Uzbekistan

The first time we set eyes on the spectacular cupolas of Samarkand was in the early 1990s. Together with our train tickets for the Trans-Siberian Railway we received an advertisement brochure (which did not have much to do with the train ride).  Back then, the Stan Republics were called the “Soviet Orient”, and the leaflet was full of blue domes and desert oasis towns. We were hooked!

Uzbekistan in 2004 was very different and less developed. The roads had huge potholes and the trip between Bukhara and Khiva took 10 to 12 hours. To buy dairy products or cold drinks you had to go to the main market because there were only a few shops with refrigerators. Police and officials were highly corrupt and tried to get bribes at every occasion. The accommodation options were few.

Since our first backpacking trip, we have been back to Uzbekistan numerous times for work as well as for fun. In 2015 the first edition of our Uzbekistan travel guidebook got published in German. In summer 2022 we are travelling in the country for researching the 4th edition. Altogether we have spent around 7 months travelling in Uzbekistan and are looking forward to many more visits, we hope!