Republic of Uzbekistan
Area: 447,400 sq km
Population: 27,372,000
Population density: 59 per sq km
Capital: Tashkent
Area: 447,400 sq km
Population: 27,372,000
Population density: 59 per sq km
Capital: Tashkent
Uzbekistan country information
Passport & visa | Getting there | Cycling & maps | Cost of living | Accommodation | Food | Bike shops | Climate | Distances
Passport & Visa
| Passport Required? | |
|---|---|
| British | Yes |
| Australian | Yes |
| Canadian | Yes |
| USA | Yes |
| Other EU | Yes |
| Visa Required? | |
| British | Yes |
| Australian | Yes |
| Canadian | Yes |
| USA | Yes/1 |
| Other EU | Yes |
Passports
Passport valid for entire
duration of stay required by all nationals referred
to in the chart above. One blank page
is needed for the visa.
Visas
Required by all nationals
referred to in the chart above except the following:
(a) transit passengers continuing their journey within 24 hours by the same or first connecting aircraft provided holding valid onward or return documentation and not leaving the transit area.
(a) transit passengers continuing their journey within 24 hours by the same or first connecting aircraft provided holding valid onward or return documentation and not leaving the transit area.
Visa Note
(a) Tourists (other than
nationals of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany,
Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and USA,
who also do not need to submit letters of invitation
as part of their visa application requirement)
will normally have their visa application completed
by their travel agent. (b) A personal interview
may be required before a visa can be issued.
(c) Visitors staying longer than three days
must register with the Ministry of Internal
Affairs within three working days. However,
most hotels will automatically do this on behalf
of the visitor. (d) Before applying by post,
applicants should first contact the consular
section of the embassy (except for nationals
of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan, Spain, Switzerland and USA). (e)
Nationals not referred to in the chart above
are advised to contact the embassy to check
visa requirements.
Types of Visa and Cost
Tourist and Business.
Single-entry: US$40 (seven days); US$50
(15 days); US$60 (30 days); US$80 (three months);
US$120 (six months); US$160 (one year). Multiple-entry:
US$60 (one month); US$150 (six months); US$250
(one year). Group: US$15 per person
(15 days); US$25 per person (30 days). Transit:
US$20 (24 hours); US$25 (48 hours); US$30 (72
hours); US$40 (double-entry).
Note: (a) 1. US nationals can obtain multiple-entry business or tourist visas issued for up to four years for a cost of US$100 and transit visas for a cost of US$25. (b) Visa applications are subject to a US$20 service charge (US$10 for transit visas). (c) Visa regulations within the CIS are liable to change at short notice.
Note: (a) 1. US nationals can obtain multiple-entry business or tourist visas issued for up to four years for a cost of US$100 and transit visas for a cost of US$25. (b) Visa applications are subject to a US$20 service charge (US$10 for transit visas). (c) Visa regulations within the CIS are liable to change at short notice.
Validity
Tourist visas are normally
single-entry/exit and are valid for the duration
of the tour. Business visas are multiple-entry,
valid for six months in the first instance and
extendable. Nationals of Austria, Belgium, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and
the UK can obtain a multiple-entry visa for
touristic/business stays of up to one month;
nationals of the USA can obtain such visas for
stays of up to four years. Visas should be used
within one month of date of issue.
Applications to:
Uzbek embassies where they
exist.
Working Days Required
10. For nationals of Austria,
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain,
Switzerland, the UK and USA, allow two days.
Travel agencies, suitable for Letter of Invitation:
Stantours
Asia
Travel
Dolores
Tour
Everest
Tour
Sairam
Note tour.tk: We got our visa in Tehran, Iran. It is quite a straightforward procedure. We bought a Letter of Invitation (LOI) through Stantours (but there are several other companies on the market, see above). Arranged via e-mail and internet banking, the whole procedure takes about two weeks. With the number on the LOI we venture to the consulate of Uzbekistan (NOT the embassy!) and wait outside, with all the tour group leaders... Show up early, otherwise you have to wait a long time. The tour group guys normally have 20-30 passports each...
We brought two passport photographs, our Letter of Invitation number, and our passports. To our amazement, they even fill in the application form for us and all we have to do is sign both pages, pay 30,000 Rials admin costs and the 75 US dollars visa fee each. (The visa fee is different for every nationality...) Then we wait and within half an hour we have our Uzbek visa! Remarkable.
Getting there
Getting There by Air
The national airline is Uzbekistan
Airways (HY) (website:
www.uzairways.com
).
