Uzbekistan 2013

PART 1, General Information

PART 2, BLOG and Pictures/Gallery

PART 3, VIDEO CLIP

a. Uzbekistan

b. Thailand to Europe

PART 1, GENERAL INFORMATION

Capital city: Tashkent

Population: 31.5 million

Currency: Soum

Km travelled in Uzbekistan: 2200KM

Days in Uzbekistan: 14

Languages: First language is Uzbek, second is Russian.

 

General Overview

officially the Republic of Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan boasts a rich cultural heritage shaped by its long history and strategic location along the Silk Road. However, according to the Amnesty International report (2017/2018), the country continues to face human rights challenges, including forced labour in cotton harvesting and restrictions on the movement of “freed” prisoners.

Economically, Uzbekistan is a major player in natural resources:

  • Cotton: One of the largest producers and exporters in the world.

  • Gold: Home to the world’s largest open-pit gold mine, with the fourth-largest gold deposits globally, producing 80 tons annually (7th in the world).

  • Copper & Uranium: 10th and 12th largest deposits globally, respectively.

The Republic of Uzbekistan is a landlocked nation in Central Asia, known for its rich history, diverse culture, and strategic location along the ancient Silk Road. With a population of approximately 36 million, it is one of the most populous countries in the region. The capital city, Tashkent, serves as the political, economic, and cultural hub of the country. The official language is Uzbek, and the national currency is the Uzbekistani Som (UZS).

Geography and Environment

Uzbekistan is bordered by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan. Covering an area of 447,400 km², the country is characterized by deserts, fertile valleys, and mountain ranges. Major Rivers: Amu Darya, Syr Darya, s: Kyzylkum Desert, Fergana Valley, a key agricultural region. The country’s geography has shaped its economy and settlement patterns, with much of the population concentrated in the river valleys.

History and Heritage

Uzbekistan has a rich history spanning millennia, Key cities like Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva flourished as trade and cultural centers along the Silk Road. Uzbekistan became a center of Islamic learning, architecture, and culture. The region was incorporated into the Soviet Union until independence was declared on August 31, 1991. Focus has been on economic reforms, infrastructure development, and cultural preservation.

Government and Politics

Uzbekistan is a unitary presidential republic, with the President serving as the head of state and government. Unicameral parliament known as the Oliy Majlis Centralized executive powers with ongoing reforms to modernize governance,12 regions (viloyatlar) and one autonomous republic, Karakalpakstan

Economy and Industry

Uzbekistan’s economy is diverse, with major sectors including: Cotton, wheat, fruits, and vegetables, Natural gas, gold, uranium, and other minerals, Textiles, machinery, chemicals and Tourism, The Historic Silk Road cities attract global visitors. The government has implemented policies to encourage foreign investment and economic modernization.

Culture and Traditions

Uzbek culture reflects Persian, Turkic, and Islamic influences, Mosques, madrasas, and mausoleums in Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva. Traditional instruments such as the dutar and doira Signature dishes include plov, samsa, and various breads and meat dishes, Navruz (Persian New Year) is widely celebrated

The Border

A cautionary note for travellers: crossing the border from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan can be slow. In our case, refusal to pay a bribe resulted in over 24 hours at the border and an overnight stay in no-man’s land. Initial demands for a bribe were USD 4,000, which was later reduced to the official USD 400 after EU sanctions increased costs for Uzbekistan trucks entering Europe.

 

TOURIST HIGHLIGHTS

Whether you crave a night in the vast serenity of a desert plateau or a walk through the streets of history, there’s sure to be something that takes your fancy. Uzbekistan is all about exploring, history, bright colours, intricate patterns, rich flavours, and friendly people. Must do destinations are Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Termiz a Buddhist centre on the border with Afghanistan, or Shahrisabz, the birthplace of the great warrior, Timur. Explore the oasis cities that fed the caravans of the Silk Road as they crossed the continent. Uzbekistan offers an opportunity to see distinctive Central Asian cultural traditions that have been preserved over centuries.

