Central Asia – 4 Stan’s Solo Trip

Travel with Niyo
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A few months back, I had been on a 33-day solo trip to the 4 Stans in Central Asia and sharing a few inputs/tips with you, based on my personal experience.

General Tips for All 4 Stans

  • Cards & Cash: I used my Niyo SBM Credit Card and Niyo DCB Debit Card in all 4 countries – Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Many accommodations accepted only cash, so I took some Dollars with me, which I converted to local currencies or paid in Dollars where it was easier to do so.

  • Language: I learned basic Russian for 90 days on Duolingo, which did help, and of course, Google Translate did the rest.

  • Transport Apps:

    • 2GIS: For public transport and routes – works offline too.
    • Yandex Go: Similar to Uber. Link your Niyo Credit Card with it for ease of payments.

UZBEKISTAN

My trip started from Bangalore to Delhi and then onto Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a short flight of about 3 hours.

Tashkent

  • Visa: Uzbekistan is e-visa for Indians, and it can be applied on https://e-visa.gov.uz/main. Very clear-cut and can be single entry/double entry or multiple entry based on your requirements. I received it within 4 working days.

  • SIM Card: On landing in Tashkent, you can buy a SIM card/eSIM at the airport near baggage collection, and they accept credit cards – Visa preferred over Mastercard and Amex. I used my Niyo SBM Credit Card – very easy and quickly done. Just make sure you ask them to register the SIM for you then and there. Buy a Beeline SIM as that has good coverage in the country.

  • Airport to Accommodation: I booked a Yandex cab at the airport to take me to my accommodation.

  • Accommodation: Would suggest that you stay close to a metro station as they will get you to all parts of the city very quickly and easily. Even if your accommodation is a little away from the city – the travel time on the metro isn’t much, and you can get a better place to stay for lesser cost.

  • Must-See Places:

    • Amir Temur Square
    • Hazrati Imam Complex (go in the morning before the buses filled with tourists come in)
    • Minor Mosque
    • Independence Monument
    • The Palace of Grand Duke Nicholas Constantinovich (only from outside)
    • Hotel Uzbekistan (was a leading luxury hotel during the Soviet Era)
    • Alisher Navoiy Theatre
    • TV Tower
    • Metro Stations (they are really beautiful)

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  • Food & Shopping: When you walk down from Amir Temur Square towards the Independence Monument, there are a few food carts to grab lunch/dinner and paintings that one can buy or simply admire.

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  • Chorsu Bazar: Good for picking up fruits, dry fruits (walnuts, pistachios, etc., are cheaper in Uzbekistan compared to Kazakhstan), summer breezy pants, souvenirs, etc.

  • ATMs: Some convert dollars to local currency (Uzbek Soms), and others dispense local currency. ATM mark-up charges are cheaper than in banks. I used my DCB Debit Card for Uzbek Soms.

  • Public Toilets: While sightseeing, if you don’t find a public toilet, pop into any of the banks, and they let you use the toilets there.

Khiva

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  • Travel: From Tashkent, I went to Khiva – can either take an overnight train or a short flight to Urgench. I took the flight, and my accommodation in Khiva arranged a pick-up at Urgench airport – about a 45-minute drive.

  • Accommodation: Stay within the walled city (Itchan Kala) where all the monuments are easily reachable on foot.

  • Activities:

    • Take a tri-shaw ride within the city and outside the city walls to get a hang of the place before walking around on your own.
    • Entrance tickets for visiting various madrasas and monuments can be bought at the main gate – cost around $15 – I used my Niyo SBM Credit Card for this.

  • Souvenirs: More expensive than in Tashkent.

Bukhara

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  • Travel: From Khiva, I went to Bukhara – instead of a long train ride, I opted for a flight from Urgench to Bukhara.

  • Activities:

    • Take a free walking tour (I use Guru Walks) to get a hang of the place before venturing out on your own.
    • Go to the Ark of Bukhara (a short climb uphill after buying a ticket at the entrance – Niyo SBM Credit Card used here) in the evening and watch the sunset from the top as well as the lights coming on over the Registan Square and the changing colors of the Bukhara Tower lighting.
    • Then make your way to Registan Square, which lights up at 8 PM (do check the time as it may vary depending on the month of travel).

  • Places to See:

    • Ark of Bukhara
    • Chor Minor Madrasah
    • Bolo House Mosque
    • Ismail Samani Mausoleum
    • Mir-i-Arab Madrasah
    • Kalon Mosque
    • Ulugbek Madrasah
    • Magoki Attori Mosque
    • Chor Bakr Memorial Complex
    • Chashmai Ayub Mausoleum
    • Local Bazaar

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Samarkand

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  • Travel: From Bukhara, I took the Afrosiyab fast train to Samarkand.

