Nathan's Insights

World Traveller: 7 Continents, 90 Countries, 871 Days Overseas

Pages:
About | Countries | Tours | Trips | Bucket List – Done | Bucket List – To Do | Airport Lounges | Flight History

Travel Categories:
Flight Reviews | Lounge Reviews | Destinations | Short Breaks | World Trip 1986 | World Trip 1998 | World Trip 1999-2000 | World Trip 2006 | World Trip 2009 | World Trip 2009-10 | World Trip 2010 | World Trip 2011 | World Trip 2012-13 | World Trip 2015 | World Trip 2016 | World Trip 2017 | World Trip 2017-18 | World Trip 2018 | World Trip 2019 | Australia 2022 | World Trip 2023 | World Trip 2024 | World Trip 2024-25 | World Trip 2026-27

  • World Trip 2023: Day 29 – Bukhara, Uzbekistan

    Bukhara, Uzbekistan – Samanid Mausoleum

    Saturday 27 May 2023
    Highlights: The Samanid Mausoleum, visiting the Boloi Havz Mosque, exploring the Ark of Bukhara (Fortress), learning the history of Kalyan Minaret, exploring the Kalyan Mosque.

    Today was day 2 of exploring Bukhara in depth. After breakfast at our hotel, we left at 8.30 am to try to beat the coming heat.

    Our first visit was to the Samanid Mausoleum. This Mausoleum was built in the late 9th century for the rulers of the Samanid Empire. It was built outside the ancient city and was later lost under sand and was therefore spared when the Mongol’s destroyed most of Bukhara in the 13th century.

    (more…)

  • World Trip 2023: Day 28 – Kyzylkum Desert to Bukhara, Uzbekistan

    Bukhara, Uzbekistan – Kalyan square

    Friday 27 May 2023
    Highlights: Sunrise over the Kyzylkum Desert, Exploring the Caravanserai Rabat-I-Malik, Exploring historic old sector of Bukhara

    I woke up around 5 am in our Yurt after a mostly peaceful night sharing accommodation with 4 other tour members. The early morning meant I have time to get up and see the sunrise over the Kyzylkum Desert.

    Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan – Sunrise

    Breakfast was served around 7.30 am as we swapped stories of last night around singing and dancing under the stars. There was no shower this morning in this remote place, so we all had a small degree of sand and salt (from the lake yesterday) as we left our campground at 8.30 am on a bumpy and vert slow drive out of the desert.

    (more…)

  • World Trip 2023: Day 27 Samarkand to Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan

    Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan – Under the stars

    Thursday 25 May 2023
    Highlights: Nurata Holy Springs, Nurata Fortress Ruins of Alexander the Great, Aydar Lake, Kyzylkum Desert experience, dancing under the stars

    Today we set off out of the historic city of Samarkand and into semi desert and full deserts of Uzbekistan. Leaving at 8.30 am we said one last goodbye to Registan Square before a 3.5 hour drive to Nurata.

    This city is famous for its hot springs that supply water to the local town and are said to be Holy Springs that provide healing for those that consume or bath in them.

    Nurata, Uzbekistan – Holy Springs
    (more…)

  • World Trip 2023: Day 26 – Samarkand, Uzbekistan

    Samarkand, Uzbekistan – Our group Registan Square

    Wednesday 24 May 2023
    Highlights: Exploring Registan Square, visiting the Bibi Khanum Mosque, lunch at Siab Bazaar, learning about science at the Ulugbek Observatory, seeing the tombs at Shakhi Zinda Necropolis, and examining the Amir Temir Mausoleum

    Today was a chance to do a full day of exploring Samarkand in depth. After breakfast we walked back to visit Registan Square up close after last nights light show.

    (more…)

  • World Trip 2023: Day 25 – Tashkent to Samarkand, Uzbekistan

    Samarkand, Uzbekistan – Registan Square

    Tuesday 23 May 2023
    Highlights:
    Tashkent – 1966 Earthquake monument, Hast Imam Square (Hazrati Imam), Tilla Sheikj Mosque, Chorsu Bazaar, Underground Metro, Memorial Square and the Eternal Flame
    Samarkand – Homemade pilaf meal, Registan Square

    A very big day was planned as we get going fully on the second part of the Five Stans tour. We started with a half day tour of Tashkent.

    First up was a visit to the only status left in the city from the Soviet Era, the rest having been melted down up independence in 1991. The status was a 1966 Earthquake monument built in 1970. The earthquake killed around 200 people and left 300,000 homeless. The rebuild saw people from across the USSR come here and many stayed changing to the city forever. The monument has a clock at the base with the exact time of the earthquake and cracks representing the devastation caused.

    Tashkent, Uzbekistan – 1966 Earthquake monument
    (more…)