Travel Stories

• hiking

• activities

8 min read • Nov 19, 2018

Afghanistan. A place once firmly on the traveller trail rendered, by modern history, virtually unvisited. Much of Afghanistan remains off-limits to…

• festivals and events

• art and culture

4 min read • Sep 18, 2018

It was probably the biggest thing to have happened in Moynaq since the waters of the Aral Sea started to recede in the 1960s. Hundreds of curious locals…

• luxury

• connections

6 min read • Jun 5, 2018

Among Kazakhstan’s endless grasslands on the windswept northern steppes, the forward-looking modern city of Astana has sprouted. With a skyline punctuated…

• art

• art and culture

5 min read • May 31, 2018

Uzbekistan's gems have long been known to adventurous explorers. The Silk Road cities of Bukhara, Samarkand and Khiva hold some of the world's most…

• food

• art

5 min read • Apr 23, 2018

'If Genghis Khan were alive, he would be here.' These words kicked off the 2016 World Nomad Games: Kyrgyzstan's celebration of traditional nomadic sports…

• wildlife and nature

• activities

4 min read • Mar 22, 2018

Often overshadowed by the popular Pamir Highway, Tajikistan’s Fan Mountains are a wonderland full of rugged alpine landscapes and stunning glacial lakes…

• food

• food and drink

5 min read • Feb 20, 2018

A cool breeze rustles leaves overhead as families call out to one another through the woods, punctuated by the quiet sound of walnuts dropping to the…

• wildlife and nature

• activities

5 min read • Jan 12, 2018

A pleasant, leafy city that would seem more at home in central Europe than Central Asia, Almaty is stocked with museums, cafes and nightlife. But…

• wildlife and nature

• activities

7 min read • Jan 12, 2018

The Tien Shan Mountains steal the breath from your lungs. It isn't just the height of this range shaped by the flow of melting glaciers, nor even the…

• wildlife and nature

• activities

6 min read • Aug 1, 2017

The Alay region of southern Kyrgyzstan is the kind of place mountain lovers dream about. Turquoise lakes fringed with yurts sit at the base of towering…

• sports

• activities

5 min read • Feb 22, 2017

A crowd roars as a favourite local wrestler pins his opponent for the championship. A rumble of shock as a single horse-and-jockey fall to the back of a…

5 min read • Sep 15, 2016

How would you like to traverse a country, or even a continent, on two wheels? Inspired by our new book Epic Bike Rides of the World, we invited three…

• festivals and events

• art and culture

4 min read • Mar 17, 2016

Framed by the snowy peaks of the Tian Shan mountains on the southern horizon, two teams of horsemen gather at centre field in Bishkek's Ak-Kula Hippodrome…

• hiking

• activities

5 min read • Jan 14, 2016

While Kyrgyzstan's Tien Shan mountains are steadily growing in renown among international tourists, most visitors aim for the warmer months of the year to…

• health and wellness

• connections

5 min read • Nov 30, 2015

Bishkek has many moments of beauty, but it's the Tien Shan mountains that are the real scenic draw of Kyrgyzstan.

• road trips

• destination practicalities

5 min read • Aug 3, 2015

Once the realm of Silk Road merchants and Great Game spies, the Heavenly Mountains and Black Sand deserts of the 'Stans, as the five countries of Central…

• art

• art and culture

4 min read • Jul 28, 2015

Kazakhstan might be best known for its nomadic roots, but its new capital city, Astana, is making waves with a surrealist skyline. When the government…

3 min read • Mar 23, 2012

Ever imagined yourself riding horseback across the Eurasian steppe or haggling for carpets in an Uzbek bazaar? Silk Road romantics with a penchant for…