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Travels both intrepid and trepidatious, around the world and around the block |
REPAVING THE
GREAT SILK ROAD
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Target Clientel: Uzbekistan will appeal to those whose taste for the exotic is leavened with an understanding of the realities of travel in Third World and Soviet bloc countries. Clients who have enjoyed tours to Russia or China are excellent prospects. Since travel in Uzbekistan invariably means a guided tour (even for one person), it will appeal most to those who enjoy group travel.
Attractions: Tashkent is the de facto gateway to the country and your clients can expect to spend at least two nights there, on arrival and prior to departure. Almost entirely destroyed by a 1966 earthquake, Tashkent is a showcase of Soviet-era urban planning. The result is a pleasant and stately, if somewhat dull, city with broad leafy boulevards and vast, rather intimidating public spaces. However, other than at the sprawling Chorsu Bazaar, the city seems oddly devoid of life.
Among the more interesting sights are The State Museum of Art with a small collection of European works and the Amir Timur Museum, an exuberantly gaudy attempt to rehabilitate the bloodthirsty 14th century conqueror known to the West as Tamerlane as the George Washington of Uzbekistan. Music lovers will appreciate the Alisher Navoi Opera & Ballet Theater where first-rate opera can be heard almost any night of the week and the best seats in the house are $2.50 at the box office (more when booked through your hotel). An off beat (and cheap) attraction is the Metro, Tashkent's subway system; each station is unique and some are eye-poppingly beautiful.
Those wishing to escape the city smog can take day trips to Chimgan and the Charvak Reservoir in the foothills of the Tien Shan mountains for hiking, windsurfing and white-water rafting. Among the tour operators offering excursions is Uzintour (call 011-7-3712-674762, fax 011-7-3712-674563). Tashkent has a smattering of ancient monuments but they pale in comparison to those to be found farther West, along the Great Silk Road.
Samarkand's Gur
Emir is the final resting place of Tamerlane and Ulug Beg.
(Photo courtesy of Ruud van
der Lee.)
Samarkand, the ancient capital of Tamerlane's empire, boasts one of the most breathtaking sights in all of Asia, the stately Registan Square, composed of three massive medrassas, or theological seminaries, faced in exquisite tile work and topped with fluted domes of dazzling turquoise. Shah-i-Zinda is a small but ravishing city of mausolea, some dating back to the 900s, with the best preserved representing the height of Central Asian ceramic art. The huge Bibi Khanum Mosque, currently undergoing restoration, was Tamerlane's attempt to rival the architectural wonders of Delhi, which he had recently conquered. The Gur Emir mausoleum holds the remains of Tamerlane and his enlightened grandson, Ulug Beg, the scientist-emperor whose book of celestial observations remained state-of-the-art for over three centuries. The evocative ruins of Ulug Beg's observatory lie a short drive away.
Bukhara, which along with Khiva recently celebrated its 2,500th anniversary, has been home to the holiest men in Islam and the vilest of tyrants. The massive Ark Fortress evokes the horrors of the 19th century rule of Nasrullah Khan; here the entrance way is lined with windows opening onto the dungeons and torture pits in which the mad Nasrullah tormented his victims. The rest of Bukhara's old town, however, bespeaks a more spiritual legacy. Gorgeous medrassas and exquisite mosques vie with covered bazaars for pride of place in this still bustling urban center. A stroll through Bukhara in the moonlight transports the visitor to an ancient world of mystery and romance.
The Kalon Minaret, a 155 foot high structure of glowing yellow brick, is Bukhara's trademark. It was the tallest structure in the world when it was built in the 12th century and so impressed Genghis Khan that, in an uncharacteristic gesture of mercy, he spared the minaret the destruction he meted out to the rest of the city. The minaret is the centerpiece of the lovely Poi Kolon ensemble, a formal and spacious square separating the Mir-i-Arab medrassa from the Kalon Jummi mosque.
Another such ensemble is Lyab-i-Hauz which bustles with life; a park, an outdoor restaurant, and a reflecting pond, once a city reservoir, beckon the visitor to rest under the shade of ancient mulberry trees. Nearby is Bukhara's Jewish quarter, the still active home to one of the Diaspora's oldest communities.
A short walk from the old town lie the Bolo Hauz mosque with its unusual fluted wood columns and brightly painted woodwork, and the Ismael Samani mausoleum, a not-to-be missed architectural gem from the 10th century that uses simple yellow brick to mesmerizing effect.
Far to the West of Bukhara, near the drab modern town of Urgench, lies Khiva, the last gem on Uzbekistan's necklace of Silk Road cities. Khiva is not a living town like Bukhara but a "museum city" in which the ancient monuments have been carefully preserved and tidied up for the modern visitor. For this reason, Khiva has its detractors, yet many tourists will appreciate the chance to contemplate Khiva's wonders in relative serenity.
