tajikistan

Dushanbe (2026)

Landing in Tajikistan at 22:50 with zero cash was a bad idea. Dushanbe airport has two functioning ATMs, only one of which accepts international cards. But sadly, it didn't accept Mastercards (which was bewildering to me). Cue panicked pleading with the non-English-speaking info desk ladies, who kindly threw a few dollars at me to (make me go away and) get a ride into an ATM in the city centre which would accept Mastercards. After a lot of miscommunication with and attempted-overcharging-by various airport taxi drivers, I convinced one to take me into the city. But we had to spend 30 mins driving around before we finally landed on a precious, Mastercard-compatible ATM. I eventually made it to my designated guesthouse for the night at 1am. I'd been in contact with the owner throughout, and he'd been super helpful and patient. Anyway, this was me walking round the neighbourhood in the early hours to get a 'feel' for the place. I had an understandably LONG lie-in the next morning (check out was at 12). I would've stayed in the guesthouse another night as the host was super hospitable, but they were fully booked so I relocated to Green House Hostel - the main traveller hub round here. These were scenes from nearby the hostel after I'd checked in early afternoon and was hunting for some veggie food. Dushanbe is very much a city 'under construction'... Dushanbe is a strange city. Over a million people live here, yet you can be a few minutes from the downtown core and find yourself in what feel like empty country roads. The city feels like it's constantly heading upwards with all the constructions sites and unfinished tower blocks, but there's also areas like this. Again, merely a few minutes from the downtown core... I assumed this was a site that was being demolished to make way for new tower blocks, but I'd walk up and down this road many times during my brief stay in Dushanbe and I'd later see it in a different light... On day one, however, it really did feel like the old making way for the new. This was opposite all that destruction. Modern Dushanbe: ornate tower blocks, plenty of trees, and the colours of the national flag. We'll be seeing a LOT of that... Rudaki Avenue. One of the main thoroughfares of the city, I think? Flanked by many educational institutions, based on all the students that I saw wandering around. It's pretty enough. Surprisingly quiet for a Saturday afternoon, but it seems that Tajiks avoid socialising during the daytime and instead come out in force during the cooler evening hours. Tajik National University, adorned with an image of the authoritarian leader Emomali Rahmon. He's responsible for a personality cult that sees his image plastered absolutely EVERYWHERE, no matter how remote or insignificant. I got tired of seeing his stupid mug after about five mins of walking around, so I think this is one of the only examples of a very VERY visible mainstay of Tajik life. Still in the 'academic' hood, trying to find my way to the only restaurant in town with manifold vegetarian options, and distracted by retro newspaper kiosks and an old guy doing lawd knows what. One of many buildings that caught my eye on Academics Rajabov Street. A... yoghurt kiosk? I'm not sure. I was finding the randomness of Dushanbe quite endearing. Hot dogs are a big thing here. I guess made from sth other than pig flesh, as the nation's majority-Muslim. An abandoned (or perhaps not? couldn't really tell) building straight outta my Soviet dreams. After finally getting my hands on some veggie lunch, I decided to cram in the major tourist attractions. But not before getting distracted by more old buildings. First stop during touristing: the Ismoil Somoni Monument. As a relatively new nation-state, Tajikistan is very focused on building national identity around a bunch of historical figures (current president included). Ismoil Somoni - an iconic leader of the Samanid Empire back in the 9thC - is perhaps the most notable among them. The country's currency, highest peak, and a whole host of monuments are named after the guy. This is the most significant monument of them all! Very much in the heart of the city now, surrounded by enormous, ostentatious, frightfully-gaudy buildings all over the place. A wild contrast from the country roads and dilapidated abodes just a short walk away. And of course, good old President Rahmon is plastered all over the shop around here... Rudaki Avenue is the most iconic street in the city. The Ismail Somoni Monument lies just off it. When facing the street, you can see the parliament building (in red) and other lavish government buildings further up the road. Right next to the Ismail Somoni Monument is Rudaki Park, the city's most famed. They do a heck of a job maintaining these grounds, and I suspect I know how (scroll further down and you'll see). Flowers. Ismail Somoni Monument. Random ppl. And the enormous National Library over on the right. To reiterate: this was a Saturday afternoon, and I was pretty much the only person walking through this area. Tajiks do not do the sunlight. Pres. Rahmon decided that he wanted to have like the largest library in the world (or at least in Central Asia) and built this enormous beast to house 10 million books. I think they've only managed to fill it with 3 million thus far... Tajikistan's Independence Monument. Fairly self-explanatory. There's also an Independence Tower a 30-min walk away I think, but the grounds were all closed due to their preparing for their imminent indy day parade... (scroll to Khorog pics to see a glimpse of it on a TV screen). National Library on the right, Ismail Somoni Monument in the background, a few random kiosks dotted about. Again: SAT AFTERNOON and NO ONE AROUND! I imagine it'd have been much livelier had I returned during the evening (and I actually ended up for drinks somewhere nearby so probably should have done so) but still. If you walk all the way to the end of the grounds housing the various monuments/National Library, you come to... another park. You also realise that you're on quite a notable hill and that reaching the park extension requires far too many stairs for so hot an afternoon. I admired from afar. Not that there was really much to note tbf. Google Maps told me this was Navruzgoh Race Track. Also visible from the end of the Indy Monument grounds. Was hot and relatively unenthused by surrounds when I stumbled upon THIS terrifying lil' freak show on my way out of the grounds... The lack of other human beings served only to compound the eeriness. Workers keep the place ticking, despite the absence of any visitors... Deep in the depths of the massive Rudaki Park. Again, curiously quiet for a Sat afternoon. Speaking of, Rudaki = another major historical figure that modern Tajikistan builds its identity around. A 9thC poet, he's renowned as the father of Tajik literature and has Dushanbe's most significant street and park named after him. There's a statue of him to the left there. One thing I took away from Tajikistan is that they have no qualms about embracing quirks and kitsch. Quite some punctuation to the park here. Rudaki Park leads onto yet another park - Flag Pole Park. Named because it houses an ENORMOUS 165m free-standing flagpole that was the tallest in the world when opened in 2011 (but has since been surpassed by four others from countries with similarly questionable regimes). There's the flag pole itself btw. Quite something. Sadly there was not much in the way of wind to take a better shot. Flags are everywhere in this country tho, so I didn't really feel as if I'd missed out. Flags. Part of flagpole. National Museum on the left, National Theatre on the right. Everything amplified to massive scale. And unnervingly devoid of humanity. Oh, Tajikistan... Back over at Rudaki Avenue now, and realising that the country would be celebrating its 35th anniversary of independence during my visit here! Some 5-10 mins from the gargantuan flamboyance of the downtown and one gets back to the reality of life here. One thing I did notice: an abundance of children's playgrounds... frequent splashes of colour in some otherwise fairly uninspiring surrounds. Couldn't really get to grips with whether Dushanbe was being torn down... ...or built up! My (limited) impressions of the city made me feel that much of its residential areas look more akin to this than the tower blocks under construction. I suppose that won't be the case ten years from now tho, given current trends. Dushanbe in one shot. The old and the new, the incomplete and the incongruous. Here's a section of the city that DID feel a bit more aligned with the standards that they're so obviously aiming for. Dushanbe Mall. The most significant shopping centre in town. Not much to say about this place, really, but this is where our Pamir tour started a couple of days later. Would have loved to have visited Dushanbe when it was populated with abodes like this. Character in spades, even in ruinous form. More authentic (aka not Rudaki Ave) street scenes. Not sure there's anything particularly remarkable about these buildings or this neighbourhood, but I loved the composition here. Another old skool street, likely earmarked for future renovation. 'The unfinished city' is what Dushanbe should really be known as. Another sad reality of Dushanbe and Tajikistan as a whole: rubbish. Everywhere. An indictment of waste disposal systems/services, even when hidden from broader public view as here. You'll have to forgive me, I enjoyed the older residential buildings very much and may have gone a bit overboard snapping them. This street in particular felt like a throwback. Lots of traditional abodes centred around communal, open courtyards. Flanked by construction on all sides ofc. The country's most significant urban centre, and a good chunk of it feels flat-out bucolic. This little compound was right opposite Green House Hostel. Kinda wild. But beautiful in its own way. More of the streets around my hostel. By this point, it was becoming clear that I might have to spend an additional night in Dushanbe due to tour operator chaos. Fortunately, the people round here seemed fairly unfazed by foreigners, I guess they're desensitised by Green House's presence. After this I went back to the hostel, desperately tried to sort out the Pamir tour situation which was saved only by my changing a domestic Kyrgyz flight at cost, and then randomly hitched myself onto a mostly-Aussie tour group who were going out for beers at a gastropub. I had a few too many and took a good chunk of them dancing, and ended up back at the hostel at 4am with a bag of potato chips, in typical Reehan style. A fun first night in the city. After shaking off the next morning's hangover, it was time to head back to the previous day's veg-friendly restaurant to get some nourishment. Here's a diff. section of the same street from pics two and three on this album, a street that links Green House Hostel to the downtown a 20-30 min walk away. Flags. Flags. Flags. Walked over to a new neighbourhood after lunch. Pretty. Does seem as if Dushanbe has a number of parks and green/open spaces, which is nice. This was right by the Opera House. The square opposite the Opera House. Dead af on a Sunday afternoon... And the Opera (and Ballet) House itself! Should've taken a better shot without obstructions but oh well. Another cute little green space, this time with fountains in use. Note that all towers surrounding this were very much incomplete, unsurprisingly. Flags or flag colours + construction work = Dushanbe. So I actually walked past this area the previous day (as documented earlier in the gallery), and dismissed it as a site that was being demolished. But... ...after taking a detour through a different section of the area, I soon realised that it's actually very much inhabited. And sadly functions as Dushanbe's slum district. Now there aren't too many slums in the world that I'd be able to waltz through without issue while snapping pics, but I guess it's a testament to Tajiks that no one bothered me around here? It's genuinely maddening that people should live amongst this rubble. Quite why Rahmon's authoritarian leadership is tolerated when people are visibly struggling is beyond me. Something about that tree struck me. Adding a poignant note to a scene bifurcated by ruins and construction, by habitation and dearth. This building stood out when I was on my way back to the hostel. Kinda 'new' Soviet chic. Ayni Street is possibly the main shopping district in the city, and the only area I encountered where there's a relative abundance of people during daylight hours. There's not too much to remark upon about the street itself, but I like the ubiquitous Jura taxis that are captured here, and I note that the gardeners who work on beautifying the city's major thoroughfares do this: get potted plants, dig up holes in the ground, and dump flowers out of pot and into holes. Wash, rinse, repeat. Wild. Maybe this is what happens everywhere and I've just never been privy, but the littered pots was quite the show here. One last pic from my final full day in Dushanbe, a fancier residential area nearby my hostel. Buildings that are actually finished, lived-in. Walked back down this street after dinner and it was full of activity, which was nice to see. Dushanbe... not a city I'd consciously return to, but a fascinating place to visit, no doubt.

Kalai-Khumb + Khorog (2026)

After the absolute shambles and unnecessary stress in the days prior, my Pamir Highway tour FINALLY got going on Mon 7 Sep. Two days later than what had been listed, and two days which I'd now lose as buffer time at the end of my trip - sth that'd necessitate three consecutive flights to get back to Shanghai as soon as the tour ended. But whatever, I'd been waiting seven years for THIS. A car packed with six adventurers and a whole lotta backpacks up top, outside Dushanbe Mall! Day one was a fairly straightforward, uneventful drive. The highlight was probably this photo stop at Nurek Reservoir, the largest in the country. Photo op necessary, ofc. Also had to get the other guys used to the fact that I'd be taking my shirt off a whole damn lot! Those of you who've seen my Kazakhstan gallery will no doubt be familiar with the fact that I have a fondness for empty highways... Given that there wasn't much else to look at during this first day, I indulged quite liberally. It was exciting to be out here on the Pamir Highway after so many years of longing for it. It was also fun seeing the road and landscapes change - initially quite well-paved, running through a couple of notable urban centres, before morphing into gravelly, dusty desolation. One of my fave sights in Central Asia: the ancient cars, dating back from a bygone era. The landscapes surrounding us on day one weren't as topographically wondrous as what would come later, but they were still a feast for the eyes. I think this may have been the city of Kulob, where we stopped for lunch (the only decent veggie lunch of the entire trip, alas). That damn president greeting us upon arrival. I *think* this was our first sighting of Afghanistan. Afer Kulob, the highway reaches the Afghan border and follows it for hundreds of miles thereafter. Some of the scenery that we whizzed by. We eventually reached the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast border. This region of Tajikistan is the country's largest - home of the Pamirs - and has historically been a site for political unrest (possibly thanks to its once-porous border with Afghanistan). To get here requires a special permit and entry via a border post (guards will conduct numerous other document checks all throughout the highway). Was expecting the military personnel here to be callous and corrupt, as is often the case in such places. Instead, they were super friendly young chaps, eager to chat with us. They liked us so much that they even gave us free fruit and bread for our onward journey! Top guys, and expectations truly upended. Once you're in the GBAO, you're basically driving alongside Afghanistan for days. Sometimes you're so close that you can actually throw rocks to the other side. We stopped here to have a closer look at the other side. A bridge that's not in use, and a Taliban hut visible atop the hill. A popular sign announcing the proximity of Afghanistan. Security has been ramped up nowadays so it's impossible to just cross over as people once did. Not that one would really want to given the current Afghan regime. We spent a lot of time gazing over to the other side, sometimes even seeing Afghans go about their daily lives in the distance, wondering what life was like for them. A country and a people that deserve so much more than what powers both foreign and domestic have inflicted upon them. Sigh. This stretch of the highway was very smooth, and we were now beginning to find ourselves flanked by some rather cool mountains. Me taunting the Taliban with my naked torso (that's Afghanistan on the other side of the river). Landscapes starting to become hella spectacular at this point. I found the presence of these random huts fascinating. Following multiple violent skirmishes in recent years, Tajikistan has now invested heavily in fortifying its defences along the border. There are regular military outposts and much of its is visibly-patrolled by armed guards. It's such a remote, sparse region though. I wonder how and where they sleep... in shelters like these, perhaps? Afghan buildings on the other side of the mighty Panj river. Could almost swim to the other side were it not for the rather unruly currents. Before resting for the night, we stopped at this deliriously kitsch boutique hotel/resort right by the border. Chorchaman Recreation Centre is the name, I believe, and it's punctuated by bizarre, outlandish paraphernalia within its well-manicured grounds (see my IG story highlights for a better glimpse). The hotel itself was nice - best toilets we'd see in the entire country - and as we were leaving a staff member came running out with a phonecall from the manager who told me that he'd offer us a cottage on the grounds for $50 each! As beautiful (though bizarre) as the space was, he was kinda barking up the wrong tree with a group of six backpackers on a tight budget, so I had to politely decline... Tajik national pride is next level: centred around garish monuments, the unattractive image of President Rahmon, and the colours of its everpresent flag. You can't escape any of it. Finally, after a day of driving we ended up in the tiny lil' town of Kalai-Khumb, which borders Afghanistan and functions as a popular overnight stop for those doing the Pamir Highway. After dumping our backs I decided to take a quick stroll around the town (really more of a village). There was a semi-decent supermarket and an ATM, much to my surprise, but most of the town was more like this. I felt like I was wandering into people's houses and back gardens far too often for my liking tbh. This fruit tree was cool tho! Despite the presence of tourism during the summer season, Kalai-Khumb seems like a place whose economy struggles most of the year. Sadly. People were nice round here. I got called 'beautiful' by a random kid, and the ladies in town were absolutely fascinated by my hair. The guesthouse that we stayed at for the night. Looked more impressive than it actually was, alas, but the family running it were nice enough. A note: even in areas as remote as this, and relatively underprivileged compared to the rest of the country, there's an emphasis on garishly grandiose monuments and the national flag. I wonder if that money couldn't be better spent elsewhere. Anyway. After breakfast it was time to hit the road again the next day, winding along the highway with Afghanistan constantly visible on the other side. 'Highway' indeed. This road functions as the main artery for supplies into the whole region, however, no matter what state of disrepair it's in. Speaking of disrepair, we had an unexpected half-hour stop to help right this overturned car with the sheer force of our collective manpower! Honestly astonished that the driver of the vehicle survived completely unscathed. And also surprised that we didn't witness more such accidents given the state of the highway and the precariousness of some of its sections (winding mountain paths...). This incident on day two proved to be an isolated one. Again, forgive my fondness for snapping (mostly) empty highways... Afghanistan sometimes felt so near that you could almost touch it. Many of the landscapes were like so, but there was a section earlier in the morning that was incredibly lush - much more so than the Tajik side - and home to numerous little settlements. Unfortunately, I was on the wrong side of the car while we were driving past, and I was also drifting in and out of sleep for that part of the ride, so didn't capture any of Afghanistan's visible charms. Scenes on the Tajik side became a bit more green during the afternoon. Have a disproportionate love for this shot which I snapped out the middle window while we were speeding past in the car. Day two wasn't as interesting as the first day, as our driver seemed intent on racing to our final stop ASAP. (We later learned that his family lived nearby our intended destination so he was likely just eager to see them.) Can't argue with the beauty of these mountains tho, eh? A reminder that Afghanistan was often so close that we could almost touch it. Much of the border is fenced off (on the Tajik side), but there are random openings like this where you're tempted to swim across. (Not advisable, given how rough the currents are. Also not advisable given the whole Taliban on the other side + illegal crossing thing.) Note that these more 'open' areas of the border are patrolled by the military, whose presence we felt throughout the trip. Our stop for day two: Khorog. The capital and largest city of the GBAO (Pamir region). It's only home to about 30k people but is the most significant urban centre on the highway between Dushanbe and Osh, I think. After a mere day and a half on the road, I'd quickly cottoned on to the fact that vegetarian options were going to be beyond dire during this trip, so I bought myself a bag of lentils from this supermarket which saved my ass for the rest of the journey! Random buildings surrounding the market/bazaar area of Khorog. Our accommodation here was probably the nicest of the trip. The town itself seemed relatively ordinary to me during my investigative wanderings later that afternoon. More scenes from aronud town... Can't say I was particularly excited to explore tbh. There was a popular town park, but everyone was gawping at me when I wandered in, so decided to retreat back to the hotel to hang out with new friends for dinner before wandering out again with accompaniment later in the eve. The highlight of Khorog for me: the hotel pup! His name was Graf (Graph? Gruff?). I asked if he was named after Steffi and the receptionist laughed at me, so I'm taking that as a yes! Anyway, he was adorbs and loved the belly rubs. Had a better look at Khorog after dinner with another friend. Not much to write home about tbh. Pretty lights. Lots of people around on the main streets. Didn't feel like the most welcoming place, but didn't feel unsafe either. The town stadium. Probably the most interesting bit of architecture around here. Wandered into a park which was clearly designed to invoke memories of 'Tajik' heroes of yore (there were lots of photos of 20thC folk plastered around). This shot caught my eye tho. Cheap lighting in the foreground, epic monument to some sort of national hero (I think perhaps Ismail Somoni again?) dominating the shot, and ominous Soviet block looming in the background. The layers! We had a decent night's sleep in Khorog as we had a whole dormitory all to ourselves. Breakfast the next morning was a decent one too. Of note: the TVs were all showing the MASSIVE Independence Day parade that was taking place in Dushanbe at the time. Crazy to think that I'd been there just a couple of days prior and had seen them setting up for this. Didn't realise the scale would be quite THIS enormous, but given Tajikistan's fixation with outsized displays of national pride, I shouldn't really have been surprised.

Wakhan Corridor (2026)

The REAL excitement began from day three, as we continued deeper alongside Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor - an incongruous strip of land that barely separates Tajikistan from nearby Pakistan (whose mountains we saw from the highway later on). Note the fences demarcating the Tajik border, a common sight during these early days. Note also the military personnel. These ones were establishing new fencing, but many others patrol or check vehicles like ours to ensure that everyone has their permits. Almost all personnel carry guns, which is a sight you soon become very desensitised to. Our first stop on day three was at Garm Chashma Hot Springs, some 40km from Khorog. I think we'd all packed swim shorts/trunks as hot springs are an established part of the Pamir Highway itinerary. But the instructions about what to do when here were very unclear and so... ...we ended up butt naked in a crazy hot geothermal pool with a bunch of equally butt-naked locals. As one member of our group later stated: you don't *really* become friends until you've found yourself unexpectedly starkers in a strange setting. I think this was the day when our group properly bonded with each other! Took a while before the pool was empty enough to sneak a quick shot. Didn't realise I'd be so obviously naked from this angle, but oh well. After the hot springs we drove a little further and stopped at the most random roadside 'cafe'/store (as with many stores deep in the GBAO, it was sparsely stocked). It was the only commercial building around for miles, and sat directly opposite this view of Afghanistan on the other side of the Panj river. Lots of speculation about the building on the other side. The fencing along the border is an ongoing process, and where there are gaps and there are no military personnel in sight, there is an opportunity to get right down to the Panj, so that it's only water that separates you from Afghanistan... An example of both the intended-but-not-yet-existent fencing, as well as a glimpse of how lush Afghanistan can be on the other side of the river. Not as resplendently green as some of the villages from the day prior when I was sleeping, but about as good as it would get this deep into the Pamirs. Tbf, it could be pretty lush on the Tajik side of the border round these particular parts as well. I love this scene. The greenery, the turbulent river, the spectacular mountains, the barren foreground. Such a feast for the eyes, this mountain valley! This called for a photo op with shirtless me once again taunting the invisible Taliban on the other side of the river... I will note that it was me who hollered out for us to stop here for a photo op, and I think everyone was glad I did so. Here's me for scale. The Panj is a surprisingly mighty river. Some more pretty scenes from Afghanistan taken from inside the ride. We were all so engrossed by what was on the other side. I guess Afghanistan has turned into something of a near-mythical land now, for reasons mostly very tragic. I understand that the Taliban are actively promoting tourism there now, but though I've willingly travelled to nations with questionable governments (Tajikistan included) and currently live in one of them, Afghanistan is a step too far. What they're doing to women and girls in particular is abhorrent. To frolic there as a tourist seems mind-bogglingly crass. So instead, I wonder from afar about what life is like there... although as you can see, not that far at all really. This bridge here used to open up every Saturday to allow Tajiks and Afghans to trade with each other at the local bazaar on the Afghan side. Couldn't determine if it was still possible to cross... heard conflicting information throughout the trip. Either way, this wasn't a Saturday so it was very much closed for us. The town on the Tajik side of the border is Ishkoshim. We stopped here for 'lunch' (all that was available to me was tomatoes and onions...). It's a very typical Tajik town. Flags, trees, ancient cars... Quite pretty to look at, though it didn't really seem like too much was going on outside this main street. One thing I did notice is the number of adult men who seemed to be idling the day away. A fairly common scene as we went through the Pamirs, which made me wonder if the unemployment rate is abnormally high? More likely they're their own farmers/agricultural workers and have a bit more flexibility with time. Next stop: the Kah-Kakha Fortress (this was the most action-packed day of the trip). An expansive fortress built on an enormous cliff in the 2ndC BCE, this was a major Silk Road fortification for almost a millennium before its decline in the 7thC CE. All that's left today are ruins, the most obvious of which are protected like so. For most of the surprisingly-large site, you wouldn't even realise that you were wandering across the ruins of an ancient fortress tho. Signs of its past are only faintly visible. Indeed, it's often hard to tell if you're looking at strange rock formations or the remnants of ancient military fortifications. One thing to remark upon here tho: the setting is truly spectacular. And once again: notice how green, fertile, lush Afghanistan is versus the arid ochre of Tajikistan. What gives?! Why was this a constant theme along the border? Something to do with sunlight and mountains perhaps? During this third day's drive, we whizzed past one of the most idyllic scenes I've ever seen. A crystal-clear stream and resplendently-green fields - cows grazing in the foreground, with the majestic Pamir mountains in the background. It was picture perfect, but I hesitated and ultimately didn't call out for our driver to stop. Was hoping we'd see a scene like it again later that day, but alas... this was as good as it got, and it was not at all as beautiful as the image that etched itself into my mind. Alas! Can't remember why we stopped here, but it's about as perfect an image of the Pamir Highway was one can get, I think. The actual highway, the actual Pamirs, and the alien landscapes that dominate. Know what was missing from that scene? A dumb topless tourist! One heck of a scene. We were heading deep into the Pamirs now, and the topography was getting ever more spectacular. Mountains here can exceed 7000m in height and the proximity to other, similarly spectacular mountain ranges (notably the Hindu Kush which we saw during our trip, but also the Karakoram and the Tian Shan) amplifies the wow factor. The back seats of our 7-seater vehicle had tinted windows that couldn't be wound down. Pics that I took when sitting there (we rotated seats every half-day in the interests of fairness and functional legs) were even more otherworldly due to both the tint + the speed of driving by! Next stop during this bumper day: Yamchun Fortress. The largest defensive fortification in the region, dating back to the 3rdC BCE - though much of what's visible today dates from many centuries later, or has been reconstructed. (It's kinda hard to tell what's what from the very vague info placards round here.) The highlight of this fortress? The views. Yamchun itself is interesting, but much of it feels reconstructed, unlike the obvious authenticity of neighbouring Kah-Kakha. It loses lustre as a result. Where Yamchun excels, however, is in its location. Pics do not do justice to just how spectacular a view this was. The Wakhan Valley, Afghanistan, and even the mountains of Pakistan visible in the distance there. A jaw-droppingly wondrous sight. So jawdropping, in fact, that I had to initiate a group pic to capture the moment. 2x Brits, 2x Spaniards, 1x German, 1x Japanese. A fun mix and a great travel group. You get to know each other pretty well after a week stuck in cars and rooms together, not to mention the fact that we'd been unexpectedly hurled into shared nudity earlier in the day. Speaking of... ...the next stop of the day? Bibi Fatima Hot Springs. Yes, ANOTHER hot spring. This one situated 3000m up high in the moutnains. Bibi Fatima was very different from the open-air pool of Garm Chashma earlier in the day. You have to enter into an indoor changing room and then step down *into* the mountain where there's a couple of small pools to bathe in. And yes, yet again you have to be butt-naked. We had this one entirely to ourselves so there was an opportunity to snap freely! I think most of the guys enjoyed this one more than the earlier one. I enjoyed the randomness of running around naked in arguably Central Asia's most conservative country yet *again* lol. Final stop of the day: a small village called Vrang. The village is mostly farmland flanked by some gargantuan mountains. Loved this random old truck as we were trundling across someone's farm... I have a MAJOR weakness for shots of cows and mountains. Two of my fave things in the world. We were here to see an ancient stupa, which required a short 1km-hike up and down a nearby hill. Again, dem views doe. Vrang's a small, very rural, visibly less-developed settlement. But gosh, how beautiful it is! Was that yet another old fortification carved into the mountainside over there? Couldn't tell. Anyway, the stupa that we were here to see was actually underwhelming. Mostly because we'd been beaten to it by a ragtag rabble of disorderly local drunks who were bellowing, clambering all over the structure, and generally being mortifyingly disrespectful towards an 1500-year-old monument that stands as an enduring testament to Buddhism's presence in Central Asia. Their behaviour upset one member of our gang so much that he was still dismayed the next morning. This was about as good a shot as I could take of the stupa without all the drunks. Didn't spend too long here before exiting back down due to the oncoming dark but also the desire to get away from the crazies! One last look at Vrang before a hasty departure to try and reach our destination before things got too dark. Unfortunately, we failed! Our goal had been to reach a village called Langar, but we had to stop a few km earlier as driving through winding mountain roads in the dark isn't the best of moves. We ended up in a small village called Zong. The local guesthouse loses points for lack of WiFi, but gains points for providing the only decent vegetarian dinner of the entire trip, and also for having BEER in their store. This was therefore the only opportunity that we had to stay up drinking for a little while, which was a fun release after what was probably the most enjoyable day of the trip. (Note that the store was manned by a young TWEEN and while I was inspecting the different beers I inadvertently blurted out 'which one do you like best?' without realising that I was talking to an actual CHILD oops.) Fun to see the village in daylight the next morning. Love that these 'I <3' signs are so ubiquitous in Tajikistan that they're even here in ZONG, a village of likely no more than a few hundred people max. Felt like I was trespassing on farmland, not for the first time this trip. As with so many of these Pamir villages, Zong's setting is breathtakingly beautiful. I feel like my estimate of a 'few hundred' people living here might actually be overstating things. Anyway, it was a pleasant stop. No complaints (bar lack of WiFi + signal). Think I must've been in the front seat of the car again, snapping mountain roads as I do. Day four saw us heading skywards. We spent most of our time driving on mountainsides, gaining around 1500m in elevation at our highest point. Needless to say, the views were stungorge. Mighty, towering peaks in the distance... While otherworldly landscapes surrounded us in the present. Bewilderingly, life somehow survives on these seemingly barren, inhospitable mountains. We ran into numerous shepherds and goat/cattle herders leading their flocks to... who knows where? Vegetation struck me as exceedingly sparse round here. And I'm a vegetarian so I should know. A cool little stop near Khargush Gorge, I believe? Khargush Gorge Not sure these pics adequately convey just how high up we were round here, and how steep the drop to our sides felt. I think this was the Khargush Pass which is 4344m above sea level. More dear animal friends grazing on scraps, with awesome mountains behind them. I'll say nothing about the fate that will befall these poor beings. the TEXTURE tho Khargush Pass was the highest point of the day, and from where we started descending into what felt like an alien planet for a while. Back into the Wakhan Valley with the Panj (and therefore Afghanistan) visible again. Scenes. Once again, Afghanistan felt within arm's reach. And curiously enough, all the fencing and military patrolling had pretty much evaporated around here. I guess this is too deep into inhospitable territory for authorities to really care about defending the border? Amazing how common the sight of animal herders round this arid region is. They commonly blocked the 'highway' on this day. Also amazing is just how close Afghanistan is. Again. Wonder if the herders ever cross over to the other side? A couple of Afghan huts visible on the right there, which suggests that there's some sort of activity that happens on the other side of the border here. The Pamir 'Highway' on the left, the Panj river dominating the centre, and Afghanistan on the right. The tale of day four. Where does Tajikistan end and Afghanistan begin (or vice-versa) when the river does THIS, I wonder? A spellbinding scene regardless, with the Hindu Kush (I think?) in the background. Probably the day's most amusing distraction. We drove past a bunch of camels. The guys cried out and our driver became even more excited than the rest of us put together. Stopped the car, ran out, and literally GAVE CHASE to the camels (quite some distance away). The camels started running off, and so then he started running too, and then we ended up running after him... Comical! Caught up with the camels in due course after slowing down to avoid alarming them. And, well, you can never have too many pics of camels, can you? These guys were actually being herded along by an old Tajik guy who wanted to steal my sunglasses. I apologised, but said no. *shrug* Listen, it's my photo gallery and my travel memories and if I want an abundance of camels then an abundance of camels I shall have so stfu deal with it. One of those lonely Afghan huts that sets my mind whirring for some reason. Continuing on to some truly insane landscapes now. Though not before another cameo from some cow friends. <3 And also some donkey friends here. Probably the last patch of green we'd see for a while because... ...things were about to get VERY alien. The way the light and shadows reflect on the mountains, as well as the unearthliness of the terrain... it all makes you feel like you're on a different planet entirely. is this really earth?! Pamir Highway taking it up a notch or few. At this point, there'd been some sort of confusing 'discussion' where our driver had announced that there were two lakes we could visit but he seemed to be encouraging us to visit only one of them due to the distances involved. Somehow, with no group consensus having been achieved, it was decided that we *would* only visit one of the lakes, with the driver assuring the one Russian-speaker in the group that both lakes were very similar anyway. I was a little peeved at missing out, and for the driver's insistence on cutting our day short without actual discussion. But then... ...we saw this. Lake Sasikul / Sasykkol And it was INCREDIBLE. Once you wander down to the shoreline, there's a fairly nasty stench (I think sulfur?), but the insanity of the surrounds keeps you hooked. If we wanna talk alien, otherworldly landscapes, then this must be peak. Y'all know that this was necessary, c'mon now. As pissed off as I was with our driver about missing the other lake (Bulunkul on the itinerary), the time that we spent here at Sasikul just about made up for the loss imo. This was everything. Do I care that I took a billion shots of this natural wonder? Nope. What heightened that sense of wonder was our being totally and utterly alone out here. In a part of the world that feels completely detached from reality as I understand it. It was magical. This was probably my visual highlight of the whole trip. Alright, leaving the shoreline now. But not getting back in the car until I capture some final parting shots from afar. That was Sasikul from the left, here it is from the centre, and finally... ...the right. A healing tonic of an excursion that made the day all right again in multiple regards.

Alichur (2026)

Our stop for this day was a settlement called Alichur. Our lunch stop was absolutely dire (I had a plate of fries and onions; the others ate unidentifiable animal flesh that they couldn't finish), but I distracted myself with this GORGEOUS super-friendly pup! Convinced one of the others to give him some unwanted meat later on. :-) We'd stayed in some remote towns and villages already, but Alichur truly felt next level. The climate here is harsh, and the terrain unforgiving. It's incredible that people have decided to set up life here. This was the only multi-storey building that I noticed during our time here. This is close to 4,000m above sea level, I believe. And feels desolate. We were staying in this yurt. Not ideal - I'm really not a fan of yurts, though I get that many others appreciate the novely but #beentheredonethat - but there was a hot shower in the vicinity and plenty of dogs to keep me company. No WiFi yet again, though I think there was at least mobile signal in this area unlike the night before. After dumping bags in the yurt, a couple of us decided to go for a little wander around the area. This side of Alichur is barren af. However, life does endure here. Not just human life, but plant and animal life too. Plenty of COWS for example. Took me ages to capture one against the mountains. A different kind of cow, perhaps? Note the presence of the colour green! I think the village relies on this patch of semi-fertile land to sustain itself. Same shot as earlier sans moi. A surprisingly beautiful landscape, despite the harshness of the surrounds. Pamir mountains surrounding us. The village visible in the distance. Was obsessed with this grazing donkey, who we'll see again later! Always obsessed with cows ofc. Here's the donkey again! Love this shot. He seemed a little disturbed by our presence, but soon got back to grazing again. Circling back to the village. Found a way to cross the little stream and get to the side with animal friends! So here's another shot of the donkey! <3 Sadly he had a visible leg injury which seemed very fresh, but he was holding up okay so hope that's still the case. Moo-cow friends returning to the village for the night. As always, I will not apologise for an abundance of animal shots! There were two other donkeys grazing nearby our friend from earlier. They later came over to the stream - but not before gently warning us off first, quite understandably - and then the three of them started canoodling together which was the sweetest sight. Donkeys have the hardest lives, I really hope these ones will be okay. But... Tajikistan. Decided to head into the village for a closer look. It's a simple, austere existence here. Not sure the environment can support anything else. Vegetables really don't exist here (dinner for vegetarians was a plate of fries - I would have died were it not for the lentils I had with me). They're reliant on animal agriculture. Which is difficult for someone like me to see, but I get that most humans are not wired like myself. I dread to think how these people survive the freezing, long winters. Once the sun set here I had to put on a jacket for the first time the entire trip. Imagine growing up here. It's a beautiful village in its own way: simple, dogged perseverance surviving against the odds. I couldn't do it myself tho. Many of these abodes seem so threadbare, and seemed like they were hanging on threads or sth. It's humbling to walk around here. Cows. Poor things. They deserve happier lives too. And longer ones. More cows returning to the village as the sun goes down. Their moos would echo through the night and could be heard in our yurt. It made me sad. A friend went into this abandoned, dilapidated structure to see what it was about. Apparently the grounds were covered in human excrement and the smell was one of the worst things imaginable. Oops. I already told you I wasn't gonna apologise for cow pics. Deal with it. Dinner was average, and none of us in the yurt managed a decent night's sleep. Woke up to this the next morning and was happy to be leaving tbh. Stopped at this place on the way out: Ak-Bulak Spring. A crystal clear pond where you can see all the way to the bottom (it's surprisingly deep) and which supposedly has fishes swimming it. Couldn't see any of them tho.

Murghab + Karakul (2026)

Arriving at Alichur had already seen as turn away from the Wakhan Valley/Afghan border and head northwards, and day five saw us continue in that direction. An unexpected stop - I had no idea this was on the way or on the itinerary - a Snow Leopard 'Rehabilitation Centre and Nursery' that was nearby Murghab. I had VERY mixed feelings about this place. Nothing I saw in Tajikistan indicated that animal welfare was a thing here, and the snow leopards here (I think there were four in total? We only saw two, and this was the only one out in the open) are confined to enclosures far too small for my liking. As sb who's against animals in cages full stop, this was heartbreaking. On the flipside: never in my life did I ever think I'd SEE a snow leopard in person. I boycott the abominations that are zoos completely and they're impossible to sight in their natural habitats which are, in turn, impossible to reach. This was such a beautiful, beautiful being. A real privilege to share the same space as it, if only momentarily. Momentarily because our idiot driver was goading the poor thing and trying to coax it out of its slumber by waving his hand through the fence and making stupid sounds. Again: your average Tajik person does not give a damn about animal welfare and being respectful towards nature. I walked away in disgust while the others continued taking photos and videos for a while longer. I really, really hope they take good care of the snow leopards here and that they'll eventually released back into the wild where they'll thrive. I have my doubts. Our lunch stop for the day was in Murghab - the second largest town in the GBAO after Khorog. 7500 people live here. Somehow. The first thing you notice about Murghab is the shipping containers. Lots of them. These function as homes, shops, restaurants, etc. Life is so damn tough here - it's not connected to the electrical grid, e.g. - that people make their own way with the best of whatever they can find. Shipping containers!!! There are more standard buildings here as well, ofc. But it's a town whose existence strains credulity. Shipping containers. In the highest town in all Tajikistan, nestled in one of the world's most inhospitable regions, in a landlocked nation, a zillion miles from the nearest ocean. What the fuck. (Also note the bouncy castle towards the back there!) I found Murghab fascinating, needless to say. We walked around the 'bazaar' which was a bunch of containers and not exactly bustling with activity. It was a strange - though visually-fascinating - little place. I'll say this: Murghab gave us probably the second best lunch of the trip, although tbf it's a VERY low bar in Tajikistan. One last glimpse of the town before heading to our final stop in Tajikistan. Goats on the way! Ak-Baital Pass. At some 4700m up, this is the highest point of the Pamir Highway! The views at this mountain pass are quite something. The Pamir Highway to a T. Epic mountains, miles and miles of emptiness, and a sense of wonder through it all. Had to do this ofc. Have climbed two volcanoes and a mountain this year, yet most of days five and six on the Pamir Highway trip were at higher altitude than Acatenango or Fuji. And this was the peak. Still at around 4000m here and still dealing with alien landscapes. In the distance: our final stop in Tajikistan. Lake Karakul, and the small town on its shores. Remember my thing for empty highways yo. So THIS is Lake Karakul. The Tajik one (I think I also went to a lake with the same name in Kyrgyzstan many years ago). A massive lake created by a meteor some 5 million years ago! The lake's so damn big that it feels like you're actually by a sea with strong currents and tides. 4000m above sea level! Crazy. It was HELLA windy and hella cold here (day six was the first where I was in multiple layers for most of the day) so we didn't stop for long before retreating to our accommodation for the night. There's a little village on the lake shore where we stopped. As with Alichur and Murghab, it boggles the mind that people would choose to live in such an unforgiving environment. But the surroundings are undeniably beautiful. Karakul village. Tajik flags flying high, natch. Most of the gang was excited to finally have wifi again in our guesthouse. I decided to take a little walk around with a friend who was feeling sick and looking for bread to eat. There were two shops in the village. One was closed, and the other had a ramshackle assortment of random goods, but no bread. The store owner dispatched a child to go and fetch bread from her home in order to satisfy my poor sick friend. Lol. Karakul was probably the coldest and windiest permanent settlement we visited on this trip. It's fascinating how humanity somehow perseveres against these odds. Why here? Why not somewhere kinder to the body and soul? In many ways, the people living here are badass af. This was late afternoon so there were a bunch of kids amused by the two obvious foreigners walking around. We attracted notice from others too. But Karakul is a fairly common stop on the Pamir Highway, so locals are fairly well-accustomed to seeing strangers round here. Not sure why but this building with its doors really spoke to me. Such modest living conditions. Such a severe climate. I'm still processing it all. Charming in its own way. The main village square, from what I gathered. I imagine this is the kinda place where everyone knows everyone. It's impressive that they can construct a village at all in this place tbh. Sundown was a nice time to be out exploring. Added some pizzazz to the surrounds. I wandered around for a bit longer after my friend returned back to the guesthouse. I was on a desperate hunt for beer! Alas, I was told that the village was dry and that alcohol should've been procured in Murghab earlier in the day. Oh well. I wonder what life is like here. Truly like. Not just as a brief flirtation on a whirlwind of a road trip. I'm not sure I'd have the guts to find out. Big up to the villagers who endure. Our guesthouse was perhaps the most notable structure in the entire village. It's more modern on the outside than it is inside, but we had hot showers, decent rooms and beds, WIFI (very important), and a SAUNA which was fun later in the evening (third time I ended up butt naked with the guys :/). Moreover, they actually served us a fully vegetarian dinner with plant protein (split peas!) which I was super thankful for. Strong approval. Also check those mountains at the back. I almost returned to the guesthouse, but heard that there might be another store up the road so made one last-ditch attempt to hunt down beer. Alas, the 'store' turned out to be some sort of military barracks which I decided to give a wide berth. Retreated back to the village core very quickly. I kinda love that this was our last experience of life in Tajikistan before leaving. The delulu president spends a lot of $ on his personality cult and nation-building, but scenes like this are a greater tribute to the national character which surely exists imo. This was taken from the military area that I'd intruded upon accidentally, IIRC. A couple more glimpses of village life... A patch of green! Who'da thunk. Plant life deserves every bit of commendation and then some for surviving up here. Toyed with the idea of waiting around for sunset, but I'd been walking around for close to an hour already so this was the best I could be bothered to do before retiring indoors to warmth! The 'shop' in our guesthouse. An extreme example of how 'shops' along the Pamir Highway aren't at all what you'd expect. They'll stock whatever assemblage of goods they can get their hands on at that moment in time, and quite often what's there is random af, totally befuddling, and not at all what's commonly required by either travellers or locals. Day six. On our way out of Tajikistan. The border with Kyrgyzstan! Really feels like the middle of nowhere. And there's like 20 miles of no man's land separating the two countries. A sneaky snap of the border post. Very rudimentary, but people were friendly enough. Their computer system was temporarily down though, so we had to wait for some time before they managed to get it up and running again in order to get our exit stamps. Tajik-Kyrgyz friendship, eh! My last glimpse of Tajikistan before leaving the country. Sadly, it's of the rubbish that's so commonly tossed without a care in the world. Let's hope that - and a whole lot more - changes for Tajiks moving forward. It was a thrill to be here after so many years of longing for it, terrible food be damned! (Follow the rest of the Pamir Highway journey by going to the Kyrgyzstan gallery.)

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