 

TASHKENT

Famous town on the Silk route. We camped in the Hotel Uzbekistan carpark, located at the Amir Timur square. Using the Metro will get you to all interesting parts of the city.  During our visit we were unable to photograph inside the Metro, but I hear things have changed now. Every station is ornately decorated, with mosaics, chandeliers and even one has a space themed decor. The soviet era housing blocks are getting old, however the mosaics showing astronauts are interesting. The Chorsu Bazaar is Tashkent’s oldest and most famous with lots of fresh produce, meat, dried fruits and nuts. Outside you find anything you need from household goods to fabric and clothing. During the weekend a great flea market is held on the edge of town. It also has lots of old soviet paraphernalia including soviet army uniforms. During our visit it appears every restaurant turned into a karaoke bar after dinner.

 

SAMARQAND

This city is also called the Mirror of the World, the Jewel of Islam, the Pearl of the East and the Garden of Soul. No doubt an amazing city with great views of the surrounding mountains. We were told this is the oldest city in Central Asia. The old part of town has mosques dating back to the 14th century. The old city is accessible from 6 gates in an 8km long 11th century wall. The city became a UNESCO world heritage site in 2001. In medieval times Samarqand was a major junction of trade routes from China and India.

BUKHARA

This city is over 2000 years old and is the best-preserved example of a medieval city in Central Asia. Must see are the tomb of Ismail Samani, (10th century) Poi-Kalyan minaret, (11th century) Magoki Attori mosque and the Chashma Ayub shrine. Between the 9th and 16th centuries, Bukhara was the largest centre for Muslim theology, particularly on Sufism, in the Near East, with over two hundred mosques and more than a hundred madrasahs. Amazing city to visit and like Samarqand Bukhara is a UNESCO world Heritage listed town with over 140 listed architectural monuments.

 

KHIVA

An ancient city and in the 10th century a major trading centre on the Silk road. Khiva is sometimes called the city museum thanks to its authentic atmosphere of the ‘era of the beginning of time. ” Most of the city of Khiva is similar to the open-air museum and a UNESCO world Heritage site since 1990. The inner part, also called Itchan Kala Castle is a fortress with stone paved alleys and beautiful minarets. The whole area of this part of town is encircled by brick walls, whose foundations are believed to have been laid in the 10th century and are 10 meters high. Over 50 historic monuments and a few hundred old houses from the 18 century are in the old town. Djuma Mosque is another must see.

TERMIZ

Main reason for our visit was to cross into Afghanistan and follow the Wakham Valley to Ishkashim. But due to Taliban issues, the border had just closed for foreigners and after a few days we decided to leave and travel north towards Tajikistan and the Capital Dushanbe. (running out of visa) However, during the few days, we explored the southern most city of Uzbekistan. The city was full of German soldiers based at the Termiz airfield who oversaw transiting goods into Afghanistan. Termiz is also known as the hottest place in Uzbekistan. We enjoyed our stay and Termez has a lot of historical buildings such as Sultan Saodat Ensemble, the ancient settlement of Dalverzintepe, Kirk-Kiz Fortress in Namuna Village, Karatepa Complex and the Hakim AT Termezi Mausoleum in the ancient settlement of Old Termez. Unfortunately, we were unable to visit the friendship bridge as we were stopped by security forces. The friendship bridge across the Amu Darya river forms the border between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, connecting Termiz in Uzbekistan on one side of the river with Hairatan on the Afghanistan side of the river.

 

CLIMATE

Uzbekistan has an extreme continental climate. It is generally warmest in the south and coldest in the north. Extreme fluctuations can take temperatures as low as -35°C. During the summer temperatures can reach 45°C and above. Humidity is low.

