Uzbekistan

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The land of Ancient Silk Road cities, and the tastiest melon you have ever tried!

Our independent travel in Central Asia started here, and what an introduction. Flying from Baku to Tashkent to Khiva, we made friends with locals on the flight and in the airport. And before we had even set foot on Uzbek soil, we had two catch-ups scheduled!

A huge portion of Uzbekistan is desert, and this is exactly where Khiva sits. Surrounded by desert in what felt like a huge sand castle with bright blue tiled minarets and domes of mosques standing out against the sandy colour of the rest of the ancient city; this was surreal, the stuff of movies.

Bukhara and Samarkand are full of sparkling Silk Road gems, and Tashkent feels like a huge contract with its decorated metro, impressive Chorsu bazaar, and huge array of modern restaurants.

And then venture completely off the tourist trail by heading down to Fergana Valley, a part of the country where you will see real Uzbek life.