*Dushanbe, Tajikistan weekend excursion...*

I'll be working in Dushanbe for about a week in late September. Can anyone recommend a good 2-3 day trip of the city? Unfortunately I've not got a lot of time but I'd like to see something other than Dushanbe.

Also is it possible to catch a flight from Dushanbe to Almaty? which airlines & about how much?

Thanks much!!

For flights, look to Air Astana, Somon Air and Tajik Air. In 2009 I flew one way DYU-ALA with Tajik for about $180 on a ticket purchased in Bishkek.

Hey there,
Good questions- and indeed, welcome to Tajikistan.

1- the best thing to do for a few days from Dushanbe is to go into the mountains with a trek, or just driving around. There are some expats in Dushanbe who arraneg a different hike every weekend, so if you're interested, send me an email (to hellotoday@gmail.com) and I can send you their upcoming plans. It's run by a cool lady named Goulya. If you don't have email access regularly, then this shoudl give you an idea (taken from their latest email to us):

Dear friends,
This Sunday, August 14, we are happy to invite you to the hike in Takob Valley.
It's situated in 45 km from Dushanbe in Northeast direction. The way till Takob town takes 45 min by city car. We leave our cars before the town and start hiking in the gorge, along the stream. The path crosses the stream several times, but as there is no much water, it’s easy to jump over. Some trees give the shade and there are several possibilities to take a bath in the river.
After 1.5 hours of hiking we arrive to the waterfall at the end of the gorge and stop for a lunch/rest/baths. Take your bathing suits – it would be really useful!
We leave the city at 9.00 am and return at about 16.00 pm. You should take some food, water, a cup for tea or coffee, camera, and etc. We will provide guiding, coffee, tea, cookies, beautiful landscapes, wonderful views for taking pictures and good mood.
We'll meet at 9.00 am at the crossroads of Rudaki and Karamova streets (near the Agriculture University), in front of billiard "Zvezdnaya noch". Transportation can be provided but cost extra. If you are ready to join our group, please let us know by mobile phone – 93 50 50 567. See you on Sunday, Goulya.

2- For travel to Almaty, there are a few airlines, but I'd recommend reserving something soon though a travel agent as the prices go up nearer to the date and people out-buy each other for seats. A very trusty travel agent is www.tis.tj, run by Zafar. They have most UN contracts and can always guarantee some seats it seems. His email address is travelagency@tis.tj... tell him Matthew from the UN says hello and I'm sure he'll help you out with a reservation and some plans. His phone number is +992 372 233 861. You can also check www.somonair.com but you can't buy things online unless you contact a travel agent first.

I really hope this helps you enjoy your time in the Dush.

Thanks for traveling,

Fox-