You’ve decided to travel to Central Asia and experience the mesmerising Silk Road, the crumbling former Soviet glory, and some man-made environmental disasters for good measure. You’ve also realised that the five Central Asian republics that make up the Stans are huge, bigger than most of Europe, which means you’re going to need to prioritise the most important sights.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with the top 8 highlights to see on your next Central Asian adventure.
1. Gates of Hell – Turkmenistan
In the number one position, of course, needs to be Darvaza, otherwise known as the Gates of Hell. This large fiery crater is located in the heart of the Karakum desert in Turkmenistan. The crater was created due to gas drilling in the area, with reduced pressure from gas exploitation forming sink holes. In order to prevent the emissions of poisonous gas, the crater was set on fire.
Rumours are that the Gates of Hell, also known as Darvaza, could be closed soon, so make sure you get in quickly to see it possibly for the last time.
Read more about the Gates of Hell here.
2. Registan – Uzbekistan
If there was one building that epitomises the Silk Road, it is the Registan, located in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Made up of three Madrasahs, the oldest of which is from the 15 th century, the Registan was the heart of the Timurid Empire. At this point in time Samarkand was considered the capital of the Islamic world. Exploring the Registan is like taking a step back in time, while experiencing modern Uzbekistan hospitality.
Read more about the Registan here.
3. Ashgabat – Turkmenistan
Ashgabat is such a special city that it deserves a spot all to itself. No trip to Central Asia is complete without visiting the white and gold marble capital of Turkmenistan.
Imagine you are given carte blanche to design a city that is memorising, unique and outlandish – there is a chance your city might look something like Ashgabat. Whether it’s the Arch of Neutrality, Independence Monument, Monument to the Ruhnama or the Wheel of Enlightenment, Ashgabat is many things but never boring. Ashgabat is the city in the world with the most world records , one of which is the city built with the most marble.
Read more about Ashgabat here.
4. Song Kol – Kyrgyzstan
In the modern world, it’s increasingly harder to get away from civilisation, with all of its benefits and nuisances. Song Kol is one of the few places you can journey to where you can really feel a part of nature.
Located at roughly 3000m above sea level, Song Kol gets cold at night even in the depths of a hot Central Asian summer. The lake is 29km long and 18km wide, and sits well above the tree line high in the mountains of central Kyrgyzstan.
The area is traditionally used for grazing animals in the summer months, after which they then return to the lowlands in winter. Now it’s a popular spot for travellers to camp in a yurt, go horse riding, or just sit and watch nature.
Read more about Song Kol here.
5. Aral Sea – Uzbekistan
Arguably the world’s worst ever man-made environmental disaster, the Aral Sea is a tribute to Soviet central planning.
Formerly the 3 rd biggest lake in the world, the Aral Sea began to shrink in the 1960s. The primary cause of this was the Virgin Lands project, whereby mass irrigation was used to turn arid and semi-arid land into productive agricultural land. The problem in the hot and dry deserts of Central Asia is that a lot of water is required and the diversion of the Aral Sea’s two main tributaries meant that the Aral Sea was no longer getting enough water to replace the natural evaporation.
The desert that replaced the Aral Sea is now called the Aralkum desert. You can still see what is remaining of the lake and if you’re brave enough even go for a swim.
Read more about the Aral Sea here.
6. Soviet Tashkent – Uzbekistan
Many travellers to Uzbekistan avoid Tashkent. To many it’s just another city to be skipped as they head to the Silk Road destinations of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. However, we believe this is a sad mistake.
Tashkent is full of tree lined wide boulevards, amazing examples of 1970s and 80s Soviet architecture, as well as some amazing tourist attractions to see.
Most importantly, Tashkent is now cool. As young students have returned from studying overseas and wealth creation has created a growing middle class, people are looking for something different from the norm, different night life experiences, different dining options and different ways to pass leisure time. Tashkent has quickly become a rival to Almaty as the most cosmopolitan city in Central Asia.
Read more about Tashkent here.
7. Khoja Obi Garm – Tajikistan
If relics of the Soviet past are your thing, then Khoja Obi Garm is going to be like Disneyland for you. The almost century old sanatorium in the mountains of central Tajikistan is like no other.
Established in 1934, Khoja Obi Garm provides normal treatments such as massage, acupuncture, and steam rooms, as well as more unique Soviet style treatments such as electro therapy, radon baths and mud brick wraps.
In the 1960s and 70s the current buildings which have become famous as examples of Soviet architecture were constructed. Then in the 1990s they were badly damaged during the civil war, with the centre almost closing. Luckily it has made a comeback and is extremely popular with locals.
Read more about Khoja Obi Garm here.
8. Polygon – Kazakhstan
Another legacy of Central Asia’s Soviet past, the Polygon, was the location of the most nuclear tests conducted on earth. The full name is the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site “Polygon”. Testing ended here in 1989 and now the entire area is an exclusion zone.
The location was chosen due to the sparsely populated nature of this part of the Kazakh steppe, as well as being strategically located away from international borders. During the course of the Soviet Nuclear programme, 456 tests were done in the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site, otherwise known as the Polygon.
The main town in the Nuclear test zone, Kurchatov, is named after the father of the Soviet nuclear bomb, and is a Soviet time warp and an interesting stop by itself.
Read more about the Polygon here.
