Lonely Planet Central Asia (Travel Guide) by Various

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gandists even used akyns to praise Lenin or popularise the latest direc- DOSTOEVSKY The Arts M u sic
tive from party central. Bardic competitions are still held in some rural
areas or during festivals, these days with cash prizes.

It was only with the advent of Bolshevik rule that literacy became
widespread. Unfortunately, at the same time, much of the region’s clas-
sical heritage was suppressed because Moscow feared that it might
set a flame to latent nationalist sentiments. Instead writers were en-
couraged to produce novels and plays in line with official Communist
Party themes. While a number of Central Asian poets and novelists
found acclaim within the Soviet sphere, such as Tajik Sadruddin Ayni
(1878–1954), and Uzbeks Asqad Mukhtar and Abdullah Kodiri, the only
native Central Asian author to garner international recognition has
been Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aitmatov (1928–2008), whose novels such
as Jamilla and The Day Lasts More Than A Hundred Years have been
translated into English and other European languages.

One interesting modern work is the exiled Uzbek writer Hamid Is-
mailov’s The Railway (2006), a satirical novel that mixes anecdote and
fantasy to depict life in the fictional end-of-the-line town of Gilas in
Soviet Uzbekistan. The novel was swiftly banned in Uzbekistan.

Music Russian writer
Fyodor Dosto-
Although visual arts and literature succumbed to a stifling Soviet- evsky lived for
European influence (which they’re presently struggling to shrug off ), five years in
the music of Central Asia remains closely related to the swirling Semey (then
melodies of Anatolia and Persia. The instruments used are similar Semipalatinsk),
to those found across Iran, Afghanistan and Chinese Turkestan; the in Kazakhstan, as
rabab (rubab; six-stringed mandolin), dutar (two-stringed guitar), part of his forced
tambur (long-necked lute), dombra/komuz (two-stringed Kazakh/ exile from Russia
Kyrgyz guitar), kamanche (Persian violin, played like a cello) and gi- and was married
jak (upright spiked fiddle), ney (flute), doira (tambourine/drum) and there. His house
chang (zither). Most groups add the ubiquitous Russian accordion. is now a museum.

In the past the development of music was closely connected with
the art of the bards, but these days the traditions are continued by
small folklore ensembles, heavily in demand at weddings and other
toi (celebrations). In Uzbek and Tajik societies there’s a particularly
popular form of folk music known as sozanda, sung primarily by
women accompanied only by percussion instruments such as tablas,
bells and castanets. There are also several forms of Central Asian
classical music, such as the courtly shash maqam (six modes) tradi-
tion of Uzbekistan, most of which are taught through the traditional
system of ustad (master) and shakirt (apprentice). Central Asia has a
strong tradition of the performer-composer, or bestekar, the equiva-
lent of the singer-songwriter, who mixed poetry, humour, current af-
fairs and history into music.

Musical traditions in remote regions like the Pamirs are sometimes
preserved in just a few individuals, a situation the Aga Khan Trust
for Culture is trying to redress through its music schools scattered
throughout Central Asia.

Painting

Rendered in a style that foreshadows that of Persian miniature painting,
some splendid friezes have been unearthed in the excavations of the
Afrosiab palace (6th to 7th centuries), on the outskirts of Samarkand,
depicting a colourful caravan led by elephants. You can view copies at
Samarkand’s Afrosiab Museum. Similar Silk Road–era wall frescoes
were discovered at Penjikent and Varakhsha, depicting everything from
panthers and griffins to royal banqueting scenes.

450 The Arts Pain t in g The Arab invasion of the 8th century put representational art in Cen-
The art of the tral Asia on hold for the better part of 1300 years. Islam prohibits the
Kyrgyz bards depiction of the living, so traditional arts developed in the form of geo-
and the classi- metric design and calligraphy, combining Islamic script with arabesques,
cal Tajik-Uzbek and the carving of doors and screens. Textiles and metalwork took on
music known as floral or repetitive, geometric motifs.

shash maqam are Painting and two-dimensional art were only revived under the Soviets,
both included on who introduced European aesthetics and set up schools to train local
Unesco’s list of artists in the new fashion. Under Soviet tutelage the pictorial art of Cen-
‘Masterpieces of tral Asia became a curious hybrid of socialist realism and mock tradi-
the Oral and In- tionalism – Kyrgyz horsemen riding proudly beside a shiny red tractor,
tangible Heritage smiling Uzbeks at a chaikhana surrounded by record-breaking cotton
harvests. You’ll see a good selection of these at most regional museums.
of Humanity’.
Almaty has Central Asia’s most vibrant contemporary arts scene: start
your online visual explorations at Ular (www.artular.kz) and Tengri Umai
(www.tu.kz).

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 451

Architecture

Central Asia’s most impressive surviving artistic heritage is its architecture. Some of
the world’s most audacious and beautiful Islamic buildings grace the cities of Bukhara,
Khiva and especially Samarkand (all in Uzbekistan). Few sights symbolise the region
more evocatively than the swell of a turquoise dome, a ruined desert citadel or a mina-
ret framed black against a blazing sunset.

Early Influences For an in-depth
look at the Timu-
Central Asian architecture has its roots in Parthian, Kushan and Graeco- rid architecture
Bactrian desert citadels or fortified palaces, whose structure was de- of Samarkand try
fined by the demands of trade, security and water. Iranian, Greek and www.oxuscom.
Indian art blended in the 2000-year-old desert cities of places like To- com/timursam.
prak Qala, Nissa and Termiz. Central Asia’s position at the border of
great empires and astride the transcontinental Silk Road guaranteed htm.
a rich flow of artistic influences. Due the destructive urges of Ching- The niches in the
gis (Genghis) Khan and other invading empires, only traces have sur- medressas’ front
vived from the pre-Islamic era or the first centuries of Arab rule. walls were once

Environmental constraints naturally defined building construction used as shop-
over the centuries. The lack of local wood and stone forced Central Asian keepers’ stalls.
architects to turn to brickwork as the cornerstone of their designs. Tall
portals, built to face and catch the prevailing winds, not only looked fab-
ulous but also had a cooling effect in the heat of summer. The influence
of a nomadic lifestyle is particularly relevant in Khiva, where you can
still see the brick bases built to house the wintertime yurts of the khans.

Several important technological advances spurred the development
of architectural arts, principally that of fired brick in the 10th century,
coloured tilework in the 12th century and glazed polychrome tilework
in the 14th century. Without the seemingly insignificant squinch (the
corner bracketing that enables the transition from a square to an
eight-, then 16-sided platform), the development of the monumental
dome would have stalled. It was this tiny technology that underpinned
the breathtaking domes of the Timurid era.

Timurid Architecture

Most of the monumental architecture still standing in Central Asia
dates from the time of the Timurids (14th to 15th centuries); rulers
who combined barbaric savagery with exquisite artistic sophistication.
During his campaigns of terror Timur (Tamerlane) forcibly relocated
artisans, from Beijing to Baghdad, to Central Asia, resulting in a splen-
did fusion of styles in textiles, painting, architecture and metal arts.

The Timurids’ architectural trademark is the beautiful, often ribbed
and elongated, azure-blue outer dome. Other signature Timurid traits
include the tendency towards ensemble design, the use of a monu-
mental pishtak (arched entrance portal) flanked by tapering minarets,
and exuberant, multicoloured tilework, all evident in the showiest of
showpieces, the Registan in Samarkand.

452

Architecture Architectural Design ARCHITECTURAL HIGHLIGHTS

The following are our picks of the architectural highlights of Central Asia:
Ismail Samani Mausoleum (p193) (900–1000) Mesmerising brickwork, in Bukhara.
Kalon Minaret (p192) (1127) Central Asia’s most impressive minaret, at 48m high, in
Bukhara.
Mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar (p390) (1157) A huge double-domed Seljuq monument,
in Merv.
Shah-i-Zinda (p173) (1300–1400) Features Central Asia’s most stunning and varied
tilework, in Samarkand.
Bibi-Khanym Mosque (p173) (1399–1404) Timur’s intended masterpiece, so colossal
that it collapsed as soon as it was finished, in Samarkand.
Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum (p174) (1404) An exquisite ribbed dome, sheltering the tomb
of Timur, in Samarkand.
Ak-Saray Palace (p181) (1400–50) Tantalising remains of Timur’s once-opulent palace,
in Shakhrisabz.
The Registan (p171) (1400–1600) An epic ensemble of medressas, in Samarkand. The
Sher Dor (1636) flaunts Islamic tradition by depicting two lions chasing deer, looked
down upon by a Mongol-faced sun.
Lyabi-Hauz (p189) (1600) A delightful complex featuring a pool, khanaka (pilgrim rest-
house) and medressa, in Bukhara.
Char Minar (p194) (1807) A quirky ex-gateway, resembling a chair thrust upside down
in the ground, in Bukhara.

Unesco Architectural Design
World
Heritage The traditional cities of Bukhara and especially Khiva reveal the most
Sites about traditional urban structure. The distinction between ark (for-
tified citadel), shahristan (inner city with wealthy residential neigh-
Khiva’s Old City, bourhoods, bazaars and city wall) and outlying rabad (suburbs) has
Uzbekistan formed the structure of settlements since the first Central Asian towns
Bukhara, appeared 4000 years ago. A second outer city wall surrounded most
Uzbekistan cities, protecting against desert storms and brigands.
Samarkand,
Uzbekistan Apart from Islamic religious construction, secular architecture
Shakhrisabz, includes palaces (such as the Tosh-Hovli in Khiva), ark (forts), ham-
Uzbekistan mom (multidomed bathhouses), rabat (caravanserais), tim (shopping
arcades), tok (or tak; covered crossroad bazaars) and the local hauz
Mausoleum of (reservoirs) that supplied the cities with their drinking water.
Kozha Akhmed
Mosques
Yasaui,
Kazakhstan Islam dominates Central Asian architecture. Masjid (mosques) trace
Konye-Urgench, their earliest design back to the house of the Prophet Mohammed.
Turkmenistan Common to most is the use of the portal, which leads into a colonnad-
Ancient Merv, ed space and a covered area for prayer. Some Central Asian mosques,
Turkmenistan such as the Bolo-Hauz Mosque in Bukhara, have a flat, brightly paint-
Solomon’s ed roof, supported by carved wooden columns, while others, such as
the Juma Mosque in Khiva, are hypostyle (that is, with a roofed space
Throne, supported by many pillars).
Kyrgyzstan
Whether the place of worship is a guzar (local mosque), serving the
local community, a jami masjid (Friday mosque), built to hold the en-
tire city congregation once a week, or a namazgokh (festival mosque),
the focal point is always the mihrab, a niche that indicates the di-

rection of Mecca. Central Asia’s largest modern mosque is the Hazret 453COLOURS Architecture Architectural Design
Sultan Mosque (p102) in Astana, built in 2012. Each of
Uzbekistan’s
Medressas historic cities has
its own distinct
These Islamic colleges, normally two-storeys high, are set around a colour: greens are
cloistered central courtyard, punctuated with aivan (or aiwan; arched most common in
portals) on four sides. Rows of little doors in the interior facades Khorezm, khakis
lead into hujra (cell-like living quarters for students and teachers) or in Bukhara and
khanaka (prayer cells or entire buildings) for the ascetic wandering blues in
dervishes who would overnight there. Samarkand.

Most medressas are fronted by monumental portals. On either side
of the entrance you will normally find a darskhana (lecture room) to
the left, and a mosque to the right.

Mausoleums

The mazar (mausoleum) has been popular in Central Asia for millen-
nia, either built by rulers to ensure their own immortality or to com-
memorate holy men. Most mazars consist of a ziaratkhana (prayer
room), set under a domed cupola. The actual tomb may be housed in a
central hall, or underground in a side gurkhana (tomb). Popular sites
offer lodging, washrooms and even kitchens for visiting pilgrims and
are centred around the tombs of important Sufi saints. Tombs vary
in design from the classic domed cupola style to the pyramid-shaped,
tentlike designs of Konye-Urgench, or even whole streets of tombs as
found at the glorious Shah-i-Zinda in Samarkand.

Minarets

These tall, tapering towers were designed to summon the faithful dur-
ing prayer time, so most have internal stairs for the muezzin to climb.
They were also used as lookouts to spot invaders, and even, in the case
of the Kalon Minaret in Bukhara, as a means of execution. Some mina-
rets (for example at Samarkand’s Registan) exist purely for decoration.

ARCHITECTURAL GLOSSARY covered portico or vaulted portal (also spelt Monuments of
aivan aivan or iwan) Central Asia:
market arcade A Guide to the
chorsu carved and painted alabaster decoration Archaeology, Art
ghanch and Architecture
hammam bathhouse of Turkestan by
hauz reservoir; artificial pool Edgar Knobloch
jami masjid Friday mosque is an excellent
khanaka pilgrim resthouse; prayer cell or hostel for overview of the
wandering Sufis region’s architec-
mazar tomb or mausoleum tural heritage.
medressa
mihrab Islamic college or seminary
niche in a mosque marking the direction of
minor Mecca
pishtak minaret
qala monumental entrance portal
rabat fortress (also kala)
tak caravanserai
tim crossroads bazaar (also tok)
ziarat shopping arcade
shrine

454

Architecture D ec o r at i o n CENTRAL ASIAN MONUMENTS IN DANGER

The 2012 World Monuments Fund (www.wmf.org) list of ‘world monuments
in danger’ includes the necropolis of Mangistau in western Kazakhstan and the
Bronze Age archaeological site at Ulug Depe in Turkmenistan. Previous lists have
warned about erosion in the desert castles of Khorezm in Uzbekistan, the architec-
ture of Saryarka in Kazakhstan, the ancient ruins of Merv and Nisa in Turkmenistan,
and Bukhara’s Abdul Aziz Khan Medressa in Uzbekistan.

TRAASBHAT Decoration

The best surviv- Tilework is the most dramatic form of decoration in Central Asia,
ing caravanserai instilling a light, graceful air into even the most hulking of Timurid
in Central Asia is buildings. The deep cobalts and turquoise (‘colour of the Turks’) of
the Tash Rabat Samarkand’s domes have inspired travellers for centuries.
(stone caravan-
serai), high in the Decoration almost always takes the shape of abstract geometric,
pastures of cen- floral or calligraphic designs, in keeping with the Islamic prohibi-
tral Kyrgyzstan, tion on the representation of living creatures. Geometric and knot
near the border (girikh) designs were closely linked to the development of Central
Asian science – star designs were a favourite with the astronomer
with China. king Ulugbek. Calligraphy is common, either in the square, stylised
Kufi script favoured by the Timurids or the more scrolling, often foli-
ated thuluth script.

Tiles come in a variety of styles, either stamped, faience (carved
onto wet clay and then fired), polychromatic (painted and then fired)
or jigsaw-style mosaic.

Patterned brick decoration reached its apex in Central Asia. The
Ismail Samani Mausoleum and the Kalon Minaret in Bukhara are two
wonderful examples of the use of monochrome brickwork to create a
lightness of design.

Take time also to savour the exquisite details of Central Asia’s
carved ghanch (alabaster) and intricately carved and painted wood.

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 455

Environment

Land-locked Central Asia covers an incredible range of landscapes, from snowcapped
peaks to burning deserts, immense inland seas and rolling steppe. It is nothing less than
the transition between Europe and Asia. Years of Soviet rule have taken a massive toll
on the environment and serious problems remain, fuelled mainly by economic hardship.
Despite this, Central Asia still hides some of the wildest and pristine corners on earth.

The Land Uzbekistan is
one of only two
A quick spin around the Central Asia of this book would start on the east- countries in the
ern shores of the oil-rich Caspian Sea (actually a salt-water lake). Then world defined
dip southeast along the low crest of the Kopet Dag Mountains between
Turkmenistan and Iran before heading east along the Turkestan plains, as double
following the Amu-Darya river along the desert border with Uzbekistan landlocked, ie
and Tajikistan to its headstream, the Pyanj River, and into the high Pamir surrounded by
plateau. Round the eastern nose of the 7000m snow peaks of the Tian countries which
Shan range, skip northwestward over the Altay Mountains to float down are themselves
the massive Irtysh River and then turn west to plod along Kazakhstan’s landlocked.
flat, farmed, wooded border with Russia, ending in the basin of the Ural A 600-year-old
River and the Caspian Sea. mausoleum
discovered on the
The sort of blank which is drawn in the minds of many people by dried-out bed of
the words ‘Central Asia’ is not entirely unfounded. The overwhelming the Aral Sea has
majority of the territory is flat steppe (arid grassland) and desert. These indicated that
areas include the Kazakh Steppe, the Betpak Dala (Misfortune) Steppe, Aral levels might
the Kyzylkum (Red Sands) desert and the Karakum (Black Sands) desert. be cyclical to
The Kyzylkum and Karakum combined make the fourth-largest desert some degree.
in the world.

Central Asia’s mountains are part of the huge chain which swings in
a great arc from the Mongolian Altay to the Tibetan Himalaya. Central
Asia’s high ground is dominated by the Pamirs, a range of rounded,
5000m to 7000m mountains known as the ‘Roof of the World’, which
stretch 500km across Tajikistan. With very broad, flat valleys, which are
nearly as high as the lower peaks, the Pamirs might be better described
as a plateau (pamir roughly means ‘pasture’ in local dialects). The roof
of the Pamir, Tajikistan’s 7495m Koh-i Samoni, is the highest point in
Central Asia and was the highest in the USSR (when it was known as
Kommunizma). The Pamirs is probably the least explored mountain
range on earth.

Varying from 4000m to more than 7400m, the crests of the Tian
Shan form the backbone of eastern Central Asia. Known as the Celestial

EURASIAN KAZAKHSTAN

In Soviet parlance Kazakhstan was considered apart from Central Asia. While it is true
that Kazakhstan’s enormous territory actually extends westward across the Ural River
(the traditional boundary between Europe and Asia), Kazakhstan still shares many geo-
graphic, cultural, ethnic and economic similarities and ties with Central Asia ‘proper’.

456 EnvironmentGeology Mountains, the Chinese-named Tian Shan (the local translation is
Marco Polo sheep Tengri Tau) extend over 1500km from southwest Kyrgyzstan into China.
are named after The summit of the range is Pobedy (7439m) on the Kyrgyzstan–China
the Italian travel- border. The forested alpine valleys and stunning glacial peaks of the
ler who wrote of range were favourites among such Russian explorers as Fedchenko,
them after visit- Kostenko, Semenov and Przewalski.
ing the Pamirs:
‘There are…wild These two mountain ranges hold some of the largest glaciers and
sheep of great freshwater supplies on earth (around 17,000 sq km) and are one of the
size, whose horns region’s most significant natural resources. The 77km-long Fedchenko
are a good six Glacier is the longest glacier outside the polar regions and allegedly con-
palms in length.’ tains more water than the Aral Sea.

Central Asia, as The Caspian Sea is called either the world’s biggest lake or the world’s
defined by this biggest inland sea. The Caspian Depression, in which it lies, dips to 132m
book, occupies below sea level. Lake Balkhash, a vast, marsh-bordered arc of half-sa-
just over 4 million line water on the Kazakh Steppe, is hardly deeper than a puddle, while
sq km, of which mountain-ringed Lake Issyk-Köl in Kyrgyzstan is the fourth-deepest lake
68% belongs to in the world. Other glacially fed lakes dot the mountains, including Song-
Köl in Kyrgyzstan and stunning Kara-Kul, first described by Marco Polo,
Kazakhstan. in Tajikistan.
Since the 1930s
Most of Central Asia’s rainfall drains internally. What little water flows
Caspian seal out of Central Asia goes all the way to the Arctic Ocean, via the Irtysh
numbers have River. The Ili River waters Lake Balkhash; the Ural makes a short dash
dropped from across part of Kazakhstan to the Caspian Sea. The region’s two mighti-
over a million to est rivers, the Syr-Darya (Jaxartes River) and Amu-Darya (Oxus River),
used to replenish the Aral Sea until they were bled dry for cotton. There
100,000. is evidence that the Amu-Darya once flowed into the Caspian Sea, along
the now-dry Uzboy Channel.

Geology

The compact, balled-up mass of mountains bordering Tajikistan, Kyr-
gyzstan, China and Afghanistan is often called the Pamir Knot. It’s the
hub from which other major ranges extend like radiating ropes: the
Himalaya and Karakoram to the southeast, the Hindu Kush to the south-
west, the Kunlun to the east and the Tian Shan to the northeast. These
young mountains all arose (or more correctly, are arising still) from the
shock waves created by the Indian subcontinent smashing into the Asian
crustal plate more than 100 million years ago. Amazing as it seems, ma-
rine fossils from the original Tethys Sea have been found in the deserts
of Central Asia as a testament to the continental collision. The Tian Shan
are currently rising at the rate of around 1cm per year.

Central Asia is therefore, unsurprisingly, a major earthquake zone.
Ashgabat was 80% destroyed by a massive earthquake in 1948 that killed
110,000 and Tashkent was levelled in 1966. More recently, devastating
earthquakes hit the Tajikistan–Afghanistan border in 1997 and 1998.

