Four countries of Central Asia

September 2026 Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan

In September 2026 I traveled through Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. All four were new to me, bringing my total to 37 countries and regions.

I flew into Bishkek, used Tashkent as a base for an overland day trip to a Tajik border town, and finished in Almaty. The photos and short captions are ones I posted to my Instagram stories along the way.

Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek

Bishkek at 6:30 a.m. — Bishkek at 6:30 a.m. Cool air and a park in the morning sun. A statue of the great actor Chokmorov watches over the city.

A green city — A green city Strolling down avenues of flowerbeds and shade until my next flight.

The hero the city is named after — The hero the city is named after The statue of Baatyr Bishkek.

National History Museum — National History Museum White marble against a blue sky.

A look at the Soviet era, too — A look at the Soviet era, too Photos and flags of the people who fought in World War II.

Uzbekistan: Tashkent

Timur and Soviet architecture — Timur and Soviet architecture Hotel Uzbekistan rises behind the equestrian statue. A city where eras overlap.

The buzz of the Silk Road — The buzz of the Silk Road Walking through the bazaar.

A TV tower in Islamic patterns — A TV tower in Islamic patterns A tower wrapped in geometric designs.

Wait, is this Europe? — Wait, is this Europe? Magic City, with streets straight out of a fairy tale.

A glittering near future at night — A glittering near future at night Tashkent City after dark.

The metro is an underground museum — The metro is an underground museum Cotton-themed mosaics at Paxtakor station.

Every station is decorated differently — Every station is decorated differently Ceramic panels from Navoi's tale Farhad and Shirin.

Soviet-era reliefs — Soviet-era reliefs Before I knew it, I had let several trains go by.

A Russian Orthodox church, too — A Russian Orthodox church, too The Assumption Cathedral, with pale blue walls and golden domes.

A day trip to Tajikistan

Overland to Tajikistan — Overland to Tajikistan First thing in the morning: the metro, then Yandex Go to the border.

Crossing the border on foot — Crossing the border on foot A view you never get when you fly.

Ending at a museum — Ending at a museum Portraits of Timurid astronomers and old manuscripts. An incredibly full day.

Kazakhstan: Almaty

Almaty, the home of apples — Almaty, the home of apples An apple arch welcomed me to the city at night.

A pastel cathedral — A pastel cathedral Zenkov Cathedral in Panfilov Park.

A concert happened to be on at the museum! — A concert happened to be on at the museum! An orchestra of Kazakh folk instruments. The sound of the dombra filled the hall.

Autumn already in the air — Autumn already in the air Toward the mountains in the evening. The trees were starting to turn.

A river of snowmelt — A river of snowmelt Nothing but the roar of the water.

A pleasant kind of loneliness — A pleasant kind of loneliness Soviet-era apartment blocks and a glowing monument. Alone with my thoughts downtown at night.

What I ate

A bear matcha latte — A bear matcha latte Breakfast at Traveler's Coffee. (Kyrgyzstan)

Mashed potatoes — Mashed potatoes With the matcha latte. (Kyrgyzstan)

Freshly fried chebureki — Freshly fried chebureki Lunch at Navat, a Kyrgyz restaurant chain.

Morning croissant — Morning croissant Breakfast at Espresso Lab. (Kyrgyzstan)

A marbled beef burger — A marbled beef burger Lunch at Burger Station. (Kyrgyzstan)

Lagman wins — Lagman wins Chewy hand-pulled noodles in a tomato sauce with beef and vegetables. (Uzbekistan)

Dolma in grape leaves — Dolma in grape leaves With a herb-packed yogurt sauce. (Uzbekistan)

A café break — A café break A latte and a chocolate chip cookie. (Uzbekistan)

A toast under the fireworks — A toast under the fireworks Dinner on a terrace — lagman again. (Uzbekistan)

Ordered chai, got DIY lol — Ordered chai, got DIY lol What Burger King brought: hot water and a tea bag. (Uzbekistan)

Gelato first thing in the morning — Gelato first thing in the morning At Dolce Italia. (Uzbekistan)

Korean food, of all things — Korean food, of all things Curry rice with namul and kimchi, in Tashkent.

This looks awfully familiar… — This looks awfully familiar… A certain chain that took over after McDonald's left. (Kazakhstan)

Drinking something suspiciously like a McShake lol — Drinking something suspiciously like a McShake lol On my first night in Almaty.

Also on note (Japanese) ↗