Uzbekistan - some questions

We will be touring Uzbekistan for two weeks in a month.

Apart from standard itinerary: Tashkent, Samarkand (+ Shakrisabz), Bukhara, Khiva, there are a few places that I would like to ask about:

-Moynaq - how is it best to get there? DOes anyone know about hiring a car with a driver from Khiva (or Urgench possibly)? How much would that cost per car for such a day trip from there? I know Nukus is closer, but is there any point of accomodating in Nukus only for the sake of going further to Moynaq? I have not noticed anything interesting about Nukus itself. I think public transport from Nukus is not the best option if you do not wish to stay the night in Moynaq?

-Ayaz-Qala, Topraq-Qala, Qavat-Qala, Badai-Tugai, Janpyg-Qala - again hiring a car from khiva/Urgench? How much would that be per car for a day trip around these ruins (+ possibly Badai-Tugai reserve - know nothing about it but someone did it all in one day by a hired car). Is it really worth spending a day travelling around to see these?

-Termez - I have seen a few nice photos + the interesting fact is that this is close to Afghanistan - is there any easlily accessible place from which you could see any nice views over Afghanistan? Is it safe to be in Termez / travel around to the places listed in LP? Is it worth a visit if you are not heading for Afghanistan?

-Fergana - have not noticed anything particularly interesting in the valley. The palace in Kokand looks nice but I do not think it is worth going to this part of the country for it exclusively. Is Fergana really worth a visit? Any breathtaking views, nice monuments or shall we just skip it as we are now planning?

-Boysun - hard to find any reliable information as to any tourist infrastructure - anyone who could recommend any place to stay/eat? Is the town located in a nice scenery or do we need to arrange any transport to see anything interesting around? Any places to walk around in a nice scenery around Boysun - not a demanding and long trekking, though?

And a few other questions:

-USD exchange at black market - no problems with customs at departure due to no exchange slips?

-we are arriving at Tashkent aiport at 2am. We are thinking of speding this first night at the airport - is it decent enough for a couple of hourst until we take some transport to the centre in the morning? Will it be a problem that we will not have a registration slip from any hotel for this first night?
Another thing is transport - Arostr agency offered pickup service for 30 USD.How much will be a taxi? I know they will charge much more than usual if you take a taxi from the airport. What about public transport - is it easy to get to the centre? How did you do this?

-any troubles when departing with registration upon arrival in Uzbekistan? As far as I know we need to complete a form declaring what we have: how much money, cameras, mobile phones (phone chargers etc. as well???)

Many thanks for all help!!!

Lukasz

Edited by: UkAsZ

Moynaq is easy enough. I got a shared taxi from Nukus to Kungarot then a bus from there. After seeing some boats, i got a bus directly back to Nukus. If you plan on seeing the actual sea, the trip is MUCH more expensive and only done on tour.

Several hostels in Khiva offer tours of the Qalas.

i left Uzbek last week. The airport is very small and to stay overnight I would think is not a problem but you will probably be on your own.
When I left no one wanted or asked for OVIR registration slips, and I asked everyone if they wanted them. Also no one asked for money exchange slips. I expected to be asked for them but wasnt. I changed ALL money on the black market.
The form asks how much of any currency, not other valuables. You do two forms going in and then 2 going out again (same two. I dont know why cos they give back one which I didnt keep.

See here for some LP updates including new info on Moynaq, the qalas & Termiz: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1530015

Moynaq - you can stay in Moynaq or Nukus. Definitely wouldn't do it as a day trip from Urgench or Khiva as it's about a 4-hour drive. Nukus well worth it for the Savitsky Museum alone. Also interesting just for the general desolation. Prices for tours to the qalas and for day trips to Moynaq from Urg/Khiva are in LP.