Wildlife

Central Asia is home to a unique range of ecosystems and an extra-
ordinary variety of flora and fauna. The ex-Soviet Central Asian republics
comprised only 17% of the former USSR’s territory, but contained over
50% of its variety in flora and fauna.

The mountains of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan are the set-
ting for high summer pastures known as jailoos. In summertime the
wild flowers (including wild irises and edelweiss) are a riot of colour.
Marmots and pikas provide food for eagles and lammergeiers, while the
elusive snow leopard preys on the ibex, with which it shares a prefer-
ence for crags and rocky slopes, alongside the Svertsov ram and Marco
Polo sheep (argali). Forests of Tian Shan spruce, ash, larch and juniper

provide cover for lynxes, wolves, wild boars and brown bears. Lower 457Environment W i l d l if e
down in the mountains of southern Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan The Aral isn’t
and Turkmenistan are ancient forests of wild walnut, pistachio, juniper, BDIIOV-ERSITY the only body of
apricot, cherry and apple. Arslanbob in Kyrgyzstan is home to the world’s water drying up.
largest walnut grove. Lake Balkhash
in Kazakhstan,
The steppes (what’s left of them after massive Soviet cultivation which gets its
projects) are covered with grasses and low shrubs such as saxaul. Where water from the Ili
they rise to meet foothills, the steppes bear vast fields of wild poppies River, has shrunk
and several hundred types of tulip, which burst into beautiful bloom in by 1000 sq km
May and June. since the 1970s.

Roe deer and saiga, a species of antelope, have their homes on the For more on
steppe. The saiga is a slightly ridiculous-looking animal with a huge bul- wildlife protection
bous nose that once roamed in herds 100,000 strong. The ring-necked
pheasant, widely introduced to North America and elsewhere, is native in Kazakhstan
to the Central Asian steppe, as are partridges, black grouse, bustards, see the Asso-
and the falcons and hawks that prey on them. Korgalzhyn Nature Re- ciation for the
serve in Kazakhstan is home to the world’s most northerly colony of pink Conservation
flamingos. of Biodiversity
of Kazakhstan
Rivers and lake shores in the flatlands create a different world, with (www.acbk.
dense thickets of elm, poplar, reeds and shrubs known as tugai, where
wild boar, jackal and deer make their homes. Over 90% of tugai environ- kz/en)
ment along the Amu-Darya has been lost over the years.

In the barren, stony wastes of the Karakum and Kyzylkum you’ll need
a sharp eye to catch a glimpse of the goitred gazelle (zheyran). Gophers,
sand rats and jerboas are preyed on by various reptiles, including (in
Turkmenistan) vipers and cobras.

Turkmenistan’s wildlife has a Middle Eastern streak, understandable
when you consider that parts of the country are as close to Baghdad as
they are to Tashkent. Leopards and porcupines inhabit the parched hills.
The zemzen or varan (desert crocodile) is actually a type of large lizard
that can grow up to 1.8m long.

Central Asia has been famed for its horses since Chinese reports of
the ‘blood-sweating’ horses of Fergana, that Han China needed to fight
the nomadic tribes harassing its northern frontier. Today’s most famous
horses are the Akhal-Teke of Turkmenistan, the forefather of the modern
Arab thoroughbred. There are only around 2000 thoroughbred Akhal-
Teke in the world, of which 1200 are in Turkmenistan.

Endangered Species

The mountain goose, among other rare species, nests on the shores of
Kyrgyzstan’s mountain lakes, but the population has shrunk over the
years to fewer than 15 pairs worldwide.

The marshlands of the Amu-Darya region of Uzbekistan was once
home to the Turan (Caspian) tiger but these became extinct when the
last known survivor was shot in 1972. Wild Bactrian camels, once the
quintessential Silk Road sight, are now only occasionally seen from the
Tajikistan side of the Wakhan Valley.

THE IRBIS

The population of snow leopards in Central Asia and the Russian Altay is estimated at
about 1000, out of a global population of around 7000. These magnificent but secretive
and solitary animals (known locally as irbis or barys) are a keystone species, keeping
others in balance and check. There are thought to be between 150 and 500 leopards in
Kyrgyzstan, with around 200 more each in Kazakhstan and the Pamirs of Tajikistan. Only
5% of these magnificent creatures’ habitat is currently protected.

458 EnvironmentNationalParks There has been some good news, though: eight Przewalski’s horses
Botanists say were recently reintroduced into Kazakhstan’s Altyn-Emel National Park
after being extinct in the region for 60 years.
that the modern
apple has its Over the last decade Bukhara (Bactrian) deer have also been relocated
genetic origins to reserves in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, including Altyn-Emel Nation-
in Kazakhstan; al Park, raising regional numbers from just 350 to over 1000. You can pat
revealingly the yourself on the back for this; the Altyn-Emel project was partly funded
largest city, with money generated by ecotourism.

Almaty, translates National Parks
as ‘Father of
Apples’. Many of the region’s approximately three-dozen zapovednik (nature re-
serves) and zakazniki (protected areas) and dozen or so national parks
(gosudarstvenny natsionalny prirodny park) are accessible for tourists.

The existing system of national parks and protected areas, one of
the positive legacies of the USSR, is nevertheless antiquated and in-
adequate. All suffer from a chronic lack of government funding and
are under increasing pressure from grazing, poaching, and firewood
gathering. In Kyrgyzstan just 2.5% of the country’s area is dedicated
to land conservation.

Kazakhstan’s new Irgiz-Turgay nature reserve in the northwestern
steppes is part of a planned 62,000-sq-km system of protected areas
known as the Altyn Dala (Golden Steppe) Conservation Initiative that
will eventually see the reintroduction of Przewalski’s horses and onager
(wild Central Asian ass).

The Tajik National Park in the Pamirs of Tajikistan and the Saryar-
ka Steppes and Lakes region of northern Kazakhstan are included in
Unesco’s list of Natural World Heritage Sites.

NATIONAL PARKS

The easiest protected areas to visit include the following:
Aksu-Zhabagyly Nature Reserve (p85) High biodiversity in southern Kazakhstan,
famed for its beautiful tulips. An ecotourism program offers excellent mountain hiking
and bird watching.
Ala-Archa National Park (p250) Fine hiking and climbing just outside Bishkek.
Badai-Tugai Biosphere Reserve (p202) Protects a strip of tugai riverine forest on the
eastern bank of the Amu-Darya in Karakalpakstan. Entry fees pay for food for a Bukhara
deer-breeding centre.
Ile-Alatau National Park (p73) Good mountain hiking on Almaty’s doorstep, though
plans for a 16-lift ski resort at Kok-Zhaylau are controversial.
Karakol Valley (p266) Alpine ecosystem in the Tian Shan, southeast Issyk-Köl, with
superb scenery and fine trekking routes.
Kugitang Nature Reserve (p403) The most impressive of Turkmenistan’s nature re-
serves, focused around the country’s highest peak and home to the rare markhor moun-
tain goat and several hundred dinosaur footprints.
Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve (p286) Remote trekking routes cross this Unesco-
sponsored reserve, centred on a large mountain lake.
Sayram-Ugam National Park (p86) Ecotourism programs include hikes and horse
treks.
Tajik National Park (p354) Covers most of the eastern Pamirs (18% of the country!)
and offers superb mountain trekking and mountain climbing.
Ugam-Chatkal National Park(p158) Unesco-sponsored biosphere reserve, with juni-
per forests, wild boars, bears and snow leopards, plus some fine hiking and rafting.

459

Environmental Issues Search the Environment En v ir o nm e nta l I ssu e s
website of the
Central Asia’s ‘empty’ landscapes served as testing grounds for So- UN Environment
viet experiments in taming nature, which resulted in land and water Programme
mismanagement and the destruction of natural habitat on an almost (www.grida.no)
unimaginable scale. for reports on the
state of Central
Even casual students of the region are familiar with some of the
most serious environmental catastrophes: the gradual disappearance Asia’s
of the Aral Sea and the excessive levels of radiation around the Semey environment.
(Semipalatinsk) nuclear-testing site. Khrushchev’s Virgin Lands scheme, The Aral Sea was
which was planned to boost grain production, resulted in the degrada- once the world’s
tion of hundreds of thousands of square kilometres of Kazakh steppe. fourth-largest
lake. It is now
In the economic malaise of the post-Soviet years, the environment has recognised as
taken a back seat. Whether it is poaching, hunting tours or pollution the world’s worst
from gold-mining operations, the lure of hard-currency in an otherwise
bleak economic landscape has repeatedly taken priority over nature man-made
conservation. ecological
disaster.
The extreme continental climate of Central Asia is particularly suscep- The best places
tible to global climate change, and glaciers in the Pamirs and Tian Shan to view the Aral
are already shrinking by around 15m a year. disaster are Moy-
naq in Uzbekistan
Water is, in fact, the only major resource in Tajikistan and Kyr- and Aralsk in Ka-
gyzstan and both countries plan a series of giant hydroelectric dams, zakhstan. Aralsk
much to the concern of downstream Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, for is closer to the
whom water supplies are vital to their cotton-based economies. Central actual sea (you
Asia’s future is looking increasingly defined by two of nature’s greatest can swim!) but
gifts: oil and water. Moynaq has more
fishing trawlers
The Aral Sea rusting in the
salty desert.
The Aral Sea straddles the border between western Uzbekistan and
southern Kazakhstan. It’s fed by the Syr-Darya and Amu-Darya rivers,
flowing down from the Tian Shan and Pamir mountain ranges. Back in
the 1950s these rivers brought an average 55 cubic km of water a year to
the Aral Sea, which stretched 400km from end to end and 280km from
side to side, and covered 66,900 sq km. The sea had, by all accounts,
lovely clear water, pristine beaches, enough fish to support a big fishing
industry in the ports of Moynaq and Aralsk, and even passenger ferries
crossing it from north to south.

Then the USSR’s central planners decided to boost cotton production
in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, to feed a leap forward in
the Soviet textile industry. But the thirsty new cotton fields, many of
them on poorer desert soils and fed by long, unlined canals open to the
sun, required much more water per hectare than the old ones. The ir-
rigated area grew by 20% between 1960 and 1980, but the annual water
take from the rivers doubled from 45 to 90 cubic km. By the 1980s the
annual flow into the Aral Sea was less than a tenth of the 1950s supply.

Production of cotton rose, but the Aral Sea sank. Between 1966 and
1993 its level fell by more than 16m and its eastern and southern shores
receded by up to 80km. In 1987 the Aral divided into a smaller northern
sea and a larger southern one, each fed, sometimes, by one of the rivers.

The two main fishing ports, Aralsk (Kazakhstan) in the north and
Moynaq (Uzbekistan) in the south, were left high and dry when efforts to
keep their navigation channels open were abandoned in the early 1980s.
Of the 60,000 people who used to live off the Aral fishing industry (har-
vesting 20,000 tons of fish a year), almost all are gone. These days the
rusting hulks of beached fishing boats lie scattered dozens of kilometres
from the nearest water. Of the 173 animal species that used to live around
the Aral Sea, only 38 survive.

460 EnvironmentEnvironmentalIssues As the sea has shrunk, the climate around the lake has changed:
Extremes Along the air is drier, winters are colder and longer, and summers are hotter.
the Silk Road, by ANTELOPE Every year 150,000 tons of salt and sand from the exposed bed is blown
Nick Middleton, hundreds of kilometres in big salt-dust sandstorms, which also pick up
devotes one-third residues of the chemicals from cultivated land and a former biological
of the book to weapons testing site. A visit to anywhere near the sea is a ride into a
Kazakhstan, with nightmare of blighted towns, land and communities.
a trip out to the
former biological The catalogue of human health problems is awful: salt and dust are
weapons site at blamed for cancers of the throat and oesophagus; poor drinking water
Vozrozhdenie has been implicated in high rates of typhoid, paratyphoid, hepatitis and
Island in the Aral dysentery; and the area has the highest infant mortality rates (over 10%)
Sea. in the former USSR, as well as high rates of birth deformities.

For more on the Long-Term Solutions
plight of the saiga Dozens of enquiries, projects and research teams have poked and prod-
ded the Aral problem; locals joke that if every scientist who visited the
antelope, visit Aral region had brought a bucket of water the problem would be over
www.saiga- by now. The initial outcry over the disaster seems to have largely evapo-
rated, along with the sea, and the focus has shifted from rehabilitating
conservation.com the sea, to stabilising part of the sea and now stabilising the environment
around the sea.

In 2005 the little channel still connecting the northern and southern
seas was blocked by the Kok-Aral dam, preventing further water loss
from the northern sea, but condemning the southern sea to oblivion.
The northern sea has risen by 4m since then and should reach a state
of equilibrium by about 2025 (see p92). The southern sea, however, is
expected to split again and then dry up completely by 2020, though there
is a chance that three small lakes could be saved with the construction
of small dikes.

Other Environmental Problems

¨¨Cotton is to blame for many of Central Asia’s ills. Its cultivation demands high
levels of pesticides and fertilisers, which are now found in water, in human and
animal milk, and in vegetables and fruit.
¨¨Kazakhstan suffers particularly from industrial pollution. Lake Balkhash
has been polluted by copper smelters, and bird and other lake life there is now
practically extinct. There are also concerns about oil and other pollution draining
into the Caspian Sea.
¨¨Kyrgyzstan has a problem with radioactive seepage from Soviet-era uranium
mines. In 1998 almost two tonnes of sodium cyanide destined for the Kumtor gold
mine was spilled into the Barskoön River, which made its way into Lake Issyk-Köl.
¨¨A combination of economic hardship, a crisis in funding for wildlife protection
and the opening of borders with China (the region’s main market for illegal
trafficking in animal parts) has seen a huge rise in poaching since the fall of the
Soviet Union.
¨¨Tens of thousands of critically endangered saiga antelope are killed every year
for their translucent horns, which are sold to Chinese medicine makers. Between
1993 and 2003, saiga numbers declined from more than one million to a shocking
40,000.
¨¨Tens of thousands of musk deer, currently found in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and
Russia, have been killed in the past 20 years for their musk glands.
¨¨In Kazakhstan more than 1000 Saker falcons are poached annually, most of
them sold to the Gulf as hunting birds.

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Survival
Guide

DIRECTORY A–Z. . . . 462 Volunteering. . . . . . . . . . . . 476
Women Travellers. . . . . . . . 477
Accommodation. . . . . . . . . 462 Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477
Children. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Customs Regulations . . . . 464 TRANSPORT. . . . . . . 478
Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464
Electricity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465 GETTING THERE .
Food. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465 & AWAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Gay & Lesbian . Entering Central Asia . . . . 478
Travellers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469 Air. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478
Holidays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469 Bus & Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482
Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470 Train. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483
Internet Access. . . . . . . . . . 470 Sea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484
Language Courses. . . . . . . 470 GETTING AROUND. . . . . . . 485
Legal Matters . . . . . . . . . . . 470 Air. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Maps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471 Bus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471 Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486
Photography & Video . . . . 473 Hitching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487
Post. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473 Local Trasnport. . . . . . . . . . 487
Registration. . . . . . . . . . . . . 473 Train. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488
Responsible Travel. . . . . . . 473
Safe Travel. . . . . . . . . . . . . 434 HEALTH. . . . . . . . . . . 490
Solo Travellers. . . . . . . . . . .475
Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475 LANGUAGE . . . . . . . . 495
Toilets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
Tourist Information. . . . . . 476 Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500
Food Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . 502

462 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Directory A–Z

Accommodation 9830, 777-247 5537; r per person this. Popular trekking routes
4500T; p) outside Almaty. have established camping
Accommodation options are areas, frequented by Soviet
somewhat uneven across Budget accommodation alpinists during the Soviet
the region. The budget can be considered anything era. You can normally camp
homestays of Kyrgyzstan under US$25 for a double at a turbaza (Soviet-era holi-
are excellent and the B&Bs room in high season. day camp) or yurt camp for a
of Uzbekistan offer the most minimal fee.
stylish and comfortable Midrange hotels and
midrange options. Kazakh- B&Bs range from US$25 to Homestays
stan has a couple of back- US$70 per night (US$50
packer hostels, some rural to US$100 in capitals like Homestays are happily on
homestays, and good mid- Tashkent, Uzbekistan and the rise. For a bed of blankets
range and top-end choices. much of Kazakhstan). For on the floor and some type
Tajikistan’s Pamir region in this you can expect air-con, of breakfast you’ll probably
particular has an informal satellite TV, an internet con- pay between US$10 and
network of homes and yurts nection (often patchy wi-fi) US$15 in rural Tajikistan and
that offer a fascinating and and a decent breakfast. Kyrgyzstan, where travel has
intimate look at the way been revolutionised by net-
local people live. B&Bs works such as Community-
Based Tourism (CBT; www.
Budget travellers off the Bukhara, Khiva and Samar- cbtkyrgyzstan.kg). Kazakh-
beaten track may still have kand in Uzbekistan undoubt- stan also has some rural
to use the occasional fos- edly offer the best private homestays costing between
silised Soviet-era hotel but accommodation, many of US$25 and US$35 per per-
these are generally a last which are stylish boutique- son with all meals.
resort. style hotels in historic
buildings. Rates tend to be Do not expect hotel-style
Oddball accommodation around US$20 per person comforts; rural toilets, for
options include sleeping in and include breakfast. Meals example, can be squatters in
a former medressa (Map are extra but can normally the garden. Don’t expect any-
p204; %998 943 152 600, 375 be provided for around thing exotic either – in larger
68 59; doniyoraa@rambler. US$5 each. towns you may well end up
ru; Pahlavon Mahmud 1; s/d in a block of flats, in front of a
US$60/80; aW) in Khiva or Camping TV all evening. Levels of priva-
an astronomical observa- cy vary. You might get access
tory (Map p72; %701-798 In the wilds there’s normally to a kitchen, especially if you
no problem with you camp- are in an apartment.
ing, though there is always
an inherent security risk with Many local private travel
agencies can set you up with
LATE-NIGHT TELEPHONE CALLS a homestay, though prices
may be double local rates.
Those late-night calls to your room aren’t wrong num-
bers; all hotels with significant numbers of foreigners Homestays are priced
attract prostitutes, often with the compliance of the per person but you generally
front desk. All you can do is work out how to temporar- won’t have to share rooms
ily disable your telephone and don’t answer the door. with strangers; however,
friends travelling together will
be expected to share a room.

