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Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers  

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47 Reviews

4.5 out of 5

Reviews

Go on this trip!

This was a fantastic trip – mountains, lakes, yurts, history, culture, beautiful mosques, delicious food & great guides!

Most Inspirational Moment

As everyone says the Eagle hunting was amazing - like nothing I’ve ever seen before! Our first view of the Registan in Samarkand.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Vitaliy (Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan) was very knowledgeable, great organiser & time keeper and also fun! Jahongir (Uzbekistan) was equally a great guide - so knowledgeable about everything! (Occasionally told us sl more than we may have needed to know - but did it with great fun, humour & and infectious chuckle!)

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go if you can. I’m in my early 60’s & was a bit concerned re reviews that said trip was too fast paced/ tiring / long journeys etc…….. I don’t know if we were just lucky but all went smoothly for us - train trips were comfortable & fun! Border crossings easy……. No hitches! Coaches all comfy (drivers all excellent!) We went in September & had packed for autumn - but still 28-33 degrees (yurt night was cooler - down to 10 degrees) Points to note: USD must be crisp / clean and post 2013 or they won’t be exchanged for local currency. The larger USD notes (50/100) get better exchange rates. In Bukhara/ Khiva you are able to buy things with USD, otherwise local money only. We found visa / Mastercard widely accepted in towns. 24 hour electricity in yurt camp - easy to charge phones etc. Karakol has a very poor bazaar…….. Bukhara and Khiva are excellent for bazaars! We found food choices to be excellent - lots of salads, soups, vegetables, fruits - we had been led to believe very meat based - but didn’t find this. Locals very friendly, no evidence of crime, never felt unsafe. I’ve travelled extensively & really enjoyed this trip - go for it!

This trip will stay with me

This was a good introduction to Central Asia that packed a lot of experiences and information into 16 days including the natural wonders of the magnificent Tien Shan mountains, valleys and gorges between, lakes, forests , deserts and parks , ancient preserved and rebuilt ruins filled with history, and the bustling cities each demonstrating their uniqueness, history, influences and progression.

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many could take that title.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had 3 different guides: one for each of the 3 countries visited, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Each offered historic and cultural insights into their country and the specific areas we visited. All were very good. They were from Russian and Ukrainian families who emigrated to the countries they now guide, I am assuming it because they can speak a variety of languages. It would be interesting to also experience the countries from Kyrgyz, Kazakh, and Uzbek peoples as well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read : -"Sovietistan" by Erika Fatland either before or after your trip. - The Silk Road by Peter Frankopan -Lonely Plant "Central Asia" (free online editions at Archive.org) Download: Google Translate, a good tracking app, Merlin bird identification app and Seek plant id. Enjoy your trip.

Fascinating trip

Varied and very interesting trip to three Stans of the Silk Road. Kygyzstan revealed beautiful scenery and traditional ways of life. Kazakhstan showed a mix of ancient history and modern city life. Uzbekistan was full of awe inspiring culture and buildings associated with the Silk Road.

Most Inspirational Moment

The eagle training experience in Kyrgyzstan. Wonderful architecture of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. The metros in Almaty and Tashkent are well worth experiencing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tatiana in Kyrgystan was a wonderfully enthusiastic, warm and informative guide. Sergey in Uzbekistan was informative, super organised and seemed to have boundless energy. Both enlivened the trip with their knowledge helping to include us in the food and cultural experiences of their countries.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's a full on, high paced trip so sit back and enjoy the scenery as much as you can. There's a lot to experience in the travel through these different cultures, go with the flow.

A fantastic journey through Central Asia bursting with History and Culture

As an Exodus staff member (Senior Consultant), I’ve been lucky enough to travel on quite a few trips but Central Asia has been on my list for years. This is an incredible trip visiting 3 Stans, and all very different from each other. The scenery and hiking in Kyrgyzstan was spectacular and the Golden Eagle experience was a real highlight. Uzbekistan was such a contrast to the first 2 countries and some of the sights were breathtakingly beautiful.
All of the countries were fascinating in their own way and our guides Vitaliy and Dilshod were excellent! Both very knowledgeable and gave us great insights and the history of each place we visited.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking the streets of the old city in Khiva was like stepping back in time 1000 years. It has been fantastically restored so that you are practically walking through history in the modern day.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Vitaliy and Dilshod were excellent from start to finish. Their attention to detail, information and planning meant that we always knew what was happening and when. Delivering so much information and history cannot be easy but they managed to strike a great balance between detail and content that we were all kept interested every day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack for all weather as we experienced from 7'C to 42'C throughout the trip, and keep some room for shopping as even the lesser shopping travellers still ended up taking home some new purchases. They don't call it the Silk Road for nothing :)

Two trips in one!

