Greetings everyone! We’re proud to present Part 2 of our epic adventure in Uzbekistan! We started in Tashkent and now we’re ready to explore more of Uzbekistan!

And since this is Part 2, we’re guessing you should’ve read Part 1 already right? 😀 If not, then CLICK HERE to catch-up before reading up on this one okay! Don’t forget to check out all the information we have on Uzbekistan posted on our Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels okay!

BUKHARA

After a day in Tashkent, it was time for us to make our way to the next stop in Uzbekistan – the ancient city of Bukhara (aka Buxoro in Uzbek) which still retains a lot of the heritage and culture that Uzbekistan is synonymous with. It was going to be an interesting switch from the city life in Tashkent to the more rural musings of Bukhara.

To get from Tashkent to Bukhara, we caught a domestic flight on Uzbekistan Airways from Tashkent Airport. Flight time was less than an hour so time really FLEW by 😛 Geddit Geddit? *crickets*

That’s Team Uzbekistan + Zahid (our friendly guide) arriving in Bukhara after the short flight from Tashkent. And we’re all smiling in the sunshine but let me remind you that it was like 8 degrees celsius and windy! 😛 Springtime weather is so power!!

UZBEK MYTH #5 – The weather in Uzbekistan is bad and pretty unpredictable.
FACT: The weather was amazing when we were there and it rained heavily on only two of the days of the entire trip.

Yes, it is technically true that the weather in Uzbekistan can get pretty extreme but it really depends on the season. Which is why you’re recommended to go in either the Spring time or in Autumn when the weather is perfect. Or maybe even the winter lah if you wanna go skiing 😀

More info on the best times to visit at the end of the post!

From the airport, it was a short drive to the old town of Bukhara where we’d be staying. Really scenic and we could really see the transition from the city scenes in Tashkent to the more rural setting of Bukhara.

Bukhara is actually a very quaint city that really emits a very rustic vibe. It is not crowded and there’s plenty of space and time for you to explore the streets and ancient structures. There are some roads where cars and motorbikes pass through mainly to get in and out of the city centre but pretty much everywhere in between is accessible only by foot or bicycle which really adds to the quiet charm of this city.

Our hotel was (fortunately) situated very close to the centre of the city so it was literally a 2 minute walk to the gateway which would lead us around the ancient city of Bukhara. Along the way, pop into the small shops to get some snacks like the local sweets and biscuits, ice-cream and even modern amenities like a data SIM card (who said Uzbekistan not modern huh! LOL) as you stroll along.

The architecture in Uzbekistan continues to amaze in Bukhara. We’re talking about ancient structures that have such intricate designs that will have you in awe for sure. I personally noticed a lot of brickwork in the architecture here in Bukhara but you still see plenty of intricate tile work too. For example, if you took a closer look at the Kalyan Minaret (which was built in 1127!!!), you can literally see the individual layers of different brick designs from top to bottom *jaw drop*

You can start your sight-seeing from Lab-i Haus which is the centre of the city. It’s actually a pond which used to function as a water source and meeting place for the community in the olden days. These days you’ll find people chillax-ing along the perimeter and sipping on some tea around the Lab-i Haus complex. This is also where you’ll find awesome sights like the Nadir Divan-Beghi Madrasah.

Besides the beautiful surroundings, Bukhara also houses many master craftsmen! We’ve got specialists in different crafts such as pottery, ceramic work, wood craft, painting, embroidery, engraving, calligraphy, blacksmiths and the list pretty much goes on and on and on!

As you can see, there’s not only plenty to see but also plenty to buy too! 😛 😛 😛

It’s quite easy to get carried away and buy pretty much everything you fancy but please try to control yourselves okay! LOL Even we fell victim to the beauty of the crafts we saw in Bukhara. Although I will say that if you plan on buying back souvenirs, this is probably the best place to do it.

We bought quite a few souvenirs back for ourselves from here including a nice set of ceramics. But do also keep in mind the logistics of transporting your goods. After all, we’re talking about some pretty fragile stuff here so be sure to have it wrapped and packed properly okay. Oh, and don’t let your driver plonk it roughly on the ground when unloading the van because that’ll definitely cause something to break (speaking from experience here *sniffle*)

As mentioned in Part 1, money changers can be quite hard to find and the Old City of Bukhara is a good example. Even though there are shops around, we spotted only ONE money changer and they’re only open certain hours on certain days. So be sure to have enough Som and/or USD with you okay!

While you’re out and about in Bukhara., don’t be afraid to mingle with the locals. In fact, don’t be surprised if some of them mingle and get friendly with you! Local Uzbeks were actually really excited to see tourists and will not be shy to start a conversation with you.

These ladies were Uzbeks but were not from Bukhara. They were actually from a different part of Uzbekistan and were doing some sight-seeing for themselves. They were super friendly and were genuinely thrilled to meet some fellow travellers that we snapped a few selfies and even had a bit of a dance too ❤

And speaking of local hospitality, it was time for dinner and we were in for quite a treat that evening.

There’s no point Googling ‘Doston’ under your restaurant listings in Bukhara. That’s because Doston is not the name of a restaurant – it’s actually the name of one of the locals in Bukhara and also our host for dinner that evening in his lovely home! 😀

Yes, we were honoured and privileged to visit and enjoy a home-cooked dinner in the comfort and hospitality of Doston and his lovely family. He had an amazing home (which happens to be one of the oldest in Bukhara!) with beautiful decor and cool artifacts (including several traditional Uzbek costumes) plus its great for a conversation while we waited for dinner to be served.

And what’s on the menu? Something we have been waiting for since we arrived in Uzbekistan.
It was finally time for some Plov!

The Doston family prepped all the ingredients and began cooking Plov the traditional way – with a raging fire and plenty of love 😛 You may see a gas line running there but that’s combined with wood and straw to really give that fire some strength. As she combined the ingredients bit by bit into the pot, Mrs Doston explained that different families will have different recipes for their Plov. In fact, different parts of Uzbekistan may churn out differing versions of this unofficial national dish.

While Mrs Doston gets the fire going and finishes up cooking her family recipe for traditional Plov, we started with some appetizers which is always a mainstay with an Uzbek meal.

As you can see, quite a feast laid out for us! And we’re not even including the main dish yet! LOL

Quite a big mix of what I believe would be traditional appetizers at an Uzbek meal. However, it’d probably be for a celebration because there were so many dishes out! We were in danger of getting full before the Plov arrived! 😛 Quite interesting to try a few different dumplings this time (some filled with cheese!). Some pickled veggies were also available as was the ever-present Non.

In that last pic, you might think that green vegetable there is some form of kiwi (because that’s what it looks like lah right?) but it’s actually Green Radish! First time seeing it let alone eating it LOL it’s crunchy and very fresh! This along with the Red Radish are enjoyed with a dollop of sour cream 😀 SEDAP!

And before we know it, the Plov was ready!

Plov is one of the most (if not THE most) popular dish in Uzbekistan. It apparently has its roots from all over the place but one thing is for sure – the Uzbek Plov has become a mainstay and is enjoyed at least once a week by the locals!

The rice is cooked not by steaming but by cooking it in a broth along with vegetables and meat and a whole host of other ingredients until the broth is fully absorbed by the rice in the cooking process. Think of it as.. a one-pot dish LOL but FWAH the result is spectacular!

The meat (beef in this case) is super tender and super flavourful! I kinda wish there was more of it LOL but the serving is just perfect and we literally wiped the plates clean 😀 It was an amazing experience dining not only with the locals but in their home as well. This is one of those things you will remember for a long time.

We still had a full day in Bukhara and although we did spend a fair bit of it doing (just a little bit) more shopping for souvenirs, we did managed to squeeze in a few more sights but we’d have to travel out a bit farther than where we were staying.

But before the sightseeing, I wanna tell you all a story… A story about.. Hammam 😛

What is a Hammam actually? Well, it’s an ancient bathhouse.
You have probably heard about the famous Hammams (aka Hamom) in Turkey but they were really big here in Uzbekistan too. In Bukhara alone, there used to be about 20 Hammams! Well, these days there are only 2 left – Hammam Bozori Kord is for the gents and Hammam Kunjak for the ladies.

When I say ancient, I mean they really go old-school in terms of both their techniques and even their premises that remain the same from the days of old. Once you step through the main doors, it’s a common space where you can relax and have a piala of tea. There’s another door inside and it’s behind that door where… all the magic happens 😛

LOL okay okay don’t get the wrong idea. Let me tell you what happened.

There are several services you can opt for i.e. just a massage, just a steam bath etc but my suggestion is to opt for the entire package which will last for about 90 mins and will cost you about $40 USD (which is really a bargain). I opted for the full package because I didn’t wanna pass up this opportunity 😀

So you get a locker to keep your stuff and all you have on is a pair of slippers and a lungi (white cloth) to wrap around your waist. That’s it. So the Hammam guy leads me into the inner chambers (there are about 7 chambers) and into one which is apparently a steam chamber. He tells me to stand on the platform so that I get a good steaming (which is apparently coming naturally from somewhere). Let me tell you – I have never sweat so much from standing still before LOL but really power ah! The other chambers include a hot sauna (natural heat!), a cold room, bathing rooms etc.

Next, it’s time for the highlight – the massage.
This takes place on  this kinda like elevated stone table (which I affectionately refer to as the ‘sacrificial table’ LOL) and the Hammam guy, who is wearing the exact same thing as you, starts the massage which also includes a power washing of the hair and a facial wash too!

But FWAH the massage was REALLY POWER! But it’s definitely not what we might be used to back home in SG. The Hammam guy is gonna stand on you, he’s gonna sit on your and he’s really gonna stretch you out. He even did this move on me which resembles The Walls of Jericho wrestling move (you WWE fans will know what I’m talking about) aka Scorpion Stretch and I have to admit that I did emit a grunt or five 😛

My Hammam guy spoke pretty good English and I found out that he’s been doing it for 11 years! So I told him “You must be an expert!” and he replies “Quite okay” LOL Well he sure felt like an expert to me.

Well, just as a fair warning to you guys – when you’re wearing nothing but a piece of cloth and being stretched out like that, things then to get loose LOL so don’t worry so much lah okay. Just enjoy the experience or just make sure you secure your towel properly. (This is the reason I have NO footage of my massage LOL) I later found out that you can wear like swimming trunks (when I saw some Russians in the Hammam later)

There’s also something a little extra for the gentlemen, which I will not specify here lah (send us a PM if you wanna know) but after a bit more relaxing and a wash-up. You’re all set! If you enjoyed your massage, be sure to tip your Hammam guy!

My advice – GUYS YOU MUST TRY!! A very interesting experience!

Anyways, onward to the rest of exploring Bukhara!

The Bahauddin Naqshband Sufi Memorial Complex is a very popular site of pilgrimage for many Muslims worldwide. This complex not only houses a museum and materials on Sufism but also the mausoleum of Bahauddin Naqshband.

Even though we went during a non-peak period, there were still plenty of people (mostly followers of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order) who were visiting the site, in particular the makam (mausoleum) of Bahauddin Naqshband where they would sit to recite the Quran.

We also visited the Ismoil Somoni Mausoleum which was built in 905 AD. An interesting fact about this site is that during the invasion and reign of Genghis Khan, the structure was buried under sand and mud to ‘conceal’ it from the invaders thus preserving it from destruction. It was only uncovered and excavated in 1934!

Despite the crowd, there was a very calm and serene peace around us. This was one of the most spiritual experiences so far on this trip and we were really learning a lot not only about Uzbekistan but also Islam on this trip.

Bolo Hauz is a mosque that was built in the 17th century and is still active today. Some parts of the mosque has been restored over the years but most of it is still original and you can see this in the architecture and decor both outside and inside the mosque.

There are a few stories that tell the tale of how and why the mosque was built but the most popular is that the Emir (ruler) at the time wanted to be closer to his people, albeit once a week. So he had Bolo Hauz built and it happens to be just about 200m away from The Ark Fortress of Bukhara where the Emir was stationed. So every Friday, he would walk over to Bolo Hauz for Friday prayers with his people.

Well, whichever tale you believe, there is no denying the beauty of this mosque. The community is so tightly-knit and so welcoming. One of the congregation just returned from pilgrimage to Mecca and had brought back Air Zam Zam (holy water) and dates to be shared with everyone. Even though we were the obvious tourists there, they were so nice and insistent that we join them in sharing the blessings. Bolo Hauz is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited in my life (with some of the most beautiful people) and I’d highly recommend that you pay this site a visit and see for yourself what I’m talking about.

SAMARKAND

Alas, our time in Bukhara had come to and end and it was time for us to make our way to our next location – Samarkand! We made the journey there by car and the drive was about 5 hours with a stop or 2 in between. Good chance for you to snooze and catch up on some sleep 😀

When we arrived at our hotel, we were very pleasantly surprised at how Instagram-worthy it was 😛

Wes Anderson eat your heart out LOL The hotel was also very conveniently situated near some shops and restaurants. Generally a very safe neighbourhood but of course, try not to venture out alone when it’s late and dark.

Okay okay enough fooling around 😛 Let’s see what Samarkand has to offer!

First up had to be the famous Registan Square. This is a MUST VISIT for sure! A massive city square that now houses 3 massive and impressive madrasahs (that are now used for other purposes) and plenty opportunities for your jaw to drop 😛

And when I say massive, I mean MASSIVE!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgNy8FmgyR7/?tagged=thehalalfoodbloguzbekistan

Wah this was really an amazing place to visit. Besides learning about the history and heritage, it’s hard for you not to feel simply overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of Registan. There are souvenirs to buy (some of which are really unique!!) and plenty of photo opportunities for sure. You can even dress up in a traditional costume for a small fee (cost us like $3 USD).