Tashkent

Summer: 22 degrees at night and 45 degrees during the day

Winter: minus 10 at night to 6 degrees during the day

Rainfall:  Dec to April

 Samarqand

Summer: 12 degrees at night to 45 degrees during the day

Winter: minus 5 degrees at night to 8 degrees during the day

Rainfall: March and April

Bukhara

Summer: 16 degrees at night to 49 degrees during the day

Winter: minus 3 degrees at night to 9 degrees during the day

Rainfall: minimal

 Khiva

Summer: 25 degrees at night to 49 degrees during the day

Winter: minus 10 degrees to 8 degrees during the day

Rainfall: March and April

 Termiz

Summer: 16 degrees at night to 49 degrees during the day

Winter: minus 2 degrees at night to 18 degrees during the day

Rainfall: minimal

PART 2, BLOG and Pictures/Gallery

 

We continued our journey toward Shymkent and the only border crossing for foreigners into Uzbekistan, about 60 km southwest of Tashkent. Leaving Kazakhstan was a breeze, but entering Uzbekistan turned into a nightmare!

Up until this point, we had proudly crossed 65 borders and over 100 border crossings (counting multi-entry ones) with hardly any hassle—except for the five-hour wait from Mozambique to Zimbabwe. But this crossing took a full 24 hours and even included an overnight stay at customs.

The reason? They demanded US$4000 in cash to allow our truck into Uzbekistan! This was later reduced to US$400. The explanation was a new road tax for trucks over 9,000 kg, and as a Dutch-registered vehicle, Holland was on the list of countries to be charged.

We refused to pay, and so began the waiting game. As always, we brought out our chairs, pulled out the awning, and got comfortable. The officials didn’t like that one bit. We told them, “All you have to do is give us the stamp and we’ll be on our way, mate.” No luck. So we made the bed at 10 p.m. and went to sleep.

At 2:30 a.m., we were woken by 11 Russian truck drivers frustrated because they couldn’t pass—their trucks were bigger than ours. We decided to move so they could get through, avoiding any unnecessary conflict.

The next morning, the chief finally arrived. After a seven-hour discussion—a mix of Russian, Dutch, and Australian—we were finally allowed into Uzbekistan.

Once inside, we faced other challenges: daily registration and a diesel shortage, which didn’t make for the best first impression. When asked about the delays, the standard reply from customs agents was, “You do the same to us when we enter the EU.” They probably weren’t wrong.

Despite the hurdles, one thing remained constant: once you take the time to work with the locals, people are invariably friendly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our first stop

Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, greeted us with an interesting mix of old-world charm and modern quirks. We found a nice parking spot at Hotel Uzbekistan—it was free, but there was a catch: registration wasn’t included. When we asked, they said we’d need to book a room and pay US$150. “You must be kidding me!” I said. “No, we are not,” came the reply. Undeterred, we shopped around, found a travel agent, and booked the same hotel for just US$75 (50 Euros).

With our accommodation sorted, we focused on the essentials: shopping, arranging a SIM card and internet, and exchanging some money. Imagine living in a country where diesel is scarce, yet abundant on the black market, and where the official bank rate is 2,100 Sum per USD, but on the street, you can get 2,700 Sum. Welcome to Uzbekistan!

As we explored the city, we visited the old town—or what remains of it after the devastating 1966 earthquake. The mud-brick houses, charming courtyards, and narrow winding streets make it easy to get lost, and wandering through them was a delight.

CENTRAL UZBEKISTAN

Next, we visited the bustling Chorsu Bazaar for some shopping. Our last stop was the Khast Imom. We tried going back to test our patience while attempting to get internet access, but it didn’t go very well, resulting in many emails bouncing back.

 

That night, we couldn’t resist sampling some local cuisine and diving into the Tashkent nightlife. What an experience—it made us almost forget the frustrating time we’d spent at customs.

The next morning, we left Tashkent around 11 a.m., after a hearty breakfast at Hotel Uzbekistan. With our much-needed registration papers in hand, we hit the road. Traffic was pleasantly light, and the drive started smoothly—until we took a wrong turn.

