ITINERARY
BASIC TOUR ITINERARY
Some modifications may occur due to routing and schedule changes in the region prior to the time of the tour. Prices are those in effect as of the date above and may change due to currency fluctuations, fuel surcharges caused by escalating oil prices or increases mandated by ground operators. RING OF FIRE EXPEDITIONS does its best to keep prices in line as far in advance as possible. Trip cancellation insurance is highly recommended.
May 25, 2012 (Friday): Arrive Almaty (KAZAKHSTAN)
According to history the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan was set on the place of the ancient settlement Almaty, which dates from the III century BC. In 1854 it was developed as a frontier fort at the border of the Russian Empire. For the first time the city was named Vernyi, later Alma-Ata and now – Almaty. Artifacts have recently been excavated, including ones from the Issyk burial-place, a burial-place of a young warrior, located about 70 km from Almaty. The number of golden handicrafts found there exceeds 4,000 which are exhibited at the Golden Hall of the Central Museum of the Republic.
Meeting on arrival at the Almaty airport, then assistance and transfer to your hotel. Check in starts from 1400 hrs. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight Almaty at the Otrar Hotel or similar (2 nights)
Otrar Hotel
The Seven Dwarfs may not have lived in Kazakhstan but houses similar to theirs surely exist here.
Russian Orthodox cathedral in Almaty.
May 26, 2012 (Saturday): Almaty / Balshoe Almatinsky Lake (KAZAKHSTAN)…45 kms (2 hrs) / Almaty
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we shall visit Panfilov Park, St Thomas Cathedral, and the Museum of Kazakh Musical Instruments. Later proceed to the State Museum of History to see the Golden Warrior Prince— remains of gold decor from a burial costume of a Scythian Prince. Lunch at a local restaurant.
Big Almaty Lake
Later we travel to the Big Almaty Lake (Bolshoe Almatinskoe Ozero) hidden in the Tian Shan Mountrains, then proceed up the slopes of the spectacular Zaiilisky Alatau (Trans-Ili Alatau, Ile Alatay Zhotasy) Mountain gorge to the Tian Shan Astronomical Observatory, 2,700 m above sea level. It is situated about 30 km from the city. We will make a few stops along the way and short guided excursions into the forest, sub-alpine, and alpine belts and explore the remarkable vertical zonality of the region. You will be introduced to the wildlife management system in Kazakhstan.
The observatory in winter
Constructed during the Soviet era, the Russians lease the observatory from the Kazakh government and still operate it, mainly in the autumn and winter when the sky is at its clearest. The observatory features two Richi-Cretien-Coudet telescopes, two Cassegrain telescopes, an HSFA horizontal solar telescope-spectrograph, and an ACU-5 horizontal solar telescope. Visitors, usually those on birdwatching or trekking tours, can stay in the observatory’s very basic twin rooms, with a toilet and shower shared between two rooms. The observatory’s dome and radar dish can be seen among the spruce trees below the high peak. After dinner, we will meet with astronomers at the observatory and if the weather cooperates, view the starry sky through one of the observatory’s instruments. Late evening return to Almaty for overnight. (B,L,D)
One of the large instruments at Tien Shan Observatory
May 27, 2012 (Sunday): Almaty / Bishkek…236 kms (5 hrs) (KYRGYZSTAN)
Breakfast at the hotel. After this we shall depart for the Kyrgyz border crossing point. It is not very far and after the formalities we continue to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek, the capital of the Republic, with a population of about 1 million, is situated in the north part of the country. Especially the center is heavily influenced by the Soviets, and you can enjoy quite a number of buildings typical of the old Soviet-style architecture (Philharmonia concert hall, government building, Historic Museum, Monument for the Great War of the Native Country); also you will see modern monuments pointing out the traditional Kyrgyz culture (Monument of Manas, Monument of Independence, as well as many statues of Akyns, Manaschi and local governors of different periods). The city is famous for being one of the greenest in the world, due to its countless parks and alleys, which make the town a nice place to live especially during the heat of the summer.
Arrive Bishkek and transfer to your hotel. After lunch you will have a city tour of Bishkek to include the Frunze House, named after the Soviet General Michael Frunze, who won Central Asia for the Blosheviks in the Civil War. A (fresh fruit) shopping stop will also be made at the Osh Bazaar before returning to the hotel. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight: Silk Road Lodge or similar (1 night). (B,L,D)
Osh Bazaar in Bishkek
May 28, 2012 (Monday): Bishkek / Tashkent by air (UZBEKISTAN)
Osh, made of rice, vegetables and mutton is the most popular food preparation in Uzbekistan. Chuchvara and samosas (dumplings stuffed with vegetables or meat) also form an important part of the country cuisine. Other important and commonly available traditional dishes are based on lamb meat, mutton, beef and pastas. Tea is the most common drink in the everyday life of the Uzbeks, while vodka is the most popular alcoholic drink in Uzbekistan.
