Caravanistan

In Khiva, I've managed to get Som from the ATM just inside the main (West Gate) of the old town with a Mastercard. I'd pretty much given up trying the MC as it never worked in any ATM I tried, so was very shocked when the money appeared! No MC sticker on the machine. That is truly surprising. I att...

Fuller wrote:We tried the ATM in the middle of the night (no sign of the exchange) and unfortunately it was out of cash!

The exchange booth is before immigration. The ATMs never seem to have cash (or work) in the airport.

Wifi was available at all the places that I spent the night across the region. It worked fine, but wasn't blazing fast. I didn't need fast internet access, just something that allowed me to keep up with emails, and basic web surfing (not video streaming, etc). I got a SIM card in both Kyrgyzstan &am...

No where that I stayed took credit cards of any kind. The country is basically a cash economy.

Thanks for sharing, this trip report is fantastic!

nabeelfarid wrote:Just wanted to confirm if there is any black market rate for Uzbekistan ?

No, that was discontinued long ago.

If you have a decent sleeping bag for the multi-night trek, then you shouldn't need to worry about clothing too much. Maybe bring a light jacket. During the day its not cold, plus you'll be moving which will warm you up. Everywhere that you've listed in Uzbekistan will likely still be quite hot. I ...

Thanks for this! I'd love your advice on packing for these 2 very different climates. I'm planning a similar trip for Aug 16 - Sep 2. I'm starting in Kyrgyzstan, with plans to do hiking, a multi-night trek to Song Kol, and just generally trying to do homestays in jailoos. Then, I'm planning to visi...

In Tashkent, the only ATM that I found anywhere that worked with Mastercard (to dispense Som) was in the Lotte Hotel, near the lobby.

Jenksta wrote:Did you travel to any of the silk road trading centres in UZ? Like Rishton, Margilan, Fergana?
I've got a couple of spare days between KG and TJK and thought I might pop over the border to check out the ceramics and silk.

No, I didn't have time for those cities.