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      

The Buzz in Kyrgyzstan (Part 1): Bishkek, Check It Out!

- December 18-19, 2025, Thursday to Friday.

- Beyond the southern frontier of Kazakhstan lies a country hat is home to one of the world's longest epics: Kyrgyzstan! The Epic of Manas, whose narrative mirrors real-life historical events of the Kyrgyz people, is honored across the country; the country's main airport is even called Manas International Airport.

About to leave Kazakhstan, bought this Kazakhstan chocolate that people keep talking about. It was fine, but didn't taste any different from other chocolates.

First time to board a plane out in the snow. We flew to Bishkek via Air Astana.

- For Filipinos, an e-visa is required and can be easily accomplished online. If staying for 5 days or less, one can apply for a transit visa, which can be less complicated than a regular tourist visa, now called the Sapar visa (also applicable for business visits and visits for private matters). The Sapar visa requires more documents, and may also require an invitation letter (can be accomplished by a travel agency or hotel) even though it formally should not. However, there are many people in online fora who have shared that their visas were denied because they lacked the (supposedly not required anymore) invitation letter. Else, a visa-on-arrival is also possible, but an accomplished e-visa may give one more peace of mind. 

- Upon arriving in Bishkek, the country's capital, we rode a Yandex car to our hotel, Navat Hotel. It's one of the coolest hotels I've stayed in because it was made to really feel "Kyrgyz". The hotel describes itself as an "ethno-boutique" hotel. My family also had a late dinner at a nearby restaurant called Mubarak. During our first evening, I realized that English wasn't too widely spoken and I had to use the little Russian I knew to communicate with the restaurant we were at because there were just so many people there (and I think that's a good sign that the restaurant is good!)

Lagman (noodle dish) and kompot (some kind of fruit-infused juice popular in Central Asia; derived from the French "compote").

A photo of our hotel. I also took a photo of this in daylight the day after, but you know, since we're on the topic. Hahahaha.

- The following day, we explored the city. One thing about Bishkek is that most of its major attractions are located near each other (except for the Osh Bazaar that we didn't get to visit). There are no metro systems in Bishkek, unlike Almaty or Tashkent, so public transportation or hailing Yandex cars would be the way to go around. Fortunately, our hotel was located in the heart of the city so we just walked around.

- We first went to Ala-Too Square, built in 1984 and is the main square of Bishkek. The square has a few landmarks, including the Manas Statue, the flagpole with the Kyrgyzstan flag, and the Kyrgyz State Historical Museum. On the way to the museum, we were fortunate to witness the changing of guards!

Ala-Too Square.

Kyrgyzstan flag.

Changing of guards (and the State Museum at the back.)

Behind the museum is the statue of Vladimir Lenin. This used to be placed in front of the Ala-Too Square, and the square was named Lenin Square. In 2003 the government removed the statue and replaced by the Manas statue that represented Kyrgyz sovereignty and identity.  

- The Kyrgyz State Historical Museum is the premier museum in the country, opened first in 1927. The current building, however, was only built in 1984. The museum presents a historical narrative of Kyrgystan, with matching artifacts from the dawn of man until today.

Some of the earliest caps and tools in Kyrgyzstan.

A Buddha statue. Remember that Buddhism was one of the religions that was spread through the Silk Road.

Hindu and Buddhist artifacts.

A Kyrgyz yurt.

Horses and thick coats worn by various Kyrgyz groups in the mountains.

My kind of artifacts.

Costumes worn by prominent thespians in Kyrgyzstan.

Museum interior.

- I later had a brief visit to the Victory Monument, created in 1985. The monument shows a woman under what looks like a yurt; an eternal fire burns in front of her. A loser look reveals that the yurt's opening has a funeral wreath. The whole monument is a memorial for families who are waiting for members who went and fought in World War II.

Independence Monument.

- For lunch and the early afternoon, my family visited two malls right across each other: Gum Chynar and Tsum Aichurok. Gum Chynar appears to be a regular local mall, while Tsum Aichurok is a department store. Tsum Aichurok has a souvenir center at the top floor, so my family decided that we didn't need to visit Osh Bazaar anymore since we'd be looking for souvenirs there too (and Osh Bazaar was very out of the way.) 

Tsum Aichurok.

Gum Chynar.

This is the souvenir center at the top floor of Tsum Aichurok.

- We took the rest of the afternoon off to rest, just so we can pace ourselves for the long journey ahead. We hadn't rested much since Kazakhstan, so it was great to have a bit of down time as well. Our hotel was cozy anyway and it's nice to spend a bit of time there too. 

- Bishkek was convenient to see because it was so compact, so we were able to save so much time. I'm sure there are more interesting things to see in Bishkek, but because there was a lot of renovation works going on across the city, maybe the city will be better after its facelift. Still, I'm happy to have seen what the city has to offer!

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

TAJIKISTAN

Part 1: Iskanderkul Lake, Souvenir Shopping - here

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