Countries

Orient Voyages offers a wide range of services to foreign guests, from packages of general sightseeing tours to luxurious travels throughout states of the whole Central Asia - Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrghyzstan. Tourists will visit cities along the Great Silk Road.

UZBEKISTAN

Modern Republic of Uzbekistan occupies a vast territory in the heart of Central Asia. It lies between snowy mountains in the east and great lifeless deserts in the west, endless steppes in the north and the great Oxus river in the south. The very names of ancient towns sound like clinking of the bell on neck of a camel walking slowly at the head of caravan along the Great Silk Road across the deserts, kingdoms and centuries. Just close your eyes, feel the morning wind on your face and at a distance you will hear somebody whispering gently: Samarkand… Khiva… Bukhara … Do not open your eyes! Wait, and from the morning haze the slender minarets and blue domes will float to you like clouds across the sky... Want to see these clouds turning into real life objects filled with the sounds of noisy bazaars and aroma of unknown spices? Want to watch the traditional game of buzkashi and elegant dancing girls in bright national costumes? Want to taste one of dozens varieties of pilaff and honey sweet melons? Come to Uzbekistan and see the dreams come true.

KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakhstan is a part of Central Asia and is more than twice as big as the four other Central Asian republics put together. The landscape of Kazakhstan is diverse and the territory is rather huge. The northern forest-steppe turns into steppe, semi-deserts and deserts in the south. The Republic is a multinational state inhabited by the representatives of more than 120 nationalities. 10% of the territory is located at the foothills of the Tien-Shan, with the Alatau range (6000 m. above sea level). In Kazakhstan you can visit such city as Almaty (old capital), in which you can see archeological artifacts from the excavation site of Issyk. The wooden cathedral made without a single nail is another wonder one should see. The highest skating rink of Medeo; the city of Turkestan well-known of the Yasavi mausoleum, picturesque Charyn canyon next to the Grand Canyon in Colorado by its beauty, and other highlights of unique nature are only few places to be mentioned.

KYRGYZSTAN

The land of high mountainous pastures - Kyrgyzstan. This country lies between China and Central Asia and has some of the highest mountains. This area around the Tian Shan is amazing country and includes a wide variety of sights from deserts to green forests and from glaciers to rural regions. Most travellers vote Kyrgyzstan as the most appealing, accessible and welcoming of the Central Asian republics since it contains the central Tian Shan and Pamir Alay ranges, Central Asia's finest mountains. In Kyrgyzstan they are doing a lot to encourage tourism, because of many potential opportunities to see and rest. Bishkek is the capital of the republic, not far from it there are ancient town and the Buran Tower, Issyk-kul and parts of the Tian Shan.

TURKMENISTAN

The most curious of the Central Asian republics, Turkmenistan resembles an Arab Gulf state without the money. It's the second largest Central Asian country, but four-fifths of it consist of an inhospitable lunar-like desert called the Karakums. The country is sparsely populated and its people, the Turkmen, are only a generation or two removed from being nomads.
Ashgabad is the capital of Turkmenistan. Ruins of an ancient cities of Old and New Nissa are located about 20 km from Ashgabad. Archeological surveys carried out here showed that Old Nissa was a Persian capital. Many discoveries of Greek style show the ancient Greek influence. The bazaar is a great place to purchase Turkmenistan's traditional dark red carpets. There is the State Carpet Museum which, among other things, includes the world's largest handwoven rug. Dashovuz is a small city, located close to the border with Uzbekistan. It takes an hour and half to get to Kunya-Urgench, the ancient state of Khorezm. The city's highlights include the cluster of sights around the Nadjmetdin Kubra Mausoleum, the Torebeg Khanym Mausoleum and the 67-m high Kutlug Temir minaret. Merv is an archeologist's dream. The area contains the remains of no less than five walled cities from different periods. The highlights are: Sultan Sanjar's Mausoleum, which is impressive in size and solidity and the Guar-Kaly gate.