Tajikistan travel guide

2 min summary Best time to visit The Pamir Highway

TAJIKISTAN TRAVEL GUIDE

There are parts of the world lauded for their ancient history and tradition, but where time and progress have stripped them of their age-old qualities – Tajikistan, however, is not one of those. A country as if beautifully preserved in time millennia ago, one of its greatest charms is that nothing has really changed. Men still sell sugar and spices by the roadside, perched on carts and strumming hand-carved instruments; women wander the markets with huge pots atop their heads; and yaks and cows scramble freely, seeming to know where they’re headed.

A throwback to thousands of years ago, a trip to wild, beautiful Tajikistan is about embracing a traditional way of life and exploring the uninhibited wilderness.

Tajikistan’s other greatest charm? Its landscape: a wilderness of hauntingly high mountains, true-blue glacial streams of water pure enough to drink, and far-reaching steppe in shades of gold, burnt orange and green. Tajikistan has a simple and desolate beauty that cannot fail to arrest the attention of visitors and very rarely lets it go. Find out more in our Tajikistan travel guide.

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Tajikistan is...

the home of the Pamir Highway - the second highest highway in the world.

Tajikistan isn’t…

modern or fast paced in any way whatsoever.

Things to do in Tajikistan...

Release your inner mountaineer, or jump on your bike for the ride of your life – the Pamir Highway is known locally as the… M41, which is such a mundane anti-climax, that we’ll just leave it there. Nothing like a motorway, it is the second highest highway in the world, loomed over by 7,000m peaks and encased by spectacular scenery, with a glorious colourscape that alters in every direction. Not for the faint hearted, climbing, or riding this mammoth track is incredibly challenging, but you can traverse most of it in a trusty 4x4. Tajikistan can be easily combined with Afghanistan should you wish to explore life on the outskirts of civilisation – no matter how you wave your mobile about, you’ll find no reception and in most cases, no electricity either. What you will find is ‘back to basics’ at its most liberating and a very warm welcome. You can combine Tajikistan with Kyrgyzstan too, but consider how much travel you can handle on these roads before you take the plunge. Tajikistan is about experiencing life outside your comfort zone. Tourists live as the locals do, so if you’re imagining a homestay with heating, a nice en suite and perhaps a bit of room service, think again. The toilets will often be holes in the ground; food is simple; people still ride donkeys and most rural houses are made of mud. Remove all of your ideals about comfort and luxury, and embrace the adventure – it’s much more about that than it is about daily showers and thread counts.

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Things not to do in Tajikistan...

Expect to dine on delicacies. Linda Maguire from our supplier, Undiscovered Destinations, explains what to expect food-wise: “The food is best summed up as simple. There is a lot of grilled lamb, and stew with mixed vegetables is very traditional and is served everywhere. The food isn’t stodgy, but there is very little variety and it’s not the most exciting. We ate a lot of cucumbers, tomatoes and herbs and the ingredients are very fresh, so it does taste delicious, but I wouldn’t say that vegetarians are well catered for as the rice that is available is often cooked in meat stock, so they could struggle after a few days surviving on salad and bread.” So there you have it, the basics are all there: meat (read: sheep, or horse) and rice, but the fat to meat ratio is often intolerable. If you’re a nomadic carnivore who loves chewing fat, brilliant, if you’re a vegetarian, prepare for more bread than you’ve ever eaten. Rush a welcome. Meeting and greeting locals in Tajikistan is a lengthy process and you will be asked all manner of questions about your family, work life and even your health. Take your time and answer politely – they’re not prying and they are as intrigued by your way of life as you will be about theirs, so they’ll welcome questions in return too.

Tajikistan travel guide