Termiz perfectly safe. Worth it if you are into archaeology. Maybe not if you are not. Views of the Afghan border possible from a few of the main sights, including Fayoz Tepe and Sutan Saodat (see LP)

Boysun - there will be a small section on the Boysun/Denau area in the next edition of LP (October). If you love desert landscapes (think red earth and odd rock formations, ala the American southwest) you will love this area. I find it incredibly scenic, but it may not be for everybody. You could also skip Boysun and do a day trip to Langar from Shakhrisabz, which has similar topography. There's one bare-bones hotel in Boysun and a few places to eat, nothing fancy. Plenty of treks but will be difficult to secure a guide without Russian speaking ability. Reputed to be a good trek out of Darbent, west of Boysun, to some caves.

USD black market - you do NOT need to show exchange slips (unless you are trying to convert som back into USD). You DO need to declare how much cash you are bringing out of the country, and you'd be wise to declare it down to the penny. I was checked. I was not checked for reg slips, however.

Airport - easy enough to get public transport from in front of the domestic terminal (short walk from international) but not at 2am. With Russian skills and an understanding of the market, you can get to the centre for $5 in a taxi from the airport (a lot less if you walk out to the street). Otherwise, you are looking at $10 as long as you hold firm on that price. They will ask $15-20 originally. Tour agencies usually do this for $15 so I assume Arostr's price is round-trip? It's only a 10- to 15-minute drive to the centre from the airport (less to the hotels in Mirabadsky district) so it shouldn't cost too much.

Hi Gbloom4,

Is it easy to find shared taxis from Shakhrisabz to Langar? How long does it approximately take for that trip?

Cheers

Hi Guys,

Thank you very much for the updates. Many thanks to you Greg for the link and all the updates - this will be very useful!!!

I understand the prices of trips to Moynaq or Qalas have not changed much from what LP (2007) quotes.

Boysun sounds great! We would not have much time though to explore the surroundings, let's say a day or two. How is it best to get there? I have heard there is a new train station in Boysun and you can get there by train? Two out of our four people will speak (at least) some Russian so hopefully we will be able to move around. As to trekking, maximum a day not demanding trek to a nice place if there is anything accessible within a few hours walk? Would you be able to provide any points of contact there in Boysun? How much do they want for such a trek? Any possibility on walking on your own? I always rely on LP and there is virtually nothing in 2007 edition, as you know. Hard to find anything in the Internet as well.
Langar sounds good too!
"Reputed to be a good trek out of Darbent, west of Boysun, to some caves." Do you know any further details about it?

Many thanks!
Lukasz

Is in both villages, Langar and Boysun, accomodation available?

There is an EXCELLENT museum in Nukus -- Well worth the trip! Read about the Karakalpakstan Museum (formerly the Savitsky Museum).

The museum staff -- many of which speak excellent English -- can arrange for a trip to Moynaq from Nukus and can also arrange a day trip to see several of the ancient palaces and fortresses in the region between Nukus and Khiva. I believe it is better to work with the museum to arrange the tour of the ancient ruins in the area because the museum staff has professional expertise in the history of these ruins, while a Khiva travel agent tour guide would not. My tour guide was a professional archaeologist!

[http://www.savitskycollection.org]

There are no shared taxis from Shakhrisabz to Langar. You can take a shared taxi bound for Guzor or Karshi and get off at the Langar turnoff. At the turnoff (37km from Shakhrisabz), there may be some afternoon transport options (vans or shared taxis) to take you the last 25km to Langar, but I wouldn't count on it. I just paid a cabbie in Shakhrisabz 30,000S (about $16 at the time) for the round-trip journey out to Langar, with 2hrs or so of wait time. That is your easiest option.

It should be said that Langar has been somewhat 'discovered' by the tour bus crowd, so you may not have it all to yourself, depending on what time you go out there. That said there are probably only a few buses going out there per week. In Boysun, on the hand, you are practically guaranteed to be the only tourist out there.

