Hey /trv/
This summer two friends and I will be spending approximately two weeks in Tajikistan and would love some help and advice when it comes to planning.
Meeting in Dushanbe on Jun 18 and at the latest should get to Osh on Jul 6 so I can fly up to Bishkek as my flight to back to the States leaves on the 7th.
We've got a rough itinerary of a day or so in Dushanbe, a few days up in Yagnob, then continuing on the Pamir Highway with some time in the Wakhan and the Ishkashim market if it's safe and open.
Would love to hear recommendations for specific things to see along the way. The fortresses, petroglyphs, lakes, mountains, and people all seem so appealing so it's hard to even think about where to narrow it down with such a small window of time.
The most important thing seems to be securing a good driver/guide and I've had PECTA, pamirs.org, and Caravanistan recommended to me but can anyone vouch for which is best or offers the best value for money? Are there other resources that we should be considering for this?
Speaking of money, is it best to just bring as many USD and then some? My understanding is that outside of Dushanbe and maybe Khorog ATMs will not be an option.
Any other general advice would be much appreciated and a big thanks to Frenchanon and his France to Afghanistan trip which was the inspiration for seeing a slice of this part of the world.
>>1223305
I'm also interested in visiting Tajikistan some day. But you seem to know more about it than I do.
Have a bump.
>>1223305
Sup OP, did central asia last summer
your itinerary seems the standard for that part, i suggest not doing dushanbe to khoroug on one take as it's a very tiring ride, stop at khalai khum village it's very nice and lowkey, you can do some trekking in the fann mountains, check out iskenderkul (alexander's lake), murghab, karakol, there's a stop after ishkoshim towards murghab that has some pteroglyphs and a castle but i can't remember it's name.
Khujand is a nice city for a day tour to check out but it looks like you're a bit on a tighter scheduele so you can drop it.
As for renting a car it's expensive there because you need a fully 4wd car and hiring a driver will double your expense (you're looking at 100 dollars daily for a car plus around 60-80 dollars for the driver) so i suggest to just use public transport unless you really want to drive the highway and can afford to rent a car then go for it.
I heard good things about "travel experts" headquartered in bishkek, i'm not sure about the tajik side though.
>Cash
Yeah i would suggest to bring as much cash as you can and to exchange it in dushanbe, it's harder to do it in gorno-badakshan and you might get worse rates naturally.
Anything else you'd like to know hit me up
Do you really need a guide?
Just drive the fucking thing yourself, it's not a dark art.
Also, you should sort your visa and GBAO permits yourself, and not let some travel company rip you off. You can do it online now iirc.
Check the HUBB on HU for up to date information. I doubt the border market is going to be open any time in the near future, from what i've heard.
>>1223991
If you can recommend an agency in Dushanbe that allows for drop offs in Kyrgyzstan I'm all ears...
>>1224021
get two of the e-visas. that's the thinking mans double entry visa. fly home from dushanbe.
Or do the trip in the other direction? starting in kyrgyzstan and then heading back up there after the pamir highway.
im just thinking out loud here.
you're probably right, best just get a guide.
>>1224042
I'm a wage slave so unfortunately I'm just using vacation time for this one and I had to book the flights ahead of time but the advice is much appreciated.
I feel like I'd be pressing my luck booking a guide/driver at this stage anyway given that my buddy will be coming in from Uzbekistan and god knows if our dates will 100% align so, now that I'm aware of HUBB, as well as monitoring Caravanistan, might end up having to just split taxis and transport with other travelers once I get there.