From Khiva to Tashkent From Khiva, we were destined to rumble 15 hours back east to the Uzbekistan capital of Tashkent by overnight train. This time, because it was a lengthy trip, we opted to upgrade about 10% to the 4-bed private berth cabin rather than the more open 6-berth, which was still only $27.50/ticket. A real value for this…
Taking the Train from Bukhara to Khiva From Bukhara, we boarded another train to what would be our furthest point west in Central Asia and what was undoubtedly our favorite stop on the Silk Road…Khiva. Unlike the last, this train only offered sleeper bed seats making it a much more cozy experience for the duration of our six hours. Uzbekistan definitely…
From Samarkand to Bukhara by Train From Samarkand, we trundled two hours west by train to the second most visited place on the Uzbek tourist circuit…Bukhara. And in case you skimmed over that little detail…YES, we said TRAIN, which is undoubtedly one of the things that makes travel in this country both uncomplicated and pleasant, unlike some slower, more tedious…
Getting to Samarkand & Our Accommodation From the Tajik border town of Panjakent, it was time to wander into the next Stan, for our final 29 days in Central Asia. This would also be our most challenging border crossing of the region, so we were pleased to have had the overnight in Panjakent and not tried to do it all in…
Despite having the same last four letters, which actually just means “LAND,” Tajikistan felt radically different than the first two 'Stans of our journey. It felt much more off-the-beaten-path, the people are radically different in their Persian-feeling look and hospitality, and it allowed us to experience one of the most epic road trips of our lives on the Pamir Highway….…
Life in Panjakent After our days of rest in Dushanbe, it was time to resume our travels by heading into the last of the Stans, at least for this trip. But first, we chose to spent a night in the Tajik border town of Panjakent (population 50k), which comes from Persian meaning “five towns,” likely referring to a cluster of ancient…
Exploring Dushanbe It’s been quite some time since we encountered the level of ostentatiousness that Dushanbe displays…in a blend of Skopje, North Macedonia, meets Dubai, meets China, meets Vegas. It’s oozing with development, cranes, statues, towers, fountains, bright lights, (particularly in the shape of animals or plants), big screen TVs and a distinct “look at me!” attitude. It even goes…
Day One: Osh, Kyrgyzstan to Murghab, Tajikistan (September 8, 2025) The Pamir Highway, often called “The Roof of the World” or the second highest international highway in the world, is one of the most legendary roads on the planet, traversing the four countries of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. The 1200-kilometer (750 mile) section we would journey over 6 nights/7…
