While our itinerary to Uzbekistan was being finalised, we added neighbouring Tajikistan so that we cover both places in one go and also add more variety to the trip. While Uzbekistan is mostly for culture and architecture, Tajikistan was planned for its mountains and valleys.

Reaching Tajikistan: Dushanbe is well connected to other international airports and you can reach there via Tashkent using Uzbek airlines. We preferred crossing the border by road. The closest border from Samarkand is near Penjinkent and its nearly an hour drive. Shared cabs charge around 10K Uzbek som per person (~USD 1.2). Once inside Tajikistan you will find a lot of shared cabs ready to take you till Dushanbe. We booked a full SUV for ourselves. We went to few places in the Fann mountains and then reached Dushanbe at night. The total cost was USD 65.

Tajikistan Visa: They also have e-visa for indians with a simple application form. If you want to visit the Pamir area then additional GBAO permit is needed which can be included in the visa application itself. The total cost including GBAO was USD 70 per person. We received the approved e-visa within a day.

Accommodation:

–Fann Mountains: Next to Iskanderkul lake there are few hotels to stay. They provide nice view of the lake/mountains and can give you easy access to other regions of Fann as well.

–Dushanbe: Several hotels of all budgets are available here. We had early morning flight to catch on last day and also planned to take shared cab to the Pamirs. We found Sakho hotel to be ideally located as it was just 1.7 kms from the airport and the shared cabs for Pamir start from the front of the hotel. It was a pretty decent hotel with all the amenities.

–Rushan: This is a big village en-route to Wakhan and just before Khorog. We stayed there for a night as we had to go to Bartang valley next morning. We found a home stay on the main road. The standard cost here is $15 per person including breakfast/dinner and also lunch if needed.

–Bartang Valley: We stayed in a village in Bartang which had a total population of 150 people. The home stay was very basic with minimum facilities but the host family was very warm and welcoming. All the food was prepared from fresh produce from their garden and they tasted way better than anything that we get in our supermarkets.

Things to do:

–Iskanderkul Lake: This lake is on the Fann mountains. If you take the road from Penjinkent towards Dushanbe then you have to take a detour on the way. It’s a total 3-4 hours drive. The lake is blue in colour and is guarded by beautiful mountains around it. There is also a small hill in front of the approach road and you can climb it to get even better view of the entire lake. We reached there slightly late in the afternoon hence missed its gorgeous beauty in full daylight. The sunlight reflects on the lake creating a silver glitter on the turquoise colour. Crafted by nature and made legend by humans, this lake is named after Iskander (the eastern name of Alexander). One such legend says that Alexander diverted the flow of water to drown his enemies and hence the lake appeared here. Keeping the fantasies aside, the view of the lake and affordable resorts right next to it do offer a relaxing holiday among the splendid Fann mountains.

–Dushanbe Tea House: There are quite a few of them and Rohat teahouse is rated as one of the best in Central Asia. A tea house is kind of a food court but it has the grandeur of a palace. This one is very newly built. A relaxing meal overlooking the main street of the city will give a good break from all the mountain climbing on other days.

–Spend a night in village home stays: We spent 3 nights in different villages. The people make you feel like home and try to make your stay as comfortable as possible with the basic facilities that they have. They make the meal of your preference and eat in Tajik style as a family. All rooms in the villages follow the same style with five pillars supporting the roof and large beds spread all around.

–Fresh fruits: There are many fruit trees all over the country and no one minds if you pluck a few. We regularly used to eat apples, pears, grapes and pomegrenate straight from the trees. And needless to say, they are much tastier than the ones that we get in our cities.

–Bartang valley: To reach Bartang you have to take a cut from Rushan on your way to Khorog. There are many villages in Bartang and we stayed in Savnob which is considered one of the most scenic villages in the valley.

–Drive on the Pamirs: Each turn will lead you to a very unexpected and gorgeous view of the mountain and its hidden gems. There are so many colours in the autumn that you don’t feel like you are among barren mountains. Most part of the road from Dushanbe to Khorog traces along the Afghanistan border. You will be driving next to Panj river which acts as a natural border between the countries. You can stop and wave at the Afghan people.

Transport within Tajikistan: If you don’t do a bit of research before moving around Tajikistan then it might become a very expensive affair. The cities are far and the roads are not great in many parts. The distance from Dushanbe to Khorog itself is 750 kms. Shared taxis run from the front of Sakho hotel from morning 6 AM. They are usually Toyota Landcruisers which carry 7 passengers. The cost is 300 som per passenger till Rushan/Khorog. We also saw some cars leaving for overnight trips as well. The journey is very scenic. You would like to get down very often to take pictures but that won’t be possible in shared cabs as there will be many locals with you. We did one way shared cab and while returning paid for all 7 passengers and had the car for ourselves. From Rushan to Bartang we got a cab which took us there, stayed overnight and got us back to Rushan the next day. All for 400 som. To reach Dushanbe while coming from Uzbekistan you can get shared taxis from the border near Penjinkent. You need to haggle a lot as many drivers will surround you asking to go with them and quoting random prices.

This trip won’t be a relaxing one but will be full of adventure. And the trip that we did in SUV is also done by many people on bicycles. Apparently its a very popular track for bicyclists to make a complete circle on the Pamir highway along the Wakhan corridor. So put your adventure hats on and head to Tajikistan for a stunning view of the green valleys and bare mountains.