The Five Stans of the Silk Road

• Travel by minibus
• 15 nights in hotels, three nights in home stays, two nights in yurts, one night in a cottage and one night in a guesthouse
• All breakfasts, three lunches and eight dinners included
• Single supplement available

All breakfasts, three lunches and eight dinners included Common dishes in the region include shish-kebabs and plov (rice usually with mutton, onions, carrots, spices, raisins and peas). The kebabs can be from different meats, including lamb and beef, while plov is a rice-based dish (variants elsewhere are known as pilaf or pilau rice). Another main staple is bread, especially in Uzbekistan where it is freshly baked and sold everywhere; in Turkmenistan, churek is a flat, round bread baked in clay ovens. Other traditional dishes include chorba, a meat and vegetable soup; manty, steamed dumplings filled with lamb; qu’urma, a lamb dish; ichlekli, a meat and onion pie; and gutap, a pie filled with meat, potatoes, spinach and pumpkin. There are normally a couple of opportunities to try home-cooked meals. Tea is also plentiful, both black and green, and drunk with most meals and throughout the day. Please note, vegetarian food choices are limited. If you are vegetarian or have any special dietary requirements, please notify us well in advance. In this region, the availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets, eg gluten-free or dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring such specialised dietary items from home. Drinking water is included and will be provided in large containers for you to refill your bottle from – please bring a reusable bottle with you.

Covering a large area, from the deserts of Turkmenistan to the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, the climate can change a lot. Summer (July and August) can be very hot in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan but pleasant in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, while spring and autumn (May/June and September/October) can be cooler in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan but more pleasant in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

As we visit regions ranging from deserts to high mountains, you can expect temperatures exceeding 30C (86F) as well as close to freezing and need to be prepared for both. Winters are very cold and some areas are impassable (especially to Son Kul in Kyrgyzstan) for most of the year, which is why the season for this trip is relatively short, lasting only from June to mid-October. Later dates (ie September into October) can be particularly cold at Son Kul.

This trip has been rated Activity Level 2 (Leisurely/Moderate).

Over a relatively short period, we visit a vast array of sites, both cultural and natural, and cover five fascinating countries, which share a common history but are now developing individually. It covers a lot of distance in three weeks and there are several places where we only spend one night (especially during the section through Tajikistan and southern Kyrgyzstan).

While this is not an active trip, the pace and distance covered can be tiring. There are also some hikes, particularly in Kyrgyzstan. These are not challenging and can vary depending on the preferences and abilities of the group.

Drives

Most tend to be four to five hours’ long with the odd six-hour drive; there is a particularly long day from Samarkand to Termez, which involves an eight-hour drive, though we do stop at Shakhrisabz.

Comfort

Central Asia doesn’t always have great infrastructure and you shouldn’t expect the same comforts you would get at home.

Most nights are in standard hotels, though we also stay in homestays, yurt camps and a guesthouse, which will be more basic

Hot water is normally available, but is not always reliable

Toilets might be squat toilets and showers may be outside the main building in the more basic accommodation

Some nights you may have to share a room with more than one person; we make every effort to ensure men and women who are not travelling together don’t have to share a room, but this cannot be guaranteed. On these nights, single supplements do not apply. We stay in these places, however, as there are very limited options in some areas we visit

Smoking

Smoking in public is illegal in Turkmenistan (though smoking in private is fine, which means more people smoke indoors than outdoors) and you should not smoke outside the airport on arrival or in the street in Ashgabat. Also, you can only bring two packs of cigarettes into Turkmenistan.

Clothes

When visiting mosques and other religious buildings, women should wear long skirts and have their shoulders covered, we also advise bringing a scarf and covering your head on such occasions. Knee-length skirts/dresses, shorts and sleeveless tops are fine in other circumstances.

Itinerary changes

Given the bureaucracy in the region, particularly in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, we may be forced to change the route or activities due to government decisions beyond our control.

Border crossings

There will be a Western leader throughout, plus a different local leader in each country. Border crossings. These can be chaotic and require patience. In some cases, you need to walk through a neutral zone with your luggage. The Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan (Farab) border is the most complex and involves walking up to 1.5mi (2.5km); sometimes cars are available to drive us, but this cannot be guaranteed.

Climate

Temperatures can vary from extremely hot to close to freezing on any given departure as we visit both deserts and high mountains.