463

BOOK YOUR STAY ONLINE of toilet facilities, but it’s a Directory A–Z Children
fantastic way to get a taste
For more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet of life on the high pastures
authors, check out http://hotels.lonelyplanet.com. (including the freshest yo-
You’ll find independent reviews, as well as recommen- ghurt you’ve ever tasted!).
dations on the best places to stay. Best of all, you can For upmarket yurtstays try
book online. Ecotour (%077-280 2805,
46 08 03; www.ecotour.kg;
Locals you meet on the local and international bizn- Donskoy 46A, Umai Hotel) in
road may invite you home ezmen, where nouveau riche Kyrgyzstan.
and ask nothing for it, but is the dominant style.
remember that most ordi- There are also yurts at
nary people have very limited Some hotels will take a half-dozen locations in
resources, so offer to pay your passport and visa for Kazakhstan, including Aksu-
around US$10, with US$5 anywhere from half an hour Zhabagyly and Sayram-
extra for dinner and break- to your entire stay, to do the Ugam national parks, plus
fast in rural areas. required registration paper- Burabay. Uzbekistan has a
work and to keep you from yurt camp in the Kyzylkum
Couchsurfing (www. leaving without paying. Don’t desert near Ayaz-Qala and
couchsurfing.org) is quite forget them when you leave – several yurtstays at Lake
well represented in Kazakh- no one is likely to remind you. Aidarkul.
stan and Kyrgyzstan.
We do not mention all Children
In Turkmenistan and Uz- of a hotel’s price options in
bekistan, staying with some- our reviews; even the worst Children can be a great
one who hasn’t gone through hotels often have a few lux icebreaker and a good av-
official channels with the (deluxe) or half-lux (semi- enue for cultural exchange,
Office of Visas & Registration deluxe) suites for about twice but travelling in Central
(OVIR; Otdel Vis i Registratsii the price of a basic room, Asia is difficult even for the
in Russian) could put them sometimes with a sofa, bath- healthy adult. Long bus
at risk, especially if your own tub and hot water. Strangely, and taxi rides over winding
papers aren’t in order. a room with a large double mountain passes are a sure
bed often costs more than route to motion sickness.
Hotels two single rooms. Central Asian food is dif-
ficult to digest no matter
Though some are better than For top-end places you what your age, and extreme
others, you often don’t get may get a better room rate temperatures – blistering
what you pay for in govern- by booking through a local hot in the city, freezing in
ment or Soviet-era tourist travel agent or an online the mountains – lead to
hotels, largely because booking service, though many an uncomfortable mo-
tourists pay higher rates most hotels offer their own ment. Islamic architecture
than locals. Windows that discounts. and ruined Karakhanid cities
don’t open or close properly, may well leave your children
chronically dim or missing Yurtstays comatose with boredom
light bulbs and toilets that so make a summer visit to
leak but don’t flush are com- It’s easy to arrange a yurt- amusement and aqua parks
mon problems. All beds are stay in central Kyrgyzstan in all the major capitals
single, with pillows the size and the eastern Pamirs re- (except Bishkek).
of suitcases. That said, a lot gion of Tajikistan. Yurts range
of Soviet-era hotels have from comfortable tourist If you are bringing very
spruced themselves up in re- camps with beds, electricity young children into Central
cent years and the situation and a nearby toilet, to the Asia, nappies are available
is constantly improving. real McCoy owned by shep- at department stores, but
herds who are happy to take bring bottles and medicines.
Uzbekistan leads the way in the occasional foreigner Forget about car seats, high
in midrange private hotels, for the night. The CBT and chairs, cribs or anything
which are popping up all over Shepherd’s Life organisa- geared for children, though
the place. There are also a tions in Kyrgyzstan, and you’ll always find a spare
limited number of party or Murgab Ecotourism lap and helpful hands when
government guesthouses, Association (META; %Gul- boarding buses. It’s possible
dacha (holiday bungalows) nara 93-519 18 02; www.meta. to make a cot out of the
and former government tj; Osh 91; hcall ahead) in blankets supplied in most
sanatoria, which are now Tajikistan offer yurtstays in homestays. Lux hotel rooms
open to all. Most cities have a the mountain pastures of normally come with an extra
choice of several modern and the Tian Shan and Pamirs. connecting room, which can
comfortable private-sector Don’t expect a great deal of be ideal for children.
hotels catering mostly to privacy or much in the way

Directory A–Z C ustoms R egu l at i o n s464 ¨¨ In Turkmenistan ‘cultural
artefacts’ seems to embrace
FLOOR-LADIES almost all handicrafts and
traditional-style clothing, no
On every floor of a Soviet-style hotel a dezhurnaya matter how mundane.
(floor-lady) is in charge of handing out keys, getting ¨¨To export a carpet from
hot water for washing, or kipitok (boiled water) for hot Turkmenistan you’ll need to
drinks, sometimes for a small fee. Even the most god- get the carpet certified (for
awful hotel can be redeemed by a big-hearted floor-lady a fee) at Ashgabat’s Carpet
who can find someone to do your laundry, find a light Museum or buy it from one
bulb or stash your bags while you’re off on an excursion. of the state carpet shops.
Get a receipt for anything of
For more advice on trav- ¨¨There are no significant value that you buy, showing
elling with children, pick up limits on items brought into where you got it and how
Lonely Planet’s Travel with Central Asia for personal much you paid.
Children. use, except on guns and
drugs. Documents
We’re Riding on a Cara- ¨¨Heading out, the main
van: An Adventure on the prohibitions are ‘antiques’ Besides your passport and
Silk Road by Laurie Krebs and local currency. visa, there are a number of
is a children’s picture book ¨¨You may well be asked other documents you may
aimed at four- to eight- for the customs declaration need to keep track of:
year-olds that describes a you filled out when you ¨¨Currency exchange and
trader’s life on the Chinese first entered the country, hard currency purchase
section of the Silk Road. so save all official-looking receipts – you may need to
documents. show these when you sell
Stories from the Silk ¨¨In Kazakhstan customs back local money in a bank
Road by Cherry Gilchrist is a forms don’t need to be filled (not needed for money-
story book aimed at a simi- in unless you are carrying changers or in Kazakhstan).
lar age group. goods above normal duty- ¨¨The customs form or
free limits or cash worth entry form that you were
Customs more than US$3000. given on entering the
Regulations country.
Exporting Antiques ¨¨Vouchers – if you prepaid
Barring the occasional accommodation, excursions
greedy official at a remote From the former Soviet or transport, these are the
posting, few Western tour- republics, you cannot ex- only proof that you did so.
ists have major customs port antiques or anything ¨¨Hotel registration chits –
problems in Central Asia. of ‘historical or cultural in Uzbekistan you may need
When they do, it’s usually value’ – including art, to show these little bits of
over the export of ‘cultural furnishings, manuscripts, paper (showing when you
artefacts’. musical instruments, stayed at each hotel) to
coins, clothing and jewel- OVIR officials.
Declaring money on entry lery – without an export ¨¨Letters of Invitation and
to a former Soviet republic licence and payment of a any supporting documents/
is an awkward matter. In Uz- stiff export duty. receipts for visa and permit
bekistan you should declare support.
everything (cash and travel- If your purchase looks ¨¨Student and youth cards
lers cheques) to the penny; like it has historical value, are of little use, except as a
officials at Tashkent airport you should get a letter decoy if someone wants to
will likely ask you to pull out saying that it has no such keep your passport.
your money, and will seize value or that you have
and fine you for the differ- permission to take it out It’s wise to have at least
ence between what you anyway. Get this from the one photocopy or scan of
have and what you declared. vendor, from the Ministry your passport (front and
Count up your money pri- of Culture in the capital, visa pages) and your travel-
vately before you arrive. You or from a curator at one insurance policy on your
won’t have a problem unless of the state art museums. person. It’s also a good idea
you are trying to leave with Without it, your goods to have a scan of your pass-
more money than you ar- could be seized on depar- port and travel insurance
rived with, so don’t withdraw ture. on a flash drive or stored in
hundreds of dollars from ¨¨In Uzbekistan any book or the cloud.
ATMs in Uzbekistan that you artwork more than 50 years
intend to spend elsewhere old is considered antique.
in Central Asia.

465

Electricity The cuisine falls into three raisins, quince, chickpeas Directory A–Z E l ect r i c i t y
overlapping groups: or fruit slices, all cooked
220V/50Hz ¨¨The once-nomadic up in a hemispherical
subsistence diet found in cauldron called a kazan.
Food large areas of Kazakhstan, Plov is always the pièce de
Kyrgyzstan and résistance when entertain-
Food should not be the main Turkmenistan – mainly meat ing guests. Uzbekistan is
reason you come to Central (including entrails), milk the artery-clogged heart of
Asia. In the first years of inde- products and bread. Central Asian plov.
pendence most restaurants ¨¨Diet of the Uzbeks and Laghman Noodle dish that
served only standard slop, other settled Turks, which includes fried mutton, pep-
which somehow seemed to includes pilafs, kebabs, pers, tomatoes and onions.
taste (and smell) indelibly of noodles and pasta, stews, Korean, Uyghur and Dungan
the old USSR. The situation elaborate breads and noodles are generally the
has improved in recent years, pastries. best.
particularly in the cities, with ¨¨Persian influence, ranging Shorpo Soupy stew, also
a rush of pleasant open-air from southern Uzbekistan called shurpa or sorpo, that
cafes, fast-food joints and into Tajikistan, which is consists of boiled mutton
Turkish restaurants. The best distinguished by subtle on the bone with potatoes,
way to appreciate regional seasoning, extensive use carrots and turnips.
cuisines, and the region’s ex- of vegetables, and fancy Manpar Noodle pieces,
traordinary hospitality, is still sweets. meat, vegetables and mild
a meal in a private home. seasoning in broth.
Staples & Beshbarmak Popular in
Specialities Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
(shilpildok in Uzbek; myaso
MENU STANDARDS po-kazakhsky in Russian).
The following standards are Large flat noodles with
generally available in every lamb and/or horsemeat are
restaurant. cooked in vegetable broth
Shashlyk Ubiquitous ke- (the Kazakh version serves
babs of fresh or marinated the broth separately). It
mutton, beef, minced meat means ‘five fingers’ since it
(farsh or lyulya kebab) or, was traditionally eaten by
less commonly, chicken. hand.
Usually served with nan Nan (non to Uzbeks and
bread and vinegary onions. Tajiks; lepyoshka in Rus-
The quality varies from ined- sian) Round bread baked
ible to addictively delicious. in a tandyr (tandoori)
Liver kebabs are known in oven. Some varieties are
Turkic as jiger. prepared with onions, meat
Plov Called pilau in or sheep’s-tail fat in the
Tajikistan, this consists dough; others have anise
mainly of rice with fried and and poppy or sesame seeds
boiled mutton, onions and placed on top. Nan also
carrots, and sometimes serves as an impromptu

Central Asian Cuisine NASVAI

Central Asian food resembles Throughout Central Asia you might notice some men
that of the Middle East or chewing and copiously spitting, or talking as if their
the Mediterranean in its use mouth is full of saliva. Nasvai (also known as nasvar,
of rice, savoury seasonings, naswar or noz) is basically finely crushed tobacco,
vegetables and legumes, sometimes cut with spices, juniper or lime. As a green-
yoghurt and grilled meats. ish sludge or as little pellets, it’s stuffed under the
Many dishes may seem tongue or inside the cheek, from where the active
familiar from elsewhere – ingredients leach into the bloodstream, revving up the
laghman (similar to Chinese user’s heart rate. Amateurs who fail to clamp it tightly
noodles), plov (similar to in place, thus allowing the effluent to leak into the
Persian rice pilafs), nan (flat throat, might be consumed with nausea.
breads found all over Asia),
and samsa (the samosa of
India) – one more benefit of
Silk Road exchange.

Directory A–Z Foo d466 manty, served plain or with a real treat) and wonderful
plate for shashlyk. Home- vinegar, sour cream or but- mountain honey.
made breads are often ter, or in soups. MEAT & FISH
thicker and darker than Pirozhki Greasy Russian Mutton is the preferred
normal nan. Much better fried pies filled with po- meat. Big-bottomed sheep
than the boring, square, tatoes or meat; generally are prized for their fat, meat
white-flour Russian loaves disappointing. and wool, and fat from the
known simply as khleb. Samsa Meat pie made with sheep’s tail actually costs
Salads A refreshing break flaky pastry and baked in more than the meat. The
from heavy main courses, a tandoor oven; best in meat-to-fat ratio is generally
although you’ll soon tire Kyrgyzstan. stacked heavily in favour
of the dreaded salat tour- (and flavour) of the fat and
ist (sliced tomatoes and Fruits are eaten fresh, you will soon find that eve-
cucumbers). Parsley, fresh cooked, dried or made into rything smells of it. Sheep’s
coriander, green onions and preserves, jams and drinks head is a great delicacy,
dill are served and eaten known as kompot or sok. which may be served to
whole. In general, May is the best honoured guests in some
Breakfast (zaftrak in Rus- time for apricots, strawber- homes.
sian) Generally consists of ries and cherries, June for
tea or instant coffee, bread, peaches and July for grapes You can find Caspian
jam, some kind of eggs, and and figs. Melons ripen in late caviar and seafood dishes
maybe yoghurt, cream or summer, but are available as in top-end restaurants in Ka-
semolina. late as January. zakhstan. Dried and smoked
fish are sold near Issyk-Köl.
SNACKS Central Asians are fond of MILK PRODUCTS
Variations on the meat-and- dried fruits and nuts, partic- Central Asia is known for the
dough theme include: ularly apricots and apricot richness and delicacy of its
Manty (mantu) Steamed stones, which when cracked fermented dairy products,
dumplings, a favourite from open have a pith that tastes which use cow, sheep, goat,
Mongolia to Turkey. like pistachios. At any time camel or horse milk. The
Chuchvara (tushbera in of year you’ll find delicious milk itself is probably un-
Tajik; pelmeny in Russian) walnuts, peanuts, raisins pasteurised, but its cultured
A smaller boiled cousin of and almonds, plus great
jams (sea-buckthorn jam is

AN INVITATION TO EAT: HOSPITALITY DOS & DON’TS

Being invited home for a meal can be your best introduction to local customs as well as
to the best local cuisine. Don’t go expecting a quick bite. Your host is likely to take the
occasion very seriously. Uzbeks, for example, say mehmon otanda ulugh, ‘the guest is
greater than the father’.

¨¨It’s important to arrive with a gift. Something for the table (eg some fruit from the
market) will do. Better yet would be something for your hosts’ children or their parents,
preferably brought from your home country (eg postcards, badges, a picture book).

¨¨Traditionally, a host will honour an important guest by sacrificing a sheep for them.
During these occasions the guest is given the choicest cuts, such as the eyeball, brain or
meat from the right cheek of the animal. Try to ensure that your presence doesn’t
put your host under financial hardship. At least try to leave the choicest morsels for
others.

¨¨Pulling out your own food or offering to pay someone for their kindness is likely to
humiliate them. Some travellers hosted by very poor people have given a small cash gift
to the eldest child, saying that it’s ‘for sweets’.

¨¨You will likely be offered water for washing your hands. Dry your hands with the cloth
provided; shaking the water off your hands is said to be impolite.

¨¨The dastarkhan is the central cloth laid on the floor, which acts as the dining table.
Never put your foot on or step on this. Try to walk behind, not in front of people when
leaving your place and don’t step over any part of someone’s body. Try not to point the
sole of your shoe or foot at anyone as you sit on the floor.

467

derivatives are safe if kept wickedly tasty breakfast Drinks Directory A–Z Foo d
in hygienic conditions. Many item, that is wonderful with
doughs and batters incor- honey. Don’t drink the tap water.
porate sour milk products, Cheap bottled mineral water
giving them a tangy flavour. TURKISH FOOD is easy to find, but it’s nor-
Turkish restaurants are mally gassy and very mineral
The fresh yoghurt served popping up everywhere in tasting.
up to guests in the mountain Central Asia and most are
pastures of Kyrgyzstan and excellent value. Kebabs are Tins of cheap imported
Tajikistan will be the best popular, while patlıcan (au- instant coffee can be found
you’ve ever tasted. bergine) and dolma (stuffed everywhere; hot water
Suzma Strained yoghurt peppers) are the most com- (kipitok) is easy to drum up
creates this tart cottage or mon vegetable dishes. Des- from a hotel floor-lady or
cream cheese, used as a serts include baklava (light homestay.
garnish or added to soups. pastry covered in syrup) and
Ayran A salty yoghurt/ sütlaç (rice pudding). TEA
water mix; the Russian Pide Similar to a thin-crust Chay (choy to Uzbeks and
equivalent is called kefir. pizza. Tajiks; shay to Kazakhs) is
Katyk A thin, drinkable Lahmacun Cheaper, less drunk with reverence.
yoghurt. substantial version of a ¨¨Green tea (kok in Turkic
Kurut Dried suzma rolled pide. languages; zelyony in
into rock-hard marble-size Adana kebab Minced-meat Russian) is the favourite;
balls that have the half-life patties. locals claim it beats the heat
of uranium. Iskander kebab Thinly and unblocks you after too
Tvorog Russian speciality sliced mutton over bread, much greasy plov.
made from soured milk that with yoghurt and a rich ¨¨Black tea (kara in Turkic
is heated to curdle. This is tomato sauce – delicious! languages; chyorny chay
hung in cheesecloth over- Çaçık A light yoghurt, in Russian) is preferred in
night to strain off the whey. cucumber and mint dip that Samarkand and Urgench,
Similar to suzma. makes a great snack with and by most Russians.
Kaimak Pure sweet cream, lavash, a huge bread similar ¨¨Western Turkmen brew
skimmed from fresh milk to nan but lighter. tea with camel’s milk and
that has sat overnight. A Pamiris use goat’s milk.

¨¨Wait until you are told where to sit; honoured guests are often seated by Kyrgyz or
Kazakh hosts opposite the door (so as not to be disturbed by traffic through it, and
because that is the warmest seat in a yurt). Men (and foreign women guests) might eat
separately from the women and children of the family.

¨¨The meal might begin with a mumbled prayer, followed by tea. The host breaks
and distributes bread. After bread, nuts or sweets to ‘open the appetite’, business or
entertainment may begin.

¨¨The meal itself is something of a free-for-all. Food is served, and often eaten, from
common plates, with hands or big spoons. Pace yourself – eat too slowly and someone
may ask if you’re ill or unhappy; too eagerly and your plate will be immediately refilled.
Praise the cook early and often; your host will worry if you’re too quiet.

¨¨Devout Muslims consider the left hand unclean, and handling food with it at the
table, especially in a private home and with communal dishes, can be off-putting. At a
minimum, no one raises food to the lips with the left hand. Try to accept cups and plates
of food only with the right hand.

¨¨Bread is considered sacred in Central Asia. Don’t put it on the ground, turn it upside
down or throw it away (leave it on the table or floor cloth). If someone offers you tea in
passing and you don’t have time for it, they may offer you bread instead. It is polite to
break off a piece and eat it, followed by the amin. If you arrive with nan at a table, break it
up into several pieces for everyone to share.

¨¨If alcohol consumption is modest, the meal will end as it began, with tea and a prayer.

¨¨Don’t eat after the amin (p474). This signals thanks for and an end to the meal.

Directory A–Z Foo d468 available only in spring and of booze and gale-force
Kazakh tea is taken with summer, when mares are techno music or a variety
milk, salt and butter – the foaling, and takes around show. Even if there’s no
nomadic equivalent of fast three days to ferment. The music blasting when you
food – hot, tasty and high in milk is put into a chelek come in, the kind staff will
calories. (wooden bucket or barrel) most likely turn on (or turn
and churned with a wooden up) the beat, especially for
VODKA & BEER plunger called a bishkek the foreigners.
The Islamic injunction (from where that city de-
against alcohol has had little rives its name). The canteen (stolovaya)
obvious impact in ex-Soviet is the ordinary citizen’s eat-
Central Asia. Most Central Locals will tell you that ery – dreary but cheap, with
Asians enjoy a drink and, kumys cures anything from a limited choice of cutlets or
like the Russians who intro- a cold to TB but drinking lukewarm laghman.
duced them to vodka, take too much of it may give you
their toasts seriously. diarrhoea. The best kumys Certain old-town neigh-
comes from the herders bourhoods of Tashkent
Given the depth of Cen- themselves; the stuff avail- and Samarkand (both in
tral Asian hospitality it’s able in the cities is some- Uzbekistan) have home
impolite to refuse the initial times diluted with cow’s restaurants offering genuine
‘bottoms up’ (Russian – milk or water. home-style cuisine. There is
vashe zdarovye!), and/ rarely a sign; family mem-
or abstain from at least a Kazakhs and Kyrgyz also bers simply solicit custom-
symbolic sip at each toast. like a thick, yeasty, slightly ers on the street.
But there’s usually heavy fizzy concoction called TEAHOUSES
pressure to drain your glass bozo, made from boiled The chaikhana (teahouse;
every time – so as not to fermented millet or other transliterated as chaykhana
give offence, it is implied – grains. in Turkmen, chaykana in
and the pressure only in- Kyrgyz, choyhona in Uzbek
creases as everybody gets Turkmen, Kazakh and and Tajik, shaykhana in
loaded. The Russian phrase Karakalpak nomads like Kazakh) is male Central
chut chut may mean ‘a little shubat (fermented camel’s Asia’s essential socio-gas-
bit’, but when applied to a milk). An early morning tronomic institution, espe-
shot of vodka it generally glass of breakfast chal cially in Uzbekistan. Usually
gets translated as ‘up to (camel’s milk) in Turkmeni- shaded, often near a pool
the brim’. stan will wake you up faster or stream, it’s as much a
than a double espresso. men’s club as an eatery –
You’ll find a wide range although women, including
of Russian and European Where to Eat & Drink foreigners, are tolerated.
beers (pivo). St Petersburg’s
Baltika is the brew of choice Dining options include Traditional seating is on
and comes in a wide range streetside stalls and ca- a bedlike platform called
of numbers from 0 (nonal- fes, private restaurants, a tapchan, covered with a
coholic) to 9 (very strong). chaikhanas (teahouses) and, carpet and topped with a
Baltikas 3 and 6 are the best of all, private homes. low table. Take your shoes
most popular. off to sit on the platform,
A few midrange and or leave them on and hang
Popular local beers on top-end restaurants your feet over.
tap include Tian-Shansky, (meyramkhana in Kazakh SELF-CATERING
Shimkent (both Kazakh), and Kyrgyz; oshhona in Every sizeable town has a
Sim Sim (Dushanbe) and Uzbek) in bigger cities offer colourful bazaar (rynok in
Siberian Crown (Russian). interesting Central Asian, Russian) or farmers mar-
Kyrgyzstan has a growing Turkish, Chinese, Georgian, ket with hectares of fresh
range of small microbrewer- Korean or European dishes and dried fruit, vegetables,
ies, including Arpa, Nashe and earnest service. The oc- nuts, honey, cheese and
Pivo, Zhivoe, Hoff, Akademia casional Siberian salmon or bread. Private supermarkets
and Venskoye. Draught beer black caviar livens things up. across the region now sell
is advertised in Russian a decent range of European
as na razliy, razlivnoe or Beware menu prices in and Russian goods.
svezhee pivo (fresh beer). top-end restaurants, as they
are often given as per 100g, Korean and Dungan
KUMYS & OTHER not per serving (which is vendors sell spicy kimchi
AT TR ACTIONS more like 250g to 400g). (vegetable salads), a great
Kumys (properly kymys in In some restaurants main antidote for mutton over-
Kyrgyz; qymyz in Kazakh) dishes are just that and dose. Fresh honey on hot-
is fermented mare’s milk, a you’ll have to order gar- from-the-oven nan makes a
mildly (2% to 3%) alcoholic nishes like rice, potatoes or splendid breakfast.
drink appreciated by most vegetables separately.
Kazakhs and Kyrgyz. It’s
What most locals want
from a restaurant in the
evening is a night out – lots

469Directory A–Z Gay & Lesbian Travellers

TEA ETIQUETTE

Tea is the drink of hospitality, offered first to every guest, and almost always drunk from a
piala (small bowl). Bear the following tips in mind.
¨¨From a fresh pot, the first cup of tea is often poured away (to clean the piala) and then a
piala of tea is poured out and returned twice into the pot to brew the tea.
¨¨A cup filled only a little way up is a compliment, allowing your host to refill it often and
keep its contents warm (the offer of a full piala of tea is a subtle invitation that it’s time to
leave).
¨¨Pass and accept tea with the right hand; it’s extra polite to put the left hand over the
heart as you do this.
¨¨If your tea is too hot, don’t blow on it, but swirl it gently in the cup without spilling any. If
it has grown cold, your host will throw it away before refilling the cup.

