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raki_man02:47 UTC03 Aug 2011

Have just spent 8 days in GBAO with Pamir Guides who I recommend highly.
http://www.pamirguides.com/

Some hints-

Only reliable internet is in Khorog- good cafe next to post office with generally high speed. There is a pay by the hour wifi in Khorog which my computer automatically tried to connect to. $2 hr, $10 day. Tried it for one hour but it kept falling out.

Tried the internet at the Resource Centre in Murghab but it was slow and expensive. The sign inside says that you must pay for the petrol which the internet runs off!! (They have to charge up the generators)

If you are buying stones such as Lapis Lazuli, De Pamiri has a small selection. However, there is a booth about 100 meters towards town from the university, same side of road, with a much better selection at about the same price.

There is a new homestay in Khorog right in the centre of town. Lenina 58 Kl 30. Just up the laneway which goes to the theatre next to the town hall.
Tojqual and Nazar Mamadaminora. Ph 93480880, 935620803. Russian only. Family has 7 teenage daughters. $20 a night with meals. One daughter has English- Nadina, her phone 935050387.

There are bedbugs in Hanis Guesthouse in Iskersham, but not in my bed!! He he

The border between TJ and China DEFINITELY closed for foreigners- advised by someone in Customs at the KG/TJ border.

You should pay no more than $50 for taxi to Kashgar from Irkeshtam Pass. There is a $3 'hotel' at the pass on KG side- but only the desperate will want to stay there.

jandaniel07:36 UTC08 Aug 2011

Thanks for this Informations, I will heading out the next days from Osh to Khorog.

For all who travel from Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan and want to buy the Geckomaps (Pamir and South/North Tajikistan) you can buy them in Osh at NTE Travel for 15 USD each.
www.ntetravel.net

Best is to call Erna in advance: 0555 30 20 64

centralasia_traveler06:04 UTC09 Aug 2011

In Dushanbe, at the Bactria Cultural Center, they have the excellent Pamirs map by Markus Hauser for sale

jandaniel04:57 UTC17 Aug 2011

I just arrived in Khorog and we had a bit a bad experiance with the Police on the way from Murgab to Khorog. If you go the direct way (not via Wakhan) then make sure you have "Shugnan" on your Permit, not only Khorog. We get stopped 4km before Khorog and two friends in the car didn't have it on the GBOA Permit (they have the Visa/Permit from Beijing) so they had to pay extra 50US for two...
I guess the Permits from Bishkek they have it, then for me it was no problems...

raki_man13:47 UTC17 Aug 2011

It sees to depend here you get the GBAO permit which places get listed. I got my permit in Bishkek and all possible places were automatically included. It seems that if you get your permit elsewhere you need to state which areas you want.

liraly12:22 UTC18 Aug 2011

Actually, you need all Pamir regions to be listed in your permit. Because if you then go from Khorog to Dushanbe, you will cross almost all of them.

centralasia_traveler19:05 UTC19 Aug 2011

Since it costs nothing to have all the GBAO regions to be listed on your permit, one should always ask for all the regions to be listed. Why this isn't automatic everywhere, since one gets it just by asking for it, I cannot fathom. Probably historical reasons.

thebigtask16:55 UTC26 Aug 2011

I stayed many nights over two months at Hanis Guesthouse in Ishkashim with my wife. We loved the place. The meals are amazing. The son of the woman who runs the place speaks English. They are a fantastic family. $15/night gets you a comfortable room and the best dinners and breakfasts I had in Badakhshan. Oh, and don't forget the hot showers and flush toilets (my wife appreciated those).

Edited by: thebigtask

GBOA hints Country forums / Central Asia / Tajikistan
raki_man02:47 UTC03 Aug 2011	Have just spent 8 days in GBAO with Pamir Guides who I recommend highly. http://www.pamirguides.com/ Some hints- Only reliable internet is in Khorog- good cafe next to post office with generally high speed. There is a pay by the hour wifi in Khorog which my computer automatically tried to connect to. $2 hr, $10 day. Tried it for one hour but it kept falling out. Tried the internet at the Resource Centre in Murghab but it was slow and expensive. The sign inside says that you must pay for the petrol which the internet runs off!! (They have to charge up the generators) If you are buying stones such as Lapis Lazuli, De Pamiri has a small selection. However, there is a booth about 100 meters towards town from the university, same side of road, with a much better selection at about the same price. There is a new homestay in Khorog right in the centre of town. Lenina 58 Kl 30. Just up the laneway which goes to the theatre next to the town hall. Tojqual and Nazar Mamadaminora. Ph 93480880, 935620803. Russian only. Family has 7 teenage daughters. $20 a night with meals. One daughter has English- Nadina, her phone 935050387. There are bedbugs in Hanis Guesthouse in Iskersham, but not in my bed!! He he The border between TJ and China DEFINITELY closed for foreigners- advised by someone in Customs at the KG/TJ border. You should pay no more than $50 for taxi to Kashgar from Irkeshtam Pass. There is a $3 'hotel' at the pass on KG side- but only the desperate will want to stay there.
jandaniel07:36 UTC08 Aug 2011	Thanks for this Informations, I will heading out the next days from Osh to Khorog. For all who travel from Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan and want to buy the Geckomaps (Pamir and South/North Tajikistan) you can buy them in Osh at NTE Travel for 15 USD each. www.ntetravel.net Best is to call Erna in advance: 0555 30 20 64	1
centralasia_traveler06:04 UTC09 Aug 2011	In Dushanbe, at the Bactria Cultural Center, they have the excellent Pamirs map by Markus Hauser for sale	2
jandaniel04:57 UTC17 Aug 2011	I just arrived in Khorog and we had a bit a bad experiance with the Police on the way from Murgab to Khorog. If you go the direct way (not via Wakhan) then make sure you have "Shugnan" on your Permit, not only Khorog. We get stopped 4km before Khorog and two friends in the car didn't have it on the GBOA Permit (they have the Visa/Permit from Beijing) so they had to pay extra 50US for two... I guess the Permits from Bishkek they have it, then for me it was no problems...	3
raki_man13:47 UTC17 Aug 2011	It sees to depend here you get the GBAO permit which places get listed. I got my permit in Bishkek and all possible places were automatically included. It seems that if you get your permit elsewhere you need to state which areas you want.	4
liraly12:22 UTC18 Aug 2011	Actually, you need all Pamir regions to be listed in your permit. Because if you then go from Khorog to Dushanbe, you will cross almost all of them.	5
centralasia_traveler19:05 UTC19 Aug 2011	Since it costs nothing to have all the GBAO regions to be listed on your permit, one should always ask for all the regions to be listed. Why this isn't automatic everywhere, since one gets it just by asking for it, I cannot fathom. Probably historical reasons.	6
thebigtask16:55 UTC26 Aug 2011	I stayed many nights over two months at Hanis Guesthouse in Ishkashim with my wife. We loved the place. The meals are amazing. The son of the woman who runs the place speaks English. They are a fantastic family. $15/night gets you a comfortable room and the best dinners and breakfasts I had in Badakhshan. Oh, and don't forget the hot showers and flush toilets (my wife appreciated those). Edited by: thebigtask	7

GBOA hints