Country of the Eastern Fairy Tale

By itself, this country clings to you, literally, from the first minutes: everything seems so ancient, unusual, but at the same time very cozy, one wants to continue to study this Eastern fairy tale without stopping even for a moment.

It warms you up in a magical feeling of national flavor, which is impregnated with everything around, starting from the local architecture and ending with spicy flavors and aromas emerging from small cafes where they cook their favorite national dishes.

The perfect time to travel

Since the climate here is quite hot, you need to choose the time to travel to Uzbekistan with caution. The tourist season lasts from March to November and the main influx is in spring and autumn. In the summer there are also many tourists, but during this period it is a bit hot in here. Let's be frank, it is best to go here in the spring, when the streets smell of sweet blooming apricots, the thermometer does not exceed 20 degrees and there aren't too many tourists.

But do not forget that the holiday Novruz (Eastern New Year) is celebrated in Uzbekistan from March 21 to March 25 and the situation will change dramatically - there will be no room to sneeze on the streets, and even less in hotels and restaurants. It is also very interesting to come here in the autumn, around October-November, when the heat has subsided and the harvest of ripe fruits and berries is in full swing. You can stock up on vitamins for the year ahead.

What cities you should definitely visit

In ancient times, Uzbekistan was one of the largest centers of the Great Silk Road: all caravan routes that connected East Turkestan, China, India, the South Caucasus, Iran, Byzantium and Europe intersected on its territory. You can start with the capital of the country - Tashkent, where the heritage of the past is in perfect harmony with technological progress and civilization.

Then you can go to one of the oldest cities in the world, included in the UNESCO list - Samarkand, founded in the VIII century BC...

It is a must to visit the city-museum of Bukhara, with its huge number of stunning architectural monuments from the times of the Great Silk Road.

The large courtyard of Kalyan Mosque with the blue domes of the Mir-i Arab Madrasah and the Great Minaret on the background, Bukhara, Uzbekistan.

In Khiva, you can literally feel yourself in the pages of a fairy tale about Aladdin - everywhere there are snow-white and azure domes and minarets of numerous mosques, mausoleums, palaces and madrasahs.

Finally, the last one on our list is ancient Termez. The city with the strongest energy, attracting tourists with the ruins of Buddhist temples and unique examples of medieval architecture.

What tourists need to know

One of the local features - Wi-Fi is available in almost all hotels, but it often does not work as well it should. With mobile communications, everything is quite well: at airports, bus stations and other public places you can buy “tourist” SIM cards, with favorable rates for calls and internet access.

Currency exchange is best done at special exchange points with a single official exchange rate (it is illegal to approach street “money changers” offering a more favorable exchange at an unofficial rate). Also note that plastic cards can bu used mainly in the capital and major cities, so always carry cash.

How to get the most impressions?

We will give you some tips on how to do it:

• Visit the bazaar. The most popular market in Tashkent is Chorsu, where you can buy everything from spices to carpets, and try the most delicious Uzbek pilaf in the city.

• Take a break from the bustle of the city on the Charvak water reservoir. A vacation to the purest pond with azure water, shady coastal groves, soft sandy beaches and stunning landscapes of the Tian-Shan foothills will give strength for new discoveries.

• Winter sports. Do not be surprised, in Uzbekistan it is possible not only to look at the antiquity, but also to ski and snowboard in the ski resorts of Chimgan and Beldersay.

• Visit the silk carpet factory "Khujum" in Samarkand. Here, the carpets go through all the stages of manufacture by hand, starting with the unraveling of the silkworm cocoon, and ending with weaving knots, the amount of which directly corresponds to the price and quality of the product.

• Forget the diet. Uzbek cuisine is a real abundance of meat, vegetables and ripe fruits. Be sure to try pilaf in all the cities that you can visit, do not forget about the juicy tandoor Samsa and cakes, fragrant kebabs with traditionally small pieces of meat, the rich Sorpa with garlic and spices, and of course, the delicious dumplings Mantys, oozing hot broth with every bite, with a variety of meat or vegetable filling - chopped lamb or beef with onions, pumpkin or potatoes.

Uzbekistan cuisine - plov, chay, sherbet, manti

• Go to the desert. There is a huge lake Aydarkul on the Eastern border of the Kyzylkum desert, just like a mirage. Here you can spend the night in a Yurt camp, enjoy plenty of swimming, catch fish and go to conquer the sand dunes riding a camel (or, well, in jeeps with ATVs, if you prefer).

Attractions that will shake your imagination

Local attractions, though very ancient, look just amazing! And here are the most photogenic of them:

• Registan square in Samarkand. A truly incredible sight - three huge madrasahs, entirely covered with ornaments and paintings.

The rainy weather over the evening Registan square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

• Fortress Iccan-Kala in Khiva. If you want to know exactly how the city looked in ancient times - you need to be here.

• The Lyabi-Hauz. On the square there are three madrasahs, one of which (Kukeldash) is the largest in Central Asia.

• Ulugbek Observatory. Thanks to the efforts of an ancient scientist, the foundations of world astronomy were laid here and the coordinates of more than 1000 stars were determined.

• Mosque Bibi-Khanum. This grandiose building was built in honor of Tamerlan's beloved by the best architects from all over the world. The largest ancient mosque in Central Asia could accommodate up to 10 thousand people.

• The architectural complex Shahi-Zinda. This is a stunning ensemble of 14 mosques and mausoleums, where the Samarkand elite was buried during nine centuries.