The Tashkent metro
The Tashkent metro
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, shows its shimmering roots as a Silk Road city even today. The 2,000 year -old-town is a major exporter to Eastern Europe of silk, cotton and textiles, as well as oil, coal, copper, sulfur, rice and manufactured products such as television sets, automobiles and tractors. Yet, this city, whose name means Stone Fortress — a title adopted in the 11th century, though the roots of Tashkent date back to the dawn of the first millennia A.D. — has the look of a modern metropolis. Little remains of the old town, thanks to a major earthquake in April, 1966, which leveled it and the subsequent Soviet rebuilding.
Arrival and transfer to your hotel. After lunch you will be taken on a city tour of Tashkent visit the Old City and the remarkable Hast Imam Complex. See the archives with a rare copy of its Holy Quran. Later proceed to the Chorsu market for shopping and then to Kukeldesh. Chorsu has been in operation since the 16th century. However, Kukuldesh was utilized as a defensive fortress, where attacks on rebels fighting for independence from the Khan`s power were carried out. Kukuldesh also served as a place of penalty. Wives found guilty of infidelity were thrown down from the high parapet. Afterward you will take a ride on the metro. A visit to the Navoi Theatre will also be included before returning to the hotel for dinner. Overnight: Dedeman Hotel or similar (1 night). (B,L,D)
An example of the ornate architecture in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
May 29, 2012 (Tuesday: Tashkent / Samarkand…293 kms (5 hrs) (UZBEKISTAN)
Breakfast at the hotel. Today we will be departing for the exotic and fascinating city of Samarkand with a stop for lunch enroute. Samarkand is the second largest city of Uzbekistan and is of the same age as Rome, Athens and Babylon, more than 25 centuries old. Ancient Arab manuscripts refer to it as the Gem of the East. Europeans called it the The Land of Scientists. A majestic and beautiful city, Samarkand is the city of legends. When Alexander the Great first time saw Samarkand, he exclaimed that he had heard that the city was beautiful but never thought that it could be so beautiful and majestic.
Upon arrival into Samarkand, transfer to your hotel. You shall visit the Registan Square to see the three beautiful tile decorated facades. This is a good shopping area as the Registan is filled with small shops selling local crafts of varying quality to suit all buyers. Dinner and overnight at the Malika Hotel or similar (3 nights). (B,L,D)
The complex of Registan Square
May 30, 2012 (Wednesday): Samarkand (UZBEKISTAN)
A shopping bazaar in Samarkand
Breakfast at the hotel. Then a full day sightseeing tour of Samarkand where we visit the Bibi Khanum mosque and mausoleum, the Silk Road bazaar (shopping) and Shahi Zinda necropolis with its beautiful tile and mosaic work on the Royal tombs.
Bibi Khanum
Lunch at a local house. In the afternoon continue your visit to the Afrosiab Museum and site. Later you will proceed to the UlugbekObservatory; see the sextant remains and the nearby museum. Ulugbek was the astronomer king who spent time studying the stars and wrote an account of his observations making him one of the well known astronomers of the world. Later visit and see the rich colors of Gur Emir, the mausoleum of Tamerlane. Dinner and overnight in Samarkand. (B,L,D)
Ulugbek's ancient observatory.
May 31, 2012 (Thursday): Samarkand / Penjikent…56 kms (3 hrs) (TAJIKISTAN) / Samarkand (UZBEKISTAN)
Breakfast at the hotel. Today we make an attempt at crossing into Tajikistan. The border crossing is subject to rules that keep on changing, one of the notorious features of daily life in Central Asia. Our objective is to the see the site of the ancient city of Sogdiana at Penjikent. Should the border crossing not be possible then we return to Samarkand for a free day. The city of Penjikent (“five villages”) is located in Khujand area of Tajikistan in the picturesque Zeravshan river valley. Quite possibly the five villages started the history of this remarkable City, which originated in the 5th-8th centuries AD.
Ruins at Penjikent.
Penjikent of that time was one of the most important cultural and crafts centers of Sogd. It was even named “Central Asian Pompeii”. Penjikent was a superbly fortified well-organized city with a ruler’s palace, two temples, markets, rich dwelling houses decorated with numerous paintings, and contained wooden and clay statues of ancient gods. Penjikent was the last city on the way from Samarkand in the Kukhistan Mountains. It was a very favorable location since no caravan or person going from the mountains or returning to Samarkand could bypass Penjikent. The city was destroyed by Arabs in the eighth century. The ruins of this ancient city were found only in the last century. Today tourists can see the remains of dwelling houses and office buildings, the citadel with the palace, the house of craftsmen, and fire worshipers church. After this you will have lunch before returning to Samarkand. Return to Samarkand in the evening. Dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)
A fresco in Penjikent.
