This is a fast paced holiday, with lots of places to be and even more things to see. Every day brings new wonders. Our whole, lovely group, said that they had taken far more photos than they had expected to. The scenery, especially in Kyrgyzstan, is awesome. The buildings, and statues, are built on an epic scale. Countryside, cityscape, desert landscape, lakes this holiday has it all. One of our group summed it up “Before I came people asked me “Where? Why on earth would you go there?” Now I would reply “why on earth wouldn’t you”. There are long drive (with plenty of stops) and early starts but that’s what allows you to see so much. The train rides in Uzbekistan added to the feel of adventure. I’m in my sixties, and I like my sleep, I certainly never expected to actually enjoy being woken in the middle of the night to travel to the station, catch a sleeper train and back to sleep for three hours! When I woke I was in the middle of a desert, with a glorious red sunrise shining across the land and it was stunning. If you’re thinking about this holiday then book it asap. Oh and the food in all three countries was fantastic.
Samarkand
Samarkand Trips
Few names are as evocative or shrouded in legend as Samarkand: the one-time capital of the Timurid Empire and one of the most important cities on the Silk Road. Here, you are dazzled by the tilework on the mosques surrounding Registan Square, often described as the most beautiful city square in the world. Then there’s the stunning fluted dome of the Gur-i-Emir and the incredible avenue of Shah-i-Zinda, where the buildings are covered in beautiful mosaics. Our Samarkand tours also reveal what life is like in Uzbekistan today, with a visit to the huge markets in the city centre, where exotic fruits, nuts and other local produce stretch out before you. This truly is a city like no other.
Samarkand Holidays
Sarah Gray The Silk Road
Zoe Barlow Uzbekistan UncoveredA fascinating mix of tree-filled, modern cities and desert with welcoming locals and well-situated hotels. Uzbekistan is a country I would recommend to anyone looking for something a bit different. Bukhara had a lovely atmosphere and which I enjoyed exploring in the evenings.
The mosaic-tiled buildings, although there are a lot of them throughout the trip never fail to be awe-inspiring with the detail and care put into their construction.
Other highlights included a visit to a desert fort after a delicious traditional lunch at a neighbouring yurt camp and the Savitsky Museum/Nukus Museum of Art in Nukus, which houses a large collection of ancient artifacts and soviet era avant-garde artwork.
The food was also fantastic value.
Marie-Claude Alderson Uzbekistan UncoveredA trip full of colour and beautiful buildings. The blue and turquoise colours and the intricate design of the religious buildings are breathtaking.
Our guide Dilshod made the trip with incredible knowledge and passion for his country. The group also contributed to a great trip, all lovely people and we all got on well.
Most of our hotels were well situated. There are so many parks and trees in each town which made walking very pleasant. We felt completely safe at all time. The people are very friendly and welcome tourists.
The only disappointment was our stay in a yurt. The camp lacked atmosphere, no entertainment was provided except half of hour of singing and music organised by our guide who borrowed a nice man from another camp. Exodus should choose another camp or spend another day in the beautiful Samarkand.
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