Tajikistan! We had a wonderful quick visit to experience the best of Central Asian hospitality. Due to time constraints, we could only focus our efforts on seeing the northern section of this lovely country. While we have no doubt that we could explore Tajikistan on our own, with limited time we opted to hire a driver/guide to whisk us away to see the highlights of Dushanbe, Khujand, Istaravshan, Penjikent, Marguzor Lakes, and Iskanderkul. With over 90% of the country filled with majestic mountains, Tajikistan is an outdoorsman’s paradise. Even though our visit coincided with Ramazan, we found Tajiks to be quite moderate and realistic about fasting in the middle of a stifling hot summer while traveling. We would love to return for a trip along the Pamir Highway as we have heard it is spectacularly beautiful, especially the Wakhan Corridor. Sigh, so much to do and so little time! Our next adventure will take us to Djibouti to snorkel with whale sharks, and Ethiopia to experience the Danakil Depression and Omo tribes. Happy travels!
