Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

I’m April Dworetz. My husband and I went on a trip planned by Zulya to Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan from July 13 to August 3, 2024. We had a wonderful time seeing the many sights of Central Asia. Zulya listened carefully to what we wanted and was very easy to work with on planning the trip. Our Georgia part of the trip was outstanding. Zulya had partnered with Mariam, a travel agent in Georgia who was wonderful. The first day was a tour of Tbilisi that gave us a wonderful sense of the beautiful city. Then we met with our guide, Sergi, for the remainder of our 8 days who was intelligent, knowledgeable about the history and culture of Georgia, and very personable. We visited churches, went on spectacular hikes (something we had asked to do) and ate delicious food typical of Georgian cuisine. Sergi helped make our trip fantastic.

In Kazakhstan we had only one day of a tour guide in Astana. The day was fine (Astana isn’t the most interesting of cities, with a few magnificent exceptions), but the guide was nice enough to make a special stop for me at a synagogue where we got to speak to the rabbi about the Jewish community in Astana.

Our trip to Uzbekistan was mixed. There are many beautiful cities (we went to Tashkent, Nukus, Khiva, Bhukara, and Samarkand) that we visited. The many mosques and madrassas we visited were beautiful, but hard to distinguish after a while. Our guide was very well educated about the history of Uzbekistan and was incredibly nice. However, he was too young (24) (we are in our 70s) to know about the cultural aspects and attitudes in the country that we had told Zulya we were so interested in. It was just not a good fit, which I wrote to Zulya after 2 or 3 days together. (We had 8 or 9 days left). Zulya let me know that a change of guide would not be possible because it was a busy part of the tourist season and other guides were not available. In fact, it was summer and not tourist season. We were disappointed but made the best of the situation. We did give the guide feedback asking for stories rather than history and asking questions that pinpointed our interests. The guide did his best in respecting our wishes and visiting sites we were interested in. But the chemistry wasn’t there.

Zulya did set up some very good events and visits for us. We went to our guide’s and Zulya’s family (our guide is Zulya’s nephew) for lunch. That was very nice to meet some people and visit a home in Uzbekistan. At my request, she also set up a visit to a synagogue and a visit to a hospital (I’m a neonatologist). I got to visit the labor and delivery unit and the neonatal intensive care unit. Doctors and nurses took me around and we shared experiences. They even asked me to set up an exchange program. Other fun events were a fashion show and dance concert. They were of a good quality and gave us a picture of some traditional culture.

Response from Wendy:

I think it’s important to address a point that April makes: A few days into the Uzbekistan portion of her trip, she asked Zulya for a different private guide, but Zulya was not able to provide one. We asked Zulya why not, since we’ve never heard of a WOW List trip planner not being able to switch guides when asked. (It’s also a very rare request!) Here is Zulya’s reply:

“While I would have loved to accommodate April’s request for a different guide, it was difficult to find one who met our high standards during the peak travel season in July. (It may not be high season for American travelers, but many Asian and former Soviet countries and locals have been widely traveling during July.) Many of my preferred guides were either on vacation or busy with groups, and I didn’t want to compromise by providing someone who was just available; I wanted the best possible match for April’s experience. I only hire guides (whom I know personally) who are knowledgeable, personable, enthusiastic, and fluent in English, regardless of whether they are a relative, neighbor, or someone else. Half of Uzbekistan is related to me, after all. Please know that I take April’s feedback seriously and will approach guide assignments differently in the future to ensure complete client satisfaction.”

Traveler Leon Malkin visiting Zulya's parents in their house in Uzbekistan.

Leon Malkin visiting with Zulya’s parents

This was my seventh trip using Wendy Perrin’s WOW List of travel experts and they have all been superb experiences. This trip was not different thanks to the kindness and caring of Zulya. One of the nicest people I’ve had the pleasure to work with, she is from Uzbekistan and has firsthand knowledge of this area. One of the highlights of the trip was having lunch with Zulya’s parents and family in Bukhara. Zulya frequently checked on my trip to make sure everything was going well. She truly cares about giving her clients an unforgettable experience.

I started my trip by flying into Tashkent on Turkish Airlines. I then visited Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Kokand, Fergana, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, flying home on Turkish Airlines from Bishkek.

I am a vegetarian, and although the food is largely meat based, there was enough options to satisfy my diet. I did not find many options for plant-based milk. This is probably not a trip for people looking for gourmet food in great abundance. The hotels ranged from very good to excellent (the 5-star Orion in Bishkek).

The idea of The Silk Road always intrigued me with camel caravans bringing goods from China to Europe and back, and the power struggle between Russia and Great Britain for control of this area in the 19th and 20th century. I really didn’t know what to expect of this vast region. I thought I would see camel caravans and a lot of Soviet apartment buildings! What I found were modern cities and all very clean, safe, with warm welcoming people. There were, of course, remnants of Soviet influence as they were under Soviet control until independence in 1991. I did not have one untoward event. The people are mostly Moslem and so I learned a lot about their religion, architecture, and scientific accomplishments. Outside the cities, the roads were often in need of repair and one could see the more impoverished towns and homes but all the people I encountered were very welcoming and friendly. The cities of The Silk Road are all at least 2500 years old or older. Most of my time was spent touring the cities of Uzbekistan.

The highlights of the trip are too many to mention all but to name a few are the following:
1. Meeting and having lunch with Zulya’s family
2. My guides Bek and Aisha
3. Learning about the Persian, Greek, Mongol, Turcic, Arabic, Soviet influences of the region.
4. Registan Square in Samarkand
5. Learning about the great astronomer Ulugh Beg and seeing his museum and observatory in Samarkand.
6. The dance and fashion show in Bukhara
7. The city of Khiva, the first UNESCO site in Central Asia.
8. The mountains of Tajikistan
9. The ceramic and silk factories
10. The cities of Almaty and Bishkek
11. Time with the Eagle Hunter in Kyrgyzstan
13. Making a yurt in Kyrgyzstan
14. Lunch with a Uyghur woman at her home in Kyrgyzstan.
15. So so many more things!

In all, a fascinating trip to a large part of the world I knew nothing about. Zulya and her team did such an exceptional job. Would highly recommend a visit to this vast, interesting, safe area. Thank you Zulya.

After much planning and two false starts at the beginning of the pandemic, we finally made it to Uzbekistan. We flew into Tashkent on Turkish Airlines via Istanbul and were met by our guide, who was to be with us for the next 12 days. Zulya and her office arranged an amazing trip, customized to meet our needs. Our first stop following an internal flight was Khiva, where we explored what could be best described as a “living museum,” with some of the best-preserved historical architecture. The city is a delight to wander around with its eye-catching towers, mosques, and medressehs, and is a World Heritage site where people still live within the city walls. Our next stop was Bukhara, Zulya’s home. Staying in the center of the old town allowed us to explore on foot the many sites and also allowed for breaks to sip green tea in the various caravanserais. In Bukhara we attended an Uzbek wedding ceremony and participated in the singing and dancing and admired (and tried on) the traditional attire. I have never before had my wife of 53 years bow to me in a wedding costume, something not part of our wedding ceremony! Following this we went to Zulya’s parent’s house, where we were treated to a traditional Uzbek meal with dancing by her niece and nephews. A wonderful introduction to Uzbek culture! More dancing and a fashion display followed in an outside performance at a former medresseh. Day trips took in the countryside, a visit to an eco-center to see endangered mammals in the wild and opportunities to birdwatch. A high-speed train took us onto Samarkand, the other major gem on the silk road, with its famous Registan Square and the mausoleum of Tamarlane. A day trip took us to Shahrisabz, the birth place of Tamarlane and the site of the remains of his giant summer palace. Another high-speed train journey brought as back to Tashkent. This is a very modern city but it has the best food, an extraordinary subway system, and we will never forget seeing from a distance a performance of The Lion King in Uzbek with a background of pulsating fountains in multiple colors. It was also a great base to head up to the mountains, ride a ski gondola and see the snow-capped mountains. Zulya and her team kept in touch throughout the trip, making restaurant reservations and making sure everything was running smoothly. Uzbekistan is full of European tourists but we met very few Americans. More Americans should go to this unique destination.

I want to extend my sincere thanks and great appreciation for the itinerary and experiences that I had in Uzbekistan. It was unexpected in many ways.

Certainly, the highlights were the time at the home in Khiva, and the quite special opportunity to visit with a family at their home in Buhkara! As I had read, everyone’s hospitality was so welcoming and generous. Uzbek hospitality is quite special in today’s world. I hope they never lose it. Everyone went to so much work to prepare for my visits.

I am glad that the timing of my trip allowed me to visit Khiva/Buhkara/Samarkand…all three. And I’m glad it began with Khiva. Not sure I would have enjoyed as much or learned as much had the itinerary been reversed.

Lodging was all perfect…the character and locations I had hoped for. This was excellent listening on Zulya’s part.

I was grateful for the time that area businesspeople spent with me, and I so enjoyed hearing a bit about doing business in UZB. Was especially amazed at the very positive attitude of the working women! All were so forthcoming.

Both Bekhruz and Dilya were fantastic, each in their own way. Dilya was