Here’s what to do in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. Not many people have heard of Tajikistan, and even fewer know its capital, Dushanbe. The city, located in the West of the Central Asian country, isn’t exactly crammed with must-see sights. However, surrounded by mountains, the city’s wide boulevards and relaxed atmosphere make it a […]
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Visa-Free Travel to Kazakhstan
Visa-Free Travel to Kazakhstan has arrived for citizens of many countries. It has been announced that visa-free travel to Kazakhstan is now available for all citizens of the European Union and OECD countries. This will make travel there (whether as a tourist destination or a through-route) considerably easier, and cheaper. However, this news came […]
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Issyk-Kul: Kyrgyzstan’s Best Lake?
We recently covered Song-Kul Lake, but is Kyrgyzstan’s best lake actually Issyk-Kul? The world’s second largest Alpine lake (after Lake Titicaca, in the Andes), Lake Issyk-Kul — while it faces competition as Kyrgyzstan’s best lake — is certainly the Central Asia country’s largest. It’s also the second largest salt-water lake in the world, and the eleventh overall, according […]
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Visa-Free Travel to Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan’s president-elect has signed an order granting visa-free travel to Uzbekistan for citizens of twenty-seven countries. Traditionally, getting a visa for Uzbekistan has been problematic, with lots of paperwork required and the annoyance of applicants having to send their passport to the relevant embassy. Not any more though, if you’re from one of twelve […]
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Bards of the Golden Road: the Music of the Stans
The Central Asian republics- Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan – cover an area ten times the size of Britain, stretching from the Caspian Sea to the Chinese border. For many years, their music filtered out as an exotic and peripheral sound from the Soviet Union, but with their independence, the Stans have begun […]
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The Pamir Highway- a Link in the Ancient Silk Road
The Pamir Highway, the world’s second highest roadway, and a part of the ancient Silk Road, is a section of the M41 going from Osh in Kyrgyzstan, to Termez in Uzbekistan via Tajikistan through the Pamir mountains. Central Asia Rally’s path joins it for some of the most breathtaking views to be had anywhere. […]
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Central Asian Foods You Too Can Make: Sauces for Anything
Okay, almost anything. And anything in my plus-sauce book means exactly two kinds of carb (from here on: something), so if you’re not into rice either, now might be a good time to check on your organically sourced, free range, yak blood marinated leg of rainforest tarantula and let us get on with the business […]
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Tomb of the Prophet Daniel in Samarkand
The 18 metre long sarcophagus of the mysteriously ceaselessly growing dead prophet in Samarkand is not the only one that claims to be the final resting place of Prophet Daniel, but it is arguably the most puzzling one. Where are the others? The most widely accepted one of these places is in Susa, Iran. […]
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Merzbacher Lake, Kyrgyzstan: a Lake that Empties Itself Every Year
Continuing our “Put your inner Chuck Norris to the test” series, today we present you with a lake whose outstanding beauty is only matched by its remoteness and offbeat behavior. This piece of geological wonder high up in the Tien Shan mountains completely empties and then refills itself at least once a year, but […]
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Anzob Tunnel, Tajikistan: Not For the Fainthearted
The purpose of any tunnel is to get you from one place to another, preferably still breathing. But this perilous, dark, damp one is making no promises in that regard. Photo by Julian-G. Albert Can’t wait to go already. How long is it? Five kilometers. This stretch of hollowed-out asphalt, dubbed The Tunnel of […]
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Tomb of Rudaki, Father of Persian Poetry, Tajikistan
Hidden in the Fan mountains in the northwest of Tajikistan is the resting place Rudaki, the father of Persian poetry. Born around 860, he is one of the foremost historical figures of post-Soviet Tajikistan, strongly shaping the national identity as an icon of not just artistic achievement but also as a cultural touchstone for […]
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Sarez Lake, Tajikistan: Created by the Largest Dam in the World
And now something only for the Indy-grade dauntless amongst you, who’ll leave no nook of land uncharted when they hear of it, however remote it may be. Adventurer, meet the extra challenge of your Central Asia Rally, The Sarez Lake, created by the largest dam in the world. Photo by Tim Griffin It must […]
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