowhere,
rather than the heartland of Asia. For a
certain type of traveller, this is all part
of the attraction of a land that has been
largely off-limits to travellers for the past
2000 years. Head even a little bit off the
beaten track and you'll likely have the
place to yourself. Authentic cultural inter-
actions can be found across Central Asia.
The region's little-visited oddities, namely
Turkmenistan and most of Kazakhstan,
are even further removed from the mod-
ern world and offer an addictive interest
all of their own.
Mountains & Yurts
East of the desert and steppe settlements
rise the snowcapped Pamir and Tian Shan
ranges of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan,
home to traditional herding communities
and some truly epic mountain scenery.
Here community-based tourism projects
can bring you face to face with nomadic
Kyrgyz herders, meeting them in their
yurts and on their terms. Ride out to re-
mote lakes on horseback, hike from one
village homestay to another, or take a
4WD out to remote archaeological sites.
The scope for adventure and exploration
here is almost limitless.
A Warm Welcome
Whether you want to explore the archi-
tectural gems of Bukhara or take a horse
trek across the high Pamirs, everywhere in
Central Asia you'll be greeted with instinc-
tive local hospitality and offered a shared
meal, a helping hand or a place to stay.
Add to this the intrinsic fascination of a
forgotten region fast emerging as a geo-
political pivot point and you have one of
Asia's most absorbing hidden corners.
