Thu, 06 Aug 2026 12:20:38 +0100WeeblyTue, 18 Aug 2015 19:18:35 GMThttps://www.jewishjourneysltd.com/extra-information/uzbekistan-trip-updates-august-2015Dear Friends,

I hope you are enjoying your summer. Here are a few updates about our forthcoming trip to Uzbekistan.

Visas:

Our trip to Uzbekistan is soon approaching and now is the time to apply for a visa. All visitors to Uzbekistan require a visa to enter the country.

Details about how to obtain your visa are available on the website at:

http://www.jewishjourneysltd.com/extra-information/your-visa-questions-answered

In most cases a ‘Letter of Intent’ is required in order to obtain a visa. This is sent by our agent in Tashkent to the Uzbekistan Embassy and enables them to issue the visa. Citizens of the following countries are exempt from obtaining a letter of Intent:  Great Britain, USA, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Spain, Czech Republic and Switzerland.

If you require a ‘Letter of Intent’ please follow this link and complete the online form. We will then prepare the letters and make sure that everything is in place for your Visa application.  You can find the form HERE.

Payments:

The final payment for the trip to Uzbekistan is now due. I will resend your invoice later this week with a summary of your payments to date and any details of any outstanding payments due.

Flights:

You should have already booked your flights. If you have not done so yet, please do so soon. If you have not already sent me the details of your flights, please CLICK HERE to send me your flight details.

I will be sending further information in mid-September.

Thank you.

Rabbi Chaim

]]>Thu, 21 May 2015 08:31:20 GMThttps://www.jewishjourneysltd.com/extra-information/uzbekistan-october-trip-update Dear Friends,

I have just returned from 2 amazing trips to Uzbekistan, and am now looking forward to our trip next October. The plans for this trip are progressing well and I want to share some of those plans with you. I also need some additional information from you to make all the bookings we require.

I have posted a lot of additional information online over the past year. I highly recommend that you read all of the post posts at: http://www.jewishjourneysltd.com/extra-information to make sure you are aware of all the details of the trip.

Here are some of the points I would like to emphasise.

Visas

You will need a visa to enter Uzbekistan. I have posted information about the visa requirements on the website at: http://www.jewishjourneysltd.com/extra-information/your-visa-questions-answered It usually takes about 2 weeks to get the visa. You can apply for a visa from 3 months in advance of a visit, so you should plan to do this any time from the beginning of August.

Flights 

It is also time to start looking at flights.

I checked group flight options, but these are so restrictive that they won’t suit enough travellers to allow me to arrange group flights. You will need to book your own flights.

There are several flight options

Option 1: Regular Trip (No Extension)

The simplest flight combination is with Uzbekistan Airways. There is a flight out from London on Tuesday evening and a return flight a week later on Tuesday afternoon. The trip is coordinated with these flights, and you will be collected from the airport in Tashkent and brought to the airport at the end of the trip in time for the return flight.

If you choose this option your flight dates are:


Out: Tuesday 13 October 2015 – Return: Tuesday 20 October 2015

Option 2: Extended trip – Return on Friday.

If you are doing the Khiva extension, you will return to Tashkent late Wednesday night at around midnight.

As there is no return direct flight to London on Thursdays, and the simplest way to return home is to stay an extra day in Tashkent, and to return to London with Uzbekistan Airways on Friday.  Please note that this flight gets in to London on Friday night, and is not suitable for those who observe Shabbat. You will need to ask for an extra night in Tashkent if you choose this option.

Flight dates for this option are:

Out: Tuesday 13 October 2015 – Return: Friday 23 October 2015

Option 3: Extended Trip - Return on Thursday.

Those taking the trip extension and who wish to return on Thursday have a few options. Uzbekistan Airways does not offer a flight to London on Thursday, but it is possible to return to another European Airport including Frankfurt, Milan, Istanbul and Riga. You can choose any of these options that you wish. You will then need to book a separate one way flight from that airport back to London.

Please note that you will be flying on 2 separate tickets, and that you will not be able to check your luggage all the way through to London. You will need to collect your suitcase in the transfer airport and then check in again. Also, if you miss you connecting flight, the airline will not take responsibility. If you fly via Istanbul you will need a visa to clear customs in Istanbul in order to collect you suitcase and check it in again. This costs around $20 USD and can be done online.

