Places

photo Astana Beyond Baiterek, Parks, Food and Transport Astana Beyond Baiterek, Parks, Food and Transport
Places
Astana is easy to misjudge from the postcards. Baiterek, the glass pyramid, the tent-shaped mall: the official skyline looks like…
photo What to See in Astana, from Baiterek to Khan Shatyr What to See in Astana, from Baiterek to Khan Shatyr
Places
Astana became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997, and almost everything a visitor comes to see was built after that…
photo Astana for First-Timers: Weather, Flights, What to Buy Astana for First-Timers: Weather, Flights, What to Buy
History
Astana is a capital that was mostly built in the last 25 years, on a flat steppe where winter lasts…
photo Two Days in Almaty and the Mountains Two Days in Almaty and the Mountains
Places
Almaty stopped being the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997, and nobody in the city seems to have noticed. It remains…
photo Day Trips from Almaty Worth the Drive Day Trips from Almaty Worth the Drive
Places
Almaty sits at the foot of the Zailiysky Alatau, the northernmost ridge of the Tian Shan. The mountains start where…
photo Kyzylkum's Ancient Desert Forts Kyzylkum's Ancient Desert Forts
Places
Kyzylkum means "red sand," and from the Khiva road that is all you see: low dunes, saxaul bushes, the occasional…
photo Bukhara in Two Days: Sights, Food, Where to Stay Bukhara in Two Days: Sights, Food, Where to Stay
History
Bukhara is the most compact of the three big Silk Road cities in Uzbekistan. Samarkand spreads its monuments across a…
photo Five Hotels in Bukhara's Old Town, Rated by Guests Five Hotels in Bukhara's Old Town, Rated by Guests
Hotels
Bukhara's old town is small enough that a hotel choice comes down to a few hundred meters. Everything a visitor…
photo 7 Samarkand Hotels Worth Booking 7 Samarkand Hotels Worth Booking
Hotels
Samarkand's hotel scene splits into two kinds of places: courtyard guesthouses in the old mahallas around the Registan, and modern…
photo Samarkand's History Through Its Monuments Samarkand's History Through Its Monuments
History
Samarkand has been a city for at least 2,750 years, and almost everything a visitor photographs was built in a…
photo Things to Do in Samarkand Beyond the Registan Things to Do in Samarkand Beyond the Registan
Places
Samarkand can be done in a day if all you want is the Registan, Gur-e-Amir and Shah-i-Zinda. Most people who…
photo Seven Sights of Samarkand, Planned Over Two Days Seven Sights of Samarkand, Planned Over Two Days
Places
Samarkand feels ancient because it is. Settlement on this spot goes back more than 2,500 years, and the city has…