‘Why on earth are you going there?’ This was the question friends asked when I told them I was travelling to Uzbekistan, a former Soviet republic sandwiched between Russia , China , and a host of fellow ‘Stans’ . I had many answers, most built on the country’s Silk Road history and the ancient mystique of a place that was Central Asia’s cradle of culture for more than two millennia. But the simple truth? I was exhausted, burnt out by the London rat race having moved here from Sydney two years ago, and desperate to reawaken my fascination with the world we live in.
Plus, Uzbekistan was named by Lonely Planet’ s Best In Travel guide in their Top Country category for 2024, with the publication describing it as a place where visitors travel from ‘oasis to oasis’ while ‘following the trading networks of centuries past.’ And with its spellbinding architecture, turquoise-tiled cities and spiritual sunsets, Uzbekistan did not disappoint. Tashkent: City of Soviet hangovers Our seven-day trip starts with a seven-hour flight to Tashkent, a capital city brimming with Brutalist architecture and hangovers of the USSR era.
Tatiana, the first of four guides on our Silk Road trail, takes us to standout sights such as Khast Imam Square – which houses what is said to be the world’s oldest Quran – and the bustling Chorsu Bazaar, a great place to watch local bakers make bread in traditional ovens. We marvel at the façade of Hotel Uzbekistan, a shabby but imposing bui.