Vegetarians & this is a reflection of Asian tral Asia, though you will find
Vegans culture rather than homosex- some restaurants closed dur-
uality. Whether you’re straight ing the day, reopening in the
Central Asia can be difficult or gay, it’s best to avoid public evening as families convene
for vegetarians; indeed the displays of affection. to break the day’s fast.
whole concept of vegetarian- ¨¨In Uzbekistan, Moulid an-Nabi (13 January
ism is unfathomable to most Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, 2014, 3 January 2015, 24
locals. Those determined to gay male sex is illegal, but December 2016) The birth-
avoid meat will need to visit lesbian sex does not seem to day of the Prophet Moham-
plenty of farmers markets. be illegal (it is seldom spoken med. A minor celebration
about). in Central Asia, though you
In restaurants, you’ll see ¨¨Kazakhstan and might notice mosques are a
lots of tomato and cucumber Kyrgyzstan have lifted little fuller.
salads. Laghman or soup the Soviet-era ban on Ramadan (28 June 2014,
may be ordered without homosexuality. 18 June 2015, 7 June 2016)
meat, but the broth is usu- ¨¨The website www.gay.kz Also known as Ramazan, the
ally meat-based. In private has information on gay life in month of sunrise-to-sunset
homes there is always bread, Kazakhstan, but in Russian fasting. Dates mark the
jams, salads, whole greens only. beginning of Ramadan.
and herbs on the table, and Eid al-Fitr (28 July 2014,
you should be able to put in a Holidays 18 July 2015, 7 July 2016)
word to your host in advance. Also called Ruza Hayit in
Even if you specifically ask Turkmenistan has some Uzbekistan and Orozo Ait
for vegetarian dishes you’ll particularly wacky holidays, in Kyrgyzstan. This involves
often discover the odd piece including Melon Day, Horse two or three days of celebra-
of meat snuck in some- Day and ‘A Drop of Water is a tions at the end of Ram-
where – after a while it all Grain of Gold’ Day. adan, with family visits, gifts,
seems a bit of a conspiracy. a great banquet (known as
The following Islamic Iftar) to break the fast and
‘Without meat’ is etsiz in holidays are observed lightly donations to the poor.
Turkmen; atsiz in Kazakh and in ex-Soviet Central Asia and Eid al-Azha (4 October
Kyrgyz; gushtsiz in Uzbek; are cultural, not public, holi- 2014, 23/24 September
and biz myasa in Russian. days. Dates are fixed by the 2015, 13 September 2016)
Islamic lunar calendar, which Also called Eid-e Qurban,
Gay & Lesbian is shorter than the Western Kurban Bayram, Qurban
Travellers solar calendar, beginning 10 Hayit or Kurban Ait in Cen-
to 11 days earlier in each tral Asia. This is the Feast
There is little obvious gay/ solar year. Dates given here of Sacrifice. Those who can
lesbian community in Cen- are approximate (within a afford it buy and slaughter
tral Asia, though there are a day or two). The holidays a goat or sheep, sharing the
couple of gay clubs in Almaty normally run from sunset to meat with relatives and with
(Kazakhstan). It’s not unusual the next sunset. the poor. This is also the
to see young women showing season for the haj (pilgrim-
affection towards each other, Ramadan is observed with age to Mecca).
nor is it uncommon to see little fanfare in most of Cen-
men holding hands. However,

Directory A–Z I n su r a n c e470

NAVRUS

By far the biggest Central Asian holiday is the spring festival of Navrus (‘New Days’; also
Nauryz in Kazakh, Novruz in Turkmen, Nooruz in Kyrgyz and Nauroz in Dari). Navrus
is an adaptation of pre-Islamic vernal equinox or renewal celebrations, celebrated ap-
proximately on the spring equinox, though now normally fixed on 21 March (22 March
in Kazakhstan). Navrus was being celebrated in Central Asia before Alexander the Great
passed through.

In Soviet times this was a private affair, even banned for a time, but it’s now an official
two-day festival, with traditional games, music and drama festivals, street art and colour-
ful fairs, plus partying, picnics and visiting of family and friends. Families traditionally pay
off debts before the start of the holiday.

The traditional Navrus dish, prepared only by women, is sumalak – wheat soaked in
water for three days until it sprouts, then ground, mixed with oil, flour and sugar, and
cooked on a low heat for 24 hours. To add to this, seven items, all beginning with the
Arabic sound ‘sh’, are laid on the dinner table during Navrus – sharob (wine), shir (milk),
shirinliklar (sweets), shakar (sugar), sharbat (sherbet), sham (a candle) and shona (a
new bud). The candles are a throwback to pre-Islamic traditions and the new bud sym-
bolises the renewal of life.

Insurance access is Turkmenistan. long language classes in
Most computers in the cities Russian.
Central Asia is an unpredict- are loaded with Skype and
able place so insurance is instant messaging software. In Dushanbe the Bactria
a good idea. A minimum of Centre (Map p318; %227 05
US$1 million medical cover Wi-fi is available in many 54; www.bactria.net; Tursun-
and a ‘medevac’ clause or midrange and top-end zoda 12a; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
policy is essential, as few hotels, especially in Kazakh- runs courses in Russian and
reliable emergency services stan and Uzbekistan (but Persian.
are available in the CIS. much less so in Turkmeni-
stan), but connections can American Councils
Some policies specifically be frustrating. You may find it (%202-833-7522; www.
exclude ‘dangerous activi- easier to bring a smart phone americancouncils.org; suite
ties’, which can include ski- and get a SIM card with a 700, 1776 Massachusetts
ing, motorcycling, and even data package. Ave NW, Washington, DC)
trekking or horse riding. If organises summer- and
these are on your agenda, You may find your key- year-long academic ex-
ask about an insurance board set to Cyrillic; pressing changes and language study
amendment to permit some ‘shift’ + ‘Alt’ should change programs in Central Asia.
of them (at a higher pre- the keyboard language from
mium). Cyrillic to English. Legal Matters

Few medical services in Language Visitors are subject to the
Central Asia will accept your Courses laws of the country they’re
foreign insurance docu- visiting. It’s unlikely that
ments for payment; you’ll The London School (Map you will ever actually be
have to pay on the spot and p240; %54 52 62; www. arrested, unless there are
claim later. Get receipts for londonschool.kg; Soviet supportable charges against
everything and save all the (Abdrakhmanov) 39; per hr you.
paperwork. 250som, registration basic/
intensive 300/1200som) in If you are arrested,
Internet Access Bishkek offers intensive authorities in the former
Kyrgyz or Russian language Soviet states are obliged
Internet access is widely tuition for travellers, with to inform your embassy
available throughout the re- both classroom and home- (pasolstvah in Russian)
gion; just look for a roomful stay environments. immediately and allow you
of pasty teenagers playing to communicate with a con-
games like Counterstrike. The Russian Center of sular official without delay.
The only place where you Science & Cuture (Map Most embassies will provide
can’t get reliable internet p234; %055-500 3976; www. a list of recommended
kgz.rs.gov.ru; Erkindik 2/1) in lawyers.
Bishkek also offers month-

471

Maps Money Black Market Directory A–Z M aps

Buy your general maps of The ’stans’ banking systems The existence of licensed
Central Asia before you have improved greatly in the moneychangers in every
leave home. For a search of last few years, with credit- town has done away with the
the available maps try www. card transactions, wire black market in all republics
stanfords.co.uk. transfers (particularly West- except Uzbekistan, where it
¨¨German publisher Reise ern Union) and regulated is very much alive (p223).
Know How (www.reise- foreign exchange available in
know-how.de) produces most towns. In the country- Cash
good and long-lasting side there are few facilities,
travel maps to Central so change enough cash to Cash in US dollars is by far
Asia (Zentralasien, get you back to a main city. the easiest to exchange,
1:700,000) and Kazakhstan followed by euros. Take a
(Kasachstan). If you plan to travel exten- mixture of denominations –
¨¨Central Asia (Gizimap, sively in the region, it’s worth larger notes (US$100,
1999) is a good 1:750,000 bringing a combination of US$50) get a better rate,
general elevation map of cash US dollars or euros (the but a cache of small ones
the region (plus Kashgar), latter particularly in Kazakh- (US$10, US$5) is handy
though it excludes northern stan) and a credit card or for when you’re at borders,
Kazakhstan and western two for the cities. stuck with a lousy exchange
Turkmenistan. It usefully rate or need to pay for serv-
marks many trekking In the convoluted border ices in US dollars. Cash is
routes. areas of the Fergana Valley particularly useful in Uzbek-
¨¨Central Asia – The you may need to carry sever- istan, due to the black
Cultural Travel Map along al currencies simultaneously. market. Most hotels in Turk-
the Silk Road (Elephanti) is menistan require payment in
a similar 1:1.5 million Italian Try to avoid large notes cash US dollars.
map, which concentrates in local currency (except to
on Uzbekistan and pay your hotel bills), since Make sure notes are in
Tajikistan. few people can spare much good condition – no worn or
¨¨Nelles’ 1:750,000 Central change. torn bills – and that they are
Asia map is also good. dated post-1994. Taxi drivers
¨¨Reliable, locally produced ATMs and market-sellers often fob
city and regional maps can off their own ragged foreign
be found in Kazakhstan and Most cities in ex-Soviet Cen- notes on tourists as change,
Kyrgyzstan, but are hard to tral Asia have ATMs (banko- so of course you should
find elsewhere. Especially mat) that accept Western refuse to accept old notes
in Uzbekistan, where many credit cards. Turkmenistan too. US$100 gives you a pile
street names have been has the fewest functioning of Uzbek som as thick as an
changed three or four times ATMs. airport paperback.
since independence, any
map older than a couple ATMs in Uzbekistan often Credit Cards
years will drive you crazy. give US dollars, which can
be useful. It’s an excellent idea to bring
a credit card, though you
It makes sense to get your shouldn’t rely on it com-
cash during working hours, pletely to finance your trip as
since the last thing you need there are still only a limited
is to watch your card get number of places where they
eaten alive by an Uzbek ATM. can be used. Kazakhstan
is the most useful place in
Some ATMs charge a
service fee of around 2%.

DOLLARS & SOMS

Prices in this book are sometimes given in US dollars or euros, when that is the most
reliable price denominator or if that’s the currency you’ll be quoted on the ground. Even
when a price is quoted in dollars you can normally pay in local currency (and technically
in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan you actually have to).

You may need cash in US dollars to pay for visas, registration and some services with
a private travel agency, though many of the latter now accept credit cards. Although
officially you cannot spend foreign currency anywhere in Uzbekistan, private hotels and
homestays normally accept US dollars and often give you change in local currency at
the market rate. Most other homestays and drivers expect payment in local money.

Directory A–Z Money472 ОБМЕН ВАЛЮТЫ (obmen declaration form or you
Central Asia to have a credit valyuty; currency exchange) won’t be able to cash them.
or debit card. and ОБМЕННЬІЙ ПУНКТ
Major credit cards can (obmenny punkt; exchange Security
be used for payment at point).
top-end hotels and restau- ATMs and travellers cheques
rants, central airline offices, Nearly all tourist hotels are becoming more common
major travel agencies and have bank-exchange desks, in Central Asia, but you may
a few shops throughout though double check the still end up carrying large
the region. Visa is the most rates. wads of cash.
widely recognised brand, but EXCHANGE RECEIPTS
others are accepted in most Whenever you change Don’t leave money in any
places, as are the Cirrus and money, ask for a receipt form lying around your hotel
Maestro systems. (kvitantsiya or spravka in room. Lock it deep in your
If you can’t find an ATM Russian) showing your name, luggage or carry it securely
to accept your card, it’s the date, the amounts in both zipped in a money belt, with
possible to get a cash ad- currencies, the exchange rate only what you’ll need that
vance against a Visa card or and an official signature. Not day accessible in an exterior
MasterCard in capitals for everyone will give you one, pocket, wallet or purse.
commissions of 1% to 3%. but if you need to resell local
You will need your PIN to currency through the banks When paying for anything
access the ATMs but not for (in Uzbekistan or Turkmeni- substantial (eg a hotel bill
a cash advance. Asking for stan) you may need enough or an expensive souvenir)
the ‘terminal’ (the hand-held receipts to cover what you or changing money on the
machine that processes the want to resell. You will not street at an exchange kiosk,
card transaction) indicates need a receipt to sell local count out the money before-
that you want a cash ad- currency into US dollars with hand, out of public sight;
vance. Always get a receipt, moneychangers in other don’t go fumbling in your
in case you are asked for countries. Customs officials money belt in full view. There
proof of changing money at may want to see exchange are tales of thieves targeting
customs or if there is any receipts at crossings to non- people coming out of banks
discrepancy when you get CIS countries but it’s unlikely. with fat cash advances, so
home. keep your eyes open.
Remember that by using Technically you can only
credit cards in Uzbekistan sell Uzbek som back at a Make sure you note the
you fail to make use of the main city office of the Nation- numbers of your cards and
black market. al Bank – not at the airport or travellers cheques and keep
the hotels, or the border. The the telephone numbers
International easiest thing, of course, is handy to call if they are lost
Transfers to spend it before you leave, or stolen – and keep all num-
change it to neighbouring bers separate from the cards
Money transfers are pos- currencies on the black mar- and cheques.
sible through major banks ket or swap it with travellers
in all capitals and through going the other way. Tipping & Bargaining
Western Union (www.
westernunion.com), which Travellers Cheques Tipping is common in Central
has partners in banks and Asian cities. Most cafes and
post offices everywhere and Travellers cheques can be restaurants in the capitals
remains the easiest way to cashed in the major Cen- add a 10% service charge
send money. Commissions tral Asian capitals (except to the bill, or expect you to
of 1% to 4% are typical. Dushanbe, Tajikistan) but round up the total.
it is becoming increasingly ¨¨Shops have fixed prices
Moneychangers difficult to do so, particularly but in markets (food, art
in Kazakhstan and Turkmeni- or souvenirs) bargaining is
Dealing with licensed stan. US-dollar travellers usually expected.
moneychangers is the cheques are the best cur- ¨¨Always negotiate when
easiest way to change cash rency to bring. Commissions arranging transport hire.
in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan run between 1% and 3%. It is ¨¨In Kyrgyzstan bargaining is
and Tajikistan. They are possible to get your money usually reserved only for taxi
found in small kiosks on in dollars instead of local drivers.
nearly every block, and currency, though the com- ¨¨In the markets asking
some will give a receipt if mission rate may be a little prices tend to be in a sane
you ask them; rates vary by different. proportion to the expected
1% to 2% at most. Licensed outcome. Sellers will be
changers are completely If visiting Uzbekistan you genuinely surprised if you
legal. Moneychangers are need to list your travellers reply to their ‘5000’ with
marked by signs such as cheques on your customs ‘1000’; they’re more likely

473

PRACTICALITIES Directory A–Z P h otog r ap h y & V i d eo

¨¨Video systems Central Asia has the same video system as Russia, ie Secam, which
is incompatible with Australia, most of Europe (apart from France and Greece) and the
USA.
¨¨Electricity The entire former USSR is nominally 220V at 50 cycles.
¨¨Newspapers and magazines Steppe Magazine (www.steppemagazine.com) is a glossy
and artsy twice-yearly magazine concentrating on Central Asia. It’s for sale sporadically
in Central Asia and the UK or by subscription.
¨¨Weights and measures Central Asia is metric. When you buy produce in markets
make sure you know whether the price is per piece (shtuk) or by the kilo.

expecting 3500, 4000 or The Russian for ‘may I the night should register you
4500 in the end. take a photograph?’ is fo- and give you a chit of paper.
¨¨The Russian word for tografirovat mozhno? (fa-ta- ¨¨Kyrgyzstan has ended the
‘discount’ is skidka. gruh-fee-ra-vut mozh-na?). need to register.
Bribery is a fact of life in The Dari equivalent is aks ¨¨In Kazakhstan tourists
Central Asia but try to avoid gerefti? who fly into the country
it where possible – it feeds are generally registered
the already-widespread Post automatically.
notion that travellers all just ¨¨Tourist-visa holders in
love throwing their money The postal systems of Cen- Tajikistan only need to
around, and makes it harder tral Asia are definitely not register if staying for over
for future travellers. In fact a for urgent items. A letter or 30 days.
combination of smiles (even postcard will probably take If you do need to register, the
if through gritted teeth) and two weeks or more to get place to go is OVIR. There’s
patient persistence can very outside the CIS. Kyrgyzstan one in every town, sometimes
often work better. and Kazakhstan are probably in each city district, function-
the most reliable places from ing as the eyes and ears of
Photography & where to send packages. the Ministry of the Interior’s
Video administration for policing
Central post offices are foreigners. Though it has a
Equipment the safest places to post local name in each republic
things. It can help to write (eg Koshi-Kon Politsiyasi
Memory cards for digital the destination country in in Kazakhstan, OPVR in
cameras are quite prevalent Cyrillic too. Tajikistan, IIB in Uzbekistan,
in Central Asia these days. UPVR in Kyrgyzstan), every-
Most internet cafes can burn If you have something that body still understands the
your photos onto a CD, as absolutely must get there, word OVIR. In some remote
long as the burner works. use an international courier areas where there is no OVIR
Electricity is quite reliable company. DHL (www.dhl.com) office you may have to reg-
for charging batteries, ex- and FedEx (www.fedex.com) ister at the passportny stol
cept in the remote Pamirs. have offices in major cities. (passport office).
Good quality batteries are
hard to find in rural areas. Express Mail Service Responsible
(EMS) is a priority mail Travel
Photographing & service offered by post of-
Filming People fices that ranks somewhere Tourism is still relatively
between normal post and new to Central Asia so try to
Most Central Asians are courier post. Prices are keep your impact as low as
happy to have their picture considerably cheaper than possible and create a good
taken, though you should courier services. precedent for those who
always ask first. You may follow you.
find people sensitive about Registration
you photographing women, One of the best ways to en-
especially in rural areas. This relic of the Soviet era sure your tourist dollars make
Women photographers may allows officials to keep tabs it to local communities is to
get away with it if they’ve on you once you’ve arrived. support community-based
established some rapport. ¨¨In Uzbekistan the hotel or
homestay in which you stay

Directory A–Z S af e T r av e l474 Alcohol

AMIN Whether it’s being poured
down your throat by a zeal-
After a meal or prayers, or sometimes when passing ous host, or driving others
a grave site, you might well see both men and women into states of pathological
bring their cupped hands together and pass them down melancholy, brotherly love
their face as if washing. This is the amin, a Muslim ges- or violent rage, alcohol can
ture of thanks, common throughout the region. give you a headache in more
ways than one. This is espe-
tourism projects, and engage Safe Travel cially true in economically
local services and guides depressed areas, where re-
whenever possible. Travel in Central Asia is a sentment hovers just below
delight for those who are the surface and young men
The following are a few ready for it, but a potential may grow abruptly violent.
tips: nightmare for the unpre-
¨¨Be respectful of Islamic pared. We get letters from Crime
traditions and don’t wear travellers chastising us for
singlets, shorts or short overplaying the hassles of If you’re the victim of a
skirts in rural areas or the travel in Central Asia, and crime, contact the militsia
Fergana Valley. an equal number describing (police), though you may
¨¨Don’t hand out sweets a litany of police hassles, get no help from them at all.
or pens to children on the violence and rip-offs. Most Get a report from them if
streets, as it encourages people have a problem- you hope to claim on insur-
begging. free trip but inexperienced ance for anything that was
¨¨Buy your snacks, travellers should travel with stolen, and contact your
cigarettes, bubble gum their radar up. closest embassy for a report
etc from the enterprising in English. If your passport
grannies trying to make ends Crime is minimal by is stolen, the police should
meet rather than from state- Western urban standards, also provide a letter to OVIR,
run stores. but visitors are tempting, which is essential for replac-
¨¨Don’t buy items made from high-profile targets. Central ing your visa.
endangered species, such as Asian officials and police
Marco Polo sheep and snow generally create more prob- Dealing with Officials
leopards. lems than they solve. Local
¨¨Don’t pay to take a photo and regional transport can The number of corrupt
of someone and don’t be unpredictable, uncom- officials on the take has
photograph someone if they fortable and occasionally decreased dramatically in
don’t want you to. If you unsafe. the last few years and most
agree to send someone a travellers make their way
photo, make sure you follow If you have an emergency through Central Asia without
through with it. or have your passport sto- a single run-in with the local
¨¨Discourage the use of len, you must immediately militsia.
scarce fuels such as firewood contact the nearest em-
and tersken (high-altitude bassy (which might be in a The strongest police
bush) in the eastern Pamirs. neighbouring republic, or presence is in Uzbekistan
¨¨If someone offers to put even Moscow). It will help (particularly in the Tashkent
you up for the night make if you have a photocopy of metro), followed by Turk-
sure you don’t put your host your passport to verify who menistan and Tajikistan,
under financial burden. Don’t you are. It’s a good idea to where there are police
let them sacrifice an animal register with your embassy checkpoints at most munici-
in your honour (common in upon arrival in Central Asia pal and provincial borders.
the Pamirs) and try to offer and to carry the telephone Take a long-distance taxi
money or a gift in return for numbers of your embassies ride anywhere in the region
your host’s hospitality. in the region. and you’ll likely see your
¨¨Don’t let your driver drive driver paying off traffic cops
too close to archaeological This information, all after being waived down by
sites and try to stick to about the headaches, is not an orange baton.
existing tracks when driving meant to put you off. Rath-
off road. er, it is intended to prepare It’s a near certainty that
you for the worst. Here’s you’ll meet a gendarme or
hoping you don’t run into two in Uzbekistan, though
any of these problems. most only want to see your
papers and know where
you’re going.

