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For a copy of our privacy policy visit lonelyplanet.com/ privacy. OUR READERS AUTHOR THANKS Many thanks to the travellers who used Bradley Mayhew the last edition and wrote to us with help- Thanks to stalwart co-authors Tom, John, ful hints, useful advice and interesting Mark and our anonymous Turkmenistan anecdotes: author. Hard to find a more dedicated and A Thomas Allen, Steven Aspland B Don Beer, professional bunch of Central Asian travel Leon Boelens, Pierre Brouillet, Joe Bryant enthusiasts. Thanks to the much-missed C James Chance, Arthur Clement De Givry, Suzannah Shwer for getting this title up and Judy Comont D Matthew Dearden, Kieran running one more time. Drake, Paul-Noël Dumont F Sara Frau G Bas Geelen, Ask Gudmundsen H Margaret Mark Elliott Hawthorn, PJ Henry, Miriam Herzfeld, Allan A giant rakhmat to Umar Isakov, Anna Hubble, Aaron Hurd J Martin Jaeckel, Nathan Keil, Ervin Bartis and family, Janice Setser, Jones, Martin Jung K Wolfgang Keller, David Zhandiya Zoolshooeva, Christophe and Kerkhoff, Tyler Keys, Hans-Werner Kopp, Mar- Nicole, Ed Hewitt, Chris Mathis, Andrew tin Král, Aleksandra Krukar L Eric-Jan Lens, Tucker-Peake, Alick Warburton, Jop Fabian Liechti M Richard Mallett, Helena Weterings, Phil Riddle, Robin Ord-Smith, Moon, Martijn Munneke N Arihe (Eric) Nee- Zafar in Penjikent, Will Cooper, Sang Wang, mann, Pascal Noel P Nina Plumbe, Jo Py- Clement Meynier, Aspia, Flora Renner, the croft R Jacqueline Ripart, Steve Rogowski, Pamir Lodge crew, Lola, Murat and friends, Michal Rudziecki S Martina Schroeter, Aleema Shivji, Taalai and family in Karakol, Tanya Semyonova, Roberto Spanghero T the memory of Wil Klass. Back home, a mil- Frank Techel V Marinus Vissers W Stefan lion thanks to ‘the Kids’ for endless support, Wieser, Barry Wilkinson, Kathleen Williams, tea and medals. And to Harriet for waiting Sabine Wissel, Barbara Wolfke, Sebastian and sharing. Wolking, Stephen Wong Y Robert Young 505 Tom Masters John Noble Big thanks to my team of fellow authors: A project like this is quite impossible without Bradley Mayhew, Mark Elliott, John Noble willing help from a whole lot of people. Extra and Turkmenistan’s anonymous author special thanks to Robert and Assely Manson, for all their help and intelligence sharing. David Berghof, Svetlana Baskakova, Serik Thanks also to Janine and the entire in- Dyusenbaev, Alikhan and Askar Abdeshev, house team at LPHQ in Melbourne (you Vitaly Shuptar, Dagmar Schreiber, Karlygash BEHIND THE SCENES shall all be missed!). On the road, a huge Makatova, Alexander Petrov, Andrey Yurch- debt of gratitude to my intrepid and im- enkov, Ali Hudabardy Tash (Kashgar Tourism mensely patient mother, who negotiated International, China), Zhamilya Zhukenova, the deserts of Uzbekistan with me with and my fellow authors Bradley, Mark, Tom hardly a complaint at the complete lack and the Turkmenistan author. of caffeine and wireless, and who dutifully slogged around towns with me all day visiting various hotels, medressas and ACKNOWLEDGMENTS museums. Big thanks also to the team at Climate maps data adapted from Peel MC, Advantour in Tashkent, particularly Murod Finlayson BL & McMahon TA (2007) ‘Updated and Feruza; to David Berghof at Stantours; World Map of the Köppen-Geiger Climate to Dowlet and Sasha in Samarkand; Classification’, Hydrology and Earth System Gulnara and Hamid in Bukhara; Hannelore Sciences, 11, 1633-44. Bendsen in Khiva and the crew at the Jipek Cover photograph: Char Minar, Bukhara, Joli in Nukus, especially Era and Aijamal. Uzbekistan. Michele Falzone/Corbis © Coordinating Editors Cover Research THIS BOOK Lauren Hunt, Amanda Naomi Parker This 6th edition of Lonely Williamson Language Content Planet’s Central Asia Senior Cartographer Branislava Vladisavljevic guidebook was researched David Kemp Thanks to Anita Banh, and written by Bradley Book Designer Laura Crawford, Ryan Mayhew, Mark Elliott, Tom Mazzy Prinsep Evans, Errol Hunt, Larissa Masters, John Noble and Managing Editors Sasha Frost, Genesys India, an anonymous author for Baskett, Brigitte Ellemor Jouve India, Valentina Turkmenistan. This guide- Senior Editor Karyn Noble Kremenchutskaya, book was commissioned in Anne Mason, Catherine Paul Lonely Planet’s Melbourne Assisting Editors Naghten, Chad