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Tajikistan Travel Blogs

The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bolshevik control of the area was fiercely contested and not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union and has now completed its transition from the civil war that plagued the country from 1992 to 1997. There have been no major security incidents in recent years, although the country remains the poorest in the region. Attention by the international community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought increased economic development assistance, which could create jobs and increase stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the early stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined NATO's Partnership for Peace. To be updated

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By Sunshine Shar
October 11th 2009

Treacherous Road to Garm Asia » Tajikistan

This first video shows the treacherous road to Garm, Tajikistan from Dushanbe. It's literally 4 hours of freaking hell on a dusty, rocky, narrow, windy road. The scenery, however, is quite beautiful, but it's difficult to look at when you are in a taxi with a crazy driver who is weaving all over the road trying to avoid pot holes, cows, and sheep. I actually had callouses on my hand from holding onto the "oh shit" handle! One has to leave from Dushanbe at 6 a.m. to go to Garm and there is NO sleep on this road. It's eyes open [View Full Entry]

By thedribbleman
April 26th 2009

Finally no people Asia » Tajikistan » Dushanbe

That's me!

It was a Tour de France moment, minus the speed. Cycling out of Murgab, it felt special for a while, as locals yelled and whistled to grab my attention. Kids running along the bike cheering, but that was for a reason. I was told earlier in the week that I was the first backpacker of the season. Here for 5 days I would be 320km from the nearest tourist and that tourist was riding on a bike. With its scenery ranging from Mars to Pluto it was a spectacularly remote feeling. The sound of silence was only broken by the occasional [View Full Entry]

By thedribbleman
April 15th 2009

How to innocently walk into a military zone near the Afghan border. Asia » Tajikistan

Khorog

It was a nice afternoon stroll coming back from the world’s second highest Botanic Garden. I was heading to my accommodation in the busy little Pamiri town of Khorog. That was until I walked along the river and saw four Tajiki soldiers walking along the bridge. Khorog is the capital of Gorno-Badakhshan region (Pamirs) and borders Afghanistan. It lies in a valley surrounded by four peaks with a river flowing through the middle. It’s a picturesque setting in what is really an unhospitable part of the world. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Sov [View Full Entry]

By thedribbleman
April 11th 2009

Dushanbe to Khorog Asia » Tajikistan

The football ground

It’s 5am and there’s not a sole in the place. Pitch black and I am waiting for some form of transport to get me to the Pamir’s. After an hour a 4WD shows up. “Khorog?” I ask “Da” (yes) - He opens the door to the front seat - Waiting 3 hours for the car to get full. Once we get going, the 24-hour ride would be a sensation for one sense - sight. The ride from Dushanbe to Khorog is probably the greatest ride I have ever taken. So good I wouldn’t give up my front seat, not even for [View Full Entry]

By thedribbleman
April 6th 2009

Off with the head and... Play Ball! (Buzkashi and Hissar) Asia » Tajikistan

The getaway

It does get the Semi-Nomadic juices flowing. Especially when seeing a dead carcass being dragged, trampled, thrown, tugged and eventually claimed as a prize for a brief moment - This is one the joys to nomadic life. Generally with games there are clear rules but this I don’t know? In a way I am still clueless as to what the point was to this game? Either way it got the crowd going. Buzkashi is one of the great sports to capture a culture. Rarely played nowadays it only occurs on special days. Being Navrus (Persian calendar New Years), Hissar, 45 minutes [View Full Entry]

By thedribbleman
April 4th 2009

All this waiting around to see a carcass. Asia » Tajikistan » Dushanbe

Statue Replaced Lenins
The second one

(There are two parts to this first part is for avid readers and people considering travelling here. The second is if you are in a hurry.) PART 1 - So I’m on the TV show the Amazing Race and the challenge is to get through the ex-soviets red tape before Navrus (New Year). These are my instructions - and this is what happened: First up you have to arrive at the airport without a VISA and hope the information you received is correct and you can get your VISA at the airport. Once at the airport you will need to convince [View Full Entry]

By maxicoley
September 23rd 2008

Wakham Valley to Murghab Asia » Tajikistan

Pamiri grandmother and grandson

My search for a travel buddy to share costs to rent a car and driver for the Wakham valley turned out well meeting Nathaniel a French guy doing a silk road trip from Instanbul to Kasgar. Time was pretty short so we organised the 4x4 through one of the agencies paying $US500 for the full trip from Khorog on the western boundary of Tajikistanian Pamirs to Murghab in the middle of the Eastern Pamirs. Leaving the next morning after spending a last night staying with Jama and her Pamiri family we sent off south towards Iskamshim. The whole route from Khorog [View Full Entry]

By maxicoley
September 23rd 2008

Murghab to Sary Tash Asia » Tajikistan

After spending a night in Murghab which is indeed a pretty wild and slightly off-putting kinda place nathaniel and I headed up to the Murghab Eco Tourism Authority to see if we could organise a car and driver for the trip north. We had a few days to spend in the Pamirs and so organised a trip. First the driver dropped us off on one side of a ridge and we walked along the Gumbezkul over the pass at 4731m. It was a great afternoon with lots of puffing and wondering if we were really going in the right direction. Its [View Full Entry]

By dancing01star
September 15th 2008

Termiz to Dushanbe Asia » Tajikistan

Well, I had heard so many bad things about the road down from Penjikent to Dushanbe, whether to go through the tunnel of doom or the pass of many nightmares! It seemed like the choice that Frodo and the rest of the nine walkers had to make, whether to cross the pass of Caradhras or whether to go through the mines of Moria.... (had to get a bit of LOTR somewhere into this blog)! Added to this the road is being mended in the daytime so you can only travel at night... So took a shared taxi down to Denau and [View Full Entry]

By maxicoley
September 14th 2008

Dushanbe to Khorog Asia » Tajikistan

The trip south into the Pamirs was the real definitation of a road journey. The total trip, virtually non-stop was 20 hours along very scenic but often quite frightening mountain scenary. My day started early leaving the Adventureer's Inn at 6am following by a taxi ride across town towards the airport and shared taxi stop for the Pamirs. I met a guy who looked like a 'good' driver and we decided on 170 somoni for a seat in his land crusier. The custom is that drivers car rent out single seats to whoever wants to make the trip. After sitting around [View Full Entry]

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