better travel photographyCOM

MaBensD0142

Start: 8 May 2023
End: 20
May 2023

Code: IOU23

Variable price structure.
Prices from:

8 pax £2150 pp
9 pax £2095 pp
10 pax £2025 pp
11 pax £1975 pp
12 pax £1895 pp

excl. flights, based on roomshare

Info about variable pricing

Min 8, max 12 people

Places left: 0

Trip is full

Trip is to be confirmed.

Single supplement: £275

Estimated current
flight cost £750

Please note: an approved Covid vaccine is no long mandatory for our trips from 2023. You can see more on this policy here.

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Impressions of Uzbekistan
Itinerary

Day 1: Tashkent
Day 2: Margilan
Day 3: Rishtan
Day 4: Tashkent
Day 5: Khiva
Day 6: Khiva
Day 7: Bukhara
Day 8: Bukhara
Day 9: Darband

Day 10: Samarkand
Day 11: Samarkand
Day 12: Tashkent
Day 13: Tour ends

Website, Images and text © Steve Davey/stevedavey.com 1990 - 2022

Land arrangements are sub-contracted to Intrepid Travel, who have many years experience in running small group adventures.

Bookings are made through the Intrepid Tailor Made Dept. in London not the Intrepid website or Stores. Contact Steve Davey for information

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Join us for this unique travel photography tour to Uzbekistan in Central Asia, with land arrangements and ATOL bonding by Intrepid Travel, and led by professional photographer, Steve Davey.

Uzbekistan occupies a place at the centre of history - lying on the ancient Silk Route, occupied by Ghengis Khan and home to the Mughals who invaded and ruled Northern India for Centuries. Occupied by Imperial Russia in the 19th Century, it became a part of the Soviet Union after the Bolshevik Revolution, only shaking off the hammer and sickle in 1991.

From ancient mosques, tombs and madrassas through to brutalist Soviet architecture, this wealth of history can be seen in the architecture, culture and even the faces of the country. Even the names of the great cities of Uzbekistan are evocative: Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva conjure up images of traders, camel trains on the Silk Road and absolute rulers amidst the heyday of Islamic architecture and learning. Building on our itinerary from a few years ago, we also spend time out of the major cities and explore some of the rural areas - including parts of the Fergana Valley and also the remote mountain village of Darband.

The trip will include extensive photography tuition from professional travel photographer, Steve Davey, countless photo opportunities and the company of fellow photography enthusiasts.

Our trip starts in Tashkent, the vibrant capital of Uzbekistan. We will have plenty of time to look around and start to get a feel for the culture and architecture of this fascinating Central Asian country.

We leave the capital heading over a high mountain pass to the Fergana Valley, following the route of the fabled Silk Road. Margilan is an ancient city - reputed to have been founded by Alexander the Great. The area is famous for its fruits and we will visit local markets, as well as crafts factories and all of the sites in this region which has strong links to neighbouring Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. We will even see how the local Duppi hat is made!

We also visit the cities of Kokand and Rishtan where we visit a local Kyrgyz family.

Although I have visited Uzbekistan a number of times, and even led a tour here a few years ago, the Fergana Valley is a completely new area for me. This is why I don’t have any photographs of this region, and I am really excited to be heading there on this trip. The village of Darband and also the Kyzylkum Desert are also new areas to me.

Returning to Tashkent on an atmospheric local train we spend the night before catching a local flight to Urgench in the morning. This is just a short drive from the city of Khiva.

Ringed by massive brick walls, the city of Khiva feels like a film set - but it is real, and a number of locals live within its walls. We are staying in a hotel just outside the walls with a fantastic view of the main gate.

After some time photographing this city, we will drive through the Kyzylkum Desert, visiting the ancient palace city of Toprak Kala and the ruined fort of Ayaz Kala. A long drive sees us end up in the city Bukhara.

Once the seat of a number of great civilisations and also a place of Islamic learning for hundreds of years, Bukhara is protected by the vast Ark Fortress and also the site of the Kalayan Minaret - a soaring structure that was once used for the execution of criminals. The old town of Bukhara is largely unspoiled with a number of shady ponds helping to provide respite from the heat of Summer.

From Bukhara we head up into the mountains for a night in the remote village of Darband to see the rural life of the predominantly Tajik people in the area. Ringed by great mountain walls, gorges and canyons, this is a particularly dramatic part of the country.

Our final stop is the city of Samarkand - one of the great iconic travellers destinations on the former hippie trail of the Sixties. The Mughals who ended up invading Northern India hailed from this city, and spread its culture and architecture far and wide.

After exploring the city we will catch a modern fast train back to the capital city, where we enjoy one more night and a farewell meal before the trip ends and it is time to head for home.

 

Covid19 will of course change the way that we travel and has changed the way that we organise our trips. One of the main things is that on all of my trips Covid Vaccinations are now compulsory. This is to protect the other people on the trip, as well as the people that we encounter on our travels. Quite simply, I do not want to be responsible for future infections in the region. Obviously, if you have a medically certified exemption, then this policy won't apply to you - although it remains to be seen whether local restrictions might still apply. You can see more about this Covid19 policy here.

Covid has also prompted our variable price policy, as it allows us to still run our trips without making a crushing loss - even if a number of people pull out at the last minute. This variable prices are shown in the trip information box and the implications of the policy policy can be seen here.

We, and Intrepid Travel, are in the process of working out revised booking conditions for future private trips. These will have different cancellation and confirmation terms to past trips and also to the scheduled trips offered by Intrepid Travel. Any bookings will be pending until the new booking conditions are established and will be subject to these conditions. A summary of what will be covered in these conditions can be seen on the booking conditions link on the booking page.

Highlights of this trip

• Walled city of Khiva

Historic Fergana Valley

• Ayaz Kala desert ruins

• Village of Darband

Foreboding Bukhara

• Registan of Samarkand

• Photography tuition

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