Reviews

Excellent and varied whistle-stop tour of Central Asia

Great two weeks in Central Asia. The first week was in Uzbekistan and more focused on the history of the Silk Road and the gorgeous architecture in the three cities of Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara whilst during the second half in Almaty and Kyrgyzstan we learnt more about traditional & modern culture, history from different eras and got a taste of the alpine climates in the gorges and beautiful Issyk-Kol lake

a trip along the silk road

This was a busy trip through three very contrasting countries. Almost a surfeit of historical monuments in Uzbekistan, just a glimpse of Kazakhstan and then the natural beauty of Kyrgyzstan. Some long bus drives but with plenty of “photo stops” and the drives are a great way to appreciate the scenery and see a little of local life along the way. The food was fine, and it was fairly easy to avoid meat, with plenty of delicious salads and pumpkin manti (a type of dumpling) usually available. Also some lovely soups, but often with unexpected chunks of lamb or beef. I did also enjoy the plov and the kebabs, as well as the fresh bread. The people were mostly friendly, welcoming and curious – we encountered no problems.

Outstanding Trip

We have been on a number of Exodus trips and without doubt this is one of the best we have undertaken.
Uzbekistan is a stunning country with wonderful buildings and monuments and incredibly friendly and polite people. Our guide was the best guide we have had on an Exodus trip, he was so enthusiastic about his country you could not fail to enjoy your time there.
Kazakhstan could really be missed from the trip with the time saved being spent in the other two countries, we just saw lots of open plains and a big busy city in Almaty.
Kyrgyzstan is a stunningly beautiful country with wonderful scenery. Some days involved long drives and perhaps driving all the way around Issyk Kul may be a little excessive but you get great views of the snow capped mountains and have the opportunity to stop at various sites along the way.
The food overall was very good though the service in all three countries is very slow, haphazard and random.
Whilst the dominant religion in each of the countries is Islam they are open to western culture and dress and therefore provided you offer the usual respect in mosques etc. there is no issue regarding the suitability of clothing

A long and hard road.

The trip travelled through Uzbekistan, Kazestan and Kirgizstan. We have been on many Exodus tours before but felt this was the least well designed and involved the most travelling for little outcome.
The first week in Uzbekistan travelling to the silk road cities was excellent. Lots to see and do and some ability to wander as well as being led. When we got to the other two countries there were several consecutive days on the coach for 5 to 8 hours.
The night in the Yurt was just that; we arrived at 6 pm and in the morning had a 2 hour stroll before setting off again. This was the one place where a full day walk and an extra night in the yurt would have been preferable to travelling all the way around Issyk Kul Lake.
No surprise that everyone was coughing and a cold was quickly transmitted around the tour participants.
During the whole tour we only stopped at two hotels where we could walk out of the doors and go into the town. All the other hotels were a bit out of town and needed transport to get anywhere.
The food was great and most hotels good. Though why choose a hotel next to a railway line with trains that went past every half hour of so all night? The night in the Club resort was bizarre. it was empty except for us and a Dutch couple who had booked for three nights but were leaving after one. You could not walk to the town so you were stranded. The facilities such as tennis or the pool were closed. The meal was the worst we had and the bar closed at 9.30. This was our last night as the next night we would have to be up at 4 am to get to the airport. No last night party for us.

Exodus please think again.

Two Out of Three Aint Bad

We did this trip as a private group of friends. We’re all keen on history and museums – we’d also managed as a bonus to book tickets for the closing ceremony of the World Nomad Games, which coincided with our visit to Kyrgyzstan.

The Islamic monuments of Uzbekistan were breathtaking, and the natural scenery of Kyrgyzstan was lovely. Both countries are clean and well-ordered and felt safe. I enjoyed the yurt camp far more than I expected too – it had the best beds of the trip 😉

Kazakhstan I cannot recommend. It’s the only country I’ve *ever* been to that I’d consider not worth the effort. It feels like going back into the Soviet era – there was a plainclothesman lurking outside our hotel reporting on arrivals for example – and the police are flat-out corrupt. One of our number was held at the Kazakh border for 7 hours on the way out – there were strong attempts at intimidation (though luckily he kept his cool) and it all ended with him slipping a £100 bribe to an officer to get out of the country.

Central Asia Discovery Trip

A varied trip through three Stans. Uzbekistan very Western with modern cities, and has put a loot of effort into monument preservation; Kazakstan, harder to define, its a really big Steppe. Kyrgistan is just beautiful and largely untrodden by tourist hordes.

"Why do you want to go there?"

When I told people I was going to three of the ‘Stans’, their question was always why ?
To be honest, I wasn’t sure myself until I’d been, but they are very different countries, not subject to mass tourism, with different cultures, lovely people and a joy to explore.

Wonderful Trip

If you like history, visiting beautiful buildings and tasting local food, this is the trip for you. Yes there are some bad roads to contend with, but that’s a small price to pay. The highlights? Bukhara, meeting the eagle hunter and brilliant local guides.

A thought provoking journey

The trip introduced me to many aspects of the history of Central Asia of which I knew little. It has inspired me to read more on the subject. I was also possible to gain a little appreciation of the culture of the three countries I visited.

The Silk Route

Really exciting trip, very full on and packed with seeing the best of all 3 countries that you visit.
Be prepared for long but very rewarding days of sightseeing and travelling. Go with the flow!
Very friendly and hospitable people.
Eating out is cheap and there is plenty of choice of good quality meat (lamb, beef) kebabs/ pasties! (or the nearest thing to them, yummy) dumplings, paste/noodle/bread and salads. Local beer very acceptable and even the best vodka is very cheap and taste great..
Great photo opportunities and load of very interesting architecture such as Madrasah’s and mausoleums to see!
Scenery up in mountains is stunning with waterfalls and turquoise lakes.
Staying in the Yurt in the mountains in Kyrgyzstan was wonderful. No light pollution so you can see the milky way and shooting stars! But be prepared for it to be very basic and rustic! We ended up playing hand ball with a international team of people staying at the camp site and then sitting round the camp fire singing and drinking vodka watching the night sky.