I regularly visit a new country, each year on my birthday and Uzbekistan had been on the radar since 2019. Unfortunately, the pandemic was having none of it and it set me back by three years. This year, I put my foot down and decided that I had to make it happen.
Preparation and Visa
My visa took only three days to arrive. For those who wish to travel to the lovely Uzbek territory, there are two ways to go about procuring a visa- the official government site or an independent visa consultancy service that does everything for you. I decided to go with the agency. They asked for a handful of documents such as the visa form, my passport copies and photographs, and as everything is done online, getting the visa for the country was mind-bogglingly easy and hassle-free. There is no direct flight to Uzbekistan, so I chose the most pocket-friendly option- flying through Delhi.
Uzbekistan is an ex-soviet nation and the whole country has a strong Russian influence on culture and architecture. It is also steeped in rich Muslim history and I did not want to miss out on its joys by having to look for guides, accommodation and sightseeing places on the spot. Instead, I preferred a guided tour package that would take care of the logistics for me, leaving me to fully enjoy the Uzbek experience. There are plenty of tour companies in Uzbekistan that draw up personalised accommodation, sightseeing and guided tour plans for travellers, based on the number of days of stay. I chose a package that had a nice hotel and an itinerary that would take me to all the must-visit sites in Uzbekistan, in my eight-day trip. I also saw people taking a 3-city/5-day tour plan with 3-star hotels- another reasonable option. In my opinion, it is best to go for one of the local tour agencies rather than the ones in Bangladesh.
What to Pack
It is important to respect the culture of the places you visit and I made sure to carry longer, flowy dresses that suitably covered my legs as I knew I would be visiting mosques and madrasahs. I always, always look at pictures of the places I am going to visit and pack accordingly. For Uzbekistan, for instance, I knew that longer dresses in stark contrasts with the colour blue (like orange) would make for wonderful pictures because so much of their architecture has blue in it. I love taking pictures and researching ahead pays off beautifully- the pictures are testimony to that!
The Tour
I landed in Tashkent which is the capital city of Uzbekistan and the most modern city of them all. I spent one day in the beautiful capital. The highlight of the city personally was the Barak Khan Medressah which displayed a Qur’an handwritten by one of our Khalifas. This was a very special experience for me and I am honoured that I was able to see such a revered relic up close.
From there, I headed to the 1500-year-old, walled city of Khiva, which was a little bit of a detour from the original travel plan. I went for the experience anyway. Reached by air, the small city is pedestrian friendly and located on the crossroads of The Great Silk Road, connecting China and Rome. The city was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO all the way in 1990.
After two eventful days of exploring the nooks and crannies of Khiva on foot, and trying their iconic green noodles, I left for the gorgeous Bukhara- the seventh largest city in Uzbekistan. Known for its spices, the city is home to a large covered bazaar, the alleyways of which reminded me of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. I spent a memorable afternoon exploring the bazaar, buying trinkets, silks, and spices, and had lunch at a small restaurant there, lured in by the delectable smells of meat and freshly baked bread. I also took my time visiting the Chor Minor, and some beautiful madrasahs had a hammam experience and ate some scrumptious plov (pilaf/pulao), which is their main food. I also got to explore a lot of the city on my own and took some amazing pictures.
From Bukhara, I travelled to our last, and most awaited leg of the trip- Samarkand. Samarkand is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia and is situated on the famous Silk Road. It is immersed in Muslim history and has mesmerizingly picturesque mosques such as Bibi Khanym, which personally stood out for me. I also enjoyed the Ulugbek observatory and the light show at Registan square that lights up the place at night. Registan was known as the ‘heart of the city’ during the Timurid period and one can easily understand why. Lit a brilliant blue and gold, its beauty is something ethereal against the starry night sky. From there, it was time to go back home.
Food and Culture
As an avid traveller, I always believe that the best way to experience a country is to immerse oneself in its culture. A big part of culture is food and we opted to have their local cuisine wherever we went. This included fragrant plov which is made differently in each city and therefore a must-try everywhere, locally made fresh bread, kebobs and sweets- which we downed the traditional way- with some black tea!
As a female traveller, safety is very important to me and I always asked the locals whether going out alone at a certain time was a good idea. Uzbekistan is a very safe country and made me feel very protected and welcome. I remember getting on a mixed compartment on a train in the country, with some trepidation, and I was pleasantly surprised at the way the men on the carriage treated me. There were no uncomfortable stares, and there were definitely no unwelcome touches, even if people were almost shoulder-to-shoulder with each other.
Travel Tips and Tricks
As someone who has travelled up to 60 countries, I often get asked for tips and tricks for travel. My go-to secrets are an unbelievably long run uptime, at least 6 months, where I research the places I want to go and plan out everything to the T. Booking flights and accommodation in advance has saved me much money, time and hassle.
Travelling as a Working Woman
Many wonder how I am able to travel so much with a full-time profession. When I was working a 9-5 job, I was in a high-octane position that made frequent travel difficult. Now that I am an entrepreneur, I admit that it’s a little bit tougher to get away, or at least, to fully disconnect from work. I balance out my travel by remaining in touch with my workplace- I have even been known to take important meetings when I am travelling- and making sure that I clear important commitments before I think of going away for long periods of time. I can never be fully disconnected- I envy those that can, but I know I will never be them. However, if one is a wanderer at heart, one will find a way, much like I do.