There is indeed a train passing through Boysun these days. This is the new Termiz-Tashkent train, launched in late 2009. However, it only runs every other day and may arrive in Boysun in the middle of the night (would have to check this), so it's not the most flexible means of travel. The easiest way to Boysun will still be to shared-taxi hop your way from Shakhrisabz (via Guzor) or from Samarkand (via Karshi), or take a direct (nonstop) shared taxi from Termiz.

About treks around Boysun, talk to the guesthouse in Shakrisabz about this (look for the Shakrisabz Tours & Travel sign; it's misplaced a bit on the current LP map, unfortunately). The owner here has a great map outlining walks in the region. And he can guide you on a good tour if you want. Otherwise, just go to Boysun and talk to the cab drivers there (there are no guides per se that I found). Most drivers will know about the trek near Darbent. From Darbent, you drive north to Machay, then walk (or take a donkey) a few hours to the Machay Cave (also called Teshiktosh Cave). That's supposed to be a good trek. Around Boysun there are walks too. Have a driver take you to Oman Hona, a shrine of sorts in a gorge. You shold be able to walk up the gorge for a few hours. Or just spot any mountain in the area and walk up it.

Back to the qalas, it's a good tip to visit the qalas with an archaeological guide from the Savitsky Museum, if he/she's available. But do realize that Nukus is much further from the qalas than Urgench. So you'll save quite a bit of money doing this tour out of Urgench or Khiva, rather than out of Nukus. Of course if you are on your way to Khiva from Nukus (or to Nukus from Khiva) it makes sense to do the tour on the way, as the qalas are roughly en route. To really save money on a qala tour, go to Boston (Bustan) or Beruni on public transport and get a cab there.

Sadly the Aral sea is gone. The latest images show that the main "Southeastern lake" had completely vanished by August 2009, sooner than had been predicted. August 2009 Satellite image of Aral Sea basin The consequences are nothing short of dire for the people living around and near the former lake.

Climate change caused by the loss of the water mass has struck hard with drought and baking hot summers and very cold and long winters. The toxicants from agriculture are spread in the dusty air causing widespread respiratory disease. Birth mortality rate and maternity death rates are extremely high. Muynak was like a ghost town but with people living there. Everyone I met seemed to suffer from poor health or disease. Even the small kids were coughing. Alcoholism was rampant.

I urge everyone to continue to struggle to save and restore the Aral Sea or at least raise awarness about the greatest man-made disaster on earth since the Aral Sea has been largely forgotten by the world. Hardly anyone I speak to has ever heard of the Aral Sea althoug it was the fourth largest lake in the world 50 years ago.

The Nukus museum has a world class collection of Soviet avant garde art. Other than that there was a small fun park (is it still there?) in the centre and the vast central square with some impressive government buidlings.

Everything you say about the Aral Sea and Moynaq is correct except for one thing: The Aral Sea is not quite gone yet. Almost though. See photos and account from my visit in October of last year - http://mytripjournal.com/travel-493304

hi gbloom,
Beautiful pictures. I am glad people still go there and pay tribute to the dying Aral Sea. I am really saddened every time I see pictures of the Aral Sea. It is a painful reminder that the lake can still be saved if the world decides it would do so, but instead we're throwing away the money on saving the banks and the wealthy.
You're right, what remains is the westernmost sliver also known as the "south-western lake" whereas it was the main part also called the "south-eastern lake" which disappeared last year. There are now some 5% remaining of the original size

Hi,

I'd just like to add some comments to the discussion about Fergana. I think it's a very interesting part of Uzbekistan, and well worth a visit. There are few architectural highlights here - everything old in Andizhan was destroyed by an earthquake, I could find little old-looking in Margillan, Fergana itself is a Russian town, and the palace in Kokand is mostly 19th century, if I remember correctly, and doesn't exactly match up with Timur's tomb and the Registan. However, the Fergana valley is the most traditional part of Uzbekistan, and it's a wonderful place to visit. People are very, very friendly, many don't speak Russian even, and it has a much more evident quiet, traditional pace of life than the rest of Uzbekistan. There are also some fantastic markets here - the ones I have been to are the bi-weekly markets in Margilon and Andizhan, both of which are plenty of fun (particularly the Sunday market in Andizhan). Also, Shahrisabz is definitely worth a visit, if only to see what un-restored Timurid architecture looks like.