    • Tickets for this train open 45-60 days before travel (cross-check this), and tickets get sold out within 5 minutes of the portal opening (as it opens up 30 minutes earlier for travel companies who block all tickets and then sell them at a higher price). Make sure you do a registration of username, etc., in advance so that you can book one when the portal opens: https://railway.uz/en/. I used my Niyo SBM Credit Card for this booking.

  • Accommodation: Pick an accommodation near Registan Square, and you can see the light show from 7-8 PM every evening from the viewing platform for free.

  • Places to See:

    • Registan Square (Ulugh Beg Madrasah, Sher-Dor Madrasah, and Tilya-Kori Madrasah)
    • Amir Temur Mausoleum
    • Shah-i-Zinda (gets very crowded, so go as early as possible)
    • Ulugbek Observatory
    • Bibi Khanyam Mosque
    • Siyob Bazaar

  • Shopping: In the madrasahs in Registan Square, there are many shops selling silk scarves/stoles and other items, including Kashmiri stuff (which is incidentally made in China). DO NOT buy the silk “camel wool” stole from here, as the one I picked up turned out to be actually sheep wool and priced at half of what I paid in Bishkek Osh Bazaar.

  • Food: By now, I was craving Indian vegetarian food and found amazing mixed-veg Uttapam at The Indian Kitchen, where the chef is from Madras originally.

  • Day Trip: I took a day trip to Shahrisabz, the birthplace of Amir Temur (or Tamerlane, the founder of the Timurid Empire), and visited the Ak Saray Palace Complex, Amir Temur Monument, and the Dor-ut Tilovat Complex.

  • Entrance Tickets: All entrance tickets were purchased using my Niyo SBM Credit Card. Some places insist on cash, but I told them I didn’t have any with me.

TAJIKISTAN

  • Visa: Tajik visa is also an e-visa for Indians but not as simple as the Uzbek one (mine was rejected at first). So make sure you have an Uzbek visa first, which can be uploaded along with a cover letter when applying for the Tajik e-visa: https://www.evisa.tj/index.evisa.html.

  • Travel: Take a Yandex/shared taxi to the border from Samarkand to Panjakent, Tajikistan. The Yandex drops you on the Uzbek side, and then you need to walk through immigration on the Uzbek side and then the Tajik side to exit into the Panjakent region in Tajikistan.

  • Transport: Many taxis are available after crossing the border that can take you to Panjakent or to Bishkek. I had booked one in advance for 2.5 days.

  • Toilets: DO NOT use the toilet on the Panjakent side after immigration – it is literally a fly-infested hole in the ground despite being a pay-and-use one.

  • Sights: On the way to Panjakent, visit Sarazm – ruins of an ancient town in North Tajikistan from the 4th century BC and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  • SIM Card: SIM card/eSIM is quite expensive and doesn’t work in mountain areas (Seven Lakes, Iskanderkul Lake, etc.), and only a 30-day plan was available, so I didn’t buy one and relied on Wi-Fi in the places I stayed.

  • Seven Lakes: I did a day tour to the Seven Lakes – the journey and landscape reminded me of Ladakh and Kashmir.

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  • Iskanderkul Region: Spent one day in the Iskanderkul Region with a night stay in Sary Tag. The region is very popular with hikers and has some lovely homestays too.

  • Dushanbe: Then onto Dushanbe – the capital city has amazing huge buildings that are all lit up in the evenings with colorful fountains, giving a feel of grandeur to the place.

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  • Places to See: Rudaki Park, National Museum, Navruz Palace, National Library (shaped like an open book), Flag Pole, Botanical Garden, Haji Yaqub Mosque, Victory Park, Hisor Fortress (day trip).

  • People: People are more conservative here than in Uzbekistan and not as friendly either (exceptions apply), and hardly anyone speaks English.

  • Personal Recommendation: Visit Ladakh and Kashmir instead.

  • Airport: Dushanbe airport reminded me of Shivajinagar Bus Stop in Bangalore – overcrowded with people with heavy luggage in trolleys jostling and pushing their way. Things got a bit easier after clearing immigration.

  • Agents at Airport: Agents at the airport would approach you and ask for money to facilitate immigration quickly (as the lines are long, and people push and shove with no concept of personal space while in queues – much like in India, really). I would not suggest taking up the offer if you reach the airport well in advance and give yourself sufficient time.

  • Money Exchange: The money exchange counter at the airport gives a decent rate, and I exchanged all my leftover Tajik Somonis to Dollars there – in hindsight, I should have converted them to Kyrgyz Soms instead.

