Silk Road cultural holiday
| country: | Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan |
| location: | Silk Road |
| departures: | 2009: 15 Aug |
| price: | From £1850 (16 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK. Optional Khiva extension from £225 (3 days) |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Silk Road Mountains and Towns
Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan
Spending ten days in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, staying in yurts with a wonderful eagle hunter musician and his family, the nomads of Son Kul and the shepherds of Tash Rabat – all of whom are great friends of ours – this is a trip that will really introduce you to the ways of mountain life on the Old Silk Road.
In addition to this you can walk over a high mountain pass (or take the jeep that goes round), ride horses and camp beneath the stars. And that’s only in Kyrgyzstan. From here you will fly to see the fabled cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.
For those of you that like to really get beneath a region's surface, rather than simply travel through it, this is the trip for you.
Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan
Spending ten days in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, staying in yurts with a wonderful eagle hunter musician and his family, the nomads of Son Kul and the shepherds of Tash Rabat – all of whom are great friends of ours – this is a trip that will really introduce you to the ways of mountain life on the Old Silk Road.
In addition to this you can walk over a high mountain pass (or take the jeep that goes round), ride horses and camp beneath the stars. And that’s only in Kyrgyzstan. From here you will fly to see the fabled cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.
For those of you that like to really get beneath a region's surface, rather than simply travel through it, this is the trip for you.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Depart UK from London Heathrow at 06.55 to Istanbul for connection to Bishkek. |
| Day 2: | Arrive in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, at 01.10 and transfer to the Asia Mountain Hotel or the best available alternative. After rest and swim (not compulsory!) a wander round town, visit national museum followed by trip up to Ala Archa mountain park for late lunch at 12 Chimneys open-air restaurant. Early PM back to town. |
| Day 3: | After breakfast drive to Tok Mok to visit the restored 11th century Burana Tower. We will then continue on to Bokenbaev and in the late afternoon check into the home of Sogan Bia, a Kyrgyz eagle hunter, for a home stay with his charming family. |
| Day 4: | AM Walk up through the foothills of the verdant Tien Shan, the Mountains of Heaven, to Yurt camp for lunch. Afternoon watch the eagles hunting. There will be plenty of chance for walks and horse rides should you prefer. Evening in yurts with dinner cooked at camp by Sogan Bai’s wife and children… followed by vodka toasts and Sogan Bai singing songs with his local guitar! |
| Day 5: | Trek up from the yurt camp over the 4,100m Tyok Tok Pass and down to dirt road to camp by the river and a natural hot-water spa. The walk will be stunning and not that tough, taking about 8 hours, but those not wishing to walk can travel round in one of our vehicles, via Barskoon and the Kerege Tash Pass, to meet up with trekkers at campsite. Sleep in tents. Dinner cooked in camp by our own cooks. |
| Day 6: | Drive to Narin, stopping en route for picnic lunch and swim in crystal mountain pool. Check into the Celestial Mountain Guesthouse. Dinner in hotel. |
| Day 7: | Drive to Tash Rabat, the famous ancient Silk Road caravanserai, stopping en route at At Bashy to view 11th century ruins. Arrive for lunch giving plenty of time to enjoy caravanserai, with its stunning mountain walks. Those wishing to ride can do so. Dinner with a local family with singing and dancing around the campfire. Sleep in yurts. |
| Day 8: | Day free to ride or walk with me up to the 3,500m Tash Rabat Pass. This valley, just 35ks as the crow flies from the Chinese border, is lush and green, groaning with horses, yaks and sheep and the nomads who live by them. We will take a pack lunch as the circular ride will take most of the day. Traditional dinner again, in the yurts. |
| Day 9: | AM Drive on to Son Kul, the spectacular 3000 meter mountain lake, to stay with local nomads in their Yurt camp. Arrive mid afternoon. Dinner cooked by the shepherds. |
