Almaty airport is gleaming and modern. We were dropped off in plenty of time for our afternoon flight to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. The flight was about an hour and 45 minutes and we departed about 10 minutes early which is almost unheard of!
Tajikistan is the only Stan I am visiting where British citizens need a visa, and it has to be applied for in advance. My advice would be to apply in plenty of time as mine took over 3 weeks to be processed. And be very careful with the dates on the visa as one member of the group ended up having to buy a new visa as they’d got the entry date wrong by a day.
Eventually we were all successfully through and got our bags and were greeted by our new tour guide for Tajikistan. It was evening by now and so we had dinner first before a brief city tour. You might think it’s a bit odd to have a city tour in the evening or after dark but many of Dushanbe’s gleaming sights are lit up at night which adds a certain something. I was surprised by how prosperous the city appears to be, and it had a different vibe to both Bishkek and Almaty.
The next morning started with a museum tour and a visit to a mosque before we hit the road and headed to the Fann mountains. Like Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan is over 90% mountains and many people come to hike. It is a stunning drive but some of the driving styles (and overtaking on narrow mountain roads) aren’t what I’m used to!
We were meant to go to Iskander Darya waterfall but the road was closed due to construction, which was a real shame as it’s meant to be a highlight of the trip. Instead we stopped at the Rudaki mausoleum. Rudaki was a poet, and from my observations, the Tajiks are very fond of commemorating their poets either like this or with statues.
We arrived at the guest house in Gazza Village, deep in the Fann mountains where we would be staying the next 2 nights. The contrast between the village and Dushanbe could hardly have been starker. The villagers live simple lives with their livestock and farming, in these remote and stunningly beautiful mountains.
We hiked the next day, about 4km/2 and a bit miles, to Voru Village, a nearby village built into the hillside. As we’re at altitude, and we gained 350m/1100ft on the hike, it was a little strenuous and a good morning workout. Along the way we met many cheerful children who were waving at us and offering us apples from their trees. Everyone we’ve met has been very friendly.
After making our way back down the same 2 and a bit miles, we had a well-deserved lunch of Tajik plov accompanied by the usual tomato and cucumber salad which has been present at almost every meal I’ve had so far in the Stans.
A free afternoon to catch up on a few things, do a bit of reading and rest my tired legs.
The following day we headed north, to the city of Khujand. On the way we stopped at an enormous bust of Lenin, perched atop a very long staircase which we all decided against climbing. We arrived in Khujand in the mid afternoon and had some free time to explore. There is a large fortress in the centre but sadly it was Monday and therefore closed. We did wander around the outside of the fortress (it reminded me of a smaller version of the Ark Citadel in Bukhara) and in a neighbouring park and briefly along the river. In the evening we went to look at the local bazaar before dinner. I do enjoy exploring bazaars and markets in other countries, to see how the locals shop and what they eat.
We visited a museum in Khujand the next morning before struggling to leave the city as the president was in town and the main roads out were all blocked. After driving in circles for a while, the roads eventually opened and we headed north towards the border with Uzbekistan.
A short but fascinating visit to Tajikistan. Full of friendly people and it was interesting to see the contrast between shiny Dushanbe, and the rustic yet beautiful Fann Mountains. Now onwards to Uzbekistan, and to retrace my steps from a previous trip here in 2023…
