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Chimgan, Uzbekistan
After we arrived in Uzbekistan, we took a direct taxi to Chimgan. Before that, we passed passport control, bought our Uzbek sim card and picked up our luggage (~1 hour). As I did arrive 1 day earlier than my friend, I stayed the night in Tashkent and arranged a taxi to the airport to wait for my friend and head to Chimgan afterwards. This cost 300.000 UZS, which is around 25 euros. On arrival in Chimgan, we checked in at the Archazor Mountain Resort. We decided on a bit more luxury on the first day, after a long flight. The Archazor Mountain Resorts
offers a spa, with a sauna and steam baths as well as an indoor swimming pool. In summer, also both outdoor pools are open.
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Tashkent, Uzbekistan
From Archazor Mountain Resort, we ordered a taxi (400.000) UZS to bring us to
our hotel in Tashkent (Sapiens Hotel). After checking in, it was time to explore
Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent. We had lunch at Socials Café. Afterwards, we
headed to Sailgokh Street to explore the local culture, where we played table
tennis.
From Sailgokh Street, it was only a couple of minutes walking to admire
Hotel Uzbekistan. From there, we walked to Silk96, an international wine bar
located in Tashkent, for some wines and snacks. Thereafter, we ended the night
with a cocktail in the rooftop bar of the Sapiens Hotel. On the second day in Tashkent, we continued exploring Uzbekistan’s capital. Firstly, we ordered a cab
to the Chorsu Bazaar, from where we also visited the Hoja Ahror Valiy Mosque and
the Kukeldash Madrasah.
Afterwards, we took the metro towards the TV tower and Museum of Victims of Repressions and headed to Beshqozon to see the making of Plov (the national Uzbek dish) in real life. Along the way, we stopped at multiple metro stations, as the metro station network in Tashkent is a site itself. Thereafter, we had juice at Juice Bar by Leto and an amazing Napolitan pizza at RONI.
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Khiva, Uzbekistan
Even though there might be quicker ways to reach Khiva from Tashkent (you can
also take a flight for about ~€60), the night train is the most unique experience. Therefore, the best way to travel from Tashkent to Khiva is, in my opinion, the older 14-hour night train. The night train is the least fancy train out of the 3 different types of trains in Uzbekistan. Taking the night train teaches you more about Uzbekistan’s history and the trains give you an SSR vibe.
You can easily book your train tickets online (and use Google Translate). There
are different train classes. As the journey would be 14 hours, we decided to opt
for a first-class ticket which means you only share a cabin with two people. Another option is a 4-person cabin (which we did on the train from Khiva to
Bukhara) or a shared and open cabin. All in all, the night train is the perfect
way to discover the heart of Central Asia.
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Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Time to leave Khiva and head to Bukhara. We took an early morning train (8 am)
to Bukhara, which took us around 8 hours. This time, we booked a cabin for 4
people so we did share our cabin with local travellers. For many visitors to Uzbekistan, Bukhara is their favourite town. Even though I liked Bukhara, it
wasn’t as striking to me as Khiva (because of how authentic it was) or Samarkand
(because of the impressive blue mosaic).
Nevertheless, you can find a lot of culture in Bukhara one of the most central places on the Silk Road. Also in Bukhara, you can find a famous minaret, beautiful mausoleums and other aspects of the Islamic culture. Furthermore, the city centre of Bukhara seems to be one large bazaar. One of my favourite things to do in Bukhara though, was to visit one of the Silk Road Teahouses. The place you definitely can’t, nor will, miss when in Bukhara is the Poi Kalon complex. Make sure to be there early to visit before the crowds and the entrance fee to the madrassah is worth it.
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Samarkand, Uzbekistan
From Bukhara, we boarded the Afrosiyob train to Samarkand, a 2.5-hour train
ride. Samarkand is a city that is seen as one of the main jewels on the Silk
Road. Even though Uzbekistan might not be the best-known country in the world, Samarkand also tends to be the best-known city in Uzbekistan. Samarkand is home to the famous Registan, housing multiple Madrassahs with amazing tilework and stunning mosaics. One of the things I liked, is to visit the second floor of one of these Madrassahs.
Furthermore, Samarkand was home to the highlight of our trip: Shah-i-Zinda, where the colours are just majestic. Prepare to be enchantedby the many beautiful buildings in Samarkand, but also expect a city that is not as picturesque as the other Uzbek cities such as Khiva and Buchara.
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Tashkent, Uzbekistan
To avoid last-minute stress, we decided to head back to Tashkent one day before
our flight. Around 16:00, we boarded the train from Samarkand to Tashkent, which is only a 2 to 2.5-hour train ride with the famous Afrosiyob.
We spent our final day in Tashkent with some drinks and pizza at RONI, just because we are big fans of the food and didn’t feel like a local closing dinner. If we had redone our trip, we would have flown back from Samarkand as there are international flights to Istanbul from Samarkand, which will save you additional travel time.