All this means that to avoid difficulty, if you aren’t flying directly you should allow plenty of time for your transfer. Flights leave very early Thursday morning (around 5:00 am). In my experience, Frankfurt airport is fast and efficient and in the EU so the transfer is easy. The other airports are less efficient, but it comes down to a matter of personal choice.

If you choose this option your flight dates are:

Out: Tuesday 13 October 2015 – Return: Thursday 22 October 2015


Option 4: Other Airlines

Finally, if you wish to fly to Uzbekistan on different airline the choice is yours. The only European Airline flying into Tashkent is Turkish Airways. This is a world class airline, and I have flown with it several times. It flies to Uzbekistan via Istanbul. If you fly with them you will be able to book your luggage all the way through. For more details go to their website.

Please note that several people used Turkish airlines on the trips in April and May, and on one occasion the people missed their flight connection in Istanbul, due to a late departure from Heathrow. If you take this option it is advisable to leave plenty of time in Istanbul to make your connection.

You do not need to book your flight immediately, but should not wait too long as the cheapest fares go early – and there are a limited number of seats on each flight.

Internal flights:

I now need to confirm the flight bookings for the internal flights in Uzbekistan. In order to do this I need to include a copy of the front page of the passport of each passenger. Please send me a scan or photocopy of the picture page of your passport. If you have any difficulty please let me know as soon as possible so I can assist you. This needs to be a clear scan that includes the numbers that are printed along the strip at the bottom of the passport. I need this relatively quickly because without the copy I cannot confirm your internal flights.

  Please note that there are a limited number of places on the flight from Tashkent to Bukhara. Depending on availability when I get your passport scan, I may need to divide the group between 2 flights. Some people will fly to Bukhara late Thursday night and others on Friday morning. Regardless of which flight you are on you will get to see all the sites in both cities.

Other Observations.

Just a few additional notes and observations based on my experience of the trips in April and May.

Walking: Some people have asked me about how much walking is involved in the trips. I have posted about this in the website. I would add that in addition to walking, there is a fair amount of standing and listening to explanations about various sites. I always aim to stop at places where there is shade and it is possible to sit – but it doesn’t always work out. Some people found a small folding chair/walking stick to be useful.

Vegetarian Food. In my earlier posts I mentioned that it was difficult to find vegetarian food in Uzbekistan. It was actually not as difficult as anticipated, and there were tons of fresh fruits and vegetables in the markets. It could be that this is a seasonal thing.

Tips. There are many places where we are expected to leave tips from porters, drivers, guides etc. To make this simpler I will collect £10 from each participant at the beginning of the trip to cover all tips – and will tip as appropriate as a group. This will not include the tip to the  guide who will be with us throughout the trip. You will be able tip our main guide at your discretion at the end of the trip.

Please note that many sites charge a ‘camera fee’ if you take pictures. The charge depends on how popular the site is, and ranges between 50p to £1 per site.

First Payment: I will shortly be sending out your first invoice for the trip. The invoice records your booking as well as any extra services (such as extra nights) that you have requested. Please check the invoice carefully and make sure that your booking is correct and that any extra services are listed. If you have any questions please contact me directly at: info@jewishjourneysltd.com. The first payment of £400 per person is due by 15 June.

Finally: There are several people on a waiting list for this trip. If you have changed your plans and do not intend to join the trip, please let me know as soon as possible so I can allocate your place to someone who is waiting.

I will be sending more information in due course. I look forward to receiving a scan of your passport in the coming days, and hearing details of your flight information when you make your bookings.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Chaim Weiner

E&EO excluded

]]>Wed, 01 Apr 2015 14:11:55 GMThttps://www.jewishjourneysltd.com/extra-information/your-flight-information Dear Friends

Our trip to Uzbekistan is fast approaching. I am in regular contact with our agents in Tashkent, and with the Jewish communities in Bukhara and Samarkand to prepare for our visit.

At this point, I need to double check the information I have about your travel plans in order to make sure that everyone is collected and delivered to the airport at the right time.

Those on the extension to Khiva should be aware that the return flight from Khiva arrives back in Tashkent at around midnight. We will go from the airport to Ramada hotel which is near the airport. Many people will have only a short night in the hotel and will need to return to the airport a few hours later for their early morning flights.