I’m writing this two months after coming back. I’ve just finished my photobook of the trip and completing this made me realise how much fantastic stuff we saw. And how it’s like two trips in one. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are based on mountains, open spaces and some walks. Uzbekistan is cultural, four interesting cities and fantastic Islamic architecture. It’s great to have experienced both and enjoyed three new countries in one adventure.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many. Holding a golden eagle. Walking to a frozen waterfall (end April). Soviet memorials in Almaty. The Tashkent metro. The Samarkand necropolis. Climbing up to a desert castle in a sand storm!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both guides were good, knew their stuff and were full of enthusiasm for their countries. Vitaliy has lots of experience with managing the days and groups on the Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan section. Driver Valerie was good too. Sergey has lots of experience as a guide in Uzbekistan. We were his first Exodus group so now he is 'blooded' for you!

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's a great trip - so many wonderful photos. But it's not an easy trip in terms of some of the logistics. It's a night flight to Bishkek - so we travelled a day early to be ready for the group and to see more of Bishkek (the parks were beautiful at the end of April; the state museum of history very worthwhile). Getting around is pretty easy in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan with the minibus. Uzbekistan is a bit harder as the distance travel is by train with some early starts and some late arrivals. But the trains are all part of the experience and basically you're getting to see four super cities in eight days. Compared with a longer trip to just Uzbekistan, which might be more relaxed, you've also experienced the scenery and mountains in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. So no pain no gain! Yes, there are a lot of mosques, madrasas and mausoleums but each Uzbek city is slightly different: Tashkent (the metro), Samarkand (the Registan and Necropolis), Bukhara (the Emir's palace) and Khiva (just the whole place as a unique restored city). And to get to Khiva you have a great afternoon seeing something quite different, the desert castles. We enjoyed the food, a little like Turkish. There's good beer and wine too!

Scenic Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan with cultural Uzbekistan

A lot to see on this whirlwind tour,stunning scenery in Kyrgyzstan, busy Almaty in Kazakhstan and a lot of mosques,minarets and mausoleums.
The included lunches and dinners were very good apart from the dinner and breakfast at the yurt which was very basic and tasteless,room for improvement.
The eagle hunting demonstration is excellent something I won’t forget. The yurt stay was basic but acceptable,a bit chilly at night in June,the next morning there’s a 6km walk down to the red rocks,a very easy walk and very beautiful.
The border crossing on foot into Kazakhstan was straightforward as it’s so quiet unlike the border crossing into Uzbekistan which was pretty chaotic.
The Charyn Canyon was amazing,easy walk down to the picnic spot,you can either walk back or buy a ticket for a ride back up in a soviet truck.
Both sleeper trains were 4 berth quite tight on space for luggage,first sleeper does have food and drink available.
Uzbekistan was stunning but overwhelming with the amount of mosques,minarets and mausoleum’s visited in 4 regions,personally I wouldn’t have been bothered if Khiva had been missed off the itinerary a bit of a tourist trap.

Most Inspirational Moment

The rides on the metro in Tashkent not to be missed, the people were so polite offering up their seats as soon as we got on. Again the walk in Djety Oguz and the canyon walk were great.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both leaders were very good and looked out for us as a group.Both Vitaly in Kyrgyzstan and Dilshod in Uzbekistan were outstanding in the amount of information that they imparted,at times it was rather overwhelming and just too much to take in especially after a lack of sleep and the heat of the day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take dollars, cards were accepted in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan a few in the group had cards blocked in Uzbekistan which was time consuming and a hassle to get unblocked. You can exchange your local currency from Kyrgyzstan in Kazakhstan, you have to rely on the guide for exchanges in Uzbekistan we were taken to a money exchange in a very nice hotel,I ran low on currency and the guide phoned a friend who then came out to the local market to do an exchange,very clandestine but fair exchange rate. The food in Uzbekistan does get very repetitive each restaurant has a very similar menu,lots of meat kebabs and salads,the lamb was excellent. Also don’t expect dishes to arrive at the same time is very random and they run out of dishes unexpectedly after you ordered 30 minutes ago.

Amazing tour of 3 of the Stans!

This trip exceeded my expectations in many ways! There is so much to see and enjoy on this tour. It is a tale of two halves: the first half, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, focus more on the stunning scenery and nature. The beauty of Kyrgyzstan was a revelation to me. And the Eagle-hunting workshop was an absolute highlight for everyone in the group. I did also enjoy the ‘brutalist beauty’ of Bishkek (expect your first day to be a long day, as you land in the morning and do a city tour in the afternoon – I basically skipped a night’s sleep, but it was worth it!). A personal highlight for me was the walk from the yurt camp (most of the group cited the overnight stay in a yurt as their highlight) to the red rocks – absolutely stunning. The Grand Canyon in Kazakhstan was also a great experience. The second half of the trip, Uzbekistan, is more cultural: you will see many impressive mausoleums, madrasas and mosques. Samarkand especially blew me away! Khiva is also very beautiful but seems a bit more geared towards tourists – it was definitely more expensive than other parts of Uzbekistan, although still cheap. In Tashkent we also visited a market and some metro stations, which was a little different and a very interesting interlude. There is just so much to see and do. Some might find the many mausoleums a bit repetitive towards the end, but I found they all had something different to offer and it truly is a unique opportunity to visit these beautiful places before it gets to overcrowded with tourists (especially Uzbekistan is geared towards receiving more tourists and is getting more coverage in the international press as an up and coming tourist destination!).

Most Inspirational Moment

The hike in Djety Oguz - it's an easy walk and the scenery was stunning. And Samarkand... it made me feel very small and humble to walk around these massive mausoleums.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both group leaders were terrific!! Vitaley in Kyrgyzstan and Kazachstan, and Dilshod in Uzbekistan. They have different levels of experience, but was they have in common is their extensive knowledge and enthusiasm. The both have a good sense of humour, kept good control of the group when needed, we were in very safe hands with them and they both were so obviously dedicated to give us the best possible experiences. Be prepared for them to talk in great depth and detail about the places you visit!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you have sun protection: sunscreen, sunglasses and hat are pretty essential, it got up to 43 degrees in Uzbekistan (middle of June). We did have some rain in Kyrgyzstan, so a light rain jacket is advisable as well. Food and drink are very cheap. You'll typically pay less than £2 for a beer and a meal with drinks and starter and main will be under £15 for sure, and portions are generous! Food is ok, very meat based (beef and lamb especially). Veggies should be ok... eggplant dishes are staple of every menu... and tend to be delicious! There are some long days and the pace can be a bit intense, especially towards the end of the trip. You don't get a lot of free time, but you always have the option to bow out of certain activities if feeling too tired. The guides definitely keep an eye on everyone's welfare, so unless you have more serious mobility restrictions, you should be fine. Just enjoy it, this is a great trip!

An amazing holiday

This is a fast paced holiday, with lots of places to be and even more things to see. Every day brings new wonders. Our whole, lovely group, said that they had taken far more photos than they had expected to. The scenery, especially in Kyrgyzstan, is awesome. The buildings, and statues, are built on an epic scale. Countryside, cityscape, desert landscape, lakes this holiday has it all. One of our group summed it up “Before I came people asked me “Where? Why on earth would you go there?” Now I would reply “why on earth wouldn’t you”. There are long drive (with plenty of stops) and early starts but that’s what allows you to see so much. The train rides in Uzbekistan added to the feel of adventure. I’m in my sixties, and I like my sleep, I certainly never expected to actually enjoy being woken in the middle of the night to travel to the station, catch a sleeper train and back to sleep for three hours! When I woke I was in the middle of a desert, with a glorious red sunrise shining across the land and it was stunning. If you’re thinking about this holiday then book it asap. Oh and the food in all three countries was fantastic.