If you are approached by
the police, there are several
rules of thumb to bear in
mind:

475

¨¨Your best bet is to be the embassy of a friendly or hostels in Bishkek and Directory A–Z Solo Travellers
polite, firm and jovial. A country – for example the Osh (Kyrgyzstan), Almaty
forthright, friendly manner – UK if you’re from Australia or (Kazakhstan), Khorog
starting right out with an New Zealand. (Tajikistan) and the main
asalam aleykum (peace be ¨¨Make it harder for police towns in Uzbekistan.
with you) and a handshake on the take by speaking only
for whomever is in charge – in your own language. It’s generally not too dif-
may help to defuse a ¨¨If officers show signs ficult to find travellers to
potential shakedown, of force or violence, and share car-hire costs for the
whether you are male or provided they are not drunk, Torugart, Irkeshtam or Pamir
female. do not be afraid to make a Highway trips. Local travel
¨¨If someone refers to a scene – dishonest cops will agents and community
‘regulation’, ask to see it in dislike such exposure. tourism providers can often
writing. If you are dealing ¨¨Never sign anything, help link you up with other
with lower-level officers, especially if it’s in a language travellers or try a post on the
ask to see their nachalnik you don’t understand. You Thorn Tree (http://thorntree.
(superior). have the right not to sign lonelyplanet.com).
¨¨Ask to see a policeman’s anything without consular
ID and, if possible, get assistance. Travelling alone in Turk-
a written copy of the ID ¨¨Antinarcotics laws give menistan can be expensive.
number. Do not hand over the police powers to search Hotel rooms cost almost the
your passport unless you passengers at bus and train same whether you have one
see this ID. Even better, only stations. If you are searched, or two people in your party
hand over a photocopy of never let the police put their and if you are on a tourist
your passport; claim that hands in your pockets – take visa you’ll have to bear the
your passport is at your everything out yourself and burden of hiring a guide for
hotel or embassy. turn your pockets inside out. yourself.
¨¨Try to avoid being taken ¨¨If police officers want to
somewhere out of the see your money (to check Telephone
public eye, eg into an office for counterfeit bills) try to
or into the shadows. The take it out only in front of International Calls
objective of most detentions the highest-ranking officer.
of Westerners is simply to If any is taken insist on a Private communication
extort money, and by means written receipt for it. centres or (in Tajikistan and
of intimidation rather than ¨¨If you have to pay a fine, Kazakhstan) prepaid inter-
violence. If you’re prepared insist that you do so at a net phone (IP) cards cost a
to pull out a paperback bank and get a receipt for fraction of a conventional in-
and wait them out, most the full amount. ternational phone call (from
inquisitors on the make will around US$0.10 per minute)
eventually give up. Solo Travellers and the quality is usually
¨¨If you are detained at as good as through the old
a police station, insist on There isn’t a huge traveller Soviet-era landlines.
calling the duty officer at scene in Central Asia but
your embassy or consulate. you’ll meet other travellers In smaller towns you
If your country has no in backpacker guesthouses place international calls (as
diplomatic representative well as local and intercity
in the country you’re in, call ones) from the central tele-
phone and telegraph offices.
You tell a clerk the number
and prepay in local currency.
After a wait of anything from

GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ADVICE

The following government websites offer travel advisories and information on current
hot spots.
¨¨Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (%02-6261 3305; www.smartraveller.gov.au)
Register online at www.orao.dfat.gov.au.
¨¨British Foreign Office (%0845-850 2829; www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice)
¨¨Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs (%1-800-267 6788; www.travel.gc.ca)
¨¨US State Department (%1-888-407 4747; http://travel.state.gov) Register online at
https://travelregistration.state.gov.

Directory A–Z To i l e ts476 900/1800 MHz frequencies. successors, most of which
half a minute to several European phones generally are useless to independent
hours, you’re called to a share these frequencies but travellers. You are almost
booth. Hotel operators also most US mobile phones use always better off with a local
place calls, but for a hefty 850/1900 frequencies so community-based tourism
surcharge. International you will probably need an project.
calls in the region generally unlocked quadband Ameri-
cost between US$0.50 and can phone if you want to That said, there are useful
US$2 per minute. use it in Central Asia. Alter- tourist information centres
Calls between CIS coun- natively just buy a cheap in Almaty in Kazakhstan,
tries are now treated as phone on arrival. at Khorog and Murgab in
international calls, though Tajikistan, in Khiva and
they have a different rate. Toilets Samarkand in Uzbekistan
Thus to call Uzbekistan and also at Karakol in Kyr-
from, say, Kyrgyzstan, Public toilets are as scarce gyzstan. In remote areas
you would need to dial as hen’s teeth. Those that local NGOs can often offer
Kyrgyzstan’s international you can find, eg in parks, advice on accommodation,
access code, the Uzbek and bus and train stations, transport and ecotourism
country code, then the charge a small fee to use initiatives.
Uzbek city code. their squatters. Most toilets
are awful, the rest are worse. Volunteering
Local Calls You are always better off
sticking to top-end hotels The US Peace Corps has a
Placing a local or trunk call and restaurants or shopping presence in Tajikistan and
on Central Asia’s telephone malls. Turkmenistan. The UK Volun-
systems is usually harder tary Service Overseas (VSO)
than placing an international Carry a small torch for operates in Tajikistan.
one, which is one reason rural restaurant toilets,
most locals use mobile which rarely have function- Volunteers headed to
phones. None of the old ing lights, and for trips out Central Asia should read the
Soviet-era token-operated to the pit toilet. Always following books:
telephones work any more carry an emergency stash of ¨¨Taxi to Tashkent: Two
but entrepreneurs often fill toilet paper. Years with the Peace Corps
the gap in the market by set- in Uzbekistan by Tom
ting up a telephone on a very Out in the jailoos (pas- Fleming.
long extension cable (pay tures) of Kyrgyzstan and ¨¨Chai Budesh? Anyone for
cash to the small Uzbek boy Tajikistan there are often no Tea? by Joan Heron, which
seated by the phone). Some toilets at all. You’ll have to is subtitled A Peace Corps
shops have a phone avail- go for a hike, find a rock or Memoir of Turkmenistan.
able for calls. Kazakhstan use the cover of darkness. ¨¨This Is Not Civilization by
has card-operated phones. Always urinate at least 50m Robert Rosenberg. A novel
Local calls are free from from a water source (and chronicling the travails of a
many hotels. downstream!) and dig a hole Peace Corps volunteer that
and burn the paper after is partly set in Kyrgyzstan.
Mobile Phones defecating. ¨¨Revolution Baby by Saffia
Farr. An account of three
Several Central Asian com- Toilet paper is sold every- years of expat life raising a
panies have roaming agree- where, though tissues are baby in Kyrgyzstan.
ments with foreign providers. a better bet than the indus- Volunteer opportunities ex-
Local calls and texts with a trial strength sandpaper ist at Habitat Kyrgyzstan
local SIM card cost pennies. that is ex-Soviet toilet paper. Foundation (www.habitat.el
You will probably need a The wastepaper basket in cat.kg) and the Sworde-
copy of your passport to buy the loo is for used paper and Teppa (www.sworde-teppa.org.
a SIM card and may need a tampons (wrapped in toilet uk) organisation in Kurgon-
local’s help. paper). teppa in southern Tajikistan.
Some travellers have helped
SIM cards are easy to get Before bursting in, check out at community-based tour-
in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan for the signs ‘Ж’ (Russian: ism projects in Kyrgyzstan.
and Tajikistan, hard to get zhenski) for women or ‘M’
as a foreigner in Uzbekistan (muzhskoy) for men. The American organisation
and available only from one CDC Development Solu-
location in Turkmenistan. Tourist tions (www.cdcdevelopment
Beeline (www.beeline.ru) is Information solutions.org) sometimes
a good general choice for has a need for volunteers
most of the region and Bitel Intourist, the old Soviet in its Central Asian tourism
is another decent option in travel bureau, gave birth projects.
Kyrgyzstan. to a litter of Central Asian

Note that Central Asian
mobile phones work on

477

Women Travellers Keen sensibilities and a outside the cities. Everyone Directory A–Z W om e n T r av e l l e r s
few staunch rules of thumb loves to have their children
Despite the imposition of can make a solo journey cooed over and doing so
Soviet economic ‘equality’, rewarding: will gain you friends as well
attitudes in the Central ¨¨Clothes do matter: a as unique experiences.
Asian republics remain fairly modest dress code is You may well see a side of
male-dominated. Many local essential (even if local Central Asia hidden to male
men cannot understand why Russian women don’t seem travellers.
women would travel without to have one).
men, and assume they have ¨¨Never follow any man – Work
ulterior sexual motives. even an official – into a
Although harassment is not private area. If one insists There aren’t many casual
on the same level as in some on seeing your passport, work opportunities in the
Middle Eastern countries, it hand over a photocopy; if he region. What work is avail-
tends to be more physical. pushes you to follow him, able is probably limited to
Macho Uzbekistan tops the walk away into a busy area. English teaching and aid
list, with Kyrgyzstan by far ¨¨When riding in shared work, both of which are best
the least sexist. taxis choose one that arranged prior to your ar-
already has other female rival in the region.
Both men and women passengers.
should seek permission ¨¨Sit at the front of the bus, You may find teaching
before entering a mosque, preferably between two positions in the region’s
particularly during prayer women, if you can. universities, particularly the
times when non-Muslims ¨¨If you feel as though following:
will feel uncomfortable. you are being followed American University in
Women are generally not or harassed, seek the Bishkek (www.auca.kg)
allowed in mosques in company of a group of Samarkand State In-
Tajikistan and the Fergana women; most matronly stitute of Foreign Lan-
Valley. Most mosques in types will automatically take guages (www.sifl.50megs.
cities and the major tourist you under their wing. com)
areas are open to all. ¨¨Some local men will University of Central
honestly want to befriend Asia (www.ucentralasia.
In bigger cities there is no and help you; if you are org) Planned campuses in
taboo on unaccompanied unsure and have a difficult Khorog (Tajikistan), Naryn
local women talking to male time shaking them, mention (Kyrgyzstan) and Tekeli
visitors in public. Local men your husband even if he’s (Kazakhstan).
addressed by a woman in imaginary. For those with a TEFL or
a couple direct their reply CELTA certificate, the
to the man, out of a sense But it isn’t all bad! The London School (www.
of respect. Local women opportunities for genuine thelondonschool.org/en) in
tend not to shake hands cross-cultural woman-to- Bishkek offers teaching
or lead in conversations. woman interactions can posts for a minimum of six
Because most local women generally be had during months for the academic
don’t drink in public, female homestays, and usually year, or four months for the
visitors may not be offered summer.
a shot of the vodka or wine
doing the rounds.

478 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Transport

GETTING THERE and two warm-weather Air
& AWAY routes from Kashgar to Kyr-
gyzstan, over the Torugart The region’s main air links
Getting to Central Asia is or Irkeshtam passes. to the ‘outside’ are through
half the fun, whether its part the main cities of Almaty
of an overland Silk Road Finally there are the (Kazakhstan), Bishkek
trip or crossing formerly offbeat and somewhat (Kyrgyzstan), Tashkent
forbidden border posts. Air unreliable journeys from (Uzbekistan), Ashgabat
connections are improv- Baku (Azerbaijan), across (Turkmenistan) and, to a
ing steadily throughout the Caspian Sea by ferry lesser extent, Dushanbe
the region, with Tashkent to Turkmenbashi (Turk- (Tajikistan) and Astana
(Uzbekistan) and Almaty menistan) or alternatively to (Kazakhstan). Tiny Osh
(Kazakhstan) the main hubs, Aktau in Kazakhstan. (Kyrgyzstan) even has a
though discounted fares can couple of interesting inter-
be hard to track down. This section deals with national connections.
travel in and out of Central
The long-distance rail Asia, including advice for A few cities in Kazakhstan
connections are mostly with getting around the region. have international links to
Mother Russia – from Mos- For general advice on border Europe, and cities in all re-
cow or the Trans-Siberian crossings see p35, and for publics have connections to
Railway to Tashkent, Almaty, specific border crossings Commonwealth of Independ-
Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) and see the Getting There & ent States (CIS) countries,
Astana (Kazakhstan). The Away section of the relevant especially Russia.
only other external rail link is country chapte
the Silk Road train between Of the many routes in,
Astana/Almaty and Ürümqi Entering Central two handy corridors are
in China, with onward rail Asia via Turkey (thanks to the
connections from there. geopolitics of the future)
Entering Central Asia can and via Russia (thanks to
The other main overland be a bit daunting. Many the geopolitics of the past).
links are three roads from flights arrive in the middle Turkish Airlines has the best
China – one accessible year- of the night, officials can connections and in-flight
round via Ürümqi to Almaty, be unhelpful and you may service but is at the higher
have to battle a scrum of end of the fare scale, while
DEPARTURE TAX taxi drivers once you exit Russian and Central Asian
the terminal. That said, im- carriers have the most
Departure taxes are migration formalities are connections. Turkey also
figured into your air increasingly streamlined and has the advantage of a full
ticket so you won’t face you shouldn’t face any major house of Central Asian em-
any extra charges when issues as long as your docu- bassies and airline offices.
you fly out of Central ments are in order. Moscow has four airports
Asia. Turkmenistan is and connections can be
odd as usual, with an In Uzbekistan its particu- inconvenient.
arrival tax of around larly important to make sure
US$14. you fill out your customs Airports
form accurately, claiming all
cash and travellers cheques Almaty International
that you are bringing into the Airport (%727-270 33 33;
country. www.almatyairport.com) A

479

useful gateway to both flies Kostanay to Hanover; International airlines that fly Transport Air
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan flies Aktau to İstanbul. into Central Asia:
(Bishkek is just three hours Aeroflot (www.aeroflot.ru;
by road). Kyrgyzstan Air Company airline code SU; hub
Ashgabat International (AC) (www.air.kg; airline Sheremetyevo-2, Moscow) To
Airport Less well con- code QH; hub Bishkek) Flies Tashkent and Bishkek four
nected, most reliably by to Moscow, Delhi, Dubai, times weekly.
Lufthansa and Turkish Tashkent, Ürümqi and other Air Arabia (www.airarabia.
Airlines. A new airport is cur- Russian destinations. com; airline code G9; hub
rently under construction, Somon Air (www.somonair. Sharjah) To Almaty.
scheduled to open in 2016. com; airline code 4J; hub Dush- AirBaltic (www.airbaltic.com;
Astana International anbe) Flies to Almaty, Dubai, airline code BT; hub Riga) To
Airport (%7172-70 29 99; Frankfurt, İstanbul, Moscow, Tashkent thrice weekly.
www.astanaairport.kz) Has a Novosibirsk, St Petersburg, Asiana Airlines (www.fly
range of international flights. Sochi and Ürümqi. asiana.com; airline code OZ;
Bishkek Manas Tajik Air (www.tajikair.tj; hub Kimpo Airport, Seoul)
International Airport airline code 7J; hub Dushanbe) To Tashkent and Almaty.
(www.airport.kg) Kyrgyzstan’s Flies to Delhi, İstanbul, Austrian Airlines (www.
main hub with relatively Kabul, Moscow, Sharjah, austrian.com; airline code OS;
inexpensive international Sochi, St Petersburg, Tehran, hub Vienna) To Astana.
connections Ürümqi, Bishkek, Almaty and Azerbaijan Airlines (www.
Dushanbe International various Siberian cities. azal.az; airline code AHY;
Airport (%37-449 44 75; hub Baku) To Aktau.
www.airport.tj) The least Turkmenistan Airlines British Airways (www.
connected, with most people (www.turkmenairlines.com; britishairways.com; airline
using Turkish Airlines. The airline code T5; hub Ashgabat) code BA; hub London
airport is being upgraded Flies to Abu Dhabi, Almaty, Heathrow) To Almaty thrice
and plans are afoot to build Amritsar, Bangkok, Beijing, weekly.
a new airport. Birmingham, Delhi, Dubai, China Southern (www.
Tashkent International Frankfurt, İstanbul, Kiev, csair.com/en, www.flychina
Airport (%71-140 28 01; London, Moscow and St southern.com; airline code CZ;
www.uzairways.com) Possibly Petersburg. hub Guangzhou) Ürümqi to
the most central airport Uzbekistan Airways (www. Almaty, Ashgabat, Astana,
in Eurasia and the busi- uzairways.com; airline code HY; Dushanbe, Tashkent and
est airport in Central Asia. hub Tashkent) Flies to Amrit- Bishkek.
More flights go to Tashkent sar, Baku, Bangkok, Beijing, Czech Airlines (www.czech
than to any other city in the Delhi, Dubai, Frankfurt, airlines.com; airline code OK;
region. Geneva, Islamabad, İstanbul, hub Prague) To Almaty and
Kiev, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, Tashkent.
Airlines London, Madrid, Milan, Mos- Etihad Airways (www.etihad
cow, New York, Paris, Riga, airways.com; airline code
The following are the main Rome, Seoul, Sharjah, Tel EY; hub Abu Dhabi) Daily to
Central Asian airlines, of Aviv, Tokyo, Ürümqi and sev- Almaty and four weekly to
which Uzbekistan Airways eral Russian cities; as well Astana.
and Air Astana are the best: as Astana, Almaty, Ashgabat Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com;
and Bishkek. airline code FZ; hub Dubai) To
Air Astana (www.airastana. Ashgabat, Bishkek, Dush-
com; airline code KC; hub Smaller Central Asian airlines anbe and Osh.
Almaty) Flies Almaty to Abu with regional flights include: Hainan Airlines (www.hnair.
Dhabi, Amsterdam, Baku, Air Bishkek (www.airishkek. com, www.hainanair.us; airline
Bishkek, Bangkok, Beijing, kg; airline code KR; hub code HU; hub Beijing) To
Delhi, Dushanbe, Frankfurt, Bishkek) Flies to Moscow, Almaty.
Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Seoul and Ürümqi, plus Osh Iran Air (www.iranair.com;
Kong, İstanbul, Kiev, Kuala to Moscow. airline code IR; hub Tehran) To
Lumpur, London, Moscow, Tashkent.
Novosibirsk, Prague, Seoul, Avia Traffic Company Iran Aseman (www.iaa.ir;
St Petersburg, Tashkent, (www.aero.kg; airline code YK; airline code EP; hub Tehran)
Tbilisi and Ürümqi; flies hub Bishkek) From Bishkek From Tehran and Mashhad
Astana to Abu Dhabi, Baku, to Dushanbe, Moscow and to Dushanbe.
Beijing, Bishkek, Frankfurt, St Petersburg; From Osh to Kam Air (www.flykamair.com;
İstanbul, Kiev, London, Mos- Moscow, St Petersburg and airline code RQ; hub Kabul) To
cow, Novosibirsk, St Peters- Ürümqi. Dushanbe.
burg, Tashkent, Ürümqi and SCAT (www.scat.kz; airline
Yekaterinburg; flies Atyrau code DV; hubs Almaty, Astana,
to Amsterdam and İstanbul; Shymkent) Kazakh airline flies
to Baku, İstanbul, Kiev, Mos-
cow, Tbilisi and Yerevan.

