It may sound strange that a former Soviet republic should make the list of top destinations you’d want to visit in 2020 but there are several good reasons.
It’s a culturally and historically rich country and something you would not want to miss.
Here are five good reasons you would want to visit a country that Lonely Planet and The Economist have put on the top of their travel list.
Watch to learn more below!
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1 – Visa-free travel
Ambitious visa reforms have made it much easier for tourists to visit the country. This includes a 30-day visa-free period for citizens of 65 countries with a much-simplified electronic visa system for 77 countries. The United States is included in this list.
2 – Peace and order
While the US State Department still advises US citizens to proceed with caution when visiting Uzbekistan, “Uzbek authorities maintain a high level of alert and aggressive security measures to thwart terrorist attacks and official numbers of violence against foreigners are low.”
Other foreign visitors are undaunted, as well. From 1.9 million visitors in 2014, there were 6.4 million foreign visitors in 2018.
3 – A rich and untouched history
Uzbekistan boasts a sacred history that has made it through thousands of years.
Whether you go to Samarkand and Bukhara or the snow-covered Tian Shan mountain range, you will see breathtaking pieces of history that are beautiful and are refreshingly free from crowds.
Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva, and Shakhrisabz are all cities that have been identified as UNESCO heritage sites.
4 – Social media buzz
A lot of Western travelers have been gushing about their travel experiences in Uzbekistan with hashtags like #VisitUzbekistan, #VisitTashkent, #VisitSamarkand and #TravelCentralAsia permeating the social media scene.
“The travel bloggers focused on a wide range of niche tourism markets from adventure and cultural travel to independent and offbeat destinations,” according to the US embassy.
“Popular Central Asian tourist sites involved in the trip include Samarkand, Charyn Canyon, Karakol, the Fann Mountains, and more”, the embassy added.
5 – A fabulous food scene
Food bloggers characterize Uzbek cuisine as flavorful and hearty. With an array of rice dishes to choose from, it’s easy to sample the many unique flavors and spices that are present in Uzbek dishes.
Mark Weins described his experiences sampling Uzbek cuisine in his blog Migrationology. He was enthused at the “meat, history, and hospitality” he encountered.
Weins highlighted the delights to be found at the Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent.
“It’s a feast for the eyes of fresh meat, spices, fruits and vegetables, and everything else produced in Uzbekistan. The dome structure of the market reminds me of a stock exchange floor, a museum of a market,” Weins added.
Replaced!