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I have heard that police have improved in what once was repeated hassle of visitors to show their documents. We did not encounter this is Bukhara or Samarkand. However, it seems to be common on the Tashkent metro - it took a lot of discussion though we had perfectly good documents. They ultimately want a back-hander, but we stood our ground and got out without paying.
Uzbekistan in summer is frightfully hot. But Uzbeks also dress modestly, so don't expect to beat the heat by wearing tank tops and shorts, or going without your shirt. You don't have to wear a burkah or anything, but covering your shoulders and your knees is generally advisable as a sign of respect for the culture. Men and boys go swimming in the canals in Tashkent and in the countryside, but if you're a woman, you're out of luck. When I was there in June, it was over 100 degrees every day. Even after drinking tea and boiled water all morning, I could feel my fingers swelling up almost as soon as I left the house. I almost considered kidnapping a child so that I could join the mothers who were wading with their toddlers in the Tashkent fountains...Popsicles sold on the street from vendors' carts are only 10 US cents, so that's one way to get some temporary relief. In Tashkent, I would...
The day I left Tashkent, There were 3 suicide bombers exploding the american and israelit embassy also exploding the special services of uzbekistan. I had to be evacuated from the place I was, and after on the airport the security was really tight since I was taking a hig risk flight to Iran's capital Tehran.Warning from Lonely Planet Website:Terrorist activity has escalated in areas around the country's capital Tashkent. On March 28, 2004 a bomb exploded in a house where large amounts of explosives for manufacturing were found. Since then three explosions have occurred and there have been attacks on police checkpoints.Travellers are advised to check travel warnings and stay aware of the situation.In the border areas near Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgystan violence can still flare and areas are mined. It is advised that travellers exercise caution when travelling to these areas.
People get often robbed while taking taxis to destination in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgistan.People usualy take taxis alone or with one or 2 men. Its not advisable. I met an american in Kazakhstan which took a shared taxi from Almaty to Bishked and 20km after he got robbed and the men and taxi driver left him in a field, alone, no money no luggage and no passport. it sucks...
I used the metro about 6 times and was halted 3 times by some policemen. It's very common to travellers, especially if they don't speak Russian.They invariably took me to a small room and demanded me to show the contents of my bag and moneybelt. They checked my papers (passport and declaration form) minutely. Although I didn't take these guys very serious -just looking for a bribe- I found it quite annoying. Took me about 15 minutes every time and cost me few cigarettes to get express service.Just one important note: NEVER hand over your money before you counted it yourself in front of them! And -to be on the safe side- before you take the metro, just hide the bigger notes in your pockets..
When you arrive in Uzbekistan, there are 2 formalities you should ALWAYS demand yourself when customs are showing laziness:* Declaration form: to declare your money and valuables. * Stamp in your passport: your proof of passing customs.These are checked intensively when traveling around or when you leave the country and if you miss one of these you're subject to the very greedy officials and probably end up paying lots of money!
if i were you i wouldn't drink the water in uzbekistan. there's plenty of bottled water made by both nestle corp. and the coca-cola corp. but there is an uzbek company called shodlik who you should support instead - their water's completely safe and distilled but it's an uzbek ran company. this little guy called giardia will do a number on your tummy and you'll have to get some flagyll when you get home to get rid of him.
there is absolutely no reason whatsoever why for safety reasons you should not go to the ferghana valley. the valley is just as safe as anywhere else in uzbekistan. one caveat however, the militsya on the road into the valley will hassle you for your passport at least five to ten times on the trip from tashkent. the problem with the valley is that there's not much to do or see once you get there.
if you're visiting uzbekistan you're going to come in contact with the militsya. do not be intimidated by them, they are just trying to scare you, in reality they are much more worried about you calling the embassy and reporting them. never ever pay them a bribe. as you can see in this picture, they are a ragtag group, always in mismatched uniforms who are generally just interested in the novelty of foreigners.
Tourists should be okay, but I was told that Tashkent and Samarkand were a little less safe than Bukhara, Khiva and elsewhere. Don't flash cash or expensive items around, especially in Tashkent or Samarkand, or if crossing into Turkmenistan to get to Kunya Urgench. Also, Tajikistan is a little dangerous as regards robberies - I even heard one story about the police robbing a tourist bus.Central Asia is also a major drugs smuggling route, especially for heroin - if you see an unusual number of poppies in some remote areas or even police (yes, police - hopefully a minority) handling white bags of powder, turn a blind eye.Beefy at http://www.geocities.com/beefnetuk
Lyabi-House Hotel Bukhara
5 Reviews and 16 Opinions This is where we thought we were staying on our first visit to Bukhara - a charmingly restored old...
Best Eastern Orient Star Samarkand
4 Opinions
InterContinental Tashkent Tashkent
2 Reviews and 68 Opinions As I know, the InterContinental Hotel is less that Europian standart, but it really good one. There...
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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...
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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