My Journey Through the 5-Stans

Overview:

• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan
• Tajikstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Kazakhstan

Turkmenistan

Out of all the ‘stans, Turkmenistan surprised and fascinated me the most. So incredibly different from any other place I’d ever been. You read stories, news articles, blogs about how it is a closed country, a dictatorship with such a negative emphasis placed on this. This naturally painted a picture of a very repressed and unhappy nation of people in my mind, but it felt nothing of the sort. All the local people we met on our travels were so welcoming, happy and very proud of their country and cultural heritage. They want to show you their country and teach you about who they are. Whilst they have a communist past, it doesn’t fully dictate who they are. Their lineage goes back much further than recent history, traditionally being nomadic people. Learning about their current way of life, why their country operates they way it does was so intriguing and gives you a new appreciation for countries in this region.

The marble clad, all-white desert capital Ashgabat was an experience in itself. Never have you seen such enormous buildings and monuments, albeit some quiet bazaar – their airport terminal is in the shape of a falcon, and they have the world biggest indoor Ferris-wheel, yet barely any local people are to be seen throughout all these places. Only white vehicles, sometimes silver, don the expansive roads and highways and at all the main ‘tourist’ sights we were usually the only people there! Once nighttime hit, the city would surprise again, turning from a stark white to a rainbow of neon lights, tracing the eclectic monuments as far as the eye can see.

Uzbekistan

The most famous and well-known of the stans’, Uzbekistan, I knew I’d like before I even visited. All the beautiful, blue-tiled mosques, madrassas and minarets dotted throughout the sandy country, along the famous silk road steeped in so much history.

Shah-i-Zinda Necropolis Complex, Samarkand, Uzbekistan 

I’ll never forget the first evening we spent in Khiva, walking around in the early evening on a warm summer's night to a local restaurant which was on a rooftop! Looking around the walled city as the sun went down, gave the whole area a warm glow with the taller minarets popping out above the rooftops. Seeing it all lit up made their blue-aqua tiles more intensely beautiful. It was like being on a movie set, or stepping back in time to when these cities were at the height of the silk road trade.

I also really loved exploring the Tashkent Metro. The stations themselves are like art galleries, with unusual lighting fixtures, colourful and patterned tilework, and a nod to its Soviet past with different images or symbols on display – some hidden, which the guide would point out to us. I could have spent all day watching the metro arrive and depart, with local Uzbek’s getting about their daily lives.

Tashkent Metro, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

The smallest of the stans’ is the one I knew least about (other than its largest land border was with Afghanistan). From its steep but scenic mountain drives with incredibly long tunnels to its rural towns, Tajikstan didn’t disappoint.

Dushanbe is a great city to wander around. There are plenty of restaurants and shops so close to the hotel, it made it easy to explore on my own. During the warmer months its great to sit and have a meal in one of their outdoor restaurants located in the citiy's parks.

Dushanbe, Tajikstan

It was also fascinating to explore some of the older parts of the country too, like the ancient city of Panjakent and Hisor Fortress. For me though, the most memorable experience was walking through a small residential neighbourhood near the town of Istaravshan. We had groups of children follow and want to interact, practicing their English. We were even invited inside someone’s home, by chance as we were walking past. They had recently built a clay oven and were happy to show us! Its unexpected moments like those that make you truly cherish where you are.

Kyrgyzstan

Out of all the countries visited on this trip, Kyrgyzstan was my favourite. The relaxed feel of the country and its people, the stunning mountain landscapes at almost every turn, and the remoteness you felt when visiting the local villages made it for me.

Nothing beats those winding roads when travelling from Bishkek to Naryn, or the day trip to Tash Rabat. They are truly breathtaking. Such raw natural beaty, with the occasional yurt pitched along side the road, providing shelter for the headers in the area.

The yurt camp we stayed in was located on a clifftop overlooking the famous turquoise waters of Lake Issyk Kul, with beautiful views of the lake and the red rock formations of the surrounding canyons. I must admit, I did expect the yurts to be located in a grassy valley, not realizing that much of the area around Lake Issyk Kul is quite arid - especially at the time of year we were there! But as the sun started to dip and project its rays on the canyon, the contrast between the lakes water and the sandy, orange and red sandstone colours intensified, making whole area simply glow. It was a special place to be able to spend the night and a beautiful place to experience a sunset.

Yurt Camp, Kyrgyzstan

Kazakhstan

The last of the 'stans we travelled through and ended the trip in was the largest, Kazakhstan. After crossing the land border from Kyrgyzstan we made our way to Charyn Canyon, dubbed the Kazakh’s Grand Canyon. The canyon itself really gives you an idea of how large the country is!

Charyn Canyon, Kazakhstan

The trip out to Medeu showcased the stunning mountain ranges that you can see from Almaty. Here is where the world’s largest Olympic sized high-mountain ice-staking ring lives. We took the cable car up right to the very top, where it was snowing! I didn’t realize how close, nor how beautiful the mountain ranges were — so close to the city! We all stopped at the biggest of the 3 cable car stations to have a hot chocolate and pastry, from one of the many cafes – in hindsight we probably shouldn’t have as we were headed to lunch next, but it was worth it at the time and a nice way to end the snowy mountain experience.

All Images by Priscilla Aster

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