KYRGYZSTAN

  • Travel: Land crossing between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan is not easy, and one needs special permits, so the best is to either take a bus to reach Tashkent and a flight from there or a flight from Dushanbe to Tashkent and a connecting flight from Tashkent to Bishkek.

  • Visa: Kyrgyzstan is also an e-visa for Indians: https://www.evisa.e-gov.kg. However, when applying for one, an invitation letter from a company registered with the Department of Tourism is needed. You can get it from nomads-yurt.com for $50. They are quite reliable and quick and would need your dates of travel, broad itinerary, and passport copy to give this letter.

  • SIM Card: SIM card/eSIM can be picked up at the Bishkek airport, but only cash payment is accepted – dollars are accepted too, but you end up paying more in doing so. A good 30-day plan is available. Buy an O! SIM as this has the best coverage in the country.

  • Places to See in Bishkek:

    • Ala Too Square
    • State History Museum
    • Panfilov Park
    • Victory Square
    • Central Mosque
    • Osh Bazaar
    • Burana Tower (a little away from the city)

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  • Osh Bazaar: Perfect place to pick up souvenirs, stoles, etc., and much cheaper than Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan (so load up on gifts for friends and family).

  • Day Trip: Take a day trip to Ala Archa National Park – you can use a shared taxi or Yandex cab, but make sure you are dropped off at the entrance gate. Spend the day hiking and taking in the scenery, and feed walnuts to the red squirrels.

  • Issyk-Kul Lake: The rest of my Kyrgyzstan trip was around Issyk-Kul Lake, with the south shore being prettier than the north shore. Rather than using public transport and mashrutkas (shared taxis), I hired a personal car with a driver. Visited the following places:

    • Cholpon-Ata: On the northern shore, visit the Museum of Petroglyphs, an abandoned airfield, the Equestrian Hippodrome, and the beach.
    • Jyrgalan Valley: One of the most beautiful and pristine places. Did some easy hiking and stayed in a homestay.

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  • Karakol: The fourth-largest city in Kyrgyzstan. Visit the Dungan Mosque, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Zhamansariev Street with Russian-style houses, Ski Resort, etc.
  • Must-See Places Around Karakol: Jeti Oguz, Kok-Jayik Valley, Skazka (Fairy Tale) Canyon. More information can be found on https://destinationkarakol.com/what-to-do/day-trips/.
  • Toilets: Many places in the region still have hole-in-the-ground toilets, which was quite a revelation.

KAZAKHSTAN

  • Visa: Visa-free for Indians for up to 14 days – yay!! And only a 3-hour flight from Delhi.

  • Travel: Take a bus from the Western Bus Station in Bishkek to Almaty (about 5-6 hours) and costs 630 soms. At the border, you need to get down, collect your luggage, and walk through both immigration to get onto another bus at the Kazakh end (the bus driver lets you know what bus number to board).

  • Almaty:

    • SIM Card: The bus drops you off at the Sayran Bus Station, where you can cross the road and buy SIM/eSIM cards (Kcell or Beeline). It is a bit more expensive compared to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

    • Transport: Since I had luggage, I booked a Yandex from there to take me to my accommodation. Public transport could be used too.

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  • Modernity: Kazakhstan is the most modern of all the Stans, with many English-speaking locals and one metro line (but stations aren’t worth visiting, unlike in Tashkent).

  • Places to See:

    • Ascension Cathedral
    • 28 Panfilov Guardsmen Park
    • First President Park
    • Kok Tobe (for sunset)
    • Central Mosque
    • Museum of Musical Instruments
    • Zhibek Zholy Street (pedestrian street)
    • Green Bazaar

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  • Shopping: Lots of ATMs and money exchange places near the Green Bazaar, where I saw many Indians buying loads of dry fruits (I did too, as it was my last leg of the trip). Walnuts in India cost around Rs. 1800/- per kg and were Rs. 500/- per kg in Chorsu Bazaar and Rs. 600/- in Green Bazaar (just to give you an idea). A bit of bargaining is to be done.

  • Medeu & Shymbulak Ski Resort: For experiencing the snow – Bus #12 takes you directly to the cable car station and costs only 120 Tenge (since small change isn’t readily available, 150 is usually paid in the buses and metro).

  • Day Trips: Take a day trip to Charyn Canyon, Kaindy Lake, and Kolsai Lakes, or, if you’re up for it, an overnight one.

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Final Tips

  • Vegetarians/Vegans: Hit me up directly for inputs, as it was a major challenge in the region. Thankfully, buckwheat and potatoes were usually available in many places.

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  • Connect: Do reach out to me for any more info you need, and check out some pics I posted on my newly opened Insta account: solivagant_vandy.

Safe Travels!! :earth_africa: :luggage:

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