There are some people who are flying out with Turkish Airlines at 3:00 am on Thursday morning. If you are on this flight, it will not make sense for you to go to the hotel at all, and you should transfer to the international terminal to check in for your return flight. If you are on this flight and let me know that you will not require the hotel room, I will cancel your hotel booking for the last night. In this case you will receive a refund of the cost of the hotel room.

To make this as simple as possible, I have prepared a short online form to collect your travel information. At the same time, I am also recording all participants flight details, to know when to expect your arrival.

APRIL TRIP:

To go to the form please CLICK HERE .

MAY TRIP:  To go to the form please CLICK HERE .

I will also be sending additional emails over the coming week with further information.

Best wishes and חג שמח.

Rabbi Chaim


]]>Thu, 19 Feb 2015 10:38:30 GMThttps://www.jewishjourneysltd.com/extra-information/information-on-booking-extra-nights Dear Friends,

A quick update with some extra details and reminders for our forthcoming trip to Uzbekistan.

Extra nights in Hotels

A number of people have been in touch with me to request extra nights at hotels in Uzbekistan either before or after the trip. It has taken me some time to confirm the prices for extra nights at the hotels – but these have now been confirmed.

The first hotel we are staying at is the Lotte City Tashkent Palace Hotel in Tashkent. The cost of an extra night at this hotel is £110 for a double/twin room and £95 for a single room.

The last hotel we will be staying at the end of the trip is the Ramada, which is nearer the airport. The cost of an extra night at this hotel is £85 for a double/twin room and £75 for a single room.

If you asked me to book extra nights, these will be added to your invoice. If require extra nights but have not informed me yet, then please let me know as soon as possible so I can make the necessary arrangements. We are travelling in the high tourist season in Uzbekistan, and it is important that bookings are made as early as possible.

Elections

On a completely different subject – please note that our trips to Uzbekistan in April (depending on your flight itinerary) and May (everyone) coincide with the forthcoming UK general election. You might want to register for a postal vote with your local council if you do not want to miss your vote.

Best wishes to all,

Chaim

]]>Thu, 15 Jan 2015 11:01:48 GMThttps://www.jewishjourneysltd.com/extra-information/your-visa-questions-answeredDear Friends,

As the April and May trips approach, I have had a lot of communication with people who have been applying for Visas. Here is some additional information for those who have not applied yet.

1. The Visa form is found online at:  http://evisa.mfa.uz/evisa_en/

- You will need a separate form for each person.

2. Fill this out online and print it. You need to send this in together with your passport.

Most of the questions are self-explanatory, but some will seem baffling. Here is some information you might require:

3. Length of Visa – I suggest you have your visa start on the day you plan to arrive – and get a few extra days at the end in case of a delayed departure. The cost of a Visa is £50 for up to 15 days.

4. Number of entries: We will only be entering Uzbekistan ONCE.

(If you have decided to extend you trip to one of the neighbouring countries and plan to pass through Uzbekistan again on your return you will next extra entries according to your itinerary).

5. Duration of Visa procedure: The Normal procedure should be OK for most of us. This typically takes up to 10 days. If you are in a rush – then you can choose the Urgent procedure – but this will cost more.

6. Route in Uzbekistan: Choose: Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara

7. Purpose of Visit: Tourism

8. Inviting Party: You do not need an inviting party if you are applying with a passport of the following countries:  Great Britain, USA, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Spain, Czech Republic and Switzerland

However, as the form won’t let you leave this space empty, you should enter the name of our agent in Uzbekistan, who is: Advantour: Mirobod - 1 str, 47а Tashkent 100015

- If you are travelling on a passport not listed here please let me know. I will have our agent issue a ‘Letter of Invitation’ which you will need before you can apply for your Visa.

9. Address in Uzbekistan. You should use the address of the first hotel we will be staying at: This is:

Lotte City Tashkent Palace: Buyuk Turon kochasi 56, Tashkent 700029

 
Accompanied persons: Do not list anyone here unless you are both travelling on the same passport. If you are travelling with your partner who has their own passport, you will need to fill out a separate form. There is a link to this at the end of the form.

