Samarkand Tourist Traps

Almost all places you go, you will be asked to pay an entrance fee. Really no big money, few bucks. However, the clerk will ask you if yo gonna shoot a video or snap. If you say yes, you will pay an extra without a receipt. Normally, all places are free to take a snap/video but you dont know it.

Unique Suggestions: Don't pay an extra for shooting as it is free of charge unless otherwise offcially specified.

Fun Alternatives: You don't want to argue with locals anywhere so when shooting better not to do it in an open and careless way as they may feel offended.

There are kid beggars around historical places. Mostly girls, notices you are a foreigner and sticks to you. Moves whereever you go and starts to sing a local prayer until you pay her.

Unique Suggestions: Better to pretend they don't existand walk away.

While Chorsu for me stands/stood for bazaar in the several Uzbek cities I visited (and I still don’t know what the name stands for), and LP described this one as “market arcade”, I thought I could have a look inside, maybe for silk.
What a *** disappointment !! Well – tourist trap par excellence !

I paid 1000 som just to look at contemporary art, paintings and statues, which is for sale……. Inside, it is hospital-clean-white, so not even a glimpse of trading dome – or yes, of rip-off trading.

You best should give this one a miss and spend the 1000 som elsewhere.

Oops, as I did not made any pictures – this is the rounded shaped little building east of (or behind) Registan’s Sher Dor Medressa.

As I consider this both, tourist trap and warning, I’ll double it. Please be fair to the system and if, only rate it once (either here or there – thanks).

In our www world, I still love to send postcards from special travels to people dear to me, thus also from Uzbekistan.
First, it was a bit tricky to find the post office (I was given several different locations), then I found it in Tashkent street (the pedestrian one between Registan and bazaar). With the help of a map, the girl even managed to understand my destinations, written in English, and I even saw how she put stamps on the cards………. but none ever arrived (correct me dear friends if one actually found its way to Sweden, Scotland, Germany, NZ or Australia).

If you still want to send postcards – don’t even think to do it from Samarkand !!!! However, I cannot give a recommendation about which city actually sends cards; Tashkent maybe.

Fun Alternatives:
If you still want to send postcards to overseas’ friends, better buy cards and send them from home. If you want to send cards to nearby friends and family, better get them a nice souvenir.