Most Inspirational Moment

Almost too many inspiring moments to count In Kyrgyzstan it was probably watching the eagle handler and holding the eagle myself; all with an amazing mountain backdrop. I like my food so being sent into to supermarkets in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to buy food for picnic lunches was something I, and the rest of our group, really enjoyed. In Uzbekistan possibly going out to the ancient forts in the Kyzylkum desert was an unexpected experience. The addition of the desert and Khiva is a great one. It's hard to imagine the holiday ending earlier; it just would not have been the same

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both Vitaly (Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan) and Dilshod (Uzbekistan) were excellent. They had different life experiences and both opened their countries up for us to experience and enjoy.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take luggage that is mobile as you will be moving around and changing modes of transport a lot. We went in October as it was getting a little cooler and the temperature in all three countries was good for us. Go and enjoy. This is a holiday where the memories stay with you.

Fantastic journey across Central Asia

The Silk road tour offered everything I expected and more. From the alpine scenery in Kyrgyzstan to the deserts of Uzbekistan, each day was a new adventure with something new to experience. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan seemed untouched by mass tourism and even Uzbekistan was fairly quiet compared to other destinations I’ve visited previously. Hotels were good quality with a variety of room types and location, included meals were all of a high standard and the guides were excellent.
There were plenty of WOW moments throughout this itinerary.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were too many to mention. However certain experiences stood out The eagle hunting demonstration was great and to hold a golden eagle was something very unexpected, but amazing. The night in the yurt followed by the walk through the valley beside the river was beautiful. The walk through charyn canyon was also memorable with the interesting rock formations and relaxing picnic spot at the bottom. Seeing sights in Samarkand were real wow moments. Climbing the 57m mineret in Khiva was also a highlight at the end.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had 2 leaders, vitali and dilshod. Both were excellent with so much knowledge of the area.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack as light as you can as there is limited space on the trains for luggage, you will find it much easier if you pack a medium sized suitcase. On arrival in Kyrgyzstan, local sim cards were available to buy in the airport however I used esims for all 3 destinations and worked without any problems. All hotels had free wifi access with only the night in the yurt having the option for payable internet. A head torch is useful for the yurt stay. You will only need clothes covering knees and shoulders on days that you are visiting religious sites, on other days shorts are acceptable.

The Silk Road

This trip was, without doubt, an experience of a lifetime. Yes, it is fast-paced and there are some early starts and full days, but I look back now over the two weeks and I am genuinely staggered by the number of experiences we packed into our time in this fascinating part of the world. Watching eagle hunters at work (and holding a golden eagle myself), visiting stunning mosques and Orthodox churches, walking through the awe-inspiring Charyn Cannon (Kazakhstan), exploring Almaty and being taken to see the very interesting Tashkent metro stations, climbing a minaret in Khiva to gaze into Turkmenistan… I can honestly say that this trip made the most of our time there, and the itinerary is well planned to take into account different interests and needs of guests.

Accommodation is clean, comfortable and full of local character. I don’t recognise the description in a previous review of ‘mediocre’ establishments – that was not my experience at all.

If you are interested in learning more about an often-forgotten part of Asia, definitely go for this trip – I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Most Inspirational Moment

There are too many to list, but the eagle-hunting demonstration in Kyrgyzstan is one that will stay with me for a very long time. The scenery and the birds were inspirational, and it was fascinating to learn of the bond the eagles establish with their handlers.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Both Vitaliy and Dilshod were absolutely fantastic - I cannot rate them highly enough. They were exceptionally knowledgeable, very attentive to the needs of the group and really enhanced the trip. Dilshod did take us to visit local artisans in the Uzbek cities we visited, but there was absolutely no pressure on us to buy and we gained some interesting insights into local crafts and culture. Both guides knew the names of each of the guests and were dedicated, professional and a credit to their local companies.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The heat in July makes sightseeing tiring, so pack a sunhat and a reusable water bottle - water is freely available throughout the trip. There are early starts, particularly to allow guests to reach the sleeper trains, but this is all part of the experience. Go with an open mind and a love of travel and enjoy. It's brilliant!