Uzbekistan Activities

Families will find opportunities for cycling in the lovely Ferghana Valley and hiking in the mountainous regions, as well as parks to enjoy in Uzbekistan’s cities. Tashkent, for example, is surprisingly green, with a number of beautiful parks and fountains. Uzbekistan’s culture is made accessible to young travellers at various attractions and events around the country.

Chatkalsky Reserve (Chimgan)
This national park in the western Tian-Shan is just over 60 miles from Tashkent and is a protected area of unspoilt natural wonders. Wildlife to be seen here includes the Berkut eagle, snow tigers and the rare Tian-Shan grey bear. There are a number of resorts catering to outdoors activities – from hiking and trekking to skiing and snowboarding. Resorts also cater to families and provide playgrounds for children.

Lyab-i Khauz (Bukhara)
Found at the heart of the old city, Bukhara’s Lyab-i Khauz is a lovely green oasis, with a large pool surrounded by ancient mulberry trees that the kids are sure to enjoy. You’ll see ducks swimming on the pond, teenage boys showing off their diving skills and old men sitting with friends under the shade of the mulberry trees. There are people eating ploy, drinking tea, playing chess on carpets and even small children with mobile phones sneaking photos of tourists.

National Puppet Theatre (Bukhara)
This independent theatre group was established by a US Peace Corps volunteer during her stay in Bukhara, from 1999-2001. You can enjoy presentations of Uzbek folk stories, the traditional Bukharan wedding ceremony and the many tales of Hoja Nasruddin.

The Ark (Bukhara)
The Ark Citadel is the major focus for visitors to Buhkara. It was the residence of the last Emirs of Bukhara and dates back to the 5th century. You’ll find a museum on the city’s history and the former prison attracts a lot of interest. This institution features chilling, but fascinating rooms such as the ‘Bug Pit,’ dungeons and a torture chamber. The Ark contains some of the oldest houses and mosques in Bukhara. If your children are interested in legends, you may want to have a guide go around with you. Website: www.bukhara.net/magictoday/ark.htm

Uzbek Puppet Theatre (Tashkent)
Tashkent’s well-known Uzbek Puppet Theatre provides an old-fashioned form of entertainment that continues to be popular with locals and visitors in spite of the availability of higher-tech entertainment options. The theatre was established in 1939 and has been staging classical fairy tale adaptations and national folk tales since that time. Website: www.sambuh.com/uzbekistan/ recreation/theatres/puppet_show.html

Uzbekistan has a long tradition in fostering equestrian and wrestlers or palvans as they’re known locally. There are also varieties of wrestling that originated in the country, such as kurash, a type of upright wrestling which is growing in popularity worldwide. Football and boxing are also popular spectator sports. Most visitors are attracted, however, to the variety of activities for hiking in the mountains and climbing some of the worlds highest peaks, cycling in the valleys and along the Silk Road, and exploring some of the deepest caves in Asia.

The mountains in the southern part of the country offer a good range of trekking opportunities. Easier treks can be done in the foothills and there are a number of high peaks that will provide a challenge for the more experienced. March to November is the best time to go, as the weather will be the most favourable. Serious mountaineering opportunities also exist here, as Uzbekistan boasts some of the highest peaks in the world, including Peak Pobeda, at 24,399ft, Peak Korzhenevskaya, at 23,304ft and Peak Khan-Tengri, at 22,943ft. Ice-climbing sites include the Gissar, Marcha and Turkstan ridges; and vertical faces for rock climbing are plentiful in the Fan Mountains and on the Matchi Ridge.

Cycling tours can be arranged that are suitable for all levels of cycling ability. Easier rides take cyclists through the Ferghana Valley and the area surrounding Tashkent, through magnificent lake and mountain scenery. More experienced cyclists often take the Silk Road route from Tashkent to Khiva, via Lake Aidarkul.

Many other outdoor activities can also be enjoyed in Uzbekistan. Skiing is excellent in the mountains above Tashkent; the deepest caves in Asia are found at Boi-Bulok (4641ft) and Kievskaya (3247ft), although they are suitable only for experienced cavers. Those interested in caving, with somewhat less experience, can enjoy the gypsum formations at Kugitang cave, the mummified bears at Baisuntau cave and the underground lakes and rivers of the case in western Tian-Shan. If you prefer rafting or kayaking, the Angren, Chatkal, Pskem, Syr Darya and Ugen rivers offer the best available, with the optimum time being September-October.

The cuisine of Uzbekistan is similar to that of other Central Asian countries. The staple food is a fried dish called ploy, which consists of pieces of mutton, mixed with shredded red and yellow carrots and rice and comes in a number of variations. Shashlyk is a popular regional dish: kebabs of mutton barbecued over charcoal and served with sliced raw onion. Lipioshka (or rounds of unleavened bread) are also popular. These popular foods are served in restaurants and also by street vendors. Both the quality and variety of breads are a matter of local pride: samosas (samsa) are also sold on the street, as are large boiled dumplings filled with meat (manty). A popular soup, made from meat and vegetables is called shorpa.

In the summer and fall, a number of varieties of fruit are available, including apricots, grapes and pomegranates, which can also be found in dried form at other times of the year. Melon, both honeydew and watermelon, are abundant in season.

Hotel food tends to show a strong Russian influence. Some of the items on a typical menu will include borscht, which is a beetroot soup; entrecote, or a well-done steak; cutlet, which are actually grilled meat balls; and strogan, the local equivalent of Beef Stroganoff. Other restaurants offer pirmeni, a Ukrainian dish of small boiled dumplings consisting of meat and vegetables. You will also find restaurants serving European, Chinese and Korean food.

Tea is the favoured beverage in all of Central Asia and tea houses (chai-khanas) are found most everywhere in Uzbekistan, where elderly men spend the afternoon in conversation and drinking tea. Restaurants serve beer and wine, vodka, brandy and a sparkling wine called shampanski. A thick drinking yoghurt, called kefir, is often served at breakfast.

Travellers to Uzbekistan are pleasantly surprised by the variety of jewellery, local handicrafts and clothing available. Popular souvenirs also include books, maps and postcards. Carpets are popular as well, but there are some restrictions on exporting them, so it is important to check if certification is required for customs purposes.

In general, the best place to experience the culture of Central Asia is in the bazaars. In Tashkent and Samarkand, the bazaars offer a wide range of goods, from herbs and spices to handmade carpets. If you’re interested in the highly-decorated Uzbek knives, they can be found in the Alaiski Bazaar in Tashkent. Silk is still produced in Uzbekistan and the large department stores carry silks at quite reasonable prices. Many of the country’s museums have shops selling reproductions as well as some original items (again, be advised that any object that is antique and/or has significant cultural value will likely require certification and permission to be taken out of the country). Carpets and embroidered wall hangings and traditional Uzbek hats are popular and widely available: Bukhara is renowned for gold embroidery.

Shopping hours: Normal shop opening hours are daily from 09:00-19:00; and food shops are open from 08:00-17:00. You can check with hotel staff regarding the opening times of the bazaars, as they tend to vary.