What's the best way to travel Central Asia? Must see places?

>>1187844
Kyrgyzstan is best stan. If you can only pick one I would suggest there.

>>1187844
Overland is pretty easy Tashkent is easy driving distance to Osh. Internal trains in Uzbekistan and buses/ mini buses in Kyrgyzstan, taxis to and from borders. I can personally recommend Samarkand in Uzbekistan and Ala-Kul in Kyrgyzstan as places that are worth checking out plenty of other places to see as well of course. Assuming you are a Westerner Kyrgyzstan visa is free but the Uzbek one is a pain in the butt and you need a letter of invitation from a travel agent which can be arranged online from a place like caravanistan and then you need to send that and an actual visa application to the embassy.

Kazakhstan is the only one worth visiting at all. You'll get all your adventure needs filled there without being molested and harassed by the locals and police in the other Stans.

Although Uzbek was pretty unique... from personal experience I would just stick to Kaz.

>>1187876
>t. Borat

>>1187853
Is getting a car, having the right drives license etc easy enough?

>>1187876
Are police in Uzbek that bad?

>>1187853
I found Bukhara and Khive way nicer than Samarkand.

>>1187876
I never had any problems in Uzbekistan and I was traveling independently. I actually felt safer than most of the places I visited.

>>1187904
Never bothered with a car just used public transport

>>1187878
Kek

>>1187904
Not him
But I travelled to Uzbekistan with friends who were uzbek and the custom officers at the airport took all their luggage- all of it- as a bribe. I'm still uncertain what the crime was, probably whistling on a Tuesday, but I was told it's common place for the authorities if they see something they want that you have they take or demand it.
I never had any issues personally

>>1187845
I agree with this. I lived in Bishkek for two years best time of my life. I may go back in February or Urumqi.

Anyone have experience with Urumqi??

>>1187844
1. Kazakhstan - one great steppe, must see Astana, Alma-Ata, Saryagash, Balkhash lake and Sharyn Canyon.Also dont forget about kazakh culture.

2. Uzbekistan - only east, because there stand all own towns, at west of Uzbekistan you can see only dead steppe.Also there bad police and its hard to get from Uzbekistan to Tajikistan or any othe countries :/

3. Tajikistan - there you should see all contry, there lot of old towns and beutyfull views.Also 93% of this country - mountains, so prepare your camera.At the south, in the border with Afghanistan you can go to any market and see difference between tajiks from Tajikistan and tajiks from Afghanistan.At the east you should visit Pamir.Also you can see there arabic and jewish diaspora, whose live there hundreed years and see how they change their traditions.Dont forget about tajik music and tajik-persian literature.

4.Kyrgizstan - its closed countryб in 2013 only 3000 people visit this country and 2900 from them was from post-soviet countries :\
There you should visit only Issyk-Kul, you cant find something interesting in this country.
If you have any questions, ask me.

>>1188368
>only dead steppe
Ever heard of Khiva?