One last point: the Uzbek police are an odd lot. I was spied on by OVIR (a branch of the police) while in Nukus, and that was hardly a fun experience. Outside of the main tourist towns, I think there's always the possiblity for problems.

Giora

Andijan, the horror never ends

Human Rights Watch: Stop Persecuting Andijan Refugees’ Families '

Uzbekistan - The West's Torture Farm - http://www.journeyman.tv/?lid=18419

An excellent Journeyman documentary shot on location. Craig Murray former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, sacked by the Labour Government for uncovering the horrific atrocities committed by the Karimov regime, explains why the UK and the West are complicit in the torture and murders of political prisoners in Uzbekistan. Beware, there are horrific images in the video.

Hi there,

having read your posts here I got really willing to go and see the Aral Sea once we are there in Uzbekistan. I have contacted the agency in Nukus (which is recommended by LP) but the prices they gave me are ridiculously high!!!

1. From Khiva to Moynaq back to Nukus (Transportation Nexia) -150USD
   Total:$150

2. From Khiva to the Aral Sea + Moynaq (2 days trip):
   Khiva-Nukus (by Nexia) - $60
   Nukus-Aral sea-Moinak-Nukus (Uaz 4x4) -$460
   2 tents4 sleeping bagskitchen accessorries -$50
   Food (lunch-2, dinner-1, breakfast-1) - $30x4prs=$120
   Total:$690

3. From Nukus to the Aral Sea + Moynaq (2 days trip):
   Nukus-Aral sea-Moinak-Nukus (Uaz 4x4) -$460
   2 tents4 sleeping bagskitchen accessorries -$50
   Food (lunch-2, dinner-1, breakfast-1) - $30x4prs=$120
   Total: $630

Seems we cannot afford it to go to the sea... And it seems a day trip to Moynaq is expensive as well. Will it be possible to organise a day trip from Khiva to Moynaq and back and pay 100 USD if we ask around in Khiva or do you think it will be closer to150 USD?

If you decide to go to the sea and stay overnight not in any hotel, or possibly you go on a two day trek and sleep in a tent, you have no OVIR registration provided by the agency that organises the trek/excursion - what to do in such a situation?

You can do a day trip to Moynaq and see the boat graveyard for a fraction of that price. From Nukus there are buses and shared taxis to Kungrad. From there buses leave when mostly full for Moynaq. There's time to see the graveyard, then catch a bus directly back to Nukus. I did this as a day trip and spent not more than $20 (although i don't remember the exact amount)

However, to see the sea is expensive, long and difficult. While the prices quoted for the sea are high, there aren't that far off.

Hi fluffy_bunny!

I know it is easier and cheaper to go from Nukus, however we would prefer to skip Nukus due to lack of time and go to Moynaq directly from Khiva. I know it is plausible but I am wondering what the price will be.

Hi there,

I am a bit concerned abour registration requirements. One agency from Uzbekistan informed me that registration is required every 72 hours - can anyone confirm this? I am a bit worried as we are planning to travel by train overnight from Tashkent to Urgench and we will not have a registration slip for this night to show on departure... If 72 hours is true, then there is nothing to worry about, is there?

The train ticket can count as registration.

As far as I'm aware, registration is required every night, though as Fluffy says, if you keep your train ticket, that will be fine for the night you're on the train. At any rate, to avoid problems, you are best off staying at a registered hotel or guesthouse every night (provided you stay somewhere registered, and every place mentioned in the LP is registered so these places are not particularly hard to find, the hotel or guesthouse will arrange all the registration for you and give you little slips of paper which you need to keep; registration in Uzbekistan isn't as daunting as it sounds).

Giora