Approximate Flight Times
From London to
Tashkent is 7 hours.
Main Airports
Tashkent
International Airport (TAS) is in the
south of the town, about 11km (7 miles) from the
centre. To/from the airport:
Buses run frequently to the city centre (journey
time - 30 minutes to 1 hour). Trains and tolley
buses connect the airport with the centre (journey
time - 10-20 minutes) and taxis are available
(journey time - 15-20 minutes). Facilities:
Bureau de change, duty-free shops, restaurants
and bars.
Departure Tax
None.
Getting There by Rail
Tashkent
is the nodal point for rail services from Central
Asia. Lines lead west to Ashgabat (Turkmenistan),
south to Samarkand and on to Dushanbe (Tajikistan),
east to Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) and Almaty (Kazakhstan)
and north to Moscow (Russian Federation). From
Tashkent, along the Saratov-Syr Darya Line,
the journey to Moscow takes nearly three days.
There is also a spur line to the Fergana Valley in the east of the country, which leads to Osh in Kyrgyzstan. It is possible to connect to China through Almaty; and to Iran and the Middle East (via Turkmenistan). Foreigners have to pay for rail tickets in hard currency, preferably US Dollars, but it is still a cheap option by Western standards.
There is also a spur line to the Fergana Valley in the east of the country, which leads to Osh in Kyrgyzstan. It is possible to connect to China through Almaty; and to Iran and the Middle East (via Turkmenistan). Foreigners have to pay for rail tickets in hard currency, preferably US Dollars, but it is still a cheap option by Western standards.
Getting There by Road
Uzbekistan
has road connections to all its neighbours. The
border between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan is closed
to all except Uzbek and Afghan nationals. Travellers
should exercise caution around the Kyrgyz-Uzbek
border as some violent incidents have occured.
It is not advisable to bring your own car. Contact
your local embassy for details.
Bus: There are services to all the neighbouring countries, although the occasional border closures between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan make this route unreliable. Long-distance buses leave from the Tashkent bus station near the metro station. Foreigners have to pay for tickets in hard currency.
Car hire: It is possible to hire cars with drivers for long journeys; they will normally ask to be paid in US Dollars. The best place to look for these is at the long-distance bus and train stations.
Bus: There are services to all the neighbouring countries, although the occasional border closures between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan make this route unreliable. Long-distance buses leave from the Tashkent bus station near the metro station. Foreigners have to pay for tickets in hard currency.
Car hire: It is possible to hire cars with drivers for long journeys; they will normally ask to be paid in US Dollars. The best place to look for these is at the long-distance bus and train stations.
Cycling & Maps
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rip & waterproof |
Central AsiaCost of living
Cost
of Living in Uzbekistan: all prices in Uzbekistan
Sums (UZS)
A couple of extra tips:
| drinks and snacks | food: local markets; restaurants; and stores |
||||
| water (mineral) |
1.5 litre 1 litre 300ml 1.5 litre |
800 1,500 400 800 |
bread-round lepioshka |
850g each |
400-700 300-500 |
| laghman- local eatery Korean salads- market canteen style lunch of: soup, salad, bread, tea pizza-tashkent pizzeria |
one serving kg one meal medium |
2000 4000 2,000 4,600 |
|||
| beer-local beer-draught in cafe wine |
500ml 500ml 750ml |
1,200 900 3,000 |
|||
| tea tea (cafe / bar) coffee (cafe / bar) Nescafe instant coffee-ground |
25 bags pot (2) per cup 125g 500g |
1,000 |
rice (white) pasta eggs tinned tomatoes |
kg |
3,000 900 200 1,000 |
| milk yoghurt / curd cheese Magnum icecream |
1 litre 200g kg each |
600 |
potatoes onions tomatoes cucumbers |
kg kg kg kg |
700 1,000 2,500 2,000 |
| chips |
65g pack kg kg kg kg |
1,000 1,500 1,800 500-800 500-800 |
eggplant apples oranges bananas grapes |
kg kg kg kg kg |
500 1,500+ 2,200+ 3,000+ 1-4,000 |
| cornflakes chocolate biscuits-plain biscuits-chocolate |