Before we knew it, we found ourselves on the M39, an eerily empty freeway. With not a single car in sight, it didn’t take long to realize something was amiss. Deciding not to tempt fate, we turned around and retraced our route, After about an hour of winding through unfamiliar roads, we finally discovered a new route that reconnected us with the M39, getting us back on track. finally finding the M34 South, heading toward Termiz.

It was a small detour, but it added a touch of adventure to our journey—and a story we’d laugh about later.

 

 

After about an hour of winding through unfamiliar roads, we finally discovered a new route that reconnected us with the M39, getting us back on track. getting us back on track. finally finding the M34 South, heading toward Termiz. It was a small detour, but it added a touch of adventure to our journey—and a story we’d laugh about later.

By late afternoon, we arrived in Samarkand and found the car park at the Resident Hotel, where we were welcomed to leave our car. We also received a small note confirming our parking—a simple detail, but it added to the sense of arrival.

Samarkand, with its rich history along the Silk Road, feels like a city frozen in time yet buzzing with life. We’re planning to stay for 4–5 days to truly soak in its atmosphere, wander its ancient streets, and meet the locals. The jewel of the city is undoubtedly the Registan, its magnificent squares and ornate madrassahs promising an unforgettable glimpse into centuries of history and culture.

 

 

Our first disappointment since crossing the border came quickly: we had to pay 14,500 sum each (~$7) to enter a site, while the locals were paying just 1,000 sum. When we complained, thinking we’d been ripped off, an official calmly pointed out the sign in English stating that foreigners pay 14,500 sum. At least we got a receipt! For comparison, he mentioned the Taj Mahal costs $35 for foreigners.

The heat was intense, so we decided to limit ourselves to just one more attraction: the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum. It was Friday, and the mosque adjacent to the mausoleum was overflowing with worshippers for Friday prayers. Clary wasn’t allowed to come near, but I was able to approach and take in the architecture.

By now, we’d heard about a hotel with a pool in the heart of Samarkand called Registon Hotel. We checked it out and were thrilled to discover that we could park our truck right next to the lawn and swimming pool—something you definitely couldn’t do back home in Australia!

Over the next few days, we lazed around and soaked up the atmosphere of a city that once lay at the crossroads of the Silk Road connecting China, Persia, and India. Despite a very bad first impression at the border, we quickly grew to love the Uzbek people and their remarkable hospitality; they have been incredibly warm and welcoming. Central Uzbekistan is the true heart and soul of the region, with a rich, agrarian, settled culture. Its ancient cities capture the sheer romanticism of the area—from Samarkand to Bukhara, with its heady scent of the Old Silk Road. Here, image and reality are intricately intertwined.

 

Step into the heart of Central Asia, where history, culture, and tradition come alive. Uzbekistan’s cities are treasure troves of architectural marvels, bustling bazaars, and rich cultural heritage. In Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Shakhrisabz, Termez, and Kokand, centuries-old mosques, majestic mausoleums, and ornate palaces stand as testaments to the genius of great architects and the artistry of past civilizations.

We walked the streets where Muslim scholars once pursued knowledge, admire the intricate tilework and soaring minarets, and lose yourself in the rhythm of traditional music and the aroma of hearty steppe cuisine. Here, every corner tells a story—from monuments honoring Alexander the Great to relics of Genghis Khan’s legacy. Uzbekistan is not just a country; it’s a living museum of art, science, and history waiting to be explored.

 

Uzbekistan, a country located at the mid-point of the Great Silk Road! It`s the oldest land in Central Asia, maintaining a twenty-five-century long history, a wonderful place. Not just the history but also entertaining bazaars, warm hospitality, lots of folklore and beautiful landscapes.

WESTERN UZBEKISTAN

After we left Bukhara the first major town was Qarshi around 335 km north of the Afghanistan Border. This city has a huge natural gas production, however it also is known to produce woven flat carpets. Slowly did we leave behind the hot and dusty flat desert driving towards mountain peaks reaching over 4500 meters.

