Planning a backpacking trip to Central Asia | Things you MUST know

This video tells you some things you MUST know if you are planning a trip to Central Asia.

If you are drawn to travel off the beaten track you will LOVE Central Asia. Central Asia contains the “stan countries” (Kazkhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan…). It really is a beautiful and intrepid place to travel. We thought why not try it as a family with our baby boy? We are going to pack all our clothes into one BIG backpack and head to Central Asia for an epic backpacking trip.

Here are some things that you should consider if you are planning a trip to Central Asia:

Food: Central Asian food can be greasy and lack of fresh fruits and vegetables. Look for small local markets for fresh fruit and veggies. There can also be some great fresh breads from small street bakeries.

Getting around: You can get small minibuses between bigger cities and take trains in some places. However, at other points your only option may be to hitchhike or rent a car. Be aware that any car can act as a taxi in Central Asian - so it is worth checking the price before you take a ride with someone. Some people may let you ride for free if you are willing to wait.

Border crossings overland: Countries can have some strict rules of things like medicines and drones. Uzbekistan is becoming slightly less strict but at present you should still take hotel registration card from everywhere you stay and have them when you exit the country. Turkmenistan is still very strict.

Lack of good info: It is harder to find information to help you plan an itinerary. We hope to fill this gap a little by making lots of quality info-packed videos! :-) We also found https://caravanistan.com/ very handy.

Language: It is definitely worth learning a little Russian - which is spoken throughout central Asia. Numbers and a few friendly phrases will go a long way.

If you do travel to Central Asia, these are some of the things you can LOOK FORWARD to:

Amazing hospitality: Central Asians are very welcoming - warm hospitality is part of their culture
Stunning scenery: Central Asia is home to many lakes and mountain ranges
Avoiding the crowds: If you backpack central Asia you will have many AMAZING places totally to yourself or with very few others. It is AWESOME for the same reason that it is a tough place to travel.

If you are planning a trip to central Asia drop us a comment, or if you have been tell us about your trip. If you are from central Asia we would love to hear from you - say hi in the comments.

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