Uzbekistan Warnings Or Dangers

  Tick territory
by TheWanderingCamel
 
  • Tick territory
      Tick territory
    by TheWanderingCamel
  •   Warnings Or Dangers
    by nepalgoods
  •   Warnings Or Dangers
    by nepalgoods
  •   Warnings Or Dangers
    by nepalgoods
  • Street near the Tash Hauli Palace, Khiva
      Street near the Tash Hauli Palace, Khiva
    by toonsarah
 
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Tick, tick, tick

by TheWanderingCamel

With some of our group coming from a tick-prone area, thus being well aware of the problems they can pose, and knowing that areas of rural Uzbekistan are home to the nasty critters, we factored tick-prevention into the general traveller's list of comfortable walking shoes, long sleeves and covered legs along with the usual hats and sunscreen for days spent in exposed sites. Pale colours are best as ticks will show up more easily. Ticks are a real threat. One settling on you and transmitting one of the tick-borne diseases that are endemic in Central Asia could seriously spoil your holiday. Bring DEET-based insect repellant and apply it to exposed skin, avoiding eyes, mouth and any exposed wounds. Pack some tweezers or a small tube of cream containing permethrin and check carefully for ticks after a day spent in rural or forested areas and, if you find one, remove it carefully by grasping...

Tip Photo
The Big-hat Brigade

by TheWanderingCamel

Although we had no trouble with the police in Uzbekistan beyond a an reasonably amicable request to see a passport at a Metro station in Tashkent and a warning not to take photos there, other travellers do tell tales of heavy-handed policing. Make sure you have your hotel registration slip with you at all times (make sure you have one!), keep all of these throughout your time in the country and carry a photocopy of your passport pages with your photo and your Uzbek visa with you at all times also in an easily accessible place. Leave your passport in the hotel safe if there is one, otherwise carry it safely elsewhere on your body.What else is there to say but be polite, don't get flustered, or agree to go elsewhere, and if things appear to be getting heavy, either pay the small fine but insist on taking the officer's ID number, holding onto your wallet yourself , or insist on returning to...

Tip Photo
Money bags

by TheWanderingCamel

Changing money can be a real problem in Uzbekistan. Even if the banks and hotel money changers haven't actually run out of money (yes, that does happen), with the exchange rate currently being about 1500cym (sum) to the dollar (October 2009), even with denominations of 500 and 1000 cym more readily available, change $100 and you end up with quite a wad so be prepared to carry a stack of money around with you and practice the bank teller's trick of counting notes quickly. Everyone does it.Credit cards are not a lot of use, as far as I know there are only one or two ATM machine's in Tashkent and none anywhere else in the country. Don't even think about drawing money against your credit card - you'll still be in the bank when it comes time to leave for the airport. Strictly speaking, US dollars are not currency but you can use them sometimes, just don't bank on it. Small US bills are useful...

Tip Photo
Travel + Leisure ranking

by etfromnc

Travel + Leisure magazine recently ranked Uzbekistan as the eighth most dangerous country in the world. When we traveled there a couple years ago, I felt like they probably knew a lot more about us than we might have wanted them to know but I never felt any fear, eventhough we flew on their national airline (twice), travelled their urban, suburban, and rural roads, stayed in their hotels and a bed and breakfast, visited their mosques and historic sites, and ate in several different places. I did not even think that the prevalence of military personnel was particularly remarkable, though there were more there than I have seen in London in the past ten days.The following is what Travel + Leisure had to say:The Allure: Travel the ancient Silk Road cities of Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand. Go on camel treks in the desert and visit historic mosques. [We visited Bukhara and Tashkent but not...

Be careful what you eat!

by toonsarah

As with many of the world’s less visited destinations, Uzbekistan can present a challenge to delicate Western constitutions. I think most people in our group were affected at one point or another during our trip, including me! You all know the rules: don’t drink the water; peel fruit and vegetables (or be sure that it’s been washed in safe water); refuse ice in drinks for the same reason; avoid any food that seems to have been lying around for a while and not freshly cooked; etc. etc. In addition we were recommended not to eat mayonnaise – difficult in a country where salads are the preferred appetiser, especially when combined with the “no unpeeled vegetables” rule. And despite sticking as best as we could to all of this, we still succumbed, though not too badly. In the end I think you need to find a balance that works for you, and maybe take the odd risk now and then rather than shut...

