Most Inspirational Moment
I loved the sun going down over Khiva. The buttery light with the warm stone and the turquoises and cobalts was stunning. Also, the hamman in Bokhara was great. A sixteenth century interior and a covering of ginger and honey after the massage - a total sensory overload!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Nazim really knew his history and he had a sense of humour. If you have other interests, ask for his input. He didn't help much on traditional textiles, but he pointed me at a few shops.
Advice for Potential Travellers
You can expect a bad tum at some point, but I don't think anyone was severely incapacitated. In the desert in Sept it didn't get as cold as we had been told, about 10 degrees C, so no need for a panic to take thermal underwear, and I feel the cold.You need small denomination dollars as well as the big guys. Apart from for food, dollars were pretty much universal, I was surprised. People also quoted prices in Euros very often. When you get your currency, it will be like a brick. At least it felt like a pretty safe country to be carrying cash around, I thought.