Blog
Useful articles about trips, tips and service updates
The Muynaq Ship Graveyard and the Aral Sea Museum
Rusting trawlers in the middle of the desert, a cliff where waves once broke and a museum where the Aral is still blue. What to see in Muynaq and how to get there from Nukus.
Lyabi-Hauz and Its Ensemble: The Heart of Evening Bukhara
The story of Bukhara's most atmospheric spot: the Kukeldash and Nadir Divan-Begi madrasas, the khanaka, ancient mulberry trees and evening life by the water.
The Ark of Bukhara: Fortress of the Emirs and What to See Inside
What survived inside the citadel after 1920, which museums are there, how much time to allow and where to look out over Bukhara from the fortress mound.
Po-i-Kalyan: The Minaret That Genghis Khan Spared
The ensemble around Bukhara's great minaret: the Kalyan Mosque, Mir-i-Arab Madrasa, the evening lighting and the best spots to see Po-i-Kalyan from.
Lesser-Known Samarkand: Ak-Saray, Rukhabad and Ishratkhona
Three quiet monuments within walking distance of the tourist centre that tour groups rarely reach: a golden dome, a mystic's tomb and the ruins of a house of joy.
Eternal City and Silk Road Samarkand: Is the New Quarter Worth a Visit?
A new tourist quarter with hotels, a canal and a crafts street: what is inside, how to get there, and who will love it versus who may find it unnecessary.
Khoja Daniyar Mausoleum: A Shrine of Three Faiths in Samarkand
Why Muslims, Christians and Jews all come to the Prophet Daniel, where the legend of the growing tomb comes from, and the best view of the Siab stream.
Imam al-Bukhari Complex near Samarkand: Layout, Etiquette, Getting There
One of Uzbekistan's main pilgrimage centres, in the village of Khartang: what is inside the complex, how to behave and how to get there from Samarkand.
Afrasiab: Ancient Samarkand and the Famous Ambassadors' Fresco
The hill where Samarkand lived before the Mongols, and a museum with a 7th-century mural: how to read the Ambassadors' Painting and why a guide helps.
Khazarasp: an old fortress in southern Khorezm
What remains of the Khazarasp fortress walls, how to combine the town with Khiva in a single day, and what else to see in the south-east of the Khorezm oasis.
Kasansay: a reservoir and mountain getaways near Namangan
A weekend guide to Kasansay: cool gorges, a reservoir, riverside cottages and local food, plus how to plan the trip from Namangan and back.
Pap: ancient sites and the road to the Kamchik pass
A district town in the west of the Namangan region where the valley meets the road to Tashkent. Archaeological mounds, a bazaar, the Chadak gorge and tips.