Chimgan & Around

Introducing Chimgan & Around

Just over an hour northeast of Tashkent by car, lies Ugam-Chatkal National Park, an outdoor haven loaded with of hiking and adventure-sport opportunities as well as more relaxing pursuits. The mountains here are not quite as extreme or scenic as the higher peaks around Almaty and Bishkek, but certain activities – rafting, kayaking and heli-skiing come to mind – are more accessible and at least as challenging.

This entire area is known locally as Chimgan, a reference to both its biggest town and its central peak (3309m).

You don’t have to be an X-gamer to enjoy Chimgan. A major sanatoria centre in Soviet times, today it has hatched a few modern resorts and retreats to complement the usual diet of decrepit yet still-functioning concrete Soviet hulks. And the Chorvoq Reservoir offers more mellow outdoor pursuits such as fishing, swimming and canoeing – ask about these at the Chorvoq Oromgohi hotel.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009