375g pack 100g block per kg bulk per kg bulk |
tba tba 2,000 4,000 |
pineapple (can) oil (corn) |
500g can 500ml |
tba 1,100 |
| peanut paste jam honey |
500g jar 500g jar per kg bulk |
tba 2,500 5,000 |
|||
| accommodation | personal | ||||
| budget city hostel budget guesthouse |
$US5 pp inc b-fast per dorm bed $US12 pp inc b-fast |
deodorant - roll-on |
50ml 150g bar 200ml each 100ml each each |
4,000 1,500 7,000 1,500+ 600+ 100 400 |
|
| camping |
no official campsites, but you can camp wild in desert areas. Difficult elsewhere, but just ask the farmer. |
||||
| internet | 600-800 | ||||
|
* tba = price to be announced * January 2009: at time of writing 1.00 USD = 1,393 UZS all prices have been taken from internet sources such as wikitravel, hostel world, leading supermarket chains, travel blogs, forums and of course our own travel experiences and purchases of everyday products in food markets, bazaars and local shopping facilities. They're only an indication and designed to give a general impression of the cost of living in Uzbekistan. Items are geared towards the budget conscious traveller with an occasional craving for a bit of luxoury. * Thank you to Madina for resourcing many of the prices |
Source:www.exchange-rates.org |
A couple of extra tips:
| * | It is not common for locals to tip, so there is little reason for you start a trend, unless of course you really feel the urge to do so. With a tourist industry not as developed as other countries, it is unwise to go overboard. Rounding up bills or 5% is generally enough reward. |
|
| * | Bargaining
is almost a necessity in Uzbekistan in all establishments
where there are no marked prices. As a foreigner,
you are not likely to get the going price and
especially so if you don't speak the language:
therefore pack the haggling skills along with
smile before you head to the local bazaar. |
|
| * | Taxi drivers
are not usually tipped as the fare is normally
agreed on before you step inside the car. In Tashkent
don't be afraid to tell them to slow down either.
The main road is long and wide and a perfect drag
racing strip on which they take all pleasure in
showing off their fiercely competitive driving
skills. |
|
| * | Accommodation and bureaucratic transactions are quoted almost exclusively in US Dollars. You actually have to ask what it costs in UZS. Furthermore, the American currency is accepted everywhere without the blink of an eye. In Tashkent, Hotel Uzbekistan at the end of Kharmza Street in the CBD dishes out dollars and soms from its ATM, which makes the money matters situation a little easier. | |
| * | Everywhere
in Central Asia, it is important that your American
dollar bills and European Euros are in pristine
condition !! No unusual ink marks, pen scrawlings
or even small tears because the banks and exchange
offices will not accept them. Beware though, as
they'll have no problems dishing you out the shabbiest
of currency and often on purpose. But of course,
it works both ways: you have every right to refuse
sub-standard bank notes from anyone and although
they'll make a fuss at first, they will change
it for you eventually. |
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Accommodation
Though the accommodation is not as
government regulated as in Turkmenistan, some hotels
will not accept foreigners at all. They need special
licenses to do so. Naturally, the places that go to
these lengthy bureaucratic measures, and Uzbekistan
has some of the most ridiculous red-tape procedures
in the world, have higher prices than the norm. You
won't find anything for under $US12.00 per person.
Upon entry you receive a card which according to law needs to be signed for every night of your accommodation. Guesthouses and hotels are all aware of this and will more than likely request your card upon arrival. As a cyclist, it is impossible to get a signature from someone when you are camping wild in the middle of a local farmers apricot orchard. Our cards had numerous blanks, but then again with the land border crossing into Kyrgyzstan, we were not asked to show our card either. This area is still coloured grey and full of ambiguity, but many travellers pass through without this document being checked at all.
| A couple
of our personal accommodation recommendations
in Uzbekistan are as follows: Ramstan Zukhra: just up from Sasha and Son and right next door to New Moon. Bukhara. Beat the price from $US25 to 15 per night for a spacious double including a breakfast to die for. Bahodir B&B: Mulokandov 132, Samarkand, in the city center, a stones throw away from the Registan, behind the museum. For $US5 per person you get a full breakfast and an extra $US1 will include a dinner of soup, salad, potatoes, bread and fruit. Say you are a vegetarian and they'll do their best for you, though it is not always guaranteed that the soup-stock is meat free. Gulnara's B&B: Usmon Khojaev 40, Old Town, Tashkent, 402816/1447766 gulnara@globalnet.uz. A short ride from Chorsu Bazaar and one of the nicest spots you can find. This large traditional Uzbek house is amazingly clean, bright and airy with several types of rooms. Your comfortable stay will cost you around $US12-15 per person per night. A hearty breakfast is of course included. |
Food & drink
| At the time of research (2009), HappyCow had no listings from any Central Asian country, which pretty well spells out the dismal situation for vegetarians. Meat is a staple and vegetable bouillon is not something an Uzbek chef's has really heard of before. Furthermore, if you don't speak Russian you'll have an incredibly hard time getting your message across. The thought of not eating mountains of meat is one they would rather not comprehend. About the only refuge from starvation, are the delicious breads and pastries of which the samsa is included. These little savoury turnovers, similar to the South American empanada are sometimes filled with potato, spinach or pumpkin. And after a choice of virtually nothing warm and comforting, they are incredibly tasty morsels indeed. The bonus is they are also cheap. Another tip, is to make breakfast the main meal of your day. Most accommodation includes this in the price and it is very extensive and very good. Expect various combinations of fruit, bread, cheese, semolina, yoghurt, eggs and even boiled potatoes on occasions. And seeing as drinking tea is a national pastime, you'll get copious pots of that too. Sometimes they even serve it with a little eggcup full of rose petal jam for a sweet traditional twist. |
|
| The Great Temptation No matter how hot, or how great the temptation is to buy one of those Mr Whippy look-alike ice cream cones from a street vendor in Uzbekistan: just don't! You'll end up crippled over with cramp and not knowing which end to put over the toilet bowl first. Poor sanitation and the basic lack of refrigeration is a huge problem in Central Asia. In the bad ice cream's case, the stuff sits in the machines all day, which are not cleaned before they're refilled; it heats up in the sun and is then popped back into the refrigerator again at night. This process is repeated ad-naseum until you eat one and the nausea is unfortunately transferred to you. |
A trip to the market will have non-meat eaters in tears: if not from the morbid display of dead animals, then from the wonderful array of fresh vegetables, fruits, and nuts that never seem to make it into a dish without a big juicy dollop of mutton flesh being flung in as well. The upside of this means self catering is easy, but outside the big towns, fresh produce is very limited, so you'll need to stock up on supplies before any desert trips.
And while you are at the market marvelling at how you can buy just about anything you can think of in bulk, you might just stumble upon the Korean salad section for a change of dinner menu. However, after a couple of nights of these MSG overdosed noodles and vinegar soaked cabbage, you'll definitely have had enough. The peppered julienne carrots are the tastiest, but be warned there is also a slight chance that these dishes have a good squirt of fish sauce in them as well. Kimchi, the traditional Korean pickled cabbage is unfortunately, nowhere to be seen.
Uzbeks eat a vast array of breads, leavened and unleavened. Vegetarians travelling through the country will too. Each region is proud of their own version and marks the centre with an emblem or symbol. The flat round variety bread called non in Uzbek; naan in Urdu; or lepioshki in Russian; is probably the most widely consumed.
As a vegetarian, a visit to Caffe Il Perfetto on Kunayev 9a will be one of the most pleasurable dining experiences for your entire stay in the region. They have pizzas at reasonable prices and you have the double bonus of piggybacking their wifi connection. The landmark to quote to taxi drivers (and you will need to do this) is 'Air Fund: a former Russian Hotel'. Tel: 151-28-52
| Why not try these
for starters? |
Sabzavot Laghman
By rights this all time favourite should have 50 ingredients in it. So that makes it 49, if you have the vegetarian version. More likely, you'll get a soup minus the mutton with sparing amounts of garlic, onion, tomatoes, potatoes and carrots mixed through wonderfully thick noodles made especially for those who enjoy a bit of a slurp. Note: no matter how hard you try to explain your vegetarian-disposition, this dish will most likely be prepared with meat stock. |
Sabzavot Somsas
or Samosa (Urdu) Baked in wood-fired, clay ovens shaped like upside down beehives these pastry pockets filled with pumpkin, spinach or potatoes are a treat at any time of day. This predominant street food even makes a wonderful dinner with a couple of salads served on the side. |
| Yalpiz The same as the somsa but green in colour. Made in the spring time from yalpiz, a kind of grass which grows in rural areas of Uzbekistan. A novelty if you are there at the right time. |
| Osh (Plov)
is the national dish. It's made of rice, carrots,
onions, and mutton, and you will end up eating
it if you go to Uzbekistan. Some restaurants will
make it for you minus the mutton and since each
region has its own way of cooking plov, you should
at least try to taste it in a few different places.