Transport Air480 Ukraine International improper papers back home
Airlines (www.flyuia.com; and are fined, so check-in
KLM (www.klm.com; airline airline code PS; hub Kiev) To staff tend to act like immigra-
code KL; hub Schiphol Airport, Almaty, Astana and Bishkek. tion officers.
Amsterdam) Five weekly to
Almaty. Tickets If you have made arrange-
Korean Air (www.koreanair. ments to get a visa on ar-
com; airline code KE; hub Finding flights to Central rival, have your LOI handy at
Seoul) To Tashkent four Asia isn’t always easy, as check-in and check with the
times weekly. travel agents are generally airline beforehand.
Lufthansa (www.lufthansa. unaware of the region and
com; airline code LH; hub Frank- many don’t book flights on Airline Safety
furt) To Almaty, Astana and Russian or Central Asian
Ashgabat (via Baku). airlines. Aeroflot, the former Soviet
Pegasus Airlines (www. ¨¨Contact the airlines state airline, was decentral-
flypgs.com; airline code PC; directly for schedules and ised into around 400 splinter
hub İstanbul Gokcen) Budget contact details of their airlines and many of these
Turkish airline flying to consolidators, or sales ‘baby-flots’ now have the
Almaty and Bishkek. agents, who often sell the worst regional safety record
airlines’ tickets cheaper than in the world, due to poor
Rossiya Russian Airlines the airlines themselves. maintenance, ageing aircraft
(www.rossiya-airlines.com; ¨¨Consider paying a little and gross overloading.
airline code FV; hub St Peters- extra for a reliable airline
burg) To Almaty, Astana, such as KLM or Turkish In general though, the
Dushanbe, Karaganda, Kho- Airlines, rather than a main Central Asian carriers
jand, Samarkand, Tashkent, cash-strapped one such as have lifted their services
Urgench and Bishkek, plus Tajik Air. towards international safety
maybe Namangan, Fergana ¨¨Always check how many standards, at least on inter-
and Osh. stopovers there are, how national routes.
Sibir (S7) Airlines (www. long these are and what ¨¨In 1993 a Tajik Air Yak-40
s7.ru; airline code S7; hub time the flight arrives: many crashed on take-off from
Novosibirsk) Novosibirsk airlines arrive in the dead Khorog; it had 81 passengers
to Almaty, Bishkek, Dush- of night. in its 28 seats.
anbe, Fergana, Shymkent, ¨¨Specialist agencies like ¨¨In 1997 another Tajik Air
Tashkent; flies Moscow to www.alternativeairlines. plane crashed in Sharjah,
Ashgabat, Khojand, Osh, com can often book Central killing 85 passengers.
Pavlodar, Urgench and Ust- Asian airline tickets when ¨¨In 2004 an Uzbekistan
Kamenogorsk. others can’t. Airways Yak-42 crashed in
Transaero (www.transaero. Termiz killing 37 passengers.
ru; airline code UN; hub Visa Checks ¨¨In 2013 21 passengers died
Domodedovo Airport, when a SCAT Airlines flight
Moscow) To Almaty, Astana, You can buy air tickets with- from Kokshetau to Almaty
Atyrau, Aktau, Karaganda, out a visa but in most places crashed during low visibility.
Kostanay, Shymkent, Uralsk, outside Central Asia you will
Tashkent and Bukhara. have trouble getting on a Most Kazakh airlines (except
Turkish Airlines (www. plane without one (with the Air Astana) and all Kyrgyz
turkishairlines.com; airline code exception of Kyrgyzstan). airlines are currently banned
TK; hub İstanbul) To Tashkent, from flying into EU airspace.
Ashgabat, Almaty, Astana, Airlines are obliged to fly See www.airsafe.com/
Bishkek, Dushanbe and Osh. anyone rejected because of events/airlines/fsu.htm for

CLIMATE CHANGE & TRAVEL

Every form of transport that relies on carbon-based fuel generates CO2, the main cause of
human-induced climate change. Modern travel is dependent on aeroplaces, which might
use less fuel per kilometre per person than most cars but travel much greater distances.
The altitude at which aircraft emit gases (including CO2) and particles also contributes to
their climate change impact. Many websites offer ‘carbon calculators’ that allow people to
estimate the carbon emissions generated by their journey and, for those who wish to do
so, to offset the impact of the greenhouse gases emitted with contributions to portfolios
of climate-friendly initiatives throughout the world. Lonely Planet offsets the carbon foot-
print of all staff and author travel.

481

an overview of recent air connections are with Turk- the international Terminal Transport Air
accidents in the former ish Airlines, via İstanbul. F (Sheremetyevo-2), and
Soviet Union. Air Astana offers some of newly renovated terminals C,
the better fares to Almaty/ D and E.
From Asia Astana, from Amsterdam
and Frankfurt, or try KLM At the time of research
From Beijing there are twice and Ukraine International Aeroflot (Terminals D or F)
weekly flights to Tashkent (via Kiev). and Air Astana (Terminal E)
on Uzbekistan Airways, five operated from Shereme-
weekly to Almaty and Astana Somon Air has a direct tyevo, while Transaero, Tajik
on Air Astana and a couple Frankfurt–Dushanbe flight, Air, Turkmenistan Airways,
per week to Ashgabat on costing around €400/640 SCAT, S7, Uzbekistan Air-
Turkmenistan Airlines. one way/return. ways, Somon Air and Kyr-
gyzstan Air Company used
Ürümqi in China’s Xinjiang From Russia Domodedovo airport.
province has between two
and seven flights a week Budget airlines like easyJet You will need to get a Rus-
to/from Almaty, Tashkent, and Germanwings fly to sian transit visa in advance if
Bishkek, Osh, Dushanbe Moscow, making it a decent you have to transfer between
and Ashgabat. One-way travel option if you are pinch- airports and you should
prices are between US$250 ing pennies or want to travel budget at least four or five
and US$350. To Astana it’s overland by train. Remember hours to negotiate Moscow’s
US$450. to figure in the cost of a crazy traffic.
visa and transfer between
Bangkok, Hong Kong, airports in Moscow when Travel agencies in Mos-
Delhi and Seoul also have comparing costs. cow include Unifest Travel
useful connections into (%495-234 6555; http://
Central Asia. There are daily flights unifest.ru/en.html; Komsomol-
from Moscow to most Cen- sky prospekt 16/2) for rail and
From Australia & tral Asian cities, including air tickets and Central Asia
New Zealand Almaty, Tashkent, Dushanbe, packages, affiliated with the
Khojand (weekly), Ashgabat, Travellers Guest House.
Most flights to Central Asia Bishkek, Osh and many
go via Seoul (to pick up Kazakh cities. One-way From Turkey & the
Asiana or Korean Air flights fares range from US$220 to Caucasus
to Tashkent and Almaty or US$300. There are slightly
Air Astana to Almaty), Kuala fewer connections from St Turkish Airlines flies from
Lumpur (for Uzbekistan Petersburg. Major Siberian İstanbul to Almaty (daily),
Airways to Tashkent, Air cities such as Novosibirsk Astana (two to four weekly),
Astana to Almaty), Bang- also have connections to the Bishkek (daily), Dushanbe
kok (Uzbekistan Airways Central Asia capitals. (twice weekly), Tashkent
to Tashkent, Air Astana to (five weekly) and Ashgabat
Almaty or Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Airways flies (daily). The various republics’
Airlines to Ashgabat) or from Moscow to Samarkand, national airlines also fly once
İstanbul. Bukhara, Urgench, Termiz, or twice a week.
Andijon and several others
Sample routes include several times weekly for There are also cheap
Sydney to Tashkent on around US$230. Aeroflot fly flights from İstanbul’s small-
Malaysia Airlines and from Moscow to Tashkent er Sabiha Gökçen airport to
Uzbekistan Airways via and Bishkek. Bishkek with Turkish budget
Kuala Lumpur, and Sydney airline Pegasus.
to Almaty via Seoul on Transaero (%495-788
Asiana or Korean Air. China 8080; http://transaero.ru/ Alternatively you could
Southern is often among en; 18/1 Sadovaya-Spasskaya, fly from İstanbul or Trabzon
the cheapest options, via Moscow) is an international- to Baku, take the ferry to
Guangzhou and Beijing. Al- grade airline that flies from Turkmenbashi and a 12-hour
maty is generally a cheaper Moscow Domodedovo to train ride across the desert
option than Tashkent, with Astana, Almaty, Tashkent, to Ashgabat.
fares starting at around Bukhara and several other
A$1500. For Dushanbe and cities in Kazakhstan, and has One-way flights to İstanbul
Bishkek you’ll probably have connections to European cost around US$400 from
to go via İstanbul. destinations. most Central Asian capitals.

From Continental Note that Moscow has two Air Astana flies from Baku
Europe main international airports: to Almaty and Astana and
Sheremetyevo (www.svo. from Tbilisi to Almaty. There
The best fares from Europe aero/en) and Domodedovo are also flights from Baku,
to Central Asia are with Air- (www.domodedovo.ru/en/). Tbilisi and Yerevan to Aktau
Baltic via Riga to Tashkent, Sheremetyevo is itself divid- two to three times weekly.
though the best range of ed into several terminals: Ter- Uzbekistan Airways makes
minal B (Sheremetyevo-1), the connection from Baku to
Tashkent.

Tr ansport B us & C a r482 or Tashkent via Seoul on (Y440 to Y460, 24 hours,
Asiana or Korean Air. daily) and Yining (Y250,
From the UK 12 hours, daily) to Almaty.
From New York, the best Fares from Almaty cost
The best return summer return fares to Central Asia from US$50/30 to Ürümqi/
fares to Tashkent are around are with Turkish Airlines Yining. You can also take
£500 with Uzbekistan Air- to Almaty/Tashkent for local buses and shared taxis
ways (direct), or a bit more US$800/1200 return. Fares to and from the border at
with Turkish Airlines or Air are a bit more expensive Khorgos.
Baltic. to Ashgabat with Turk-
ish Airlines or Lufthansa. There are also direct bus-
The cheapest flights to Flights from the west coast es from Ust–Kamenogorsk
Bishkek are currently with are around US$500 more (US$60, 28 hours, twice
the budget Turkish airline expensive. weekly) and Semey (US$67,
Pegasus Airlines, which has 32 hours, three weekly) in
fares as low £300 return Uzbekistan Airways Kazakhstan to Ürümqi.
from London Stansted. Be (%201-489 3954) flies from
aware that Pegasus have New York (JFK airport) to To/From Russia
a reputation for losing Tashkent (via Riga) once a
travellers luggage and that week, an 18-hour flight. On completion in 2015, the
transfers at İstanbul’s Sabiha new ‘Western Europe–West-
Gökçen can be time-consum- East Site (%877-800 ern China’ highway will offer
ing. Check also about cheap 6287; www.east-site.com) the easiest driving option
flights to Osh with Turkish sometimes offer discounted from European Russia into
Airlines. Central Asian fares, including Central Asia via Kazakhstan.
on Uzbekistan Airways. The route runs from St Pe-
Fares to Almaty are tersburg to Moscow, Kazan
about £500 return on Turk- Bus & Car and Orenburg, then across
ish Airlines via İstanbul or Kazakhstan to Almaty and
Transaero via Moscow. KLM To/From China into China at Khorgos. For
and Lufthansa are also good details see p135.
options. British Airways or From China there are one or
Air Astana’s direct flights two sleeper buses a week Although driving a car or
from London to Almaty can (Monday and probably motorbike is an excellent
be good value. Thursday) from Kashgar way to get around Central
to Osh (Y580, 21 hours) in Asia, bringing your own
The best flights to Ash- Kyrgyzstan via the Irkesh- vehicle is fraught with prac-
gabat are with Lufthansa or tam Pass. It’s also possible tical problems. Fuel supply
Turkish Airlines. A cheaper to take a series of minibuses is uneven, though modern
but harder-to-book option and taxis, or hire a car. petrol stations are springing
is Turkmenistan Airlines up throughout the region.
(%Birmingham 0121-558 6363, Kashgar agencies such Prices per litre swing wildly
London 020-8577 2211; fax 8577 as Kashgar Tours (www. depending on supply. Petrol
9900), which flies two times kashgartours.com), Old Road comes in four grades – 76,
a week to Ashgabat from Tours (www.oldroadtours. 93, 95 and 98 octane. In the
London and also four times com) and Kashgar Guide countryside you’ll see petrol
a week from Birmingham. (www.kashgarguide.com) can cowboys selling plastic bot-
Most passengers are headed arrange transport to the tles of fuel from the side of
either to/from Amritsar. For Torugart and Irkeshtam the road, often of very poor
cheap fares contact Amrit- passes. quality.
sar Travel (www.ashgabat
flights.com). Foreigners are still not The biggest problem is
allowed to take the twice- the traffic police (Russian,
The best way to Dushanbe weekly bus between Kash- GAI). Tajikistan’s roads have
is on Turkish Airlines via gar and Bishkek, via Naryn almost as many checkpoints
İstanbul but you’ll have to and the Torugart Pass. as potholes. In Uzbekistan
be lucky to get a discounted Mandatory pre-arranged and Kazakhstan there are
fare. vehicle hire and permits for police skulking at every cor-
four people from Kashgar ner, most looking for excuses
From USA & Canada to Naryn costs around to wave their orange baton
US$320 from Kashgar to and hit drivers (local or oth-
From North America you the border, plus an extra erwise) with a ‘fine’ (straf).
generally have the choice of US$120 from the Torugart There are no motoring asso-
routing your trip via İstanbul to Naryn. Thus figure on ciations of any kind.
(Turkish Airlines), Riga (Air around US$220/120 per
Baltic), Moscow (Aeroflot) or person in a group of two/ The state insurance of-
a major European city (KLM, four from Kashgar to Naryn. fices, splinters of the old
British Airways, Lufthansa Soviet agency Ingosstrakh,
etc). Stopovers can be Further north, direct have no overseas offices
lengthy. From the west coast buses also run from Ürümqi
it’s possible to fly to Almaty

483Transport Train

CLASSES ON RUSSIAN & CENTRAL ASIAN TRAINS

A deluxe sleeping carriage is called spets-vagon (SV, Russian for ‘special carriage’, abbre-
viated to CB in Cyrillic); some call this spalny vagon or ‘sleeping carriage’, myagky (soft)
or 1st class. Closed compartments have carpets and upholstered seats, and convert to
comfortable sleeping compartments for two.

An ordinary sleeping carriage is called kupeyny or kupe (which is Russian for compart-
mentalised), zhyostky (hard) or 2nd class. Closed compartments are usually four-person
couchettes and are comfortable.

A platskartny (reserved-place) or 3rd-class carriage has open-bunk (also known as
hard sleeper) accommodation. Obshchy (general) or 4th class is unreserved bench-type
seating.

With a reservation, your ticket normally shows the numbers of your carriage (vagon)
and seat (mesto). Class may be shown by what looks like a fraction: eg 1/2 is 1st class
two berth, 2/4 is 2nd class four berth.

that we know of, and your and Kyzylorda to Tashkent POPULAR ROUTES
own insurance is most un- (3369km), with branch Train connections between
likely to be valid in Central lines to Bishkek and Almaty Russia and Central Asia have
Asia. You would probably (4057km). thinned out in recent years
have to arrange insurance ¨¨From Moscow south of but are still a favourite of
anew at each border. the Aral Sea via Volgograd, migrant workers, tourists and
Atyrau, Kungrad, Uchquduk, drug smugglers. The follow-
Readers have recom- Navoi and Samarkand to ing are the most popular fast
mended Campbell Irvine Tashkent, with a branch line trains from Moscow:
(www.cambellirvine.com) as to Dushanbe. Tashkent (Nos 5/6, three
one company in the UK that ¨¨Turkestan–Siberian weekly, 66 hours)
can often arrange overland railway or ‘Turksib’ (see Almaty (Nos 7/8, every
vehicle insurance. www.turksib.com for other day, 80 hours)
timetables) linking the Astana (Nos 71/72 and
Many Kazakh cities have Trans-Siberian Railway at 83/84, daily, 55 hours)
motorbike clubs which will Novosibirsk with Almaty. Bishkek (Nos 17/18 and
often welcome foreign bik- 27/28, five weekly, 76 hours)
ers – and in some cases Several other lines enter Trains out of Moscow have
drivers. northern Kazakhstan from even numbers; those return-
Russia and meet at Astana, ing have odd numbers.
Almaty is easily the best from where a line heads
place in Central Asia for south to Karaganda and Other offbeat connections
getting motorbike repairs Almaty. include the St Petersburg–
done. The website www. Astana (every four days) and
horizonsunlimited.com is a Most trains bound for Saratov–Nukus–Tashkent
good resource for bikers. Central Asia depart from (twice weekly) routes. There
Moscow’s Kazan (Kazansky) are other, slower connections
If you are thinking of station. Europe dissolves but you could grow old and
driving out to Central Asia, into Asia as you sleep, and die on them.
then consider doing it for morning unveils a vast pan-
charity as part of the Roof orama of the Kazakh steppe. FARES
of the World Rally (http:// These days kupe fares be-
roofoftheworld.charityrallies. You will need to check tween Moscow and Central
org) or Tajik Rally (http:// visa requirements care- Asia cost about the same
adventure-manufactory.com/ fully. Trains from Moscow as a flight; only platzkartny
en/tajik/tajik-home). to Tashkent demand a fares are cheaper than flying.
Kazakh transit visa and Typical fares for a 2nd/3rd-
Train trains between Russia and class (kupeyny/platzkartny)
Kazakhstan might require a berth are as follows:
To/From Russia multiple-entry Russian visa. ¨¨Moscow–Tashkent
Trains to/from Dushanbe US$495/300
There are three main rail are impractical because you ¨¨Moscow–Almaty
routes into Central Asia from will need a Kazakh, multiple- US$330/205
Russia: entry Uzbek and possibly
¨¨From Moscow via Samara even a Turkmen visa.
or Saratov, straight across
Kazakhstan via Aktobe

484

Tr ansport S ea SILK ROAD BY RAIL

Silk Road romantics, train buffs and nervous flyers can cross continents without once
having to fasten their seatbelt or turn off their mobile phones. The ‘iron Silk Roads’ to
Central Asia don’t have quite the romance or the laid-back feel of the Trans-Siberian
Railway, but they allow Eurasia to unfold gradually, as you clank through endless plains,
steppe and desert.

From Moscow (or even St Petersburg) you can watch Europe turn to Asia on the three-
day, 4000km train trip to Tashkent or Almaty. From here you can add on any number of
side trips to Samarkand, Bukhara or even Urgench (for Khiva), the last two of which are
on spur lines. Then from Almaty it’s possible to continue on the train to Ürümqi in China
and even to Kashgar or Hotan.

From Ürümqi you can continue along the Silk Road by train east as far as Beijing, Hong
Kong or even Lhasa or Saigon, making for an epic transcontinental ride. It’s not always
comfortable and it will take some time, so why do it? Because like Everest, it’s there.

¨¨Moscow–Astana soft sleeper in Ürümqi or sible way to enter and leave
US$295/180 US$125/195 in Almaty. Soft Central Asia.
¨¨Moscow–Bishkek sleepers are only available
US$320/205 on the Kazakh train (departs There are also irregular
Almaty on Sunday and cargo boats every week or
ONLINE RESOURCES Ürümqi on Tuesday). Book 10 days between Baku and
For a useful overview of trains at least a few days Aktau (US$55 to US$75,
international trains to/from ahead. 24 hours) in Kazakhstan.
Central Asia see www.seat61. One of these ferries sunk in
com/silkroute.htm. There is also a less reli- October 2002, killing all 51
able weekly Astana–Ürümqi people aboard.
For online timetables service (US$130, 39 hours). ¨¨For the Baku–
and fares, try the following Turkmenbashi boat, once
websites: To/From Iran on board you’ll likely
¨¨www.poezda.net/en be offered a cabin by a
¨¨https://poezda.gdbilet.ru From the Caspian Sea a rail crewmember, for which you
¨¨http://pass.rzd.ru/main- line crosses Turkmenistan will pay around US$50.
pass/public/en along the Trans-Caspian ¨¨The best cabins have
route. No international private bathrooms and
PURCHASING TICKETS trains currently run to or are comfortable, although
To buy tickets from Moscow from Turkmenistan, though some can be cockroach
try Way to Russia (www. there are several future pos- infested.
waytorussia.net), Real Russia sibilities. ¨¨Boats leave around
(www.realrussia.co.uk/trains) four times a week in both
or G&R International (www. A line connects Mash- directions, but there is no
hostels.ru). had in Iran with Ashgabat in timetable. You’ll simply
Turkmenistan, but no pas- have to arrive and wait until
To/From China senger trains run along this the ship is full of cargo.
line at present. ¨¨Leave a couple of days
Completed in 1992, after (longer for Aktau) left
being delayed almost half a A new railway between on your visa in case the
century by Russian–Chinese Bereket in western Turk- boats are delayed, which is
geopolitics, is a line from menistan and Gorgan in common. Some travellers
China via Ürümqi to Almaty northeast Iran is under con- have found themselves
and Astana in Kazakhstan, struction, with a second line waiting for a couple of days
joining the Turksib for con- from Bereket to Zhanaozen to dock in Turkmenbashi,
nections on to Siberia. (Uzen) in western Kaza- using up valuable time in
khstan. If and when passen- their fixed-date visa.
The 1363km Silk Road ger services start, this could ¨¨Stock up on food and
train between Ürümqi and be a wacky option across water beforehand, as there
Almaty leaves twice a week Turkmenistan between Iran is little or no food available
and takes about 32 hours, and Kazakhstan. on board. Crossings can
which includes several end up taking 32 hours or
hours at the border for cus- Sea longer.
toms checks and to change
bogies. Sleeper tickets The Baku (Azerbaijan) to
cost Y804/1225 for hard/ Turkmenbashi ‘ferry’ route
(US$100, 12 to 18 hours)
across the Caspian is a pos-

485

GETTING standards on their domestic ¨¨Domestic and inter- Transport Air
AROUND routes. republic services are
no-frills; you might get a
Flying is the least interest- Apart from the national warm glass of Coke if you
ing and arguably the least Central Asian airlines, there are lucky. For long flights
safe mode of transport in are a couple of domestic consider packing lunch.
Central Asia, but to some airlines, such as Kaza- ¨¨There are no Dushanbe–
destinations and in some khstan’s SCAT (www.scat. Tashkent services. Major
seasons it’s the only sen- kz) and Bekair (www.bekair. internal connections still
sible alternative. Trains are com); Kyrgyzstan’s Air run daily.
slow, crowded and generally Bishkek (www.airbishkek. ¨¨Flights between the
not very convenient outside kg), Sky Bishkek (www. biggest cities generally
Kazakhstan. Buses are the skybishkek.kg) and Avia stick to their schedules, but
most frequent and conven- Traffic (www.aero.kg); and those serving smaller towns
ient way to get between Tajikistan’s East Air (www. are sometimes delayed
towns cheaply, though eastair.tj). Unless you are or cancelled without
trips can be cramped and really counting the pennies explanation.
vehicles are prone to break- all of these except SCAT are ¨¨Routes and individual
downs. The best option in generally best avoided. flights are constantly being
many areas is a car: shared ¨¨Flights are particularly cancelled or reintroduced.
taxis or private drivers are good value in Turkmenistan, The only sure way to find
often willing to zip you be- where a domestic flight out what’s flying is to ask at
tween cities for little more costs around US$20, but an air booking office.
than a bus fare. you’ll have to book them a ¨¨Tickets for Central
month or more in advance. Asian airlines are most
Air ¨¨You generally have to easily purchased from
pay for air tickets in local private travel agents
Flying saves time and takes currency (there’s often an (aviakassa). You’ll often
the tedium out of Central exchange booth nearby), need your passport and
Asia’s long distances. The though you can pay in US visa. Many booking offices
Central Asian airlines have dollars in Kyrgyzstan. Some have a special window for
some way to go before airline offices and travel international flights.
meeting international safety agencies accept credit
cards, especially those in
Kazakhstan.

