As we stepped off the plane in Bangkok we were hit by a wall of heat and humidity. It was wet, our skin instantly felt damp and after a long day flying from Uzbekistan we probably smelt damp too. The temperature was 10 degrees cooler than the Stan’s yet the humidity was quite stifling. It…
Best places to visit in Central Asia
We ended up spending almost two months in the Stan’s. Our adventures started in Almaty, Kazakhstan, working our way through the mountains of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and ending the trip in Uzbekistan. The area is still relatively untouched by tourism, but more so than in recent years so organising visas, day trips and accommodation is…
Exploring the Silk Road Cities in Uzbekistan
We were really excited to visit Uzbekistan, the altitude and heat had got to us while exploring the mountains so the idea of leisurely strolls around Silk Road cities sounded like a rather appealing change. We crossed the border from near Panjikent in Tajikistan, the border only reopened this year after a long time being…
Exploring blue lakes and gushing waterfalls in the Fann Mountains | Tajikistan
Life is very calm in the Stan’s, we don’t get hassled, taxis don’t honk for our attention, it’s all just very peaceful and easy – except for when we arrive at a shared taxi stand and suddenly dozens of men crowd around us. It’s bizarre! They fight to get our bags out of the taxi…
The Pamir Highway | Part Two, Driving alongside Afghanistan in the Wakhan Valley
Day 5 | Bulunkul (3737m) to Langar (2740m) Before we left Bulunkul Village I asked Genghis if he could take us to Bulunkul Lake about 2km from us as I’d heard the morning reflections were amazing. The rumour was true, the view was absolute perfection with the colourful mineral hills mirrored in the glassy water….
The Pamir Highway | Part One, The high mountains of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
The Pamir Highway is a highlight for anyone travelling the Stan’s. It’s the second highest international highway in the world, climbing up to a staggering 4655m! It’s got a few nicknames like the Roof Of The World, due to its height, and also the Heroine Highway as apparently most of the heroin that’s trafficked through…
A horse ride, hike and traditional yurtstay at Kul Ukok | Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan is THE place to go horse riding in Central Asia, so as a belated birthday treat we went on a one day horse ride to Kul Ukok near Kochker. We were driven to the horsemans house where we found out he didn’t speak any English except for the word “problem?”. I was quickly given…
Hiking to Song-Kol and staying in yurts along the way | Kyrgyzstan
Most people hire horses for a three day trip to Song Kol lake but we didn’t really want to go through the pain of sitting on a horse for that long, nor did we want to spend that much money. So instead we opted to hike for three days and stay in yurts along the…
Exploring the badlands of Kyrgyzstan
One thing we hadn’t expected to see in Central Asia was red rock deserts but we were treated to a beautiful display along the southern shores of Issyk Kul Lake. We’d seen the desert as we drove to the ethnic festival and decided we had to come back and explore more of the area so…
Dead goat polo & an eagle attacking a child |Nomad Festival, Kyrgyzstan
We knew we’d miss the world famous Nomad Festival in Kyrgyzstan this year but as luck would have it, a smaller ethnic festival was taking place so we jumped at the opportunity. It was set along the shores of Issyk Kul lake which is the 2nd largest alpine lake in the world and a sight…
NON STOP TRAVELLING 