Uzbek Trip Report

Thorn Tree forumCountry forumsCentral AsiaUzbekistan
Enter custom title (optional)
This topic is locked
Last reply was
1.7k
…
Send as an e-mail
Send as an e-mail
calgarykris
calgarykris

So as promised here is a short report of my Uzbek trip last month to help future travelers..... Enjoy!

Got my LOI from Stantours... they are very quick and i did VOA as I am Canadian

Got to Tashkent at 8PM, found a taxi to take me to my hostel for $7US, don't pay more. I hear sometimes you can get it for $5US... BARGIN!!!!

Stayed at Gulnara, very helpful people and met a lot of backpackers...Payed $25 a nite......

This is very close to Chorsu bazar, which is good b/c this is where the black market to exchange money is.... roughly 2000SOM per US$ when i went....don't be obvious when counting and make sure the polic aren't looking....

Metro was 500SOM per ride......

Took overnite train to Bukhara..... 19,000 SOM i believe, they don't cheat you at the train station, so whatever they charge will be correct.... lineups can be dysfunctional so you have to bully your way through sometimes.... bring your passport!!!!

Trains are not AC'd!!!!! be warned... and bring food and drinks w/ you on the train.....

Train stops at Kagan and took taxi to bukhara (Lybai-Haus), Bargain hard.... $7US

Checked out a few places, ended up staying at Nasruddin Navroz... .payed $16US for an AC room... they are open to negotiate prices!!!! Just ask... nice people and breakfast is included....

Took Shared Nexis to Samarkand.... got to the shared taxi stand (courtesy of Nasruddin Navroz owner) and waited 3hrs!!!! then could only find transport to Navoy and from Navoy to Samarkand.... cost $17US... i know, i overpaid, but because we had been waiting for sooo long.....

Cab to registan area ($5)

Stayed at Furkat for $15... they were ready to bargin as there were no other guests..... GREAT views from their rooftop patio.....

Took mashrutkas from registan to train station (500SOM), just look for ones that say vokzal!

If you need money changed, just go to the bazzar right beside the Bibi Khan... walk to the back, down both flights of stairs and then turn left.. you will see a gated exit where most of the money changers are standing!

Took Sharq to Tashkent, 15000 SOM (2nd Class)

Took taxi to airport, 10,000SOM

Just so you know there is a decent souvenir shop at the airport on the left side when you enter, they actually are good for pricing... so if you have leftover SOM....

Also, I flew Uzbek airways both from IST-TAS and TAS-BKK... no issues and on time! i booked online through travelcuts.com.....

If you have any specific questions, just ask!

View last reply
Report
1
dequincey
dequincey

Thanks for this - I'll be doing similar things in 3 weeks time.

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
2
eulenspiegel
eulenspiegel

@feralartist: Why you had no som? Can I buy train tickets in Slovenia with Som or Dollar?

Edited by: eulenspiegel

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
3
feralartist
feralartist

They DO actually rip you off in the train station.

I got a ticket seller who sold me a ticket on the Sharq to Bukhara for 22,000 sum...or 13-14 dollars. I had no sum, so I had to pay in dollars...but she would not accept them. Then she demanded that I give her $50 so she could take the money for the ticket and give me the change in sum...at the official exchange rate. I don't think so!

I got out of that one by claiming not to have any more money. So eventually she took the dollars and gave me my ticket for $13...even though official exchange rate meant the price of ticket was more like $14. At that point I think she just wanted me to go away.

But yes, watch out for the ticket sellers, they WILL try to scam you, just like everyone else in Uzbekistan. Play dumb, play poor, and have a sense of humor about it all. It will help you a lot.

Tips for dealing with the cab drivers:

Don't ever take a cab from anyone who offers, pesters, or bothers you in any way. The biggest pests are the biggest scammers too. Walk away from the pests, find a cab whose driver is just sitting around doing nothing...or walk out to the main road and hail a car there. I went from Kagan to Bukhara old town for 5000 sum. He asked 10000 at first, I said "No way!" and walked off. When we got there he tried to get another 1000 sum from me, but I had my bags in my hand and was out of the cab by that time. I just laughed and walked away.

Don't be paranoid about Uzbekistan, it's a friendly place mostly, but you have to keep on people or they will rip you off...it's nothing personal, it's just a way of life for them.

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
4
centralasia_traveler
centralasia_traveler

Thank you for the excellent information!

If I may respectfully add regarding going from Samarkand to Bukhara, as was explained to me by my Samarkand host who speaks excellent English.

Most of the locals don't go all the way from Samarkand to Bukhara or the other way around. Most go instead between Samarkand and Navoy (or Navoi), or between Bukhara and Navoi.

For that reason, most of the taxis only go partway. Only a few go all the way. However, there are many, many, many taxis traveling part way on these two routes.

Often, a driver from Bukhara to Navoi will accept you for a fare all the way to Samarkand, then turns you -- and part of your fare -- over to another driver in Navoi headed for Samarkand. It makes sense, once you understand what is going on. The same happens in the other direction also. You may have to wait for the taxi to fill in Navoi, but likely much faster than three hours.

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
5
eulenspiegel
eulenspiegel

Marschrutka from Kagan to Bukhara is just 500 SOM
Cab from the Samarkand Registan to the Train Station cost us 5000 SOM (city bus is 400 som)
Cab vom Tashkent train station to the airport 4300 SOM.

Edited by: eulenspiegel

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report

This topic has been locked by a moderator.

Pro tip
Lonely Planet
trusted partner