Khiva's skyline is dominated by two minarets, the unfinished Kalta Minor and the 146-foot Islam Khodja, both faced in a riot of tiles in shades of blue and green. Among the other highlights are the Pahkhlavan Mahmoud mausoleum with its spectacular blue-tiled interior spaces, the Jummi mosque with its forest of 213 carved wooden pillars, and the Tash Hauli Palace with its magnificent harem courtyard.
Although its ancient monuments continue to be its strongest draw, Uzbekistan is drawing a steady trickle of adventure travelers with its scenic wonders. The tiny enclave of Shakhimardan, completely surrounded by neighboring Kyrgyzstan, offers spectacular mountain scenery and is the kick-off point for a two-week trek for experienced climbers. Dusty Nurata, on the fringes of the Kyzyl Kum desert, offers treks to Aidarkul Lake with transportation via camel and lodging in traditional yurts.
Accommodations: There is an obvious effort being made to upgrade Uzbekistan's hotels, but a great deal remains to be done. Even the poshest hotels can experience inexplicable shortages of such staples as toilet paper and light bulbs, and brusque Soviet-style service is still prevalent. Your clients should expect to pay a premium for hotels that meet international standards. Moderately priced choices will inevitably be older, unrenovated establishments offering surprises that will seem amusing only in retrospect.
Tashkent offers the greatest selection of hotels. The venerable 300-room Hotel Uzbekistan (call 011-7-3712-331349, fax 011-7-3712-891115) is in the midst of a reported $31 million transformation from Soviet-era dump to world-class hotel. Only renovated rooms are being offered with doubles ranging from $240 to $260. The modern 316-room LeMeridian (800-225-5843), under British management, has also undergone a recent sprucing-up; doubles range from $210 to $320). The posh InterContinental (800-327-0200), where doubles start at $350, draws a well-heeled international business clientel.
In Samarkand, the highly recommended Afrosiab (call 011-7-3662-311341, fax 011-7-3662-311044) has 278 rooms, with doubles starting at $140. Conveniently located for sightseeing, with a large pool, it also boasts one of the better hotel restaurants in the country.
Bukhara's 400-room Hotel Bukhara (call 011-7-36522-38311) boasts a lavish marble atrium lobby and outdoor swimming pool, with doubles starting at $280. The one-year-old "new" Bukhara should not be confused with the "old" Bukhara, the Soviet-era hotel next door; be crystal clear which one you are booking or risk seriously upset clients.
In Khiva, the best choices are the somewhat spartan accommodations available in the old city. The Hotel Arkanchi (call 011-7-36237-52974, fax 011-7-36237-52230) can accommodate just thirty guests and only five rooms have full facilities. Rates are $50 double with full board.
Dining: Dining out in Uzbekistan almost always means dining in a hotel, your own or another. With much hotel cooking consisting of what one guidebook accurately calls "Soviet stodge," this is not always an appetizing choice. An exception is the Brasserie on the Park (tel. 325252) in Tashkent's InterContinental, where moderately-priced European-style buffets are served at lunch and dinner. Also in Tashkent are the Istanbul Restaurant (tel. 337367), near the Hotel Uzbekistan, and the fast-food emporium Mir Burger, near the Navoi Opera, where Tashkent's Generation-X gathers for surprisingly good cheeseburgers, pizzas, and pastries.
The adventurous can visit the ubiquitous outdoor restaurants to sample Uzbek specialties like shashlik (lamb or beef shish-kabob), plov (mutton pilaf), and lachman (spicy noodle soup), accompanied by non, the traditional round, unleavened bread. A full meal will cost a dollar or two. Uzbeks are famous for their hospitality and chance encounters can result in an invitation to a home-cooked meal that will be a highlight of the trip.
Getting There: Uzbekistan Airways offers once weekly direct flights to Tashkent from New York's JFK. Lufthansa offers connecting service from Boston, Newark, Washington, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Travel in Uzbekistan: While independent Uzbekistan is a much more open society, the government retains a Soviet-style concern for unaccompanied foreigners wandering about the countryside as the spirit moves them. Consequently, most foreigners visit as part of an organized tour. Among the tour operators offering trips to Uzbekistan are Connie Swanson Travel (800-767-1977), United Tours (212-245-1100), Fos Tours and Travel (516-466-5651), and Union Tours (212-683-9500).
Independent travel, in the Western sense, is theoretically possible, but it will prove daunting even for those fluent in Uzbek or Russian. Travel agents wishing to make arrangements for couples or single travelers traveling "independently" should contact UzbekTourism in New York (212-983-0382) to work out an itinerary.
Strongest Selling Points: Uzbekistan's Silk Road cities and the monuments they contain are legendary and with very good reason. The romance and mystery that still attaches to this little-known corner of the world make it an ideal next stop for travelers who have "been everywhere." The people of Uzbekistan, a multi-ethnic mosaic of Slavic and Asian nationalities, are friendly and cheerful hosts.
Note: Information was accurate as of October, 1997.
This article copyright 1997 by Kelly Monaghan. All rights reserved. Editorial inquiries should be addressed to The Intrepid Traveler, P.O. Box 531, Branford, CT 06405. Or email rights@intrepidtraveler.com.
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