JIGSAW BORDERS

When Stalin drew the borders between the different republics in 1924 no one really
expected them to become international boundaries. Areas were portioned off on the
map according to the whims and horse-trading of Party leaders, without much regard to
the reality on the ground. As these crazy jigsaw borders solidify throughout post-Soviet
Central Asia, many towns and enclaves are finding themselves isolated, as the once
complex web of regional ties shrinks behind new borderlines.

The Fergana Valley has been particularly affected. Buses no longer run from central
Uzbekistan into the Fergana Valley along the natural route via Khojand (in Tajikistan) but
rather take the mountain road from Tashkent over the Kamchik Pass (plans are afoot to
build a train line along the same route). Travellers (and locals) may find it tricky to get to
more remote areas or trekking bases by public transport.

Trains are not immune to these border shenanigans, as many lines cross into neigh-
bouring republics. Trains between Dushanbe and Khojand (both in Tajikistan) route via
Uzbekistan (twice) and Turkmenistan, making the line impractical to foreign travellers.
Trains running from Aktobe to Uralsk, and Semey to Ust-Kamenogorsk (all in Kaza-
khstan), pass through Russian territory and foreigners are either not allowed on these
trains or may be asked for a Russian visa.

Some problems are short-lived as new transport connections spring up across the
region. Uzbekistan has built a railway line to Urgench and Nukus bypassing Turkmeni-
stan and roads have sprung up in Kyrgyz parts of the Fergana Valley to avoid Uzbek
border guards. But these are just a few of the thousands of ties that bind the ex-Soviet
republics to one another and to Russia, and disentangling them will take decades.

Tr ansport B us486 timetable (or no departure Tashkent–Samarkand–
¨¨Air Astana has useful at all if there aren’t enough Bukhara) are fast and fairly
online booking for both passengers to satisfy the well maintained. A new mo-
international and domestic driver), and will stop any- torway between Almaty and
flights. where along the route. They Astana is due to be com-
¨¨Seating is a bit of a free- can be clapped-out heaps pleted by 2017.
for-all (there are often no or spiffy new Toyota or
assigned seats), especially Chinese-made minivans. Mountain roads (ie most
if the flight is overbooked. roads in Kyrgyzstan and
To minimise the risk of loss Keep in mind that you’re Tajikistan) can be blocked
or theft, consider carrying at the mercy of the driver as with snow in winter and
everything on board. he picks up cargo here and plagued by landslides in
¨¨Helicopter flights were there, loading it all around spring.
once popular in the Tian the passengers, picks up a
Shan and Pamir ranges but few friends, gets petrol, fixes Hire
rising fuel costs have made a leaky petrol tank, runs
most services prohibitively some errands, repairs the Almaty and Astana have
expensive (around US$1300 engine, loads more crates a Europcar franchise and
per hour for a chopper). right up to the ceiling – and Bishkek has a local car-rent-
Maintenance is also patchy; then stops every half-hour to al company. Travel agencies
avoid them except in fill the radiator with water. can hire you out a Mercedes
summer and go only if the or 4WD, but you are almost
weather is absolutely clear. Bus Stations & always better off hiring a taxi
Tickets for the day.
Bus
Most cities have a main Hiring a car unlocks some
This is the best bet for get- intercity bus station (avto- of Central Asia’s best moun-
ting between towns cheaply, vokzal in Russian, avtobekat tain scenery and is well
if there are no shared taxis. in Kyrgyz and Uzbek, avto- worth it, despite the cost.
The major transport cor- beket in Kazakh, and istgo- ¨¨Community-based
ridors are served by big mush in Tajik) and may also tourism organisations and
long-distance coaches (often have regional bus stations travel agencies hire 4WDs
reconditioned German or (sometimes several) serving for driving through the more
Turkish vehicles), which run local towns. remote areas of Kyrgyzstan,
on fixed routes and sched- Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.
ules, with fixed stops. They’re Try to pick buses originat- ¨¨Travel agencies have
relatively problem-free and ing from where you are, ena- better vehicles but are more
moderately comfortable, bling you to buy tickets as expensive.
with windows that open and much as a day in advance. ¨¨CBT in Kyrgyzstan
sometimes with reclining Tickets for through buses charges between US$0.28
seats. Luggage is locked originating in a different city and US$0.38 per km.
safely away below. Journey may not be sold until they ¨¨Drivers in Tajikistan’s
times depend on road con- arrive, amid anxious scram- eastern Pamirs charge
ditions but are somewhat bles. At a pinch you could between US$0.50 and
longer than a fast train. try paying the driver directly US$0.95 per kilometre for a
for a place. Russian 4WD.
Regional buses are a lot ¨¨Long-distance taxi hire in
less comfortable and a bit Most large bus stations Turkmenistan works out to
more…interesting. Break- have police who some- around US$0.10 per km.
downs are common. They times create headaches for
are also used extensively foreigners by demanding Taxi
by small-time traders to documents. Be wary of any
shift their goods around the policeman who approaches There are two main ways of
region, and you could gradu- you at a bus station. Long- travelling by car in Central
ally become surrounded by distance bus stations are, Asia if you don’t have your
boxes, bags, and both live in general, low-life magnets, own vehicle: ordinary taxi or
and dead animals. rarely pleasant after dark. shared taxi.
Disregard most bus-station
Private minibuses, gen- timetables. ORDINARY TAXI
erally called marshrutka One way to travel is to hire
(Russian for fixed-route Car an entire taxi for a special
vehicle), are a bit more ex- route. This is handy for
pensive, always faster, and Driving a car is an excellent reaching off-the-beaten-
usually more hair-raising. way to get around Central track places, where bus
They generally have fixed Asia and it needn’t be connections are hit-and-
fares and routes but no fixed expensive. Main highways miss or nonexistent, such as
between capitals and big Song-Köl in Kyrgyzstan.
cities (eg Almaty–Bishkek–

487

TAXI TIPS Tr ansport H i tch i ng

¨¨Avoid taxis lurking outside tourist hotels – drivers charge far too much and get uppity
when you try to talk them down.
¨¨Never get into a taxi with more than one person in it, especially after dark; check the
back seat of the car for hidden friends too.
¨¨Keep your fare money in a separate pocket to avoid flashing large wads of cash.
¨¨Have a map to make it look like you know your route.
¨¨If you’re staying at a private residence, have the taxi stop at the corner nearest your
destination, not the specific address.

¨¨Select your driver with train, and are still very down wave, not an upturned
care, look over his car (we affordable. thumb) and most drivers
took one in Kyrgyzstan ¨¨Cars often wait for will expect you to pay for
whose exhaust fumes were passengers outside bus the ride.
funnelled through the back or train stations and some ¨¨When negotiating a
windows) and assess his have a sign in the window reasonable fare it helps to
sobriety before you set off. indicating where they are know the equivalent bus or
¨¨You’ll have to negotiate headed. shared-taxi fare.
a price before you set off. ¨¨Some fares are so cheap ¨¨Hitching to parks and
Along routes where there that two or three of you scenic spots is generally
are also shared taxis, can buy all four seats and much easier on the
ordinary taxis are four stretch out. Otherwise weekends but you’ll lose
times the shared taxi per- smaller cars can be a little some of the solitude at
person fare. cramped. these times.
¨¨Make sure everyone is ¨¨The most common car ¨¨Normal security rules
clear which route you will be is the Russian Zhiguli, apply when trying to
taking, how long you want fast being replaced by arrange a lift; don’t hitch
the driver to wait at a site modern Daewoo models alone, avoid flagging down
and if there are any toll or such as the Nexia (the cars at night and try to
entry fees to be paid. most comfortable) and the size up your driver (and his
¨¨You can work out smaller and cheaper Tico, sobriety) before getting in.
approximate costs by both made in Central Asia.
working out the return ¨¨The front seat is always Local Transport
kilometre distance; assume the one to aim for; only
the average consumption of lemons get the middle back Most sizeable towns have
cars is around 12 litres per seat. public buses, and some-
100km and then multiply ¨¨Shared taxis are times electric trolleybuses.
the number of litres needed particularly useful in Tashkent and Almaty have a
by the per litre petrol cost Kyrgyzstan along certain metro system.
(constantly in flux). major routes such as ¨¨Transport is cheap by
¨¨Add to this a daily fee Bishkek–Almaty, Bishkek– Western standards, but
(anything from US$5 up to Osh, and Naryn–Bishkek. usually packed; at peak
the cost of the petrol) and a ¨¨Other useful routes hours it can take several
waiting fee of around US$1 are Bukhara–Urgench/ stops for those caught by
per hour. Khiva, Samarkand–Termiz, surprise to even work their
Dushanbe–Khojand and way to an exit.
SHARED TAXI Ashgabat–Mary. ¨¨Public transport in
Shared taxi is the other smaller towns tends to melt
main form of car travel Hitching away soon after dark.
around Central Asia, where-
by a taxi or private car does In Central Asia there is Bus, Trolleybus &
a regular run between two generally little distinction Tram
cities and charges a set rate between hitching and tak-
for each of the four seats ing a taxi. Anyone with a car Payment methods vary, but
in a car. will stop if you flag them the most common method is
down (with a low up-and- to pay the driver or conduc-
Cars are quicker and just tor cash on exit. Manoeuvre
as comfortable as a bus or

488

Transport Train TRAVEL AGENCIES & ORGANISED TOURS

There are lots of reliable travel agencies inside Central Asia who can help with the logis-
tics of travel in Central Asia – whether it be visas, a few excursions or an entire tailored
trip.

The following agencies outside the region can also arrange individual itineraries and/
or accommodation, tickets and visa support.

Australia
Passport Travel (%03-9500 0444; www.travelcentre.com.au; Level 1, 12-14 Glenferrie Rd,
Malvern) Silk Road by rail tours.
Russian Gateway Tours (%02-9745 3333; www.russian-gateway.com.au; 48 The Boulevarde,
Strathfield) Airfares to Central Asia, hotel bookings, homestays, visa invitations and air-
port transfers.
Sundowners Overland (%03-9672 5300; www.sundownersoverland.com; Level 1, 51 Queen
St, Melbourne) Small-group and independent tours into Central Asia.

The UK
Regent Holidays (%0845-277 3317; www.regent-holidays.co.uk; Froomsgate House, Rupert St,
Bristol) Offers tours, and can cobble together an individual itinerary.
Scott’s Tours (%020-7383 5353; www.scottstours.co.uk; 141 Whitfield St, London, W1T 5EW)
Hotel bookings, visas and more.
Wild Frontiers (%020-7736 3968; www.wildfrontierstravel.co.uk) Tailor-made tours with an
emphasis on adventure.

The US
Mir Corporation (%1-800-424-7289; www.mircorp.com) Independent tours, homestays
and visa support with accommodation.
Red Star Travel (%206-522 5995; www.travel2russia.com; Suite 102, 123 Queen Anne Ave N,
Seattle) Organises tours, individual itineraries, accommodation, train tickets, visa support
with booking.

your way out by asking any- ¨¨Official taxis are more (sit down) or beckon you
one in the way, vykhodite? trustworthy, and sometimes in, but sort the fare out
(getting off?). cheaper – if you can find first. It helps a lot if you
one. They rarely have can negotiate the price in
Marshrutka meters so you’ll have to Russian, even more so in the
negotiate a fare in advance. local language.
A marshrutka, or marshrut- ¨¨Let a local friend negotiate ¨¨A typical fare across a
noe taxi (marsh-root-na-yuh a fare for you – they’ll do Central Asian capital is
tahk-see), is a minibus run- better than you will. around US$3. Fares go up at
ning along a fixed route. You ¨¨Unofficial taxis are often night and extra charges are
can get on at fixed stops private cars driven by incurred for bookings.
but can get off anywhere by people trying to cover their
saying ‘zdes pozhaluysta’ rising petrol costs. Anything Train
(zd-yes pa-zhal-stuh; here with a chequerboard logo in
please). Routes are hard to the window is a taxi. Kazakhstan and to a lesser
figure out and schedules er- ¨¨Stand at the side of the extent Uzbekistan are
ratic, and it’s usually easier road, extend your arm probably the only countries
to stick to other transport. and wait – as scores of where you’ll find yourself
Fares are just a little higher others around you will using the train system
than bus fares. probably be doing. When much. Travel in the sum-
someone stops, negotiate mertime is best done at
Taxi a destination and fare. The night.
driver may say ‘sadites’
There are two kinds of taxis:
officially licensed ones and
every other car on the road.

489

Connections Travel times are long but dorozhnaya kassa or Zh D Transport Train
fares are low. An overnight Kassa) where you can buy
¨¨Trains are useful to berth between Ashgabat train tickets for small or no
cover the vast distances and the Caspian Sea costs mark-up, without going to
in Kazakhstan. Certain less than US$3. the station. Many tourist
corridors, such as Almaty– ¨¨Elsewhere, connections hotels have rail-booking
Astana and Almaty– are drying up as fast as desks (including their own
Shymkent are well served the Aral Sea; few trains mark-up).
by three or four fast trains run to Dushanbe any more ¨¨If you can’t get a ticket for
a day. (those that do take a very a particular train, it’s worth
¨¨The Spanish-built, daily roundabout route and turning up anyway. No
Talgo train between Almaty multiple transit visas) and matter how full ticket clerks
and Astana takes 12½ there are no direct lines, for insist a train is, there always
hours, against up to 21 example, between Ashgabat seem to be spare kupeyny
hours for other trains, and and any other Central Asian (2nd-class or sleeping
costs about twice as much capitals. carriage) berths. Ask an
(US$80 in tourist class). ¨¨Trains to and from Russia attendant.
A new high-speed rail link can be used for getting ¨¨For services in
between the two cities is around Central Asia and Kazakhstan visit www.
due to be finished by 2017, may be faster but any train railways.kz.
reducing the journey time to originating far from where ¨¨For trains in Uzbekistan
just five hours. you are is likely to be filthy, see www.uzrailpass.uz.
¨¨The high-speed train from crowded and late by the ¨¨A few sample kupeyny
Tashkent to Samarkand time you board it. fares (one-way) from
(2¼ hours) is faster than Tashkent are US$30 to
the buses and features Tickets & Fares Urgench and US$20 to
airplane-style seats. Bukhara.
¨¨There’s also a useful Book at least two days ¨¨A seat on the daytime fast
overnight Tashkent– ahead for CIS connections, trains costs US$10/13 from
Bukhara run, with a soft if you can. You will probably Tashkent to Samarkand/
sleeper berth for around need to show your passport Bukhara (if converting
US$20. and visa. A few stations at black-market rates),
¨¨As an indication of journey have separate windows with a super-fast service
times, Urgench–Tashkent for advance bookings and to Samarkand/Bukhara
is 22 hours and Tashkent– for departures within 24 costing around US$15/30.
Almaty is 25 hours (three hours; the latter is generally ¨¨Fares from Almaty
weekly). the one with the heaving include Semey (US$30),
¨¨Turkmenistan has slow mob around it (beware Taraz (US$16) and Astana
but new trains running to of pickpockets). You may (US$20 or US$92 express).
most corners of the country. also find a city train-ticket
office (Russian: zhelezno-

490 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Health

Stomach and digestive heat. Most short-term trav- Insurance
problems are by far the els to the main tourist areas
most common health remain problem-free. Even if you are fit and
problems faced by visitors healthy, don’t travel without
to Central Asia. A diet of BEFORE YOU GO health insurance – acci-
mutton, bread and plov dents do happen. Declare
seems to induce diarrhoea If you take any regular any existing medical condi-
and constipation in equal medication, bring double tions you have – the insur-
measure! your needs in case of loss ance company will check if
or theft. In most Central your problem is pre-existing
Since independence, Asian countries you can buy and will not cover you if
health rates across the many medications over the it is undeclared. You may
region have dropped and counter without a doctor’s require extra cover for ad-
many diseases formerly prescription, but it can be venture activities such as
eradicated or controlled in difficult to find some of the rock climbing. If you’re un-
the time of the USSR, such newer drugs. insured, emergency evacu-
as tuberculosis (TB) and ation is expensive – bills of
diphtheria, have returned. Make sure you get your over US$100,000 are not
teeth checked before you uncommon.
Exposure to malaria, ra- travel – there are few good
bies and encephalitis is rare dentists in Central Asia Make sure you keep all
and depends largely upon as evidenced by the many documentation related to
the location and/or months golden-toothed smiles you’ll any medical expenses you
of travel. More common see. If you wear glasses incur.
during the searing summer take a spare pair and your
months is heat exhaustion, prescription.
so make sure you keep cool
and hydrated in the 35°C

INTERNET RESOURCES

There is a wealth of travel-health advice on the internet. It’s also a good idea to consult
your government’s travel-health website before departure, if one is available.
Australia (www.dfat.gov.au/travel)
Canada (www.travelhealth.gc.ca)
New Zealand (www.mfat.govt.nz/travel)
UK (www.doh.gov.uk/traveladvice)
USA (www.cdc.gov/travel)
Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com) Good basic health information.
World Health Organization (WHO; www.who.int/country) A superb book called
International Travel and Health is revised annually and is available online.
MD Travel Health (www.mdtravelhealth.com) Provides complete travel-health
recommendations for every country and is updated daily.

491

Medical Checklist Recommended Polio Only one booster is He alth M e d i c a l Ch ec k l i s t
Vaccinations required as an adult for
Recommended items for a lifetime protection.
personal medical kit: Specialised travel-medicine Typhoid Recommended un-
¨¨Antibacterial cream clinics are your best source less your trip is for less than
(eg mupirocin) of information on which a week. The vaccine offers
¨¨Antibiotics for vaccines you should have. around 70% protection,
diarrhoea (eg norfloxacin, Most vaccines don’t produce lasts for two to three years
ciprofloxacin or immunity until at least two and comes as a single shot.
azithromycin for bacterial weeks after they’re given, so Varicella If you haven’t
diarrhoea; tinidazole for visit a doctor four to eight had chickenpox discuss
giardiasis or amoebic weeks before departure. this vaccination with your
dysentery) doctor.
¨¨Antibiotics for skin The only vaccine required
infections (eg amoxicillin/ by international regulations The following immunisa-
clavulanate or cephalexin) is yellow fever. Proof of vac- tions are recommended for
¨¨Antifungal cream (eg cination will be required only long-term travellers (more
clotrimazole) if you have visited a country than one month) or those at
¨¨Antihistamine – there are in the yellow-fever zone special risk:
many options (eg cetirizine within the six days prior to Meningitis Recommended
for day and promethazine entering Kazakhstan. for long-term backpackers
for night) aged under 25.
¨¨Antiseptic (eg Betadine) Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan Rabies Side effects are rare
¨¨Antispasmodic for and Kyrgyzstan all require (headache and sore arm).
stomach cramps (eg HIV testing if staying more
Buscopan) than three months (two Tick-Borne Encephalitis
¨¨Decongestant (eg months for Uzbekistan). (Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan,
pseudoephedrine) Foreign tests are accepted Uzbekistan) Sore arm and
¨¨DEET-based insect under certain conditions, headache are the most
repellent but make sure you check common side effects.
¨¨Acetazolamide (Diamox) with the embassy of your
if going to high altitude destination before travelling. Further Reading
¨¨Elastoplasts, bandages,
gauze, thermometer The World Health Or- Lonely Planet’s Healthy
(but not mercury), sterile ganization recommends the Travel – Asia & India is a
needles and syringes, safety following vaccinations for handy pocket size and is
pins and tweezers travellers to Central Asia: packed with useful informa-
¨¨Ibuprofen or another anti- tion, including pre-trip plan-
inflammatory Adult Diphtheria & Teta- ning, emergency first aid,
¨¨Laxative nus Single booster rec- immunisation and disease
¨¨Oral rehydration ommended if none in the information, and what to do
solution for diarrhoea (eg previous 10 years. if you get sick on the road.
Gastrolyte), diarrhoea Hepatitis A Provides Other recommended refer-
‘stopper’ (eg loperamide) almost 100% protection ences include Traveller’s
and anti-nausea medication for up to a year; a booster Health by Dr Richard Da-
(eg prochlorperazine) after 12 months provides wood and Travelling Well by
¨¨Paracetamol at least another 20 years’ Dr Deborah Mills – check out
¨¨Steroid cream for protection. www.travellingwell.com.au.
allergic/itchy rashes (eg 1% Hepatitis B Now consid-
to 2% hydrocortisone) ered routine for most travel- IN CENTRAL
¨¨Thrush (vaginal yeast lers. Given as three shots ASIA
infection) treatment (eg over six months. A rapid
clotrimazole pessaries or schedule is also available, Availability of
Diflucan tablets) as is a combined vaccina- Health Care
¨¨Ural or equivalent if prone tion with hepatitis A. In 95%
to urinary tract infections of people lifetime protection Health care throughout
results. Central Asia is basic at best.
Any serious problems will
Measles, Mumps & Ru- require evacuation. Good
bella Two doses required clinics can provide basic care
unless you have had the and may be able to organise
diseases. Occasionally a
rash and flulike illness can
develop a week after receiv-
ing the vaccine. Many young
adults require a booster.

