The Fergana Valley is not on most tourists’ itineraries. Shukhrat Ghaziev, our Tashkent-based tour coordinator, a bustling, efficient, and humorous dynamo of a man, had said as much. “Very few Indians are interested in our culture,” he had told us. “They come here only for, you know...boom-boom.” We had knowingly nodded, and rolled our eyes.
We disembark at Kokand, and are met by Aziz Odilov, our earnest cicerone. Our welcome wagon is startling—a full-scale tour bus for just the four of us the entire afternoon. Uzbekistan has massively upgraded its tourism industry in the last few years to boost the country’s economy and image. With little of the trappings of capitalist monoculture that make so many cities around the world feel the same, Uzbekistan has spectacular architecture and a unique and unexplored culture, rich in arts and crafts. Add in the varied landscapes— from awe-inspiring deserts to snowy mountains—and warm, open people who are hospitable to the core, and you have a near-perfect tourist destination.
This story is from the December 2019 edition of Outlook Traveller.
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This story is from the December 2019 edition of Outlook Traveller.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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