Tajikistan, a land-locked country of 7 million people borders China in the East, Afghanistan in the South, Uzbekistan to the west and Kyrghyzstan to the North. Described as being 93 % mountains and 100 % adventure they’re not far off the mark.

Currently only one Western airline, Turkish, offers a scheduled service once a week to Dushanbe, the capital although it can be easily accessed by road or air from Tashkent, Bishkek, Almaty and Moscow.

Whilst Dushanbe itself has wide, paved tree-lined roads and solid Soviet era buildings for the arts, higher education and the government, the same cannot be said for most of the reset of the country. Suffering a civil war between 1991 and 1996 has meant that development has lagged behind its neighbours. This certainly contributes to its magnetic appeal and adds to its charm.

Accommodation is on the whole in local guesthouses or home stays. I found this to be a great way to meet with local people and get much closer to understanding their culture than is often possible in other countries. There are three distinct ethnic groupings. In the South and East the people are primarily Tajik although many Uzbeks live in the border areas. In the middle are the Pamiris, a friendly mountain people who rely on raising cows and goats and growing wheat and potatoes in the valleys. In the East live the Kyrghyz, the men easily recognised by the felt hats, Kalpaks, that they wear.

The South and West are humid, hot and flat with parts of the lower valleys dotted with trees. In contrast, the centre and East are often described as a moonscape. There is little habitation, people live in small villages or yurts, felt tents, during the summer tending their herds of goats and yak. The landscape is completely treeless and stunning. The light and its direction create a spectrum of brown, yellow and orange with shadows growing and retreating with the movement of the sun.

Tourism has barely touched this part of Central Asia, evidenced by the almost complete lack of souvenirs, t-shirts or postcards with the exception of hand-made locally produced Pamiri and Kyrghyz crafts.

Have I put you off? Hopefully not. It is not for everyone but for those prepared to forgo some creature comforts…give me a call.

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