June 01, 2012 (Friday): Samarakand / Bukhara…268 kms (5 hrs) (UZBEKISTAN)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning departure for Bukhara; enroute we shall stop at Gijduvan to see the local pottery making (shopping stop). You shall visit the house of master potter Alisher. Gijduvan pottery is known for its coloration and traditional design. You will then have lunch with the family of the potter. Later proceed to Bukhara en-route visiting Sitora-i-Mokhikhosa, the summer palace of the last emir of Bukhara. Continue to Bukhara and on arrival transfer to your hotel.
Soviet style hats available in bazaars
Bukhara is one of the most ancient cities of Uzbekistan, situated on a sacred hill, the place where sacrifices were made by fire-worshippers in springtime. This city was mentioned in a holy book “Avesto”. Bukhara city was supposed to have been founded in the 13th century B.C. during the reign of Siyavushids who came to power 980 years before Alexander the Great. The name “Bukhara” originates from the word “vihara” which means “monastery” in Sanskrit. The city was once a large commercial center on the Great Silk Road.
Evening short walk to Layabikhauz, the city pond with local folks enjoying and gossiping over a cup of tea. Dinner with folk show. Overnight: Malika Hotel or similar (2 nights). (B,L,D)
The awesome Bukhara buildings.
June 02, 2012 (Saturday): Bukhara (UZBEKISTAN)
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day sightseeing tour of Bukhara, visit Layabikhauz, Nadirkhon Devanbegi, Khanaga, Mogaki Attari mosque, Aziz Khan and Ulugbek. Later visit Poi Kalon Minaret and mosque. Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon visit to the Ark fortress, Balakhauz mosque, Ismail Samonid Mausoleum and later some free time to explore the covered bazaars (shopping) of Bukhara. Dinner with light classical music performance. Overnight in Bukhara. (B,L,D)
Kalyan Mosque, Bukhara.
June 03, 2012 (Sunday): Bukhara / Khiva…470 kms (8 hrs) (UZBEKISTAN)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning departure for Khiva; we shall drive through the Kizilkum desert with a short picnic lunch stop en route. On arrival to Khiva in the late afternoon, transfer to our hotel.
Khiva has a very long history, only a few civilizations could be compared with it. Hundred of years before the Great Silk Road appeared, ancient Khorezm as it was called, had links with Europe and the East and with Siberia and southern civilizations. It is a cradle of three civilizations formed in Uzbekistan.
The Khorezm Khanate was very famous in the fourth century, BC. It was a very powerful state. The fairy-tale like city of Khiva has managed to retain its exotic image of an Oriental town in the older part of the city called Ichon-Qala. Ichon-Qala is a place where all the monuments of architecture are located. Among them there are the Kunya-Ark citadel and the Tosh-Khovli Palace, residence of the Khan, which had been preserved intact along with its ornate gates. Besides, Ichon-Qala displays simplicity and the monumentality of medieval architectural forms, the delicateness of woodcarvings, and skilled interweaving of ornamentation. The silhouettes of its towering minarets, hemmed in by clay built houses with their flat roofs and surrounded by the fortress’s powerful clay built walls, give a clear idea of a typical Central Asian feudal city.
Billed as an “open air museum” Khiva is more than 2500 years old with a population about 40,000 people. In fact, Khiva is made up of mosques and minarets such as the tall and beautiful Islam-Khoja minaret, plus having the most number of minarets in Asia, the most remarkable being the Kalta-Minor minaret (dating from 1835) which is still standing. The Juma Mosque which has an amazing 218 ornate carved wooden columns and is another of the main attractions.
Evening walk to the walled city. Dinner and overnight in Khiva at the Malika Hotel (2 nights). (B,L,D)
Beautiful Khiva!
June 04, 2012 (Monday): Khiva (UZBEKISTAN)
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day walking tour of Khiva; we shall see Ichan Kala, Kalta Minor, Kunya Arg, Rakhimkhon. Later visit the United Nations Development Project workshops of the local handicrafts. Visit the Mausoleum of Pakhlavan Makhmud, Islam Khodja minaret and museum, Friday Mosque, Tashauli harem and the Caravan Sarai. Lunch at a local restaurant. The rest of the day is free at leisure for walks in the city and shopping. Dinner and overnight in Khiva. (B,L,D)
The Khiva fortress
Golden hues near the end of the day over Khiva, Uzbekistan.
