If you are in search of places to travel and get away from your busy life to appreciate peace and culture, you are at the right place. Let me tell you that the Stans also called central Asia is one of the best. It is a place where nature and people live together in harmony and culture, and ethnicity prevails everywhere. People come together, and their warm sentiments make anyone feel at home and never wanna leave. We, at Siima MotoWear have done our research and we present you with some of the best things to do and see while visiting the Stans:
Reasons to travel the stans:
Now there are a lot of reasons why you should travel to Central Asian countries. One is that it is a great adventure and the people there are pure and welcome you warmly to visit their homeland. Then you get to visit the worlds second-largest highway called the Pamir highway. You get a chance to reconnect with nature that brings real inner peace and satisfaction, and heartfelt joy.
The best route for you to take:
Now as the world becomes small, you can travel the stans in two weeks. You could start your trip by Kyrgyzstan. Visiting the capital Bishkek first would be better. Do have a look at the bazaars. Then you might visit the mountains and visit the nomads down there with herds of cattle and sheep. You could explore around on your own by getting a map and even visit the lakes. You could visit the north shores and have a talk with the Kazakhs and learn how beautiful people they are and what they do to live a contempt life. You could visit the 18 km long and 23 km wide Song Kul lake. You can visit the Pamir Alay mountains. Many peaks are covered in snow and shepherds bring their herds to graze. A tradition that you would really like taking part in is hunting using a golden eagle. Now that sounds intense.
Uzbekistan:
The next stop is Uzbekistan with its rich culture and epic sights. The mosaics of Shah-e-Zinda tomb complex are one big treat to your adventure. Further down you will find open-air museums at the cities of Bukhara ad Khiya. In the desert, you'll find caravans of camels slowly moving through the sand and will bring fantasies to life. The silk road cities in Uzbekistan are a must to visit. It is a great chance to understand people, to indulge in their culture and to know more about their abundant ethnicities. The food is from another world. Not just in Uzbekistan but in all Central Asian countries. The food has a different aroma, and you will relish everything you eat. Their unique spices will surely cause your tastebuds to explode. Though the distances are long, you will enjoy the journey. The roads are patchy in some places, but with good off-road tyres, you will get along. Uzbekistan has one of the most developed infrastructures and architecture and is the main attraction for tourists. The mosques and marble engravings are outstanding and a true representative of their culture.
Tajikistan:
The next place you will be visiting has to be Tajikistan. The Pamir highway passes through Tajikistan. The road starts in Khorog; the capital of Tajikistan and stretches to 726 km. It passes through a barren and scarcely populated area but with striking landscapes, and the land joins the border with Kyrgyzstan till the city of Osh. The place is filled with hot springs. You should also visit the Alpine lake, which has the worlds highest regatta. You can go further via the Wakhan valley too, which is guarded by the Yamchun fortress. It is an important trade route from the last 1500 years (psst! remember Marco polo? He plunged here.) You can also consider crossing the Afghan border but do consider the peace conditions there. The mountain ranges are also a beautiful sight.
Turkmenistan:
Next comes Turkmenistan, which is widely known for its gas craters. The huge gas crater is also called Darvaza or the door to hell. One of the main attractions for tourists in Turkmenistan is its capital city Ashgabat with its gold plated monuments. Now that's expensive! When you go a little further from the silk road, you will find ancient ruins with rich history hidden in them of Merv and Konye. Then comes the Kopet-Dag mountain that joins with the border of Iran. The visa for Turkmenistan is hard to get through. You can consider visiting the Caspian sea that joins up, to look for new regions. The Darvaza gas crater is fiercely hot, so do not consider going too close.
Kazakhstan:
In Kazakhstan to there are many worth seeing places and good food to eat. The big Almaty lake and Kosmostancia is the main attraction. The Tian Shan mountains are a great place for a hike. It is heard that many astronomers research and work in these mountains, so do not get upset about the abandoned look as the starry skies are still left to see.
These were some of the must-see places in the Stans. Truly unique in many ways. Definitely worth the ride.
Have you been to any of the Stans? What's your impressions? Anything else we should visit/know about? Leave your comments below.
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