| Day 10: | Walk or ride up into the hills for picnic lunch and enjoy the mind-blowing views. Those wishing to can hang out at the camp, watching the plethora of bird life. Evening in Yurts. |
| Day 11: | Drive to Bishkek and check back into hotel. Afternoon is free for more city sightseeing or simply to wallow in the hotel sauna and swimming pool. Dinner outdoors at the Dolce Vita Italian restaurant. |
| Day 12: | 05.00 Transfer to airport for 06.00 flight to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. After early lunch and a look around Tashkent, transfer to Samarkand and check into charming guesthouse. Early evening trip to the Registan. Dinner at town restaurant. |
| Day 13: | Full day wandering through this incredible city, taking in such sights as the main bazaar, the Bibi Khanym mosque, Registan and Tamerlane’s tomb. Dinner at town restaurant. |
| Day 14: | Last look around the sites before drive along the Royal Road, stopping en route to see the entrance to an old caravanserai, and for lunch, then on to Bukhara and check into guesthouse located in the beautiful Labi Hazy. After rest, walk around the famous and fascinating old town. Dinner al fresco at the Labi Hauz. |
| Day 15: | Morningtour of the old town: the Arc – or town citadel, in front of which the British officers Conelly and Stodard lost their heads in what was one of the most infamous events of the Great Game. Also visit the Kolan minaret, or Tower of Death – off which Amir Nasirulla Khan threw his enemies – and the rest of the beautiful old town. Afternoon free in the bazaar for wandering, shopping etc. Dinner and traditional dancing at colourful open-air townhouse. |
| Day 16: | Morning in town, lunch and then at 1520 fly to Tashkent. After checking in and a rest we will go out to dinner at a very nice restaurant by the canal. |
| Day 17: | Transfer to airport for 03.00 flight to UK via Istanbul, arriving at Heathrow at 10.05. |
| Optional Khiva Extension (see prices above) | |
| Day 16: | Bukhara at leisure |
| Day 17: | AM Drive to Khiva and check into the converted Madrassa in the heart of the old town. After lunch and rest you will have a short sightseeing program to view some of Khiva’s must colourful and sumptuous sites, including the Kukhna Arc and the Mohammed Khan Medrassa. Dinner will be had open-air in the courtyard of the madrasa. |
| Day 18: | Khiva at leisure |
| Day 19: | Fly to Tashkent at 1035. Transfer to hotel. PM sightseeing trip in the city followed by dinner out. |
| Day 20: | 0300 flight to UK via Istanbul arriving at 1005 at London Heathrow. |
what this trip includes
Trips are on full board basis, and include international flights if mentioned in the price details, transport as outlined in itinerary, twin-share accommodation, mineral water and entrance fees. how this holiday makes a difference
 In Central Asia we have developed unique relationships with many of the semi-nomadic peoples of the region and through our form of interactive, socially conscience tourism have helped them adapt to the modern, changing world by providing important income opportunities. With Sogan Bai, an eagle hunter from the shores of Lake Issyk Kul, or Noorgul, a shepherdess from the pristine Son Kul, or Nazira and her family at Tash Rabat, we have been responsible for introducing them to the homestay market, helping them to provide good, clean and interesting accommodation which in term allows them to educate their children, improve their standard of living and look after their ill. The wonderful thing about this kind of interactive tourism is that everyone gains – the nomads financially and us with the wonderful welcome and experience they give us. On our horse treks, we work exclusively with the fine horse-man Anar Bek, who along with his family and members of the local community, ensure that the horses we trek with are well treated, well fed and well looked after. Wherever possible we stay in locally owned accommodation, eat in locally owned establishments and purchase supplies from the local nomads. When you take one of our trips, we make a contribution to “Climate Care” – an organisation devoted to ‘offsetting’ or ‘neutralising’ harmful greenhouse gas emissions caused by your flight. This is done by funding projects across the world that will reduce greenhouse gases on your behalf through sustainable energy or rainforest restoration. We also support several NGOs around the world, all carefully selected to improve the standard of living for the communities we visit. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |