📍Tashkent, Uzbekistan 🇺🇿

I've wanted to visit Uzbekistan for so long that I still can't believe I'm here!We arrive in the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, from Shymkent. Tashkent is just a 20-minute drive from the Kazakhstan border, so if you're traveling through this part of the world by land, keep in mind that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are easily connected.

The Uzbek currency is the SOM, and you currently get around 13,000 som for 1€, which tells you enough about how affordable this country is. Some say it's the cheapest in the world; when you come with foreign currency, you instantly become a millionaire.

We navigate around Tashkent by taxi (using the Yandex app) and metro. We don't pay more than €2 for a taxi ride, and the metro fare is less than €0.15 per ride!

The hotel we chose is called Eldi, with accommodation for 2 people costing less than €30 per night, and it's conveniently located near all the tourist attractions.

Many of you have messaged me about planning a trip to Uzbekistan, so let's start with what to visit in Tashkent for a day (though my advice is to spend 2 days here; you'll see why in the next posts):

🇺🇿 Iconic Uzbekistan Hotel
🇺🇿 Adjacent to it, Amir Temur Square (Amir Temur, as the founder of the Timurid Empire in the 14th century, is one of the most important historical figures not only in Uzbekistan but also in all of Central Asia)
🇺🇿 Broadway Street, a pedestrian zone where you must buy some artwork; I saw some of the most beautiful pieces by street artists here
🇺🇿 Chorsu Bazaar (the oldest market in Uzbekistan, said to be over 1200 years old). There's everything you can imagine here; come if you want to buy teas, spices, try cheeses...
🇺🇿 TV Tower, the tallest in Central Asia
🇺🇿 Right across from the tower is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful locations, the Museum dedicated to those who lost their lives due to the politics of the Soviet Union (Museum of Victims of Political Repression), where the cover photo was taken
🇺🇿 To end the day, dinner at the Besh Qozon restaurant. When I say dinner, I mean pilaf, where a large portion is around €3; everything is cooked in huge cauldrons in front of you and is very tasty. As pilaf is the national dish of Uzbekistan, it must be tried.

#tobecontinued