IS UZBEKISTAN WORTH A VISIT?

The short answer is ‘most definitely’. This is mainly because of its breathtaking, fabulous architecture. And you don’t really need to be a connoisseur to be seduced by its charm. The buildings sparkle in all shades of blue and green, boasting magnificent, colourful mosaics. With slender minarets rising towards the sky, and with mosques and madrasahs bulging with shapely domes, the architecture holds much appeal both for sophisticated travellers and children. In Uzbekistan, any imaginative person will feel as if they had found themselves in a fairy tale.

Although immensely popular with tourists, nowadays Uzbekistan is still a poor post-Soviet country located off the beaten track. However, its history is long and impressive. During its former glory days, Samarkand and Bukhara were important and thriving commercial hubs situated along the Silk Road. In terms of the number of monuments, Uzbekistan considerably surpasses other countries in Central Asia.

 

Uzbekistan is a perfectly safe country, also for women who – like me – travel alone, and it is quite clean and relatively cheap. What’s more, tourists don’t really face any major logistic issues, although, like in other post-Soviet countries, a basic knowledge of Russian comes in very handy, since the command of English is rare.

WHEN TO GO?

The best time to travel is autumn (September and October) or spring (April and May). Summers in Uzbekistan are boiling, with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius. At the end of September and the beginning of October some days are still hot, but generally speaking the weather is sunny and warm and perfect for sightseeing.