There’s no denying it – yurts, the circular tent-like houses native to the endless rolling steppes of Central Asia, are the epitome of a happy marriage between utility and beautiful design, so it’s not surprising that they’ve not only endured through millennia up to the 21st century, but populate the globe from Siberia to […]
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A New Cycle Begins – The Festival of Navruz
While big parts of the western world get ready to celebrate Easter, the people of Central Asia have already welcomed spring and the return of life last weekend, celebrating Navruz. This ancient festival has its roots more than 5000 years ago in today’s Iran. Being a combination of the two old Persian words “now’, […]
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King of the Mountains -The Snow Leopard in Central Asia
The Central Asia Rally will take you through the realm of the snow leopard, one of the most majestic predators of Central Asia. And if you are lucky enough, you might even catch a glimpse of the shy king himself. Photo by Tambako The Jaguar With white to yellowish, thick fur and dark […]
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Keep it Movin’ – The Traditional Dances of Central Asia
There are several doors to the heart of a nation’s culture and history. Next to food and language the most important ones are with certainty its music and the according dances. Traditional dances are a reflection of people’s daily life and a nation’s character. On the fun side, they also offer a great possibility to interact […]
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The Hassle of a SIM Card in Tajikistan
Do you feel naked without your phone? Forget Facebook during the rally, all right. But even when on the wildest adventures of the Central Asia Rally you’ll want the lifeline of an available mobile phone. But is it available? Can you use your SIM card in Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan, for example? The answer is […]
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The necessary Tajik visa, GBAO and more
Once you have made the great decision of boarding the great adventure rally the Central Asia Rally is, let’s get prepared with what you will need to enter these amazing countries. Acquiring the necessary visa for these countries is fortunately something the Travel Scientists will happily help you with. Photo by upyernoz During the amazing […]
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How to Travel Through Central Asia
Central Asia – the final frontier – is one of the world’s last destinations that still feels like it’s off the beaten track. One of the appealing factors of travelling to Central Asia’s is the challenge of enduring its crumbling stretch of roads and relying entirely on local hospitality from time to time. Whether your car […]
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UNESCO Sites in Central Asia
Central Asia is the cross-roads of civilisation. Back in its heyday, it was the buzzing hub of the Silk Road, with the blue-tiled city of Samarkand as its trading and cultural centre. While many view Central Asia today as being in the middle of nowhere and as a cluster of former Soviet states, it’s […]
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Wakhan Corridor: The Other Side of Afghanistan
Afghanistan conjures up images of barren country torn up by war, but it’s pretty quiet in the northern part of the country skirting the Tajik border.
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Riding the Rooftop of the World – Driving the Pamir Highway
Running along the rooftop of the world, the Pamir Highway is a road like no other. Officially named the M41 Highway, the road traversing the Pamir Mountains was a piece of Soviet Engineering set in place to facilitate troops, transport and provisions to the wilder regions of the Soviet Empire. This route links up northern […]
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Yurt Blockade
After the breakdowns in Samarkand and the Pamir Mountains come the yurts. A protest blockade in Osh, Kyrgyzstan has left our teams stuck with no option of turning back, thanks to visa complications in Tajikistan. What happened next? Read on to find out. A blockade of Yurts – local residents blocked the road Osh-Irkeshtam […]
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Car Trouble
Emma from Utter Fiatsco changing tires on the Uzbek road When we say the Central Asia Rally is not for the weak-minded – that’s not a daring piece of marketing – we actually mean it, and if this year’s rally is anything to go by, you’ll see why.
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