However, the beauty of this country has probably made me forget the harsh sunshine, immersing myself in the beautiful scenery like in a fairy tale with castles and dome.
If there is a trending keyword for overseas travel in 2025, Central Asia is definitely one of them. As neighboring countries have become increasingly familiar, Vietnamese tourists want to explore new destinations. Names like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan may be unfamiliar to many people when they first heard them, but once you have set foot in Central Asia, you will definitely never forget the land with impressive natural scenery and rich cultural history.
Among the countries in Central Asia, Uzbekistan left me with the most impression. Besides a lush, majestic Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan with hills and steppe, Uzbekistan is brightly decorated with the golden glow of sand dunes and ancient cities running along the silk road.
Uzbekistan is a land imbued with culture, a gathering place for famous works on the silk road, before camels touch the Caspian Sea. Although Uzbekistan is not the main setting for the stories of a thousand thousands of cases of a night, visitors still feel like they are traveling back in time, immersing themselves in ancient stories with dome and sand, with fallen trees and leaf-roofed markets. With Islam as the main religion, Uzbekistan's main architecture is the mausoleums of temples, Hoi giao Churches, dome and pillars, along with the art of station decoration and sophisticated sculptures.
After finishing the 10-day trip in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, we took a bus from Bishkek - Kyrgyzstan capital to Tashkent - Uzbekistan capital. It was a bus trip that crossed the border twice overnight as it passed through Uzbekistan and had to return to Kazakhstan once again. At dawn, we crossed the border. Unable to wait for the bus to complete the entry procedures for too long, I and a few other tourists hired a taxi to go straight to the capital.
The experience of traveling in Uzbekistan is not difficult and tourists can completely "go dusty" themselves. We book all train tickets in advance via the website, using Yandex (tech taxi calling application) if we need to travel in the city.
Although people do not know much English, communication is not difficult. Summer in Uzbekistan is hot but humid. Just have shade, you will not feel uncomfortable heat. Uzbek people are hospitable and know a lot about Vietnam - perhaps a legacy left by the Soviet era with stories about the Vietnamese people.
It takes at least a week to be able to explore the main cities in Uzbekistan. A route to explore Uzbekistan is also quite easy, from the capital Tashkent by train to the cities of Samarkand, Khiva, Bukhara - one of the World Cultural Heritage recognized by UNESCO of Uzbekistan. This country is still like a "sleeper" princess to me with a modest number of tourists compared to Vietnam. During the sunny July days, tourist destinations do not seem as noisy or bustling: There is no cheering scene, no lack of people shouting, walking in the ancient citadel at sunset, tourists really have a moment of relaxation.
Samarkand was once the ancient capital of Uzbekistan with a history of more than 3,000 years. This is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia with many ancient structures. Registan Square and Complex is a must-see destination in Samarkand. In the past, this was a public square where people used to gather in the market, surrounded by 3 large Islamic schools. If you want to avoid the crowded scene of tourists, come here early and "talk cleverly" to ticket sellers, who knows, you can open the door to get there early. The lenses and church system in Samarkand is also very massive for you to choose a suitable tourist attraction.
I like Khiva and Bukhara more than Samarkand, perhaps because the small scale of these two cities gives me easy walking time. Khiva ancient town gives me the feeling of time stopping a few thousand years ago inside the four walls of the citadel. Visitors can admire the earth-plated houses with hundreds of winding alleys, passing through the mausoleum, Islamic school, Hoi giao tower...
A day in Khiva for me begins when dawn has just risen. I like to wander through the alleys in the ancient citadel, sit and drink a cup of coffee to avoid the harsh summer sun, and choose to buy a few handicrafts reminiscent of the silk road - silk scarves, decorations shaped like a godly lantern, hand-painted chess...
The capital Tashkent is not a place where many tourists have stopped for too long, "inferior" compared to the other 3 cities. However, Tashkent has many typical marks of the Soviet era with a subway station system with unique architecture, considered underground works of art in Uzbekistan. With Tashkent, I feel more familiar, more than overwhelmed when witnessing the massive architectural works in those cities.
It would be an exaggeration to say that Uzbekistan is the most beautiful country I have ever had the opportunity to visit, but it is certainly one of the most impressive countries.