492 Health Infectious Dise ases contact. The long-term con- skin. Natural repellents
evacuation if necessary. In sequences can include liver such as citronella can be
Central Asia a pharmacist is cancer and cirrhosis. effective, but must be
known as an apoteka in Rus- applied more frequently
sian or dorikhana in Turkic. HIV than products containing
Clinics are widely known as DEET.
polikliniks. Risk: all countries. ¨¨Sleep under a mosquito
Self-treatment may be HIV is transmitted via net impregnated with
appropriate if your problem permethrin.
is minor (eg travellers’ diar- contaminated body fluids. ¨¨Choose accommodation
rhoea), you are carrying the Avoid unprotected sex, blood with screens and fans (if not
relevant medication and transfusions and injections air-conditioned).
you cannot attend a recom- (unless you can see a clean ¨¨Impregnate clothing with
mended clinic. It is always needle being used) in Cen- permethrin in high-risk
better to be assessed by a tral Asia. areas.
doctor than to rely on self- ¨¨Wear long sleeves and
treatment. Leishmaniasis trousers in light colours.
Buying medication over ¨¨Use mosquito coils.
the counter is not recom- Risk: Kazakhstan, Turkmeni- ¨¨Spray your room with
mended, as poorly stored stan, Uzbekistan. insect repellent before going
or out-of-date drugs are out for your evening meal.
common. This sandfly-borne para-
To find the nearest reli- site is very rare in travellers Rabies
able medical facility, contact but common in the local
your insurance company, population. There are two Risk: all countries.
your embassy or a top-end forms of leishmaniasis – Still a common problem in
hotel. one which only affects the
skin (causing a chronic most parts of Central Asia,
Infectious ulcer) and one affecting the this uniformly fatal disease
Diseases internal organs. Avoid sand- is spread by the bite or lick
fly bites by following insect of an infected animal – most
Brucellosis avoidance guidelines. commonly a dog. Having a
pre-travel vaccination (three
Risk: all countries. Malaria shots over a one month
Brucellosis is rare in period) means the postbite
Risk: southern Tajikistan, treatment is greatly simpli-
travellers but common in southeastern Turkmeni- fied. If an animal bites you,
the local population, and stan and far southern Uz- gently wash the wound with
is transmitted via unpas- bekistan; only present in the soap and water, and apply
teurised dairy products. warmer summer months iodine-based antiseptic. If
Common symptoms include (June to October). you are not vaccinated you
fever, chills, headache, loss will need to receive rabies
of appetite and joint pain. Two strategies should be immunoglobulin as soon as
combined to prevent malaria possible and seek medical
Hepatitis A – general mosquito/insect advice.
avoidance and antimalaria
Risk: all countries. medications. Before you Tuberculosis (TB)
A problem throughout the travel, it is essential you seek
medical advice on the right Risk: all countries.
region, this food- and water- medication and dosage. In Medical and aid workers,
borne virus infects the liver, general, Chloroquine is rec-
causing jaundice (yellow ommended for Turkmenistan and long-term travellers who
skin and eyes), nausea and and southern Uzbekistan. have significant contact with
lethargy. There is no specific Some resistance to Chloro- the local population should
treatment for hepatitis A, quine is reported in southern take precautions against TB.
you just need to allow time Tajikistan (mainly Khatlon Adults at risk are advised to
for the liver to heal. All travel- province), so get your doc- have pre- and post-travel TB
lers to Central Asia should be tor’s advice on whether to testing. The main symptoms
vaccinated. take Chloroquine, Larium are fever, cough, weight loss,
(Mefloquine), Doxycycline night sweats and tiredness.
Hepatitis B or Malarone. See the World
Malaria Risk Chart (www. Typhoid
Risk: all countries. iamat.org/pdf/world_ma-
The only sexually trans- laria_risk_chart.pdf) for Risk: all countries.
detailed information. This serious bacterial
mitted disease that can be
prevented by vaccination, To prevent mosquito infection is spread via food
hepatitis B is spread by bites, take the following and water. It results in a high
contact with infected body steps: and slowly progressive fever
fluids, including via sexual ¨¨Use a DEET-containing
insect repellent on exposed

and headache, and may be toms are similar to bacterial 493Health Environmental Ha z ards
accompanied by a dry cough diarrhoea, ie fever, bloody Crimean-Congo haemor-
and stomach pain. Be aware diarrhoea and generally rhagic fever is a severe viral
that vaccination is not 100% feeling unwell. You should illness characterised by the
effective so you must still always seek reliable medi- sudden onset of intense
be careful what you eat and cal care if you have blood in fever, headache, aching
drink. your diarrhoea. Treatment limbs, bleeding gums and
involves two drugs: tinida- sometimes a rash of red
Travellers’ Diarrhoea zole or metroniadzole to dots on the skin, a week or
kill the parasite in your gut, two after being bitten by an
Travellers’ diarrhoea is de- and a second drug to kill the infected tick. It’s a minor risk
fined as the passage of more cysts. If left untreated, com- for trekkers and campers in
than three watery bowel plications such as liver or Central Asia during the sum-
actions within 24 hours, plus gut abscesses can occur. mer months. Insect repellent
at least one other symp- will help keep the blighters
tom, such as fever, cramps, Giardiasis off you.
nausea, vomiting or feeling
generally unwell. It is by far Giardia is a parasite that Environmental
the most common problem is relatively common in Hazards
affecting travellers. travellers to Central Asia.
Symptoms include nausea, Altitude Sickness
Travellers’ diarrhoea is bloating, excess gas, fatigue
caused by a bacterium and, and intermittent diarrhoea. Altitude sickness is a partic-
in most cases, treatment ‘Eggy’ burps are often at- ular problem in high-altitude
consists of staying well tributed solely to giardia. regions of Kazakhstan, Kyr-
hydrated; rehydration solu- The parasite will eventually gyzstan and Tajikistan. With
tions are the best for this. It go away if left untreated, motorable roads (such as
responds promptly to treat- but this can take months. the Pamir Highway) climbing
ment with antibiotics such The treatment of choice is passes of over 4000m, it’s a
as norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin tinidazole; metronidazole is problem not just restricted
or azithromycin. Lopera- a second option. to trekkers.
mide is just a ‘stopper’ and
doesn’t get to the cause of Other Diseases Altitude sickness may
the problem. It can be help- develop in those who ascend
ful, for example, if you have Kazakhstan occasionally rapidly to altitudes greater
to go on a long bus ride. reports outbreaks of human than 2500m. Being physi-
Don’t take loperamide if you plague in the far west. One cally fit offers no protection.
have a fever, or blood in your fatal case of bubonic plague Risk increases with faster
stools. Seek medical atten- was recorded in Kyrgyzstan ascents, higher altitudes and
tion quickly if you do not in 2013. Outbreaks are often greater exertion. Symptoms
respond to an appropriate caused by eating diseased may include headaches,
antibiotic. meat but are also transmit- nausea, vomiting, dizziness,
ted by the bites of rodent malaise, insomnia and loss
Amoebic Dysentery and marmot fleas. of appetite. Severe cases
may be complicated by fluid
Amoebic dysentery is actu- In 2013 there were out- in the lungs or swelling of
ally rare in travellers but is breaks of anthrax in Kaza- the brain.
often misdiagnosed. Symp- khstan.

DRINKING WATER

¨¨Never drink tap water, especially in Karakalpakstan, Khorezm, Dushanbe and remoter
Kazakhstan.
¨¨Bottled water is generally safe – check the seal is intact at purchase.
¨¨Avoid ice.
¨¨Avoid fresh juices – they may have been watered down.
¨¨Boiling water is the most efficient method of purifying it.
¨¨The best chemical purifier is iodine. It should not be used by pregnant women or those
with thyroid problems.
¨¨Water filters should also filter out viruses. Ensure your filter has a chemical barrier
such as iodine and a small pore size, eg less than four microns.

494 Health Environmental Ha z ards The Murgab Ecotour- Insect Bites
To protect yourself ism Association (META)
(META; %Gulnara 93-519 18 Bedbugs don’t carry disease
against altitude sickness, 02; www.meta.tj; Osh 91; hcall but their bites are very itchy.
take 125mg or 250mg of ahead) in Tajikistan’s eastern They live in the cracks of
acetazolamide (Diamox) Pamirs has a hyperbaric furniture and walls, and then
twice or three times daily, chamber in case of altitude- migrate to the bed at night
starting 24 hours before related emergencies. to feed on you. You can treat
ascent and continuing for 48 the itch with an antihista-
hours after arrival at alti- Food mine.
tude. Possible side effects
include increased urinary Eating in restaurants is Ticks (kleshch in Russian)
volume, numbness, tingling, the biggest risk factor for are contracted after walk-
drowsiness, nausea, myopia contracting travellers’ diar- ing in rural areas. They are
and temporary impotence. rhoea. commonly found behind the
Acetazolamide should not ears, on the belly and in the
be given to pregnant women Ways to avoid it include armpits.
or anyone with a history of eating only freshly cooked
sulfa allergy. food, avoiding food that has If you have had a tick bite
been sitting around in buf- and experience symptoms
When travelling to high fets, and eating in busy res- such as a rash at the site
altitudes, avoid overexertion, taurants with a high turnover of the bite or elsewhere,
eat light meals, drink lots of of customers. Peel all fruit, fever or muscle aches, you
fluids and abstain from al- cook vegetables and soak should see a doctor. Doxy-
cohol. If your symptoms are salads in iodine water for at cycline prevents tick-borne
more than mild or don’t re- least 20 minutes. diseases.
solve promptly, see a doctor.

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 495

Language

In addition to the official languages of the Do you speak English? vi ga·va·ri·tye
Central Asian countries covered in this book – Вы говорите
Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen and Uzbek – по-английски? pa·an·gli·ski
the one language most useful for travellers in
these countries is still Russian, as you’ll find I don’t understand. ya nye pa·ni·ma·yu
that it’s the second language for most adults. Я не понимаю.

RUSSIAN Accommodation

Just read the coloured pronunciation guides Do you have У вас есть ...? u vas yest’ ...
given next to each Russian phrase in this a ... room?
section as if they were English, and you’ll
be understood. Note that the symbol kh is single одноместный ad·na·myest·nih
pronounced as the ‘ch’ in the Scottish loch, номер no·mir
zh as the ‘s’ in ‘pleasure’, r is rolled and the
apostrophe ( ’ ) indicates a slight y sound. The double номер с no·mir z
stressed syllables are indicated with italics. двуспальней dvu·spal’·nyey
кроватью kra·va·tyu

Basics How much is Сколько skol’·ka
it for ...? стоит за ...? sto·it za ...
Hello. zdrast·vuy·tye
Goodbye. Здравствуйте. da svi·da·nya a night ночь noch’
Excuse me. pras·ti·tye
До свидания. iz·vi·ni·tye two people двоих dva·ikh
Sorry. Простите. pa·zhal·sta
Please. spa·si·ba Eating & Drinking
Thank you. Извините. da/nyet
I’d like (the menu). ya bih khat·yel/
Yes./No. Пожалуйста. Я бы хотел/
хотела (меню). (m/f) khat·ye·la (min·yu)
Спасибо.
Да./Нет.

What’s your name? kak vas za·vut I don’t eat … ya nye yem …
Как вас зовут? mi·nya za·vut ... Я не ем …
My name is ...
Меня зовут ... Please bring the bill. pri·ni·sit·ye
Принесите,
pa·zhal·sta shot
пожалуйста счёт.

WANT MORE? Cheers! За здоровье! za zda·rov·ye

For in-depth language information restaurant ресторан ris·ta·ran
and handy phrases, check out Lonely
Planet’s Central Asia Phrasebook. You’ll Emergencies
find it at shop.lonelyplanet.com, or
you can buy Lonely Planet’s iPhone Help! Помогите! pa·ma·gi·tye
phrasebooks at the Apple App Store. pri·va·li·vai
Leave me Приваливай!
alone!

496

Numbers – Russian Does it stop at …? po·yist a·sta·nav·
Поезд останав- li·va·yit·sa v …
1 один a·din ливается в …?
dva
2 два tri Where is ...? gdye ...
3 три chi·ty·ri Где ...?
pyat’
4 четыре shest’ What’s the address? ka·koy a·dris
sem’ Какой адрес?
L ANGUAGE K A Z A K H 5 пять vo·sim’
de·vit’ Can you show me (on the map)?
6 шесть de·sit’ Покажите мне, pa·ka·zhih·tye mnye
sto пожалуйста (на карте). pa·zhal·sta (na kar·tye)
7 семь ty·sya·cha

8 восемь KAZAKH

9 девять Kazakh is a Turkic language. Since 1940 it
has been written in a version of the Cyrillic
10 десять alphabet. It’s the state language and is
spoken by 64% of the population. Russian
100 сто has the status of an official language and al-
most everyone speaks Russian. It is the first
1000 тысяча language for some urban Kazakhs, as well as
the large Russian minority (24% of the popu-
Call ...! Вызовите ...! vih·za·vi·tye ... lation). Street signs are either in Kazakh,
Russian or both. In our pronunciation guides,
a doctor врача vra·cha the symbol a is pronounced as in ‘man’, g as
the ‘gh’ in ‘ugh’, k as a guttural ‘k’, n as the ‘ng’
the police милицию mi·li·tsih·yu in ‘sing’, o as the ‘u’ in ‘fur’, u as in ‘full’ or as
the ‘oo’ in ‘fool’, h as in ‘hat’ and i as in ‘ill’.
I’m lost. ya za·blu·dil·sa/
Я заблудился/ za·blu·di·las’
заблудилась. (m/f)

Where are the toilets? gdye zdyes’ tu·al·yet Peace be with you. assalamu aleykum
Где здесь туалет? And peace with you. wagaleykum ussalam
(response)
Shopping & Services Hello. salamatsyz be
Goodbye. kosh-sau bolyndar
I need ... mnye nuzh·na ... Thank you. rakhmet
Мне нужно ... Yes./No. ia/zhok
How are you? khal zhag dayynyz kalay?
How much is it? skol’·ka sto·it I’m well. zhaksy
Сколько стоит? Do you speak agylshynsa bilesiz be?

That’s too expensive. English? tusinbeymin
Это очень дорого. e·ta o·chen’ do·ra·ga I don’t understand.

bank банк bank Numbers – Kazakh
market rih·nak
рынок poch·ta
post office почта

1 bir

Transport & Directions 2 yeki

a ... ticket билет ... bil·yet ... 3 ush

one-way в один v a·din 4 tort
конец kan·yets
5 bes

return в оба конца v o·ba kan·tsa 6 alty

7 etti

Where’s (the station)? gdye (stant·sih·ya) 8 sakkiz

Где (станция)? 9 togyz

When’s the next bus/train? 10 on
Когда будет kag·da bu·dit
slye·du·yu·shi 100 zhus
следующий
автобус/поезд? af·to·bus/po·ist 1000 myn

497

Where is…? … kayda? Numbers – Kyrgyz
How much? kansha?
1 bir

airport auezhay 2 eki
bus station avtovokzal/avtobeket
doctor dariger 3 üch
friend dos
hospital aurukhana 4 tört L ANGUAGE K Y R GY Z
hotel konak uy/meymankhana
police politsia 5 besh
restaurant meyramkhana
toilet daretkhana 6 alty
train station temir zhol vokzal/beket
7 jety

8 segiz

9 toguz

10 on

100 jüz

1000 ming

bad zhaman I’m well. jakshy
boiled water kaynagan su Do you speak siz angliyscha süylöy
bread nan English? süzbü?
expensive kymbat I don’t understand. men tüshümböy jatamyn
good zhaksy Where is …? … kayda?
meat yet How much? kancha?
rice kurish
tea shay airport aeroport
bus station avtobiket
Monday duysenbi doctor doktur
Tuesday seysenbi friend dos
Wednesday sarsenbi hospital oruukana
Thursday beysenbi hotel meymankana
Friday zhuma police militsia
Saturday senbi restaurant restoran
Sunday zheksenbi toilet darakana
train station temir jol vokzal
KYRGYZ
bad jaman
Kyrgyz is a Turkic language that has been boiled water kaynatilgan suu
written in a Cyrillic alphabet since the early bread nan
1940s. However, Kyrgyzstan is in the process expensive kymbat
of changing over to a modi­fied Roman alpha- good jakshy
bet. Russian also has official-language status, meat et
but there is a strong push to promote Kyrgyz rice kürüch
as the predominant language of government, tea chay
media and education. In our pronunciation
guides, ng is pronounced as in ‘sing’, ö as the
‘u’ in ‘fur’ and ü as the ‘ew’ in ‘few’.

Peace be with you. asalamu aleykom Monday düshömbü
And peace with you. wa aleykum assalam Tuesday seyshembi
(response) Wednesday sharshembi
salam Thursday beishembi
Hello. jakshy kalyngydzar Friday juma
Goodbye. rakhmat Saturday ishembi
Thank you. ooba/jok Sunday jekshembi
Yes./No. jakshysüzbü?
How are you?

L ANGUAGE TA J I K498 bad ganda
boiled water obi jush
TAJIK bread non
expensive qimmat
The state language of Tajikistan since 1989, good khub/naghz
Tajik is a Persian language, closely related to meat gusht
Dari (the language of Afghanistan) and Farsi rice birinj
(the language of Iran) – unlike most Central choy
Asian languages, which are Turkic in origin. tea
Tajik was formerly written in a modified Ara-
bic script, then in Roman, but since 1940 a Monday dushanbe
modified Cyrillic script has been used. In our Tuesday seshanbe
pronunciation guides, gh is pronounced as in Wednesday chorshanbe
‘ugh’, ee as in ‘fee’, q as the ‘k’ in ‘keen’, ö as the Thursday panjanbe
‘u’ in ‘fur’, kh as the ‘h’ in ‘hat’ and j as in ‘jig’. Friday juma
Saturday shanbe
Numbers – Tajik yak Sunday yakshanbe
1 du
2 seh TURKMEN
3 chor
4 panj Turkmen, the state language of Turkmenistan
5 shish since 1990, belongs to the Turkic language
6 khaft family. It has a significant amount of Russian
7 khasht vocabulary. In Turkmenistan almost everyone
8 nukh speaks Russian or Turkmen. Four different
9 dakh scripts have been used to write Turkmen: first
10 sad Arabic, then a Turkish-Roman alphabet, from
100 khazor 1940 the Cyrillic alphabet, and since 1996 a
1000 modified Roman alphabet.

Peace be with you. assalomu aleykum

And peace with you. valeykum assalom Peace be with you. salam aleykum
(response) And peace with you. waleykum assalam
(response)
Hello. salom salam
Hello. sagh bol
Goodbye. khayr naboshad Goodbye. tangyr
Thank you. howa/yok
Thank you. rakhmat/teshakkur Yes./No. siz nahili?
How are you?
Yes./No. kha/ne

How are you? naghzmi shumo?

I’m well. mannaghz

Do you speak English? anglisi meydonet?

I don’t understand. man manefakhmam Numbers – Turkmen

Where is …? … khujo ast? 1 bir

How much? chand pul? 2 ikeh

airport furudgoh 3 uch
bus station istgoh
doctor duhtur 4 durt
friend doost
hospital bemorhona/kasalhona 5 besh
hotel mekhmon’hona
police militsia 6 alty
restaurant restoran
toilet khojat’hona 7 yed
train station istgoh rohi ohan
8 sekiz

9 dokuz

10 on

100 yuz

1000 mun