Time really flew by when we were at Registan Square. I think we must have spent like a few hours there despite the wet and chilly weather. There was simply so much to see and do!

FUN FACT: In the olden days when the madrasahs were active, parents would send their children to study at these madrasahs in the hopes that they would become scholarly. The students were so far from home that they literally lived at these madrasahs – studies were on the first floor and living quarters were upstairs on the second floor.

These days, you’ll find mostly souvenir shops within the now-defunct madrasahs (yes, we bought some LOL) and plenty to see in terms of the architecture and decorations. It’s interesting because these madrasahs were built in different times so while you may seem some similarities, there are some very big differences especially in the finer design details.

And if you think the views are breathtaking from the outside, wait til you take a look inside!

Our next stop was one that I was actually personally looking forward to… When I saw it on the itinerary, I knew at once that this was a must-visit and I’m sure that many would want to visit this site too.

This was the Imam al-Bukhari Memorial Complex.

Imam al-Bukhari is a name that many are familiar with. Throughout his lifetime, he collected over 600,000 hadith (traditions or teachings) of which he compiled 7,275 hadith into what we know as al-Jaami al-Sahih.

DID YOU KNOW: Imam al-Bukhari was actually born in Uzbekistan? He was born in Bukhara and passed away in Samarkand where his body now lies. The Imam al-Bukhari Memorial Complex houses several buildings including a museum and many Muslims make a pilgrimage there to pay a visit to his final resting place and make dua for Imam al-Bukhari.

The museum has several interesting exhibits on display including different versions of the Quran from all over the world, several artifacts related to the history of Islam and even a piece of the Kiswah which is the cloth that covers the Kaaba in Mecca (the Kiswah is repalaced annually and the old Kiswah is cut into several pieces and distributed)

I’m sure that think ranks highly on the list of places to visit in Uzbekistan for a lot of people… and for good reason too. Truly an experience that you must have when you visit Uzbekistan.

Next stop – lunch! And the place we visited for makan was all thanks to some insider knowledge. That’s the advantage of having a good tour guide and driver who know the local scene well 😀

Started with some Non and salads (see that Green Radish there again? :)) and went on to enjoy some Osh. But errrrr what is Osh? Well, Osh is actually Plov! 😛

Yes, Osh and Plov are the same dish. Plov (derived from Pilaf) is the original name and Osh is kind of like the ‘street name’ for the dish if you know what I mean. So don’t be confused when you hear Osh and Plov because the end result is still the same – you’re gonna be enjoying some really good, authentic Uzbek food!

We actually visited a really popular place called Joni Osh which apparently is so popular that he sells out by lunch time! Thank goodness Zahid (our guide) and our driver (whom Alyssa affectionately refers to as Atok) called ahead to reserve a couple of servings for us. And with this, I can really see what they mean when they say that you may encounter different versions of Plov when you visit other parts of the country. Compare this to the Plov from Bukhara – quite a bit of difference right?

One of the last stops we made in Samarkand was the Gur-e-Amir – the mausoleum of Timur (aka Tamerlane) – founder of the Timurid Empire which included Central Asia and whose capital was Samarkand. Gur-e-Amir translates from Persian to ‘Tomb of the King’ and although it was originally constructed for his grandson, within its walls you will find the tombs of Timur and several family members including sons and grandson with a special tomb for Timur’s teacher who was very highly revered by the ruler.

Within the tomb itself, you will see magnificent designs (both classic and modern) that adorn the tomb. From the floor to the ceiling, every bit is simply jaw-dropping. Parts of the wall are made of Onyx and the tombstone of Timur is actually a giant slab of jade! Marble stalactite cornices and gilded decorations cover the walls and ceiling. Try and spot the different Quranic scripts around the tomb including Kufic script.

While the tombstones act as markers in this tomb, the actual physical tombs are in a crypt directly below. I thought the outside of the tomb with its fluted roof, mosaics and ornately-decorated minarets were amazing but once you see the big picture, it’s hard not to be amazed at how much they revere and love a man who was quite literally a father to the empire.

UZBEK MYTH #6 – All the attractions are the same and it’s going to be boring!
FACT: There are plenty of activities and attractions to suit EVERYONE 😀

You can see for yourself that even though it may seem like many of the places we visited have similar themes, it has been anything but boring! There was so much to learn and experience at all the sites we visited throughout our trip in Uzbekistan! Yes, we visited a lot of sites that are rich in history and Islamic culture because, well, as Muslims these are the sites that interested us.

