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For the more intrepid traveler, there are fewer and fewer places in the world where one can roll across the border on a bus or train and not be confronted by an established tourist industry. You could visit Antarctica but what’s the point apart from a stamp in your passport? The Amazon rainforest? It’s going to take a lot and time of money to do that properly.
This article is an attempt to extol the virtues of Central Asia, the gigantic region west of China, south of Russia, north of Afghanistan and Iran and east of the Caspian Sea. The countries which comprise this fascinating region are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (and others, depending on who you ask) and it’s the history of this area which draws visitors to it. The legendary Silk Road routes ran through this area from China and on into India, Turkey and further afield.
It’s also the location of one of history’s more secret wars; the ‘Great Game’ fought between the Russian and the British Empires in the 19th century for mastery of the region. Expansionist Russia was moving south, conquering Khanates and Sultanates with its eye on British India. The British wanted to create a buffer state between India and the aggressive Russians. The borders and the names have changed but cities such as Herat, Khiva and Bishkek live on for history buffs.
So if you want to get here before the gap year students and self-professed ‘travelers’ who currently swarm all over south-east Asia, India and Australia you’ll need to do a bit of preparation. A visa before you arrive is usually compulsory and they can be a bit pricey. On the plus side it’s a great opportunity to cross the continents by train. As an example, a week’s trip from London by train will get you to Moscow and then on south-east to Almaty in Kazakhstan via the capital Astana.
For the more intrepid, head to Baku in Azerbaijan then arrange a trip across the Caspian by boat to the bizarre country of Turkmenistan, then on to Uzbekistan. Neither are a trip you will forget in a hurry.
