The Pamir Highway is an adventure traveler’s dream, if you have a head for heights! Driving the Pamir highway is one of the highlights of the Central Asia Rally. In fact, it’s one of the highlights of travelling anywhere. It’s the second highest international road in the world, with epic scenery and an almost spiritual remoteness. It’s […]
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Guest Post: Tony’s Central Asia Rally Story
A guest post by Tony Thorndike, Central Asia Rally veteran. Tony Thorndike is a Travel Scientists regular, who completed the Central Asia Rally in 2014. He drove all the way from Britain to Bishkek and, even more impressively, back again! He recently wrote about his experiences on the Caucasian Challenge. He can’t resist the charms of […]
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Silk Road Cities Visited by the Central Asia Rally
The essential guide to the ancient cities visited by the Central Asia Rally. The Central Asia Rally provides an incredible driving experience, with teams following a route over breathtaking mountain passes, through vast deserts, stopping at picturesque lakes and glorious valleys. Participants see at first hand the many vibrant cultures of the region, and stay […]
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Reasons You Should Visit Central Asia
There are so many reasons you should visit Central Asia Mountains, lakes, and valleys as picturesque as anywhere on earth. Seeing once magnificent ancient cities. Driving the Pamir Highway. The knowledge that most people won’t have heard of half the places you’ve been. These are just some of the reasons you should visit Central Asia. […]
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Astrakhan: Where Russia Meets the East
Astrakhan is where Europe ends, and the Central Asia Rally begins. Astrakhan is best known as a departure point: this is the closest major city to the Volga Delta, and as such is an increasingly popular destination for nature tourism. Its position on the Caspian Sea has ensured a long history as an important […]
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What to do in Dushanbe
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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Why You Should Visit Song-Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan
Song-Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan is a must-see spot in Central Asia… if you can reach it! Against the backdrop of distant mountains, Song-Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan, an alpine lake right in the center of the country, is gloriously tranquil. Famed for its sensational sunrises, sunsets, and the richness of star-filled night’s sky. With an area of […]
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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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Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: the Voice from Heaven
No page on all things Central Asian could ever be complete without a mention of Pakistani-born Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a singer of mainly Qawwali music and who, amongst those in the know, simply went by the nick “The voice from heaven” – which was just my impression when I first heard him sing […]
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How to Take Great Shots of Streets in Central Asia and Beyond
All great adventures, like the Central Asia Rally, deserve to be documented with equally magnificent photos; some of these will aim to capture city streets in all of their syncopated, iridescent glory – here are the seven golden rules of how to take great shots of urban settings. Photo by Francisco Anzola Understand where […]
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