But you could also choose other activities that we may have missed out on. Like staying in a Yurt or riding a camel across the Uzbek dessert. Maybe snowboarding down the slopes of a winter wonderland? You can probably tell by now that Uzbekistan is full of pleasant surprises and activities that are super unique.

For example – how about the ancient art of paper-making?

We visited the quaint little town of Koni Ghil where the Meros Paper Mill still operates (on a smaller scale than in the  past for sure). There used to be hundreds of paper mills but now, there is only ONE left and the Meros Paper Mill still makes it the same way they have been for centuries.

The pulp from Mulberry trees is stripped, soaked, boiled and then mashed. They still even use ancient power! No, not magic but literally using the power of nature – where running water manually powers these pestles that mash up the pulp.

This is then dried, treated and then manually smoothed out by hand! A small smooth-edged rock is used and workers manually rub the paper to ‘polish’ it achieve a smooth texture. That’s what you can see my Darling Wife doing in the photo above. The result is some really awesome paper (where no 2 are alike!) which is perfect for calligraphy and decorations these days. They also sell ready-prepared art and postcards – some of which you can see at the top of each post for different cities in our series “Tashkent, Samarkand etc”. Really amazing experience!

I think you have to admit that anybody will be able to appreciate the rich culture, history and beauty that Uzbekistan has to offer 🙂

And of course, we can definitely appreciate all the tasty food we have enjoyed in Uzbekistan LOL
This was pretty much our final full serving of Osh in Uzbekistan (back in Tashkent after catching a train from Samarkand bound back to Tashkent) before making our way back home.

This Osh has a very interesting story because we had it at a place that was so unexpected – an empty supermarket LOL You have to watch our video on Samarkand to know what I’m talking about! Anyways, the name of the place is ‘Osh Markazi’ and your guide will probably be able to set things up for you 😀

I think I have fallen in love with Osh 😛

And before we knew it, our adventure in Uzbekistan was drawing to a close…
From Samarkand, we made our way back to Tashkent by train (it’s about a 4hr ride on a pretty fast and comfortable train) and after an extra day in the snowy mountains (which you can read about in our PART 1 post!), we caught our flight back on the amazing Uzbekistan Airways direct to Singapore.

If you’re wondering where to start planning your epic trip to Uzbekistan, let us point you in the right direction!

PRO TIP: Engage a travel agency / tour guide especially if it’s your first time visiting Uzbekistan. It’s not a must but we’d highly recommend it. Not only is it fuss-free, you have someone who has the best knowledge to bring y’all around for the best that Uzbekistan has to offer.

We’re really lucky that we had a great and amazing guide throughout our journey!
We visited Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand but there are plenty of other destinations within Uzbekistan you can visit and also plenty of other attractions and activities you can try while you are there! Your guide is ready to help you experience it all! 😀

For more about our epic adventure to Uzbekistan including photos, videos and information not in this post, be sure to check out our series of special videos, upcoming posts, Facebook albums (for more the epic photos) and loads more as we go along. Let us know if you have any questions, if you need any tips or just to let us know what you thought of our trip to Uzbekistan okay!

As a parting note – the more I think about the trip, the more I feel that Uzbekistan is a place that you really need to experience for yourselves. Despite all the earlier doubts, we gave it a shot and Uzbekistan showed us firsthand what a great, vibrant and amazing country it was. And that’s just from visiting 3 of its cities!

As I typed out this post and looked at all the photos, it really brought back memories. Memories that you probably cannot capture on a camera or in words. These are the special memories that will remain in your mind and in your heart. Memories of a truly remarkable adventure in truly remarkable Uzbekistan.

Katta Rahmat O’zbekiston!

Special thanks to Changi Airport Group and Uzbekistan Airways for making arrangements for this trip.

We’d also like to thank our tour guide Zahid for imparting his knowledge of his beloved country to us, showing us all that Uzbekistan has to offer, helping me carry Alyssa and her pram down the super long flight of steps at the Kussam Ibn Abbas Complex in Samarkand and just being an awesome tour guide.

Thank you Mr Anvar for his hospitality, assistance and that awesome dinner on our final night in Tashkent.

I’d like to thank Jumaiyah and Hanisah for being an awesome crew and doing all the hard work of capturing footage and photos of this amazing trip.

And last but not least, we’d like to thank the beautiful and amazing people of Uzbekistan for making our trip a really memorable one. Men O’zbekiston Sevaman ❤