Parkhill, Harding, Gabrielle Innes, office and produced by the Trent Paton. Martine Kate Kiely, Alan Murphy following: Power, Dianne Schall- Commissioning Editor Assisting Cartographers meiner, Luna Soo, John Suzannah Shwer Julie Dodkins, Mick Garrett, Taufa, Angela Tinson James Leversha ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 506 Index ABBREVIATIONS trekking 14, 15, 20-1, 74-5, history 56 Ark (Uz) 193 Kaz Kazakhstan 77, 78, 111, 114, 158-9, information 67-9 Beket-Ata (Kaz) 95 251, 266-7, 268-9, Kyr Kyrgyzstan registration 68 Burana Tower (Kyr) 252-3 272-3, 273-5, 282, 287, Taj Tajikistan 305, 317, 325, 327, 363, shopping 66-7 Elliq-Qala (Uz) 202-3 Tur Turkmenistan 7, 14, 15 sights 56-60 Erk Kala (Tur) 390 Uz Uzbekistan wildlife watching 85, 86 tours 61, 68-9 Fayoz-Tepe (Uz) 184 Afghan Wakhan (Taj) travel to/from 69-70 Gonur Depe (Tur) 391 352, 367 travel within 70-1 Ice House (Tur) 390 4WDs 45-6, 48, 313, 368, Afghanistan Altay Mountains (Kaz) Kara-Tepe (Uz) 184 486 border crossings 226, 23, 111 Kyz Kala (Tur) 390 Beket-Ata (Kaz) 95 348, 352, 367, 404-5 Altyn-Arashan (Kyr) 265-6 Maghoki-Attar (Uz) 191 Pamires, the 338-9 relations with 428-9 Altyn Asyr Market Mangistau (Kaz) 96-7 Wakhan Valley 350 visas to 224, 308, 352, (Tur) 376-7 Mizdakhan (Uz) 214 366, 403 Altyn-Emel National Park Otyrar-Tobe (Kaz) 87 (Kaz) 78 Afrosiab (Uz) 174-5 Sauran (Kaz) 89 A ALZhIR Museum-Memorial accommodation 462-3, see Aga Khan 361 Complex (Kaz) 106 Shakhty (Taj) 355-6 also individual locations airlines 479-80, see also Shakpak-Ata (Kaz) 97 individual locations amin 474 Achik-Tash (Kyr) 297 Sherkala (Kaz) 97 airports 478-9, see also Amir Timur Museum activities 24-5, 40-6, see Sultan Epe (Kaz) 97 individual locations (Uz) 183 also individual locations Sultan Kala (Tur) 390-1 air travel 478-82, 485-6, amoebic dysentery 493 bird watching 46, 73, 85, Tamgaly petroglyphs 86, 107, 126, 186, 258 see also individual amusement parks, locations see also waterparks (Kaz) 78 camel trekking 43, 186-7, Temir Abdal Ata 202-3, 221, 363 Ak-Baital (White Horse) Astana (Kaz) 98 Pass (Taj) 356 cave-shrine (Kaz) 97 heli-skiing 45, 159, 305 Shymkent (Kaz) 83 Akhal-Teke horses 377, ancient Khorezm (Uz) 202 Ulugbek’s Observatory horse racing 61, 83, (Uz) 175 399-400, 457 ancient Penjikent (Taj) 331-2 306, 382 architectural sites Ak-Saray Palace (Uz) 181-2 Andijon (Uz) 168-9 horse riding 43, 87, 114, Astana (Kaz) 12, 22, 124, 186, 257, 274, 304, Ak-Suu (Kyr) 297 Andijon massacre 161, 98-99, 102-3, 100-1, 324-5, 377 Aksu-Zhabagyly Nature 215-16, 429 2, 12, 23 ice skating 71-2 Reserve (Kaz) 85-6, 126 animal market (Kyr) 258-9 Ashgabat (Tur) 374-5 mountain biking 43-4, 72, Aktau (Kaz) 93-6, 94 Anzob Tunnel (Taj) 326 Karakol (Kyr) 259 263, 287 Aktobe (Kaz) 135 Aral Sea (Kaz) 22, 91-3, Khojand (Taj) 335 mountaineering 44-5, 77, Akyrtas (Kaz) 81 459-60 Samarkand (Uz) 20, 171-6 78, 251, 263-4, 287, 297, Ala-Archa Canyon Aral Sea (Uz) 22, 212, 213, 305, 329, 363 (Kyr) 250-2 216, 459-60 Turkistan (Kaz) 17, 87-9, nut harvesting 287 Alaudin Lakes (Taj) 329 Aralsk (Aral) (Kaz) 91-3 88, 17 rafting 44, 114, 159, 233, Alay Valley (Kyr) 296-7 archaeological sites 23, 357 Uralsk (Oral) (Kaz) 135 305 Alexander the Great 411-12 Aksu-Zhabagyly Nature architecture 451-4 rock climbing 44-5, 251, Almaty (Kaz) 16, 56-71, Reserve petroglyphs highlights 52, 452 297, 305 58-9, 5, 16 (Kaz) 85 Islamic 49, 171-3, 189-95, sailing 93, 255 205-7. 334, 390-1, 451 accommodation 62-4 Akyrtas (Kaz) 81 snow sports 45, 71-2, 159, Silk Road 20 activities 60-1 Altay Mountains (Kaz) 111 267, 287, 305, 326 Soviet 147, 232 drinking & nightlife 65-6 Altyn-Emel National Park (Kaz) 78 Ark (Uz) 193 entertainment 66 ancient Khorezm 202-3 Arslanbob (Kyr) 286-8 Map Pages 000 festivals & events 61-2 ancient Penjikent (Taj) arts 446-50, see also Photo Pages food 64-5 000 331-2 literature, music 507 Ashgabat (Tur) 22, 374-84, (Tur) 376-7 border crossings 35-9, C 376-7, 380 Animal Market 38-9, 16 camel trekking 43, 186-7, accommodation 378-9 (Kyr) 258-9 Afghan Wakhan 202-3, 221, 363 activities 377 Barakholka (Kaz) 67 (Taj) 352, 367 Elliq-Qala (Uz) 202-3 drinking & nightlife 381-2 Bazar Samal (Kaz) 82-3 Afghanistan 226, 367, Nurata (Uz) 187-8 404-5 entertainment 382 Bukhara (Uz) 191 caravanserais 28, 284-5, food 379-81 Central (Upper) Bazaar