Occupation. This is a difficult one. There is a dropdown list – that doesn't seem to include any of the things that most of us do. If appropriate choose ‘Retired’, ‘unemployed’ or ‘Individual enterprise’.

Other notes:

This is based on the feedback of some people who have already tried to get the Visa:

Up-loading pictures: Many people have difficulty with this. You can ignore this. You will need to enclose 2 passport size pictures with your application in any case. 

Photocopy of Passport. They expect you to photocopy your passport including the main page and every page with a stamp or visa on it.

Payment. You will need a Postal Order for the full fee. The cost depends on the length of your Visa. See http://www.uzbekembassy.org/e/visa_fees/  for details. They do not accept cheques.

You can either deliver and collect your passport in person – or send it by post. They recommend using Special Delivery – which I did when I applied for my visa. You will need to include a prepaid and pre-addressed Special Delivery envelope if you intend to use this service.

I have been told that if you are applying for a friend, you will need a letter of authorisation. Keep this in mind if one person is going down with several passports.

Please let me know if you have any further questions or if you have any other advice you can share with the rest of the group.

Best wishes,

Chaim



Comments: CLICK HERE]]>Thu, 08 Jan 2015 10:43:54 GMThttps://www.jewishjourneysltd.com/extra-information/uzbekistan-trip-passport-information-requiredDear Friends,

Preparations for the Uzbekistan trips are going ahead.

I am now at the point that I need to confirm the flight bookings for the internal flights in Uzbekistan. In order to do this I need to include a copy of the front page of the passport of each passenger. Therefore, I am asking each participant to send me a scan or photocopy of the picture page of your passport. If you have any difficulty please let me know as soon as possible so I can assist you. This needs to be done relatively quickly because without the copy I cannot confirm your internal flights.

For those traveling in April and May the first payment for the trip is due by 15 January. Please refer to your invoice for payment information. I am sending out a copy of your invoice together with this message. It includes details of your booking: Which trip, whether you have booked the extension or not, and whether you have asked for extra nights at the beginning or the end of the trip, as well as details of your payment to date.  Please double check this information and let me know as soon as possible if there are any amendments to make.

Best wishes,

Rabbi Chaim Weiner

]]>Sun, 07 Dec 2014 11:41:07 GMThttps://www.jewishjourneysltd.com/extra-information/uzbekistan-revised-itineraryDear Friends, 

As I mentioned in my last post, I have now revisited our itinerary in Uzbekistan as the result of the things I learned in my recent visit. 


Itinerary (subject to change) 

Day 1: Arrival in Tashkent, Wednesday 
Arrive in Tashkent. Time to rest after the night flight and then visit Independence Square and sites and the city centre to kick off our trip in Uzbekistan. Overnight: Tashkent 

Day 2: Tashkent – Bukhara, Thursday

Today we will visit the Old City of Tashkent. We will see the Oldest Koran in the world, visit the synagogues of Tashkent and the local markets. In the late afternoon we will transfer to the airport for a 1.5 flight to Bukhara. 

Day 3: Bukhara, Friday

Today we focus on the countryside around Bukhara. We will visit a Sufi Shrine and hear about Sufi Islam, and its influence on the development of mystical schools in Judaism. We will also visit the summer palaces of the Emir of Bukhara before returning to the city to prepare for Shabbat. Evening at Jewish community Synagogue in Bukhara including Shabbat Dinner with local community. Overnight: Bukhara 

Day 4: Bukhara, Saturday
Morning with Jewish community in Bukhara and afternoon walking tour in the old city of Bukhara. We will see the amazing old Madrasahs and mosques, including the Lyabi Hauz Ensemble, Magoki-Attori Mosque, Chor-Minor Madrasah, trade domes, Kalyan Minaret, Kalyan Mosque and Miri-Arab Madrasah, Ulugbek and Abdulazizkhan madrasahs, Ark Fortress, Bolo-Khauz Mosque, Ismail Samani and Chashma-Ayub mausoleums. Finish the day with Havdalah in the old synagogue. Overnight: Bukhara.

Day 5: Bukhara-Samarkand, Sunday
In the morning depart Bukhara and drive along the ancient Silk Route to Samarkand by bus (5 hours). Arrive in Samarkand and transfer to the hotel.  Visit Ulugbek Observatory, Gur-Emir Mausoleum, Registan Square. Overnight at the hotel. At night an optional Kosher or Kosher/Vegetarian dinner at Nina’s, a member of the local Jewish community. Overnight: Samarkand.

