Silk Road to Samarkand reviews
Read holiday reviews by Mountain Kingdoms travellers.
Very well organised and excellent value. We would be happy to use Mountain Kingdoms again.
We saw everything we wanted of the section of the Silk Route which is in Uzbekistan. Our guide was excellent in every way: a fountain of knowledge and history and a very pleasant person to spend time with. She organised everything most effectively, but with a light touch. The relaxed pace with a day off in the three key cities was a major selling point for us
Khiva was the highlight of the trip for us but Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent did not disappoint. Every city has different plus points and the sights to see in all the destinations are breathtaking. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and highly conscientious, going over and above her role to ensure that everything went to plan. The lunch and dinner venues were all very different and of a good standard throughout. We did suffer from meat overload by the end of the trip but that was to be expected in a double land-locked country. The people are diverse and charming. Uzbekistan is a very special country and I cannot recommend this trip with Mountain Kingdoms enough.
We enjoyed the majesty and beauty of the mauseleums and mosques, the varied types of landscapes and land management and our WONDERFUL guide, Shakhnoza.
I travelled to Uzbekistan with a couple of friends in mid April, visiting the fascinating Fergana Valley first of all, as a trip add on - a must in my view! It was exciting travelling to Kokand on the very comfortable train through the lush countryside and mountains. For me, the culture of the Fergana area and opportunity to visit top artisans of silk weaving, batik and ceramics, alongside beautiful palaces and mosques was a unique experience! Our guide throughout the whole trip was excellent...she was so knowledgable, charming and prepared for anything, a real joy to spend time with. We travelled widely across the country but everything was so smoothly organised, the drivers excellent (even if the roads were a little bit bumpy!) and the transport high quality. All the hotels we stayed in were very comfortable, not too big and in great locations. As for Uzbekistan...the star of the show! What a beautiful country, lovely welcoming people - especially the children who love to practice their English with you! There is so much to see and absorb and having around 4 days in each city - Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand in particular- was a really good amount of time to explore them properly. Leisure days in each place were welcome, if only to wander, especially very early in the morning, meet Uzbekis and then shop and haggle in the wonderful markets and bazaars! Each place we visited had its own special atmosphere and mood. I loved the quiet majesty of Khiva in the early hours and the busy back streets of Bukhara! The colours and patterns on the buildings combined with their history was heady stuff - so beautiful! We all loved the delicious food too - everything cooked from scratch wherever we went, fully seasonal and yes, quite meat based, and so tasty but with lots of substantial salads, soups and fresh bread too. The local beer is very welcome after a long day sightseeing! Mountain Kingdoms were excellent( and very patient!) from the very start in helping us plan and organise this trip...there was even a birthday cake on my arrival in Tashkent! What a lovely, thoughtful surprise. I HIGHLY recommend the Silk Road to Samarkand holiday, it really was everything I hoped it would be and MORE! Thank you to Mountain Kingdoms and our brilliant guide Shakhnosa for making it such a special adventure.
The small group made moving about really easy. Loved Khiva hotel Caravan run by family. Our guide was exceptional and made every day an adventure with her knowledge and sense of humour. Long or short story will bring back memories. Our mini-bus driver made light work of the roads and laughed a lot. The trip to the mountains was amazing. The whole trip was everything I had hoped for. Friendly people, lovely food, sights you can only dream of. All in all, I want to go back!
This holiday was always enormous fun from the very start. We knew the sights, bazaars and architecture would be stunning and they were, breathtaking blue and turquoise tiles and decoration did not disappoint. What caught us by surprise was how wonderful and friendly the people are too. The children learn English in school and we loved it when they shyly came to practice a few words with us. Our superlative guide taught us so much about Uzbek life and history, and how to haggle!
It was an excellent itinerary and well paced. We were pleased that there were 'rest' days - we needed them! It was also good to see the top craft workshops and to be shown round by the top people. The traditional dance show in Samarkand was a delight, especially as we were on the front row! But what really made the trip was our guide, Shakhnoza who made it all so interesting.
The local organiser and the guides were excellent, and all travel plans ran smoothly.
The whole trip was well organised from beginning to end. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and our driver was excellent. We saw so much and were given plenty of information about all the sites we visited. We now feel that we know a lot about the country, its history and customs. The country is a fascinating mix of old and modern and the people are really lovely - very friendly and kind. We have come back with so many happy memories of another world.