Tip Photo
Summer heat

by toonsarah

If like me you live in a temperate climate where temperatures rarely climb above the high 20s centigrade and if like me you choose to visit Uzbekistan in July, you need to be prepared for the heat! The hottest places we visited were Khiva (where afternoon temperatures reached above 45 degrees) and the desert area between there and Bukhara, which we crossed in an air-conditioned bus, though having been designed for European summers it struggled to cope with the 52 degrees we experienced! One blessing though is that this is a dry heat with very little or no humidity, and with cooler nights to offer relief. In fact, getting up early in the desert camp I found myself (for the only time) wishing for a cardigan or similar). Of course there are things you can and should do to help you cope. The first, and most important, is to drink plenty of fluids. Bottled water is easily available...

Tip Photo
Uzbekistan is a safe place to travel !!

by Trekki

Uzbekistan is a very safe country to travel. Even if there are taxi drivers that nearly constantly try to rip you off, even if some times things get stolen - I never felt as safe in Uzbekistan as in any other country (apart from Tajikistan and the Pamirs).Which country is 100% safe ? Almost none. I can go out at night here in my home town and get mugged....If you behave according to the general rules of travelling (avoid throwing around with money, show respect, treat with respect, smile), it is much likely that nothing will happen.I went with all my money around my belly and in the daypack with taxis, busses, on foot, during nearly all time of day and evening - and nothing happened at all.Well, I don't have this anxious glance in my face "ohhhh hopefully no one will steal my things"I found two tips on Warnings & Dangers, both for Tashkent.I don't know if it is allowed to officially...

Black market money exchange

by lotharlerch

To change your dollars on the Black market was very tempting in 2000.At my last visit Oct. 2003 the exchange rate you could obtain at the official money exchange points (hotels etc.) has approached the Black market, therefore it was not worth the hassle. But that can change again. Check it before coming to Uzbekistan. When the differences black - official are big you can use the opportunity but ask a local you are trusting to do this for you. The rate you get is slightly poorer but take that as a sorts of 'insurance'.

Bring cash!

by mayafly

Before I left for Uzbekistan, I remember reading a posting on some travel site that there are no ATMs in Uzbekistan. "That's ridiculous," I thought, "There must be ATMs in Tashkent, at least." And so there are. The only problem? No soms (som is the name for the local Uzbek currency). Most of the ATMs I saw did not work because they had no money in them. The government doesn't print enough bills (maybe they're scared of inflation?), so often the exchange points - at hotels or even in the branches of the National Bank - cannot change your dollars into local money. You have to wait until someone decides to buy dollars with their soms. Or until the som fairy decides to bestow some more currency on the bank. Dollars (or euros) are still valuable, so if you have cash, you may be able to exchange privately with friends (as many prefer to do - don't exchange with strangers on the street however,...

Are the streets safe?

by Kentishlad

This is a sort of reverse warning! The streets of old Bukhara are often very narrow, winding, easy to get lost in and have limited or no lighting in many places. This worried us, but when we asked at the hotel how safe it was to wander around in the evening it resulted in an almost puzzled expression. It seems there is very little trouble. This is probably due to the draconian penalties for even minor infractions of the law.

Safety Tips in Uzbekistan

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Warnings Or Dangers: Cities in Uzbekistan
  1. Tashkent Warnings Or Dangers
  2. Samarkand Warnings Or Dangers
  3. Bukhara Warnings Or Dangers
  4. Tashkent Warnings Or Dangers
  5. Khiva Warnings Or Dangers
  6. Shahrisabz Warnings Or Dangers
  7. Qarshi Warnings Or Dangers

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  Myself and my wife are considering combining Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan in a two week plus trip in the summer of 2012. We are well... 

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A: It would help if you had more info, as opposed to none, in your profile, so that we would know your country of residence. However, I hazard a guess that it is Canada? ... 

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