Khujand to Osh without the enclaves

Not sure if this has already been covered but I recently travelled from Khujand to Osh avoiding the borders and not paying the $150 that was asked of me for a cab.

Getting to Batken is very easy; 15 Tajik Somoni from Khujand to over the border. Then change and it's 50 Kyrgyz Sum to Batken. In Batken head to the bus station and ask around for marshutkas to Chon Kara. This is the first town on a series of back roads through industrial areas that will take you to Kyzl Kia avoiding the enclaves. From KK it's then another 150 or so Sum to Osh. I speak some Russian but it's pretty rough. I just said 'biz uzbekistana' (without Uzbekistan) and people got what I meant. I also said I had only a Kyrgyz visa (u menya yest tolka Kyrgyzi visa) and this also got me there! I spent 150 on the first marshutka and then hitching with passing cars (never waited toooo long (15 was most)) was depending on how far but again from 50 to 150. In total I spent around 400 or 500

Word of warning; go early if you want to do this as it takes an age. I was unlucky as a car I tried to get a free ride in started off and then broke down an hour away so I lost 4 or 5 hours that day but still to Osh it would have taken around 7 hours or so from Khujand I think.

So...that's it. Not the best option in the world but cheap and if you don't have the visas needed it's probably the best you'll get.

Rory