I love to travel, and I love to write about my travels.
There’s a saying where I come from that “everything is bigger in Texas” but I’m betting that most Texans have never been to Kazakhstan. The ninth largest country in the world, Kazakhstan is quite large, and a large proportion of that is gently rolling steppes that Continue reading “Kazakhstan”
A trip through Central Asia would not be complete without a drive through the Pamir Mountains on the M41, one of the highest roadways in the world. Winding its way from Pakistan to Afghanistan, Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan, the Pamir Highway is a must-do for travelers who want to see the best of the ‘Stans.
While we were planning our trip to Turkmenistan (where you need to either be with a tour company or limit your stay to a transit visa), our tour company offered us an option that combined both Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It was a great itinerary and a pretty good deal, so we decided to take the package for both countries and really travel down the Silk Road in style.
We started working on planning our Turkmenistan trip back in December, knowing that we’d need a Letter of Invite from a tour company, a package tour, and a visa before arrival- all of which takes time. After receiving our LOI by email, we took it to the Turkmenistan embassy in Tbilisi, where for $55 they issued us a visa (you can also get it done at Ashgabat airport for $87). We let Travel Notoria plan our tour, and we just showed up with a load of cash (no ATMs in Turkmenistan!) after catching a flight on AirDubai.
Geographically in Asia, politically in Europe, Georgia is the perfect base for exploring the Caucasus. We visited Georgia before, between, and after visiting Azerbaijan and Armenia (Americans can enter Georgia without a visa for up to one year). Each time we visited, we explored a different part. We both really liked Georgia and hope to visit again one day. It’s beautiful, it has a rich history, and it has nice weather. And they are the oldest makers of wine in the world. What’s not to like?
PalmTreeMusings 