Day 6: Samarkand, Monday
Start the second day in Samarkand with a visit to Samarkand Synagogue and guided walk in the Jewish quarter of the old city. Continue to Koni Ghil village to explore traditional way of making Samarkand paper from mulberry. Continue visits in Samarkand: Samarkand bazaar, Bibi Khanum Mosque and Shakhi-Zinda Necropolis and the Tomb of the Prophet Daniel. Overnight Samarkand. Optional Vegetarian Lunch will be offered at the paper mill. Overnight: Samarkand.

Day 7 (for those who are not on the extention): Samarkand – Tashkent-London, Tuesday

Morning drive to Tashkent (4-5 hours). Arrive in Tashkent. If there is enough time, lunch in Tashkent and some time in the market.  In the afternoon transfer to the airport, for your flight to London. End of the tour.


Optional Extension:

Day 7: Samarkand-Tashkent- Khiva, Tuesday 
In the morning visit local Museum in Samarkand. We continue by train to Tashkent for some free time in the local market. Transfer to airport for nighttime flight to Khiva. Overnight: Khiva 

Day 8: Khiva-Urgench-Tashkent, Wednesday 
Full day tour in Khiva. Visit Ichan-Kala Fortress which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The tour features visits to Mukhammad Amin Khan Madrasah, Mukhammad Rahimkhan Madrasah, Kalta Minor, Juma Mosque, Toshkhovli Palace, Pakhlavan Makhmud Mausoleum. Try climbing Islom Khodja Minaret, the highest minaret in Uzbekistan. Enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of Old Khiva in Kunya-Ark. 

Transfer to local airport (Urgench) in the evening for flight back to Tashkent. Arrival in Tashkent, transfer to the hotel. Overnight: Tashkent

Day 9: Tashkent – departure 
Transfer to the airport in the morning. End of the tour.

Flights: 

Uzbekistan Airways offers direct from London to Tashkent on Tuesday nights and return from Taskent on Tuesday afternoon. The main trip has been planned around these flights. 

Those choosing the extension will be able to return on Thursday via Frankfurt, Istanbul, Milan, Tel Aviv or Riga   as there is no direct flight to London on a Thursday. There is also an option to return on Friday directly to London, but this option is not appropriate for those who are Shabbat Observant. 

The flight schedule for 2015 is not yet available, and the programme is subject to change pending confirmation of the flight times. Further details about the flights will follow as they become available.


Cost: 

Basic trip: £890.  Single Supplement: £160.

Extended trip: £1190. Single supplement: £195

This price includes hotels on a B/B basis. Airport transfers. Coaches, guides, Shabbat meals with the local community, entrance fees and the internal flight from Bukhara-Tashkent or Khiva (Urgench) –Tashkent as appropriate. It does not include International Flights, travel insurance, extras in hotels, any other meals, visa fees or anything not specifically mentioned.


All my previous posts, including the updates from my Uzbekistan Trip and the Posts with flight details and Practical Tips are available if you Click Here.



]]>Sun, 07 Dec 2014 10:56:34 GMThttps://www.jewishjourneysltd.com/extra-information/uzbekistan-report-practical-informationDear all,

Josh and I are now back from our visit to Uzbekistan. We had an amazing time in this fascinating country and we tried to share some of our experiences with you as we went along the way. We learned a lot and checked out many sites. Based on our experience there will be some modifications to the itinerary - more on this later.

In this update I would like to share some practical information about the trip - the journey, the country, the sites and the hotels. I will organise my thoughts around the questions people have been asking me over the past few months.

What was Uzbekistan Airways like?

We flew out with Uzbekistan Airways. The fight was perfectly ok. The check-in was easy, the flight left on time and they even got my kosher meal right. The plane was a Boeing 757 - a narrow body plane.

One the other hand, the decor of the plane was what we would call 'tired', the seats were narrow and it wasn't particularly comfortable. There was no in-flight entertainment (but the flight went through the night - so I wasn’t really looking for any) It was OK - but not a luxury experience. I would not hesitate flying with them again.

We also flew with Uzbekistan Airways on an internal flight from Urgench to Tashkent. I had expected a small aircraft but it was an Airbus 320 - the same as you find on Easyjet flights. It was a new and comfortable plane and everything was exactly as one would expect.

Because of our missed return flight, it worked out that I also got to fly back to London with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul. The plane was much newer, and it felt more like you were flying with a European airline in terms of ambience and service, in fact it was one of my best flying experiences.  But this route does involve changing flights in Istanbul, so ultimately it is a longer journey. The actual flying time is 1.5 hours longer - and then you need to factor in any time spent waiting between flights. The choice really depends on whether more comfort on the flight or less time on the airplane is more important to you.

Arrival in Tashkent

The airport in Tashkent is a modern airport, and although I was told that it has been rated the 5th worst airport in the world, we came through reasonably quickly. You will go through passport control and then through customs. You need to fill out two copies of a customs form (available in English or Russian) in which you list everything of value you bring into the country. You will have to show this again on departure - so make sure you list anything of value. You also need to declare any currency you have with you - again - you will only be able to take out of the country up to the amount you declare when you come in (although they did not actually check this). Every bag is scanned by the customs on both entrance and exit.

Visas

Your visa is your key to staying in Uzbekistan. It is important that it is in order. It will be checked when you arrive, again every night at the hotel, and finally upon exit. Josh and I had to spend an extra day in Uzbekistan as we were caught out by inclement weather. This meant that we would have been a day over on our visa. Extending the visa for that extra day was a long and arduous piece of bureaucracy. The group trip is in a much better season and it is very unlikely that we will have trouble , but I suggest getting a few extra days on your visa to begin with - just to be sure.

What is the best currency to bring?

Currency is a big issue in Uzbekistan. The local currency is called the Som. One US dollar is unofficially worth 3000 Som. The biggest banknote is 5000 som - which is worth only a bit more than one Pound. Since this is a cash based society, people walk around everywhere with big wads of money. Most transactions are done in 1000 som notes - and the locals are real experts at quickly counting hundreds of these at a go.

Although there is an official bank rate, it seems that the whole economy works on the black market. You can buy and sell currency everywhere - people in the street, the local guides, the hotels and probably also from the police! There is a 30% premium on the black market, and seemingly little risk.

The best currency is US dollars. Prices are quoted in dollars and you can also pay in dollars. They will check every note - is it clean, crisp, unmarked. A good crisp note will be worth more, and no-one will take a worn ragged bank note. Hundred Dollar notes, 50s or 20s are great. Don't bring 1's - no one will take them. The Euro is a distant second to the dollar; it can also changed on the street at a smaller premium. They haven't heard of British Pounds wo it isn’t worth bringing them.  I saw some bank machines in Tashkent and the bigger cities - but none of them were working and I didn't give any a try, so you will have to bring cash. Prices are general reasonable.

How much walking will there be on the trip?

The trip does involve some moderate walking, and you need to be mobile to participate. That said, there isn't a lot of heavy walking. Here are more details city by city.

Tashkent: We will be driving from sites to site and walking around the different sites: Mosques, Madrassahs, synagogues, markets and museums. Usually half an hour of walking at a time.

Bukhara. We will be here for Shabbat. The synagogue is a 5-10 minute walk from the hotel. This is city walking on pavements or cobble roads. The hotel is located in the Old City and distances are short. 

There is a walking tour around the old city for a couple of hours on Shabbat afternoon. This will include a visit to the  'Ark" - the city fortress, which involves climbing a steep ramp and walking around the fort. The total walk will be around 2 hours. We are never more than 15 minutes from the hotel - and it is possible to miss bits out and return to the hotel at any time.

Samarkand. We are visiting many sites. This is mainly getting on and off of the coach, with up to an hour walking around each site. One site involves climbing a steep ramp and going up 40 steps. It is possible to miss this bit out and stay on the coach.

Khiva. This involves a whole day of walking around the Old Town. The surfaces are all paved or tiled. There will be breaks along the way at cafes and at lunch time. Those who bring small chairs with them will have plenty of opportunities to sit while listening to explanations.

Hotels:

We will be staying in 4* hotels in Tashkent and 3* in other cities. The hotels are clean and comfortable. The hotels in Tashkent are of a high standard - in the other cities they are more average.

Each time we come to a hotel you will be asked to hand in your passport to be registered. You will get back a small ticket which records your registration. You need to keep all of these tickets, as they show that you were registered each night. This is a legal requirement. You can be asked when you leave the country to show all the tickets, to make sure that were were registered probably. It is an offense to stay anywhere unregistered. Josh and I had our registrations checked twice. It is advisable to keep these registration tickets in a safe place, but not attached to your passports, so they don't get lost when you hand your passport into another hotel.

Food - vegetarian

Uzbekistan is a meat-eating country. There is almost no vegetarian food to be found, in spite of the fact that they grow a lot of fruit and vegetables locally. The local restaraunts generally only serve one or two local dishes, which they serve up when you enter. It is more like visiting a friend for lunch than eating at a restaurant.

The big cities have bigger tourist restaurants with a more varied menu. Kosher food is only available if prearranged in Bukhara and Samarkand.

I know that many of you prefer vegetarian meals, and for this reason I am going to offer a few extra meals where we have asked the establishment to prepare some vegetarian food in advance to make sure it is available for those who seek it. These will be available for you to pre-book before the trip if you wish. I will send out further details closer to the trip.

Toilets

Not a nice subject to discuss  - but you should be aware that public toilets in Uzbekistan are dirty and smelly - and not really suitable for westerners. We have identified some suitable options in each town - but it is advisable to make use of the hotel toilets whenever you can (and to bring some toilet paper with you!).

Changes to the Itinerary

Based on our experience I have made a number of changes to the itinerary. The changes are as follows:

1. Bukhara has a bigger Jewish community and was altogether the better Shabbat experience. We are now going to spend Shabbat in Bukhara rather than Samarkand. This means that I have changed around the order of the days on our itinerary. We will now fly to Bukhara first, and from there to Samarkand and back to Tashkent.

2. As explained above, I have added 2 extra meals in Samarkand that will be pre-arranged and you will have the option of book in advance - to overcome the problem of finding vegetarian options for those who seek them.


3. Khiva.

Khiva presented the biggest logistical problem of the trip. It is mind bogglingly beautiful - and my personal favourite part of the trip. However, the journey from Bukhara to Khiva is very long - 7-8 hours in a couch on some very challenging roads and with nothing but desert to see along the way. The biggest problem is a lack of toilets along the way. There is only one semi-decent toilet 3 hours into the journey - and from then on - only the open desert for those who need it. Weighing all the options - I have decided to forgo this journey. For those on the extension, we will now fly to Khiva from Tashkent. This change will add two extra internal flights - and will roughly £150.00 to the cost of the extension - but all considered I feel it is worth it. I will be sending out a separate email with the revised itinerary and costs.If anyone wishes to adjust their booking as a result of these changes, please let me know as soon as possible.


I hope I have covered most of your questions in this message. Please let me know if I have left out anything important.


That's all for now.


Chaim


]]>Thu, 04 Dec 2014 02:07:20 GMThttps://www.jewishjourneysltd.com/extra-information/wed-dec-03-2014
A further update on the second part of the trip.


Day Six - Journey from Buchara:

After a very pleasant Shabbat with the handful of remaining Jews in Buchara, we got ready to set off to our last stop in Uzbekistan - the ancient city of Khiva. On the way out of Buchara, we visited the tomb of one of the great Sufi mystics, and met pilgrims from around the world who had come to receive blessings and inspiration at the holy site. The drive through the Uzbek desert, up along the border with Turkmenistan, was pretty long and arduous and took up most of the rest of the day. We might have to rethink this part of the tour! We stopped at the only stop on the way a few hours out of Buchara, and half-slept the rest of the way, but around sunset finally made it to Khiva and checked in to the hotel, just on the edge of the walled city. There were no lights outside, and after a short attempt to explore the city by ourselves, we came back to the hotel and contented ourselves with waiting for our guide in the morning.

Day Seven - Khiva:

Khiva is incredibly beautiful. The intricate geometrical artwork on blue tiles that decorated some of the mosques and mausoleums in other cities now covered every building we could see. Each building outdid the last in size, complexity and sheer beauty. We visited harems, prisons, labyrinths and palaces - some of which have been turned into small half-hearted museums dedicated to various crafts. Pedlars were selling camelskin socks and hand-carved bookstands, and it was apparently wedding season, because we met at least a dozen brides and grooms walking and dancing in every corner of the old city. We ended up in a farmers' market outside the city walls, where all sorts of things were bought and sold. We stayed another night in the hotel, tired but satisfied.

Day Eight - Out of Khiva:

We woke up early and checked out of the hotel, mentally preparing ourselves to say goodbye to Uzbekistan after a week of getting to know the wacky and fascinating country. But things didn't go exactly as planned. A thick fog had descended on the area, and after a cautious drive to the nearest airport in Urgench, we were informed that no planes could take off until the fog had lifted. Since we were planning to take a flight from Tashkent later that day, we were a bit worried, and as the day went on and the fog stayed, our worries were realised. As I write, it's now 4pm and we still haven't moved, and our tentative plan is to fly back via Istanbul tomorrow. We've almost finished all our crisps, and I'm near the end of my badly-translated book of Uzbek short stories. But the last week has been such a great experienced that it's hard to get too troubled, and I'm cautiously optimistic. If we ever make it home, we'll send this email update out to you...


I will be sending out a further email later with practical information about the trip.

Best wishes.

Chaim]]>Mon, 01 Dec 2014 04:25:06 GMThttps://www.jewishjourneysltd.com/extra-information/sun-nov-30-2014Dear Friends,


Those of you who have been following my movements may know that I am in Uzbekistan this week with my son Josh, preparing for our visit next year. Josh has been jotting down some notes about some of the things we've been seeing. Over the next few days I will be sending out some more of our impressions - to whet your appetite and help you prepare for your visit.


Day One - Tashkent:

Never having travelled to Central Asia, I didn't know what to expect, and after a day in Tashkent I'm still trying to figure out what categories to place Uzbekistan in. We were met with a whole range of contradictions: huge Soviet-style buildings side by side with ancient tiled mosques and minarets; Middle-East style bazaars with a strong smell of pickled onions and horsemeat; the oldest Koran in the world and a contemporary art museum; rumours of a strict dictatorship, with friendly and open people and a thriving black market. The long plane ride (which was fairly comfortable, apart from an air hostess who told me she gave pillows to women and children only, before giving in and handing me one) coupled with the five-hour time difference might have added to the dreamy sense of wandering a new and strange part of the world, but we managed to see a fair bit of the city before coming back to the hotel and calling it a night (or a morning, or whatever).

Day Two - Samarkand:

The fabled golden road to Samarkand turned out to be a surprisingly modern high-speed train which sped through the Uzbek landscape, giving us glimpses of anonymous villages, donkey carts and lots of fields. People walking around wearing fur hats and silk robes reminded me of haredim in Jerusalem, and we were wearing the smallest kippot in the town. Samarkand has a long and rich history, and each of the sites we visited taught me more about the past and explained parts of the present that we were experiencing. We saw mind-bogglingly beautiful and huge mosques and madrassahs, an ancient observatory and the tomb of the Prophet Daniel, which was rumoured to grow by 18cm a year and is now phenomenally long. We also started to discover Jewish life in the city, met with some members of the local community, visited the synagogue (with chickens running around the courtyard) and heard lots of interesting stories, which prompted lots of questions we hope we'll manage to answer in the coming days.

Day Three and Four - Shabbat in Buchara:

We managed to fit in a few last visits and meetings in Samarkand before moving along the Silk Road towards Buchara. Buchara is also packed with castles, pools, dervish lodges, bazaars and ancient buildings, but our main focus was on building up a relationship with the Jewish community. The community used to number tens of thousands, but Communism and aliyah have seen it dwindle to around two hundred. We went through the alleys of the Old City until we found the synagogue, and then joined them for a nice Friday evening service. (Their tradition of serving tea and coffee in the middle of the service is something we could think about adopting back home!) We joined a young Jewish family for dinner, and even though our Tajik and Uzbek language skills aren't yet fluent, we managed to hold a conversation in a mix of languages, and swapped Shabbat songs. We also explored the city, and heard more of the story of Uzbekistan, which is finally starting to fall into place.



That's all for now. We are off to Khiva and there will be more to follow ina few days.

Chaim



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