My Central Asia itinerary
I thought some of you might be interested in my Central Asia itinerary as well as what I’d do differently next time, so here you go:
| Day | Place / Activities | Transport | Accomodation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wagah border, Golden Temple Amritsar | Scoot SIN-ATQ | Holiday Inn Ranjit Ave (5k points) |
| 2 | Travel | Uzbekistan Airways ATQ-TAS-NCU | Hotel Jopek Joli (US$45) |
| 3 | Savitsky Museum in Nukus, Khiva | Shared taxi (25k UZS/US$4) | Meros B&B (US$25) |
| 4 | Travel | Shared taxi (110k UZS/US$18) | AirBnB (US$10) |
| 5 | Explore Bukhara | none | AirBnB (US$10) |
| 6 | Travel to Samarkand | Train (49k UZS/US$8) | Hotel Minora (US$16) |
| 7 | Explore Samarkand | none | Hotel Minora (US$16) |
| 8 | Travel to Dushanbe | Shared taxi (315k UZS/US$50) | AirBnB (US$17) |
| 9 | Dushanbe | none | AirBnB (US$17) |
| 10 | Drive all. day. long. | Shared jeep (280 TJS/US$38) | Lalmo's Homestay (US$10) |
| 11 | Khorog | None | Lalmo's Homestay (US$10) |
| 12 | Khorog to Murghab | Jeep (500 TJS/US$66) | Pamir Hotel (shared room - US$14 pp) |
| 13 | Murghab to Osh | Jeep (600 TJS/US$76) | Biy Ordo Hotel (US$25) |
| 14 | Bazaars in Osh | none | Biy Ordo Hotel (US$25) |
| 15 | Drive to Arslanbob | Bus (220 KGS / US$3.20) | Guest House Nazira (US$10) |
| 16 | Horseback riding around Arslanbob | Horse (1'900 KGS / US$28) | Guest House Nazira (US$10) |
| 17 | Drive back to Osh | Bus (220 KGS / US$3.20) | Biy Ordo Hotel (US$8 dorm) |
| 18 | Osh | none | Biy Ordo Hotel (US$25) |
| 19 | Fly back |
Looking back, I would change a few things about the itinerary. I was contemplating staying at a yurt camp in Uzbekistan between in Bukhara and Samarkand which I ended up skipping. That’s probably something I’d do next time for one night.
The drive from Dushanbe to Khorog was beautiful but not enjoyable in a shared taxi. I should have made an effort to find other backpackers looking to share a car.
In the Pamir Mountains I somewhat regret not spending more time and for example going to the Saturday market in Iskashim where the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border is opened for the market without needing a visa. I also would have loved to do a detour between Khorog and Murghan and drive through the Tajik Wakhan Valley which everyone raved about that I’ve met. But again, since I was by myself it was difficult to fill up a car in order split the cost.
Towards the end I did have some more days in Kyrgyzstan than anticipated which is why I made a two-day trip to Arslanbob. This was mainly because I did not end up getting the Turkmenistan visa in time and hence had an additional four days.
All the accommodation was good. I used AirBnB twice, both of which were good experiences, although not necessarily so to meet other travelers. The first night in Nukus was overpriced for what it was.
Uzbekistan I found to be the most difficult country as single traveler. It was possible, no issue. However, I didn’t think there were as many independent travelers on the road as in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
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