Career Break Travel: Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva & Tashkent

We planned our 3-month trip around Uzbekistan after seeing all the amazing things people were saying about the country, and we were so, so excited to visit. And… The country did not disappoint!

Uzbekistan was our next stop after Turkey, and the ninth country out of 10 that we visited on our 3-month long career break trip.

Days spent in Uzbekistan

A total of 12 days, with 4 nights in Samarkand, 3 nights in Bukhara, 3 nights in Khiva and just 1 night in Tashkent

Highlights

• The beautiful architecture – We were wowed by the details of the patterned ceramic tiles used to build the mausoleums and madrasas. Definitely as beautiful as the pictures you see online, or even more so!

• The friendly locals – Even though there was a language barrier most of the time, the locals we met were always so eager to help or chat!

We were even invited to a kid’s birthday party after stumbling onto it at a restaurant!

And on our overnight train ride from Samarkand to Tashkent, we chatted with a local lady (in English) and she helped haggle for a cheaper cab ride to our B&B! We would have been a bit lost without her help!

• The gorgeous ceramics and fabrics – We couldn’t decide on which tea sets to buy! they were all painted so intricately and pretty. And the fabrics – the embroidery on them were gorgeous. If our backpacks weren’t already full and we didn’t have a budget, I would definitely have gone crazy shopping!

• The lack of crowds – While there were crowds at some of the more popular sites, the rest of the cities we visited were refreshingly uncrowded – especially at one of the museums we went to.

We were the only visitors there that day, and they turned on the lights just for us!

Lowlight

• Lack of comfort foods – I don’t eat lamb and beef, and it was hard to find other types of meat in Uzbekistan since she’s known for lamb and beef dishes!

I did try some of their traditional dishes like plov, lagman, shurpa, manti and samsa. But I was always craving food that I was more comfortable with – like chicken and fish. And I was always extra happy when we found them!

Fun mentions

• Surviving a gas leak – Ok, so this would have been a disaster if the pipe had exploded, but it was hilarious after we ran out.

The owner in the guesthouse we stayed at in Bukhara ran into our room while we were taking an afternoon nap and yelled “Gas break! Gas break!”. She pulled WJ with her when he sat up in bed, leaving me behind. WJ came back to get me while I was hurriedly pulling on my trousers and grabbing my phone and jacket.

Turns out that there was a gas leak in the boiler in our room’s bathroom, which explained why our room was feeling warm even after we turned up the air con!

The owner put on a pot of tea and snacks for us and chatted with us while we waited for the all-clear. She was very impressed that WJ went back for me and kept saying that he was a good man!

• Getting stuck in a toilet – This is one instance why it’s important to have data on your phone! Luckily I could reach WJ when I was stuck and he came to get me with the restaurant’s staff.

The doorknob was locked from the inside and I could only open it with a key, which I didn’t have. The staff managed to throw the keys in through the high window after a few tries, and I got out safe and sound!

Where we stayed

We arrived at Timur the Great in Samarkand before 5am in the morning and the owner opened up the gates looking like he just got up. We felt so bad as we didn’t realise how inconsiderate we were as it was a guesthouse, not a hotel! But he was a friendly guy and so hospitable, he didn’t seem annoyed at all.

The breakfast every morning was amazing with a huge spread. We always felt so full after that we could only eat a light lunch (and saved some money)! The location was also great and just a few minutes walk to the Registan.

We would have continued staying at Timur the Great, but it was fully booked for the last night we were in Samarkand, so we went over to Furkat Guest House just a short walk away.

It definitely couldn’t beat Timur the Great especially with its’ breakfast, but it was pretty good for the price we were paying (S$38.18 for one night).

Other than the gas-leak drama at Gulnarakhanum Guesthouse in Bukhara, everything else was pretty good. We were walking distance to all of the sights, and the owner was very friendly!

Isakhoja B&B in Khiva was in a perfect location right outside one of the gates of the Old City. It was so convenient to get in and around!

The owner at Anvar’s Guests in Tashkent was incredibly helpful. He helped wrap our fragile teapots and ceramic wares and made sure that they were as protected as possible. He also gave us a free scarf each!

We were tickled pink when we got there though. The entire exterior was covered in mirrors… And so was the room we were given.

How much we spent in Uzbekistan

Item	Expenditure
Accommodation	$471.99
Food	$251.41
Transport	$1,317.45
Attractions	$125.90
Miscellaneous	$292.95
Total	$2,459.70

We spent a total of S$2,459.70 for the both of us over 12 days.

Transport costs include the flight from Istanbul to Samarkand.

Where we went next

We took an 8-hour flight with Uzbekistan Airways from Tashkent to Tokyo, getting a minor scare for a minute when we thought we couldn’t fit the boxes of ceramic wares into the overhead cabins!