This would be my first trip traveling alone for the last 5 years. Especially after our daughter was born, I thought that the chapter of solo traveling would be closed for a longer period of time. Which wasn’t an issue though. Some chapters close, newer ones open up.
However it turned out, that my girlfriend and I came to an agreement, that we shouldn’t give up traveling with friends, as it was part of our lives prior our relationship. As it wasn’t easy to find a travel partner, I decided to travel abroad by myself again. I needed a change of scenery, and was missing the kind of travel, where I would feel lost in translation. Uzbekistan seemed to be a pretty unique place, and the exact destination for myself on a solo trip.
Everything seemed pretty easy. Flying from Brussels to Istanbul, and straight to Samarkand was kind of a pleasant journey. No visa needed.
After landing in Uzbekistan, I exactly got what I was expected. Almost no English at the airport, a Russian-communist vibe among the Asian looking police- & military men, and everything seemed stricter than usual.
Same procedure outside the airport, groups of men calling for a taxi. The ride to the city was pretty cheap 3-4$. However the communication with the driver was limited to google-translate on his phone. I was asked questions, where I would come from, the reason of my visit… etc, The translator on his phone however was limited to one single short sentence. The whole scene seemed pretty awkward but funny at the same time.
Reaching my B&B hotel, the driver wouldn’t find the exact location, and called the accommodation for help. The alleys where we stopped where hidden in the dark, with restricted public lights. I had to get out of the vehicle and walk through a tunnel, the driver guided me towards the hotel, where the owner was waiting with a flash-light for me. Everything seemed creepy… the hotel manager wouldn’t speak a word of english, but was super gentle. Of course this was at 04:00 in the morning… so I was thankful that everybody, the driver and the owner of the accommodation were helping me to find the way to my bed. No ID-check, no checking-in, no payment… “tomorrow sir. now you go sleep”. I loved it.
Samarkand
The next morning (well it was the same day actually), after waking up, I couldn’t wait to leave the hotel, and heading straight to Registan Square, which was located right next to the hotel. I started the day, with the best sunny weather I could ask for. But I felt thrown back in a different world. Everything was different, the soviet vibe remained, but with a lot of persian/arabic influences. Most people were dressed up in traditional or pretty old-fashioned clothes. The buildings were beautifully ornamented with colorful mosaic-tiles.
Samarkand can keep you busy for 2 whole days. There are plenties of mosques to visit, holy sanctuaries, food & spice markets, a walk through the local neighborhood was fascinating as well. The city did important efforts to make it convenient for tourists to visit Samarkand. There’s a free shuttle that carries the tourists around. The main attractions are connected through a pedestrian street. However besides the tourist attractions, there isn’t much left to do. So I think spending two days in this gem of a city, is plenty enough.
This would be the most impressive sights in the city:
Registan Square
Shah-I-Zinda
Siab Bazaar
I should mention, that despite the lack of communication, as most people won’t speak any English, Uzbek people are super welcoming though. Most of them are friendly and helpful. And there wasn’t a minute where I felt unsafe during my trip.
The only issue I encountered would be the food options. Or the cleanliness of the restaurants. Don’t get me wrong…most places are clean, but while checking most restaurants on google-maps (the reviews), there was always at least one review that mentioned food poisoning. You should avoid tap-water in Uzbekistan, so I followed the same rules, like in India. No salads, only cooked dishes.
“Plov” is the national dish of Uzbekistan. It’s a kind of Byriani, however without the spices, but the flavour of the dish relies on the fats of the meat, to give it some character. A nightmare for vegetarians. Plov often comes with free salads. Most restaurants are limited to soups, salads, and grilled meet. This counts for the average local restaurants. I didn’t visit any fancy places.
Tashkent, the capital, is a more modern city, and has good food options. They vary from traditional dishes to modern international options. But Samarkand’s options were rather limited.
