One of my all-time favorite hikes in Tajikistan would have be the scenic Khafrazdara Valley. Learn how to get there, tips for the trek in more in this guide
40 beautiful photos that will inspire you to visit Tajikistan!
Now that I’ve seen it all during my 1 week roadtrip, here are 13 Things You Shouldn’t Miss When You Travel To The Pamir Highway in Tajikistan.
Awe-inspiring landscapes. Warm-hearted Tajikistan people. An offbeat adventure awaits. Get started with my Tajikistan travel guide.
Planning to visit Panjakent? Whether your passing through between adventures in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, or you’re resting after a trek in the Fanns, h…
40 beautiful photos that will inspire you to visit Tajikistan!
Ever thought about travel to Tajikistan or Central Asia? Let these epic Tajikistan photos convince you to head to western Tajikistan's Fann Mountains.
Tajikistan Tours: discover this amazing destination. Best 2024 prices for private and group tours in Tajikistan and vacation packages from Dushanbe.
The first version of this stalwart construction appeared around 3,000 years ago.
View of the Hindukush Range from the Bibi Fatima springs.
Khujand is Tajikistan’s second largest city, located in the far n… Read on to find out the 14 best things to do in Khujand in this Khujand travel guide
40 beautiful photos that will inspire you to visit Tajikistan!
The Kulikalon Lakes hike is a relatively straightforward three-day hike in the Fann Mountains, among the most popular treks in Tajikistan.
How Tajikistan is transforming its capital into a modern city
Turquoise mountain lakes, snow capped peaks, legendary hospitality, & the mother of all road trips. Everything you need to know about Tajikistan travel…
40 beautiful photos that will inspire you to visit Tajikistan!
Wanna take a hike into Tajikistan’s wild side? Here is everything you need to know before setting out on the remote Gardan i Kaftar trek in the Rasht Valley
Across Tajikistan in 80 photos: From The Pamirs to the Fanns, Dushanbe to Murghab and everything in between. Here are my 80 favorite photos from 4 summers s
Planning to visit Panjakent? Whether your passing through between adventures in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, or you’re resting after a trek in the Fanns, h…
Backpacking Tajikistan: a travel guide to Iskanderkul lake and Sarytag in Tajikistan's Fann mountains including how to get there.
Use our online trip planner to craft your perfect journey to Uzbekistan. Plan and personalize your itinerary with Minzifa Travel's expert guidance.
Backpacking Tajikistan: A Khujand city guide with the best things to do in Khujand Tajikistan for the independent budget traveller.
Our final two stops in Khujand were a contrast in economics. The first stop was a good representation of the Tajik masses, the 99%. We were dropped off in front of this huge city square: Like lace on the hem of a dress, these delicate mosques edged the broad expanse. Unfortunately, we did not have time to explore them: There were lots of children in tow, and we noticed something here we had seen in Kazakhstan: child-sized motorized cars for rent, like a carnival ride but without any tracks or fencing. It looked like a young kid's dream: This square serves as the entrance to Panjshanbe Market, Khujand's main shopping area: Just about everything you can imagine, and just about everything a local resident needs, is found at this market, from cumin seed to lingerie. The (mostly) tantalizing smells, the cacophonous bustling, the flavorful dishes, and the crowded stalls created a bit of sensory overload. Khujand was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road, so a market has existed here for centuries. In the mid-20th century, however, a dome-covered pavilion was built to shield some of the vendors from the relentless sun: A tree trunk is used as a chopping block in a butcher's stall: Flies were feasting, unmolested by the stall tenders, on vegetable salads that had been sitting out all day--and maybe longer--in plastic bowls. This is not food for tourists: However, I was okay with sampling the dried fruits and nuts, a staple of every market in the Middle East and Asia that we've ever been to: Flat disks of bread being carted around in what looked like rusty wheelbarrows seemed like a safe option too, but by this time in the trip, we were not remotely tempted by their dry, flavorless bread: I thought this woman had a creative way to sell her candied apples: from an old baby buggy: People pictures are always my favorite pictures, and the next few are my best from the market. I gestured with my camera to ask this woman if I could take her picture. She nodded and obligingly held up her wares for a photo. I love her eclectic combination of clothing: Up close, she is very beautiful. I wish I knew what she was thinking--or even just a little more about her life: This old man pointed to Bob's hair and to his own beard, and then insisted on posing for a picture. Perhaps he saw Bob as a kindred spirit, or maybe he was suggesting Bob grow a beard. Who knows? There is something for everyone in the market. It was interesting to see the the Fidget craze has hit even the markets of Tajikistan: The West has definitely stretched its sticky fingers into Central Asia: We went from the market, teeming with humanity from all walks of life, to the Arbob Cultural Palace, a refined site that caters to the upper echelons of Tajik society--the 1%. It was a pretty dramatic contrast. The palace was modeled after Peterhof in St. Petersburg, Russia: The approach to the palace includes extravagant fountains and elaborate gardens: It was at this building that the Tajik Soviet declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1992. The new symbol of Tajikistan gets its own monument (shown to us here by our guide Yulia): The well-groomed grounds are a popular place for wedding photos: Looking down on the grounds from the entrance to the palace: The entrance is flanked by large pictures of Ismail Somoni, the father of Tajikistan, and Emomali Rahmon, the current president of the country (since 1992): This building was constructed in the 1950s to be (ironically) the headquarters of a Soviet collective farm. This is not what I would have guessed the purpose of the building was, and I'm assuming not too many farmers entered this splendorous main lobby: A grand theater that seats 800 is the centerpiece of the palace. The light blue and white color scheme looks like Wedgwood pottery: My favorite things in the palace were the bright, ornately-patterned ceilings that were in almost every room: Part of the Palace has been turned into a museum that reflects nostalgically on the Soviet "period" (never called "rule" or "occupation"). These dioramas depict a "typical" collectivist home, but it looks like a pretty romanticized version to me:: Many exhibits pay homage to the happy days of Soviet rule. The cheerful faces below must be some of the Soviet leadership in the area. I asked the museum guide who the one woman in the center was. She said something about women who picked cotton or who had 10-15 children getting awards. Is this women one of them? It didn't seem like a probable answer to me . . . . . . because the man at the top, whose name is Urukhojaev, was the provincial governor who had this palace built. Apparently he weighed in at 390 pounds or so, a sizable weight to throw around, right? Here is The Big Guy's office. Based on the photo behind the desk, it looks like the palace used to be a rose color: Every country has its propaganda, including the United States (check out any Presidential Library), but the Soviet propaganda is especially fun, and there was plenty to be seen in the Arbob Palace: And that ended our single day in Tajikistan. It was time to head back to the train for a return trip to Uzbekistan. I took some pictures from the train window of the endless cotton fields. Tajikistan is a very poor country and industrial machinery is not commonly available. Most of the fieldwork, including harvesting the cotton, is done by hand. In fact, our guide told us that 85-90% of the cotton is hand-picked. A third of the population lives below the poverty level, and many, if not most, of those are agricultural workers. These scenes remind me of paintings of slaves picking cotton in the South: Their work results in this massive pile of cotton: It's a very different life for these people who live alongside the train tracks than the life of relative luxury that I live. It's humbling to be reminded of that.
Tajikistan Small Group Tours - book your Group and Private Tours. Pamir Highway, trekking in Fann Mountains, multi-country tours.
40 beautiful photos that will inspire you to visit Tajikistan!
Mountainous and isolated, hospitality driven and adventurous, these are just a few reasons to visit Tajikistan, the gem of Central Asia.
Everything you need to know to plan your trip into Tajikistan’s Yagnob Valley. Trekking in the Yagnob Valley is rewarding with epic views, cultural experien
Mountainous and isolated, hospitality driven and adventurous, these are just a few reasons to visit Tajikistan, the gem of Central Asia.
Across Tajikistan in 80 photos: From The Pamirs to the Fanns, Dushanbe to Murghab and everything in between. Here are my 80 favorite photos from 4 summers s
An introduction to and photographic journey through Tajikistan, via our favourite photos from this diverse and unique Central Asian country.
A mountain lake of glacial origin in Tajikistan’s Sughd Province, it is situated at an altitude of 7,201 feet (2,195 meters). The lake, which is triangular, is formed by the congestion of the Saratogh river.
There is more to Tajikistan than the Pamir Highway.
Mountainous and isolated, hospitality driven and adventurous, these are just a few reasons to visit Tajikistan, the gem of Central Asia.
Pamir Highway is one of the most epic adventure journeys around the world! Located in Central Asia, you travel from Dushanbe, Tajikistan to Osh, Kyrgyzstan
40 beautiful photos that will inspire you to visit Tajikistan!
Here is everything you need to know to cross the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border at the Ishkashim border corssing for those wanting to explore the Wakhan Corr
Looking for a great day trip from Murghab on your visit to Tajikistan’s Eastern Pamir? Don’t skip out on a soak in Madiyan Hot Springs set in a rugged canyon..
Planning to visit Istaravshan on your trip to Tajikistan? Here are 8 things to do in Istaravshan, plus where to sleep and how to get to and f…
40 beautiful photos that will inspire you to visit Tajikistan!
40 beautiful photos that will inspire you to visit Tajikistan!
Everything you need to know to plan your trip into Tajikistan’s Yagnob Valley. Trekking in the Yagnob Valley is rewarding with epic views, cultural experien
This last summer I finally was able to visit Lake Sarez in the remote Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan’s GBAO. Here is all the information you need to help vis
Here are the top 3 things to do in Murghab as well as a number of destinations worth visiting outside of Murghab in the Eastern Pamir of Tajikistan. This is
Tajikistan on your mind? Here are the 13 best things to do in Tajikistan! From the epic Pamir Highway to lesser known areas like the Bartang Valley, there’s
Everything you need to know to plan your trip into Tajikistan’s Yagnob Valley. Trekking in the Yagnob Valley is rewarding with epic views, cultural experien
Turquoise mountain lakes, snow capped peaks, legendary hospitality, & the mother of all road trips. Everything you need to know about Tajikistan travel…
