Product Description

Wander through history in Uzbekistan's Silk Road towns, taste the nomad's life in a Kyrgyz yurtstay, be astonished by the bizarre personality cult of Turkmenistan's president, experience cutting-edge adventure on Tajikistan's soaring peaks and lose yourself in the desertscapes of Kazakhstan. Surreal, fascinating and addictive - discover the 'stans with this insightful and comprehensive guide.

• GET THERE FIRST - brand-new coverage of Afghanistan, open to travellers for the first time in 25 years
• GET AROUND with the help of 80 detailed maps and thorough transport information
• WORK THE BUREAUCRACY like an old hand with our tips on getting visas, crossing borders and handling officials
• HANG WITH THE LOCALS - details on how to access the unique community based tourism network
• GET THE BACKGROUND on the region's intriguing history, politics and culture

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #309069 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

From the Publisher
Who We Are
At Lonely Planet, we see our job as inspiring and enabling travelers to connect with the world for their own benefit and for the benefit of the world at large.

What We Do
* We offer travelers the world's richest travel advice, informed by the collective wisdom of over 350 Lonely Planet authors living in 37 countries and fluent in 70 languages.
* We are relentless in finding the special, the unique and the different for travellers wherever they are.
* When we update our guidebooks, we check every listing, in person, every time.
* We always offer the trusted filter for those who are curious, open minded and independent.
* We challenge our growing community of travelers; leading debate and discussion about travel and the world.
* We tell it like it is without fear or favor in service of the travelers; not clouded by any other motive.

What We Believe
We believe that travel leads to a deeper cultural understanding and compassion and therefore a better world.

Customer Reviews

a practical overview
This doesn't answer questions such as, "What kind of winter jacket should I bring", but it does tell you about the traditional Kyrgyz practice of wife abduction. The packing lists on the Peace Corps wiki are a good source if you need to know what kind of clothes to bring: [...]. Type in "Packing list for ___(country)___". Unfortunately, they only have lists for the countries in which the Peace Corps has volunteers. However, most likely they have people somewhere in the region about which you are interested.
This book is full of practical information about each country (and some funny tidbits), some ideas for itineraries, and useful tips. Since I have not seen any alternative, this is your best bet if you want a guide to Central Asia.

Excellent guide to central asia
Once again Lonely Planet has done a very good job. This guide is the best introduction to the five Central Asian countries. I used it in Tajikistan recently and intend to use it again.

Very useful
Central Asia is steeped in rich mediaeval architecture, soul stirring music, amazingly friendly people, complex history, delicious food & a sense of the prehistoric.
Solo or individual travel to this part of the world is not for the squeamish amateur traveler. Travel here will test you and occasionally frustrate you. But, then the warmth of people and the amazing architecture and natural beauty will more than neutralize that frustration.
A guide to Central Asia is your life support system. You won't be able to do without it and as usual LP does a great job. The information is very accurate and up to date.

I only have some minor comments & recommendations for people planning to Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan.
1. The shared taxi prices in the guide are notional. Most taxi drivers will quote a much higher price (usually in USD), which may be 2 to 3 times the price quoted in the guide. Their rationale is that they will take you out in a brand new Daewoo Nexia car and the ride will be comfortable (hardly ever the case).
2. A popular scam is that taxi drivers will negotiate a price for a non-stop shared ride to your city of interest, but they will cunningly drop you at the nearest taxi stand & transfer you to another taxi, which will leave much later (1-2 hours wait) and demand that you pay them the whole amount. Some times, they'll even ask for an advance. The best way to avoid these scams is to insist on the same driver till the destination and do NOT pay in advance even if it means creating a big row & walking out of the deal.