June 05, 2012 (Tuesday): Khiva / Tashauz…64 kms (2 hrs) (TURKMENISTAN) Tashauz / Ashgabat…by air / Darvaza…260 kms (3 hrs)
The Mouth of Hell
Breakast at the hotel. Today you will depart for the Turkmenistan border crossing point and after the border formalities proceed to the airport for the flight to Ashgabat. Situated between the Kara Kum Desert and the Kopet Dag mountain range, Ashgabat has a population of about 400,000. It is a relatively new town, carved out of an aul (Turkmen village) of the same name in 1818. Its original founding fathers were Russian troops who landed in Krasnovodsk (present-day Turkmenbashy) in 1869 and who built a fortress on a high hill to accommodate their administation. In subsequent years this fortress, serving as a focal point, attracted a host of merchants and entrepreneurs who sought to expand their markets and enter new adventures. For their center of activity, the newcomers built a number of buildings and factories on the other side of town around the Transcaspian Railway station. Today, large numbers of tourists visit Ashgabat and Nisa, the ancient capital of the Parthians, a short distance from Ashgabat.
Upon arrival, the group will be met and taken to a restaurant for lunch before departure to the Darvaza flaming gas crater or Hells Gate. It has become one of the most extraordinary sites in the country, which has one of the most apocalyptic landscape in the world. The crater is about 60 meters wide and 20 meters deep. Although details are sketchy, the most trusted account is that Soviet engineers were drilling when they accidentally bored into a cavern filled with natural gas. To avoid the release of toxic fumes, they decided to set it alight–big mistake for them (good one for us!) as it has been burning ever since. It literally has to be seen to be believed; and it is worth going to Turkmenistan for this alone. Camping next to the crater with dinner cooked on the spot. Overnight: Tent (1 night). (B,L,D)
The Darvaza Gas Crater at night
Other craters and sink holes are located in this area
June 06, 2012 (Wednesday): TRANSIT OF VENUS at Darvaza / Ashgabat…260 kms (3 hrs) (TURKMENISTAN)
The track of Venus as it makes its way across the sun. Projecting the sun onto a white piece of paper can easily reveal Venus!
Early before sunrise we will attempt to watch for bright artificial earth satellites in the sky. This is a continuing feature of RING OF FIRE EXPEDITIONS. Following this and prior to the main event we will have a simple breakfast at the camp. [In the unlikely event of major weather problems, we will be mobile and can head toward a different location when needed.] Afterward the start of sunrise viewing as Venus and the Sun appear together on the northeast horizon. Sunrise is at 5.43am with the Transit already in progress. As the sun continues to rise in the sky, another benchmark occurs at 6.32am when it is located 8.5 degrees above azimuth 67.4. Finally Venus will become tangent to the interior of the sun’s disk at 9.36am and then fully exit its surface at 9.54am when the sun’s elevation above the horizon is 46.2 degrees above azimuth 98.9.
We will have one telescope at the camp through which you can view the Transit. Or you can either bring a pair of binoculars with mylar covering or your own scope for viewing/photography. Note: it is never safe to view the sun without a sun filter of neutral density #5. We will also provide viewing glasses identical to those used at our solar eclipse expeditions.
Consider using a camcorder with zoom lens (and mylar covering). You will have 4 full hours watching the progress of the Transit at your leisure. Take photos or simply watch; then return to Ashgabat. We will stop to see Mud Crater, which is the largest of three craters, with mud boiled ferociously and also Water Crater, with gas bubbling through blue-green sulphuric water. Arrive Ashgabat and check in at the hotel.
Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan.
Nissa Hotel
Freshen up before heading out for lunch and a tour of a local bazaar for last minute souvenir (shopping) items. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the Nissa Hotel (1 night) except for those departing with the group. Transfer to the airport for late night flight. (B,L,D)
One of the modern buildings of the city. The Ministry of Oil and Gas, Ashgabat
June 07, 2012 (Thursday): Ashgabat/Departure for home (TURKMENISTAN)
Due to group flight change the group transfer will be the previous night in order to depart on June 7 at 1:15am. If not using the group transfer, you can stay the night and arrange for an independent airport transfer. Check out time is by 11:00 AM.(B)
IMPORTANT NOTES:
EXPEDITION CLOSES FEBRUARY 23, 2012 DUE TO THE TIME REQUIRED TO OBTAIN VISAS. NO ADDITIONAL PARTICIPANTS (OR SUBSITUTIONS) CAN BE MADE AFTER THIS DATE.
WE RECOMMEND YOU USE A VISA SERVICE TO HELP EXPEDITE THE 5 VISAS. IT IS CRITICAL THAT VISAS BE OBTAINED PRIOR TO TOUR START.
TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED IN CASE OF UNFORSEEN ILLNESS (YOU OR FAMILY MEMBER). SUCH INCIDENTS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE COMMON.
