Oh Man, Tajikistan! (Part 1): Finding Alexander the Great's Lake

- December 21-22, 2025, Sunday to Monday.

- A country in Central Asia that some people tend to skip is Tajikistan. It is the only Persian-speaking country in Central Asia, while the other countries speak a Turkic language (and so Russian remains to be a lingua franca in the region); culturally Tajiks are also closer to Iranians. It is often skipped, even though Filipinos can enter the country visa free, because Tajikistan appears a bit more conservative than Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, or Uzbekistan. It also far less prepared for tourists (something I learned during my visit there), and any sense of development was only done in the past five years or so.

- My family flew with Somon Air to Dushanbe and arrived in the early afternoon. We did not schedule anything to do in the afternoon because we were not sure if there would be flight delays. But since the plane seemed to be on time, we had much time to spare after checking in at Rumi Hotel. 

- By the way, transportation is a bit of a challenge in the city. Yandex Go does not work in the country, and even though they do have their own ride-hailing app, it is not too efficient especially for foreigners (even the Tajiks I spoke with are hesitant to recommend this app to foreigners.) Because of this, I booked more structured tours unlike the other countries we visited. However, as our hotel was located in the heart of the city, I was able to explore a bit of the capital, Dushanbe, on foot.

- I walked all the way to the Central Department Store, or Tsum, and passed by the Monument of Ismail Somoni and the New Parliament Building. The Monument of Ismail Somoni was built in 1999 in honor of Ismail Somoni, who was a powerful and respected Samanid ruler in the 9th to 10th centuries who essentially established the first Tajik state which, as you can tell, eventually became known as Tajikistan.   

Ismail Somoni Monument.

New parliament building, opened in 2024 (so yes, it's really new.)

- Tsum was a small department store, but it had some nice souvenir stores though I observed prices to be a bit higher than its neighbors. It was also hard to buy things because most of their items are big or fragile (or both), such as handicrafts. Usual tourist souvenirs are also available, but far less in variety than its neighbors.

Souvenir stores at Tsum.

New parliament building lit up after sunset.

- I was quite happy with the location of the hotel in the heart of the downtown, so there were some options for dinner around the area. I had to call it a day early that night because we were going to have a tour the following day to Iskanderkul.

- Our Iskanderkul tour was booked through GetYourGuide. It is a lake, named after Alexander the Great himself. (Iskander is the Persian name of Alexander.) The are many legends as to why the lake was named after him. Some say he passed by the area and defeated a tribe that defied him, and others may say that his horse Bucephalus drowned in the lake (but I beg to differ). 

- The lake itself was stunning, even during winter when everything is white with the Fann Mountains peeking from the fog and snow. However, the road going to the lake from the city was an adventure in itself: plenty of mountains, countryside view, long tunnels, but at the same time, some roads that don't appear the safest especially with slippery snow. 

Iskanderkul.

I can tell you that the photo does not to justice to the lake's beauty and serenity.

I'm not sure if the lake was frozen, I didn't want to disturb the lake.

On higher ground.

You can see a bit more of the Fann Mountains.

Wild eagle.

You can really feel that you're not in the city anymore.

- We got back to the city in the early afternoon and after which we visited the Dushanbe Mall. It was just a couple of blocks rom the hotel. It wasn't a very big mall, but it had a lively food court.  

Dushanbe Mall.

Inside the mall.

The streets of Dushanbe's city center will sometimes remind you of New York. (Just some parts.)

- We did not do much for the rest of the day after our late lunch, although I did briefly stop by the department store again to look at some things. Rest was a need because we were all set to do a whole-day tour of Dushanbe the following day.

- I wasn't sure how to put into words my impressions of Tajikistan. I could really tell that they are trying to develop and bring the country to the current times, but at the same time, these developments are very recent, so there are facilities, especially outside the city, that feel left behind by whatever development was going on. I did appreciate that I got to see how other people live in different conditions, especially during the harsh winter.  

** Check out my other adventures in Central Asia and Malaysia here!

KAZAKHSTAN

Part 1: Ascension Cathedral, Shymbulak, Souvenir Shopping - here

Part 2: Charyn Canyon, Kaindy Lake, Kolsay Lake - here 

Part 3: First President Park, Kok Tobe, Museum, Metro Stations - here

KYRGYZSTAN

Part 1: Ala-Too Square and Museum, Souvenir Shopping - here 

Part 2: Issyk-Kul, Konorchek Canyon, Burana Tower - here

TAJIKISTAN

Part 2: Hisor Fortress and Dushanbe City Tour - here

UZBEKISTAN

Part 1: Tashkent - Amir Timur Square, Broadway - here

Part 2: Samarkand - Gur-e Amir, Souvenir Shopping - here

Part 3: Samarkand - Registan, Bibi Khanym Mosque, Shah-i-Zinda, Hazrat Khizr Mosque - here

Part 4: Samarkand - Ulugh Beg Observatory, Afrasiyab Archaeological Museum, Ishratxona - here

Part 5: Bukhara - Lyab-i Hauz and Surroundings - here

Part 6: Bukhara - Ark of Bukhara, Bolo Hauz Mosque, Chor Minor, Po-i Kalyan - here

Part 7: Tashkent - Museums, Besh Qozon, Khast Imam Complex, Metro Stations - here

MALAYSIA     

Part 1: MICHELLE YEOH!, Petronas, Little India, Chinatown, Kwai Chai Hong, Jamek Mosque, Pasar Seni - here

Part 2: Batu Caves, Putrajaya, KL Tower - here