I was fully enjoying my two days in Samarkand and was looking forward getting to Tashkent by train. I was getting up early in the morning, but my airport driver hadn’t replied my text massages, as he was supposed to give me a ride to the central train station. I had to improvise and guessed that it would be pretty easy to find a random driver, which actually was the case. After walking for 10 minutes, a random gentleman stopped by and asked if I needed a ride. I wasn’t sure if he was an official taxi driver, however it would do the job. Reasonable price, and very welcoming!
Samarkand to Tashkent by train.
In Uzbekistan it’s recommended to book your train tickets in advance, as they tend to sell out. So I double booked, in case I would miss my first train. The tickets were around 7-9$ for a 5 hour journey.
The train-ride was hassle free. The main problem, was to figure out on which gate the train would depart, as everything was written in Uzbek on the information panels. And the train agents wouldn’t speak any English, as soon as I made it onto the train. I could lay back and enjoy the journey. Food and drinks were available on the train.
Tashkent
After making it to Tashkent, the wow-effect was gone. It just looked like an average eastern European city at first sight. The Persian influences were gone, and the city was rather marked by eastern European architecture and monuments. The most beautiful tourist activities for myself, were the several subway stations, which reminded me of my trip to Moscow ages ago.
“Kosmonavtlar” was one of the few special stations, as it was dedicated to the cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. I was wearing my Yuri Gagarin soviet watch, to give my watch a memorable value. While walking through these, sometimes busy, sometimes empty subway stations, you felt like being thrown back in time.
Once you figure out, how their metro system works, getting around Tashkent is easy, but it takes some time, as the subway stations are sometimes further apart. My main attractions during my stay would have been
Chorsu Bazaar
Amir Temur Square
Minor Mosque
Alisher Navoiy Theater
Saligokh Street
Plov Center & Tashkent Tv Tower
I only had two full days in Tashkent, and I lost some time during my first hours in the city, as I was walking way too much instead of using public transportation. Just let me briefly describe the mentioned points of interests.
The Chorsu Bazaar, was a great spot to take some photographs, however it was less charming than the one in Samarkand. Lots of locals, lots of poor people, and you felt more observed while walking around with a camera. The architecture of the dome shaped market is quite unique and even more impressive by its size on the inside of the building.
Amir Temur Square, was right next to my hotel (Uzbekistan Hotel). My hotel, as well ass the square, were very soviet influenced, which I liked. The hotel had gotten quite a few bad reviews on booking(dot)com. However I was positively surprised. The service was great, the vintage vibe was a plus, and their old fashioned hotel bar was pretty descent. I had an unforgettable night with a Russian guy called Kevin, who I met at the hotel bar, and two chinese-russian business men. The barman Temur was also super welcoming. I was glad that I had picked this dated hotel with a lot of history.
Unluckily Minor Mosque was under construction, and I lost more than an hour, just getting there by train and a moderate walk. But from the outside it looked quite impressive, as it is a quite high building, which reminded me of what I had witnessed in Samarkand.
“Sligokh Street” was very nearby my hotel. The Tashkent “Broadway” get quite lively at night, which lots of games and kid attractions. Street food-stands are all over the place. It is less attractive than Asian night markets, but still a nice area to walk around at night.
After spending 4 days in Uzbekistan, I got used to Plov. It wasn’t really my favorite food, but I felt like it was the safest option, as you couldn’t go wrong with a rice dish that is served with some cooked veggies and meat. There was an enormous Plov Center, right next to the Tashkent Tv Tower. It is considered to be the biggest Plov Pan in the world. The restaurant prepares food for hundreds of customers during lunch hour.
I only spent 4 nights in Uzbekistan, which sounds like a short trip, however the impressions that remained are numerous. It was the perfect short trip, to discover the Uzbek culture, to get to know some random people on my journey. I had a fun night at an old soviet looking bar with people I barely got to know. Lots of great photo shots.
Everybody was very welcoming, obviously it’s not a country, where you will make 100s of friends in a day, as most people are reserved, high-probably due to the language barrier, but once you break the ice, they get very welcoming. I will definitely go back to Uzbekistan with my family.
