Welcome to the first blog, I hope you will enjoy reading about my favourite region - Central Asia.

Why does no one know much about this part of the world?

Central Asia is not a typical tourist destination. When I arrived in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, for the first time on the evening of October 2017, it was freezing, and instead of a taxi, I took the bus to get to the hotel. The old babushka was selling the tickets on the bus. The city looked inhospitable but, at the same time, very exotic and modern - a metropolis on the steppe full of new oil-money architecture, all built after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Later, I found out why this is the case and where to find fine Soviet gems in Astana. Local people in this part of the world are very friendly and hospitable, possibly because it is one of the pillars of their religion - Islam. I found out this after meeting my first local friend, Talgat, in my hotel (we are still in contact now).

Interesting fact: most people are muslims, can speak Russian, and they have Asian features, which I find very exotic.

After Astana, I visited Almaty, the incredible former capital of the country, and maybe also the world capital of Soviet Mosaics art and USSR brutalist architecture, and the heart of the country, which is still a cultural capital. Here you can still buy souvenirs like the Communist flag with hammer and sickle or different maps of the old Soviet Union. My journey then continued to Kyrgyzstan´s capital, Bishkek, still a very Soviet city, a bit similar to Transnistria´s capital, Tiraspol, followed by a visit to the Issyk-Kul lake region, and a closed city during the Soviet times called Mayluu-Suu, full of Soviet symbols similar to notorious Norilsk in Russia. I almost missed my flight on the way back to Almaty. There was a presidential election held in Kyrgyzstan, and the border between the countries was closed; it had just opened at the last minute.

When I arrived home, I knew this was the place I wanted to know more about and go back to as soon as possible. Since the first trip in 2017, I have visited different regions of Central Asia by myself and have shown it to my friends and clients more than 15 times.

But how is it, this part of the world is so different?

Central Asia has always been connecting Europe and China, which is why it is even called Eurasia.

The Silk Road trade routes crossed through Central Asia, leading to the rise of prosperous trade cities like Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva in Uzbekistan, acting as a crossroads for the movement of people, goods, and ideas between Europe and the Far East. A rich history includes revolutionary names like Timur, also known as Tamerlane, whose empire in the 14th century was 70% of the size of Russia today, and Alexander the Great, whose wife was from today´s Tajikistan. From the Iranian tribes to the Mongols and Russians, all of this influenced the region for what it is now. The geographic location is the explanation of how mixed this part of the world is.

Except for the Tajiks speaking the Persian language, all the other countries are Turkic. The religion was changing from shamanism, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism to predominantly Islam, coming in the 7th century, still being the first religion of the region.

After the Soviet Union's fall, the countries are in the sphere of influence of China and Russia, still far from Europe or the US. Mostly dependant on Russian economy.

All of these countries are very diverse - Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan famous for their nomadic lifestyle back then, Uzbekistan famous for its ancient cities, art, and culture, Tajikistan for having more than 93% of the country mountainous and Turkmenistan with the 4th biggest world gas reserves, and for being the closed North Korea of Central Asia.

The vibe today in one word is AUTHENTIC. The Samarkand bread has been made in this city for thousands of years with the same recipe. The Kazakh Beshbarmak from the Nomad times is made of horse meat. The Khujand bazaar in Tajikistan is full of meat, spices, and green tea, the best pilaf, and a lot of smiles. Food, atmosphere, people, culture, architecture, nature - Central Asia has it all for me, and I hope once for you too.

1. How do I get here?

3. Is it safe?

2. Things to do in Central Asia.

1. If you travel from Europe, it is easy and pretty cheap to get here with Wizz Air. If you are not a fan of low-cost airlines, there is a way to get here with Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Lufthansa, and the great Kazakh airline Air Astana from anywhere in the world. These flights can be pretty expensive, but there are not many alternatives to get to this part of the world.

2. The region of Central Asia is safe and still very affordable. Be respectful and polite, and you will be welcomed by the kindest and most hospitable people here.

3. In this place, not everything can be planned 100%. Why? Because different scenarios can happen on the road, and the schedule can be changed by the road conditions, as most of the region is located in the mountainous areas. There is also a high chance of meeting people offering you tea or food, and this also can take some time :).

Central Asia consists of the countries of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. All these Post-Soviet or former USSR countries got independence in the 1990s also called “stans”. Sometimes Afghanistan is also counted.

Central Asia is still the unknown part of the world for most people (and was the same for me), but after just one week travelling here, it was a life-changing trip, and I fell in love with the region.

Join our next tour in a small group here.

by Hendriks Toth

understan founder, Central Asia researcher and traveler

Lost on the Silk Road of Central Asia