LOI

I used a Polish company serwiskonsularny.pl to get my LOI because they only requested a letter confirming my employment and a hotel booking for the whole period of my stay in Uzbekistan (canceled later) so I didn’t have to fill long complicated forms required by many other tourist agencies. I got my LOI after ten days (369zł).

Visa

I needed two printed copies of a form filled on-line, two photos, LOI, a photocopy of my passport and 75$. I applied in Tehran and got my visa after 10 minutes.

Border crossings

Turkmenistan – Uzbekistan: (Farab) You need to fill two copies of a custom declaration and keep one of them. I didn’t need to unpack my bags, maybe because I arrived at the same time with two motorcyclists and we all had a lot of bags. Only my medicine kit was checked.

Uzbekistan – Tajikistan: (Sufion – Tursonzoda) I had to fill another custom declaration and show my medicine kit but I didn’t have to unpack my bags. Hotel registrations were checked.

– Roads are generally in poor condition.

– Drivers can be dangerous because, in order to avoid many potholes, they may drive on the same lane as you. They love to honk mercilessly.

– There are lots of chaikhanas along any road where you can eat.

– There aren’t many dogs.

– Shop supplies are sometimes better sometimes worse but in every shop there’s a vast choice of candies.

– ATMs are present only in big cities and are often out of service. You can cash dollars but they take a commission.

– Money are changed by dealers found on bazaars or in other places in towns. There are no official exchange offices. Changing money at the banks is completely unprofitable.

– WI-FI is available only in tourists spots. In smaller towns nobody has ever heard of such a thing.

– Buying a SIM card in a small town is impossible without an Uzbek passport. Either you’ll find a helpful local or buy your SIM in a big city where it shouldn’t be a problem for foreigners.

– Once in three nights you need to be registered in a hotel. Keep the receipts.

– You can communicate in Russian so the only words I learnt were: salom (hello) and rahmat (thank you). English is generally unknown.

– Locals wear beautiful, traditional clothes.

– Children often say „Hello” and adults, if far from the road, will whistle and shout at you to catch your attention, and then they greet you too.

– Don’t miss cycling in the Boysun region.