We carved our way through the rugged mountains, the road clinging to cliffs that dropped into silent valleys below, every turn revealing a slice of untamed beauty that made the world feel both vast and fragile. We dreamed of bush camping under the stars, but without a fresh registration slip, the only refuge was another hotel car park—a temporary harbor in a wild, unwelcoming landscape. At Termez, where Uzbekistan bleeds into Afghanistan, the air thrummed with quiet tension. Convoys and supply trucks traced the paths of NATO operations, and whispers of Bundeswehr escorts hinted at the delicate balance between adventure and danger. In this borderland, breathtaking landscapes and geopolitical realities collided in every shadowed pass and sunlit ridge.

 

 

Termiz buzzes with activity, a chaotic gateway for goods streaming in and out of Afghanistan via the Soviet-built Friendship Bridge. German Bundeswehr troops were everywhere, like ants on overdrive. The border crossing was next—a déjà vu from Mali. Cameras? Gone. Every photo deleted. (SHIT.)We tried to hitch a ride into Afghanistan with one of their convoys. Our truck? Not exactly their idea of “light travel.”

Lunch didn’t offer much solace. Above us, a strange whirring filled the sky. Peering up, we realized we were under surveillance by a tiny U.S. airship—a mini zeppelin. Or, as we now know it, a drone. Every move watched, every angle monitored. From the ground to the sky, nothing escaped their gaze.

Afghanistan, it seemed, was a story for another day. Termez in Uzbekistan had slammed the door on us, and with a mix of frustration and exhilaration, we plotted a new course—Tajikistan, the next chapter of our adventure.

After spending every night bar one in a hotel car park to obtain the much-needed nightly registrations in Uzbekistan do you think anyone asked us for the registration papers? In our case we got out of Uzbekistan in 30 minutes. All we were asked to do is copy our paperwork we filled in when we drove into Uzbekistan. Next was the Tajikistan border.

SUMMARY the downside:

Border Entry (Jallama):

  • Foreigners must use this border (from Shymkent).

  • New, confusing law caused a 24-hour delay; even with official guidance, crossing still took 7 hours.

  • Paid $400 USD for truck entry (over 9000kg) but the truck was never inspected.

  • First impression of border crossing was poor.

Registration:

  • Required nightly registration after the 3rd night; allows hotels to charge high fees and limits bush camping.

  • Black market vouchers available ($10–50 USD).

  • Enforcement is inconsistent: some travelers fined, others not checked.

Fuel & Diesel:

  • Diesel largely unavailable at official fuel stations (1600 Sum), but available on black market (~3600 Sum).

Money Exchange:

  • Banks offer 2100 Sum per USD; black market rate ~2800 Sum.

Roads:

  • Samarqand → Khiva via Bukhara: good to average; M39 has a bad section—veer left past Chinaz.

  • Bukhara → Afghanistan border (Termiz): good road, but mountainous sections are slow and challenging.

Overall Political & Social Context:

  • Government still very controlling, reminiscent of the Soviet era; many police and roadblocks.

  • People are friendly; culture and history are rich.

Travel Costs & Amenities:

  • Overlander parking and registration in Bukhara costly ($25–50 USD), but may include amenities like swimming pools—worth it in extreme heat.

Bottom Line:

  • Bureaucratic hassles, high fees, inconsistent enforcement, limited diesel availability, and challenging roads in some areas are the main downsides.

  • Despite this, Uzbekistan is highly recommended for its friendly people, history, and culture.

Diesel, we picked up 50 litres via the Concierge at the President Hotel in Samarqand.

Diesel Information received from other overlanders (2013)

Town of Khujayli in plastic bottles at 1USD per litre.

Poor quality despite claiming 80 Octane. Another location is N 41.22.866 E 060.22.047, they organise a delivery.

Khiva N 41.22.866 E 060.22.047

From Karalpakstan the first diesel (Black Market) available is at N 40.18.891 E 063.14.338

PART 3, VIDEO 

  1. Uzbekistan
  2. Compilation Thailand to Europe

1. UZBEKISTAN

 

2. Compilation Thailand to Europe