|
Anor Va Piyoz Salati A traditional salad of pomegranate and red onion slices. And if you are wondering just how you get all those pomegranate seeds out without the task taking the whole afternoon, then break a pomegranate open in a small bucket of water and watch the edible seeds sink and the pith you don't want float. Ingenious! |
Non & Achik-Chuchuk
Salati
S ounds exotic but its none other than plain old bread with tomato and cucumber salad. Found everywhere and actually a really refreshing meal on a hot evening. As far as Non (bread) is concerned, for a delicious dessert version, try Bukhara's signature jam made from white rose petals with the Russian borrowed smetana (heavy sour cream). Make it a little more interesting with a selection of dried fruit and nuts found in abundance at the market bazaar. And of course don't forget plenty of green tea. |
Drinking in Uzbekistan is a toss up between two key players: tea and vodka. From personal experience, I would stick to the tea. You certainly won't have to go to a chaikana (tea house) to sample it, because you'll be served this hot beverage the moment you step inside any home, hotel or establishment. Nothing gets done until a pot of tea is drunk.
The tradition of the server pouring tea into the cups and then back into the pot again three times might seem strange at first, but you soon come to expect it and on the odd occasion, when it doesn't happen you'll possibly feel cheated of this customary ritual. And you had better get to liking the national green liquid, because your cup will forever be filled. If it isn't, then it is probably a hint that your host wants you to leave. The truth about tea drinking is this: you can't get away from it: it is firmly embedded in the structure of life and not just in Uzbekistan either, but in the whole of Central Asia as well.
Road distances
| Detailed distance chart from our trip through Uzbekistan 2007 | km |
total km |
|
| Uzbek/Turkmen border Farab | Qarakol | 36 |
|
| Qarakol | Bukhara | 64 |
100 |
| Bukhara | Qaravulbazar | 53 |
|
| Qaravulbazar | Mubarak | 42 |
95 |
| Mubarak | Kasan | 43 |
138 |
| Kasan | Qarshi turn-off | 29 |
163 |
| Qarshi turn-off | Chardavar | 45 |
208 |
| Chardavar | Yettitom (t.o. to Chiragchi (40km)) | 8 |
216 |
| Yettitom | Qashgadarya/Samarqand border | 27 |
243 |
| Qasgadarya/Samarqand border | Samarqand | 54 |
297 |
| Samarqand | Bulunghur | 35 |
|
| Bulunghur | Ghalla'Orol | 40 |
75 |
| Ghalla'Orol | turn-off A376 | 36 |
111 |
| turn-off A376 | Pakhtakar | 11 |
122 |
| Pakhtakar | turn-off Sardaba | 21 |
143 |
| turn-off Sardaba | Sardaba | 4 |
147 |
| Sardaba | Gulistan | 32 |
179 |
| Gulistan | Bakht | 28 |
207 |
| Bakht | Sirdarya | 9 |
216 |
| Sirdarya | Chinaz | 14 |
230 |
| Chinaz | turn-off Yangiyol | 35 |
265 |
| turn-off Yangiyol | turn-off Sirgali (ring Tashkent) | 21 |
286 |
| turn-off Sirgali (ring Tashkent) | Tashkent | 13 |
299 |
| Tashkent | Toytepa | 39 |
|
| Toytepa | Ahangaran | 30 |
69 |
| Ahangaran | Nurabad | 14 |
83 |
| Nurabad | Angren | 27 |
110 |
| Angren | Koksaray | 28 |
|
| Koksaray | Start climb Kamchik Pass | 13 |
41 |
| Start climb Kamchik Pass | Bulog | 8 |
49 |
| Bulog | Tunnel #1 (length 1100 meters) | 6 |
55 |
| Tunnel #1 | Tunnel #2 (length 400 meters) | 4 |
59 |
| Tunnel #2 | Qoshminor | 30 |
89 |
| Qoshminor | Chinobad | 33 |
122 |
| Chinobad | Danghara (near Kokhand) | 10 |
132 |
| Danghara | Baghdad (on 4R-112) | 29 |
161 |
| Baghdad | Hamza turn-off | 25 |
186 |
| Hamza turn-off | turn-off to 4R-112 | 9 |
195 |
| 4R-112 | Ferghana | 28 |
223 |
| Ferghana | Quva | 30 |
|
| Quva | Asaka | 23 |
53 |
| Asaka | Andijan | 21 |
74 |
| Andijan | Dostyk / border Kyrgyzstan | 51 |
125 |
| Road distances from other sources | |||
| Kokhand | Rishdon | 34 |
|
| Fergana | Margilan | 18 |
|
| Samarkand | Shakhrisabz | 90 |
|
| Penjikent | 60 |
||
| Shakrisabz | Qarshi | 123 |
|
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