Central Asia
Afghanistan · Asia
About Central Asia
Central Asia is a rugged, arid region, historically coveted for its position between Europe and East Asia with the legendary Silk Route, rather than for its resources, although petroleum, natural gas, and mineral reserves have become more important in modern times. Central Asia contains a wealth of historic sites and natural wonders without the large throngs of tourists found in Europe or other parts of Asia.
The region has no exact boundaries, but is usually considered to include all of the landlocked "-stans", listed below. All but Afghanistan, (which is sometimes categorized as part of South Asia) are former Soviet republics, most of which so far have retained authoritarian, secular governments. They are home to generally poor, primarily Muslim peoples, mostly speaking various Turkic languages. Several of the peoples were historically nomadic, although some states are attempting to recover the nomadic traditions that were suppressed or lost during Soviet times.
Central Asia travel guide
Understand
Central Asia is an area that was, until the late 20th century, inaccessible for independent travelers. That has all changed, although the traveler will still often come up against a wall of Soviet-style bureaucracy. Corruption is also an issue in most Central Asian countries, although most governments have made attempts to reduce red tape in an attempt to grow their tourism industries. Despite this, Central Asia is increasing in popularity amongst travelers who want to experience one of the world's last great frontier lands, and the strong Islamic tradition of hospitality means that you will likely be treated as a revered guest by the locals, particularly in rural areas.
History
Historically and geographically diverse, Central Asia is an interesting region. The earliest recorded people (for whom we have names) were nomadic Indo-Iranian peoples called the Saka/Scythians, who roamed across the Central Asian steppes as far west as Romania and as far south as India. At one time large parts of it were part of the old Persian Empire and were taken by Alexander the Great when he conquered that empire. Later, parts of it were ruled by Alexander's successors or by newer versions of the Persian Empire. By the sixth century BCE, a new group of Indo-Iranian people, the Sogdians, began founding cities and forts at strategic points along the Silk Roads, including the magnificent cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, as well as other cities which didn't last the test of time, like Merv and Old Panjakent. As a bridge between Europe and Asia, the region was the home of the Silk Road, the ancient trading route between the two continents from a few centuries BCE until it was mainly replaced by sea routes after 1500 CE. The area has seen much upheaval and conflict, from the expansion of Buddhism (which spread through Central Asia on its way to China) and Islam to the destructive Mongol invasion. By the end of the 19th century, most of the region had been conquered by the Russi
Getting there
As mentioned above, the definition of "Central Asia" can be controversial. One reason why the one used on this page is useful, however, is visas. All Central Asian countries except for Kyrgyzstan require visas for visitors from a lot of countries, and the difficulty of getting them may range from a minor hassle to virtually impossible if not on a tour or with a guide. Before issuing a visa, some countries will require a letter of invitation, often best obtained via a specialist travel agency. Some hotels will issue letters of invitation for confirmed reservations. Some nationalities may be excluded from the requirement to have one at all. Start working on your visas well in advance, as it may take weeks for the gears of bureaucracy to grind through your application, and make sure you comply with any local police/bureaucracy registration requirements after you've arrived. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have liberalized their visa regimes in the 21st century, so citizens of most Western countries no longer need a visa to visit.
By plane
The hub for the region is Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which has the most flights to destinations outside Central Asia. Unfortunately the airport also has a reputation for being unpleasant, and it is best to avoid flights which arrive here late at night. There are also increasingly good options for flights to Almaty, Kazakhstan. You can fly here directly from London, Frankfurt, Beijing, Seoul, Moscow, Riga, New York, and various others. Most Afghans and Pakistanis travel by air to Islamabad or Lahore and go by road to their final destinations. Turkish Airlines offers (relatively) routine flights to each of the Central Asian capitals from Istanbul. These flights usually arrive in Central Asia sometime between 2 and 3 am, and tend to depart back to Turkey in the early mornings as well. Almost every major city in the region will also offer flights to/from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, due to the region's overwhelming Muslim population. Travelers comi
Getting around
Getting between Central Asian countries is tricky. Borders can close seemingly on a whim and travel to certain regions of countries can be restricted if there is even a hint of unrest in the region. Perhaps the surest method of traveling between borders would be to fly from one capital city to another and then take ground transportation once in the new country.
It used to be practically impossible to get into Turkmenistan, and you can still only get a visa if you're part of an officially-recognized tour (or a diplomat or the lucky, lucky journalist). With the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in the fall of 2021, entry requirements into Afghanistan are unknown, so you're probably not going to be able to just waltz across the Amu Darya river between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan/Tajikistan. Get as many visas as you can before you leave. If not, make sure you're "stationed" in one country and have time to deal with the bureaucracy at each embassy before you go. However, most Central Asian countries will grant visas to foreigners at their embassies in other Central Asian countries with little-to-no hassle (e.g. an American can get a Turkmenistan visa in Dushanbe), so some travelers opt to park themselves in one country while they get the visa for another. Unlike other regions of Asia, transport infrastructure is generally underdeveloped, meaning that Central Asian countries have very bad public transport, limited highways and rail infrastructure, and low car ownership rates. Although countries like Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have improved infrastructure such as constructing more highways and Central Asia's only high-speed rail line (between Tashkent and Bukhara), much of Central Asia suffers from underinvestment when it comes to transport funding. While a car is necessary to get around in rural areas of Central Asia, be aware that the roads can be unpaved or haven't been paved since Soviet times and can be in poor condition. Intracountry travel really depends on which count
See
Central Asia is a land of rugged extremes and historical beauty. Soaring mountains tower over pristine alpine lakes in Kyrgyzstan, near-inhospitable sandy deserts blanket Turkmenistan and western Uzbekistan, and the lonesome Great Eurasian Steppe races across Kazakhstan. Many mountain climbers come to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to train for their Everest or K2 summits, while some people go to the vast steppes simply to get away from it all. While this article cannot hope to list every single natural or historic site in Central Asia, the following sites stand out from the rest:
Natural sites The Western Tien-Shan mountain range in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan is listed as a world heritage site. Some natural sites that are popular with tourists include:
Issyk-Kul Lake — Kyrgyzstan The Pamir Highway (M41) — Tajikistan Fann Mountains — Tajikistan The Aralkum (formerly the Aral Sea) — Uzbekistan Altyn Emel National Park — Kazakhstan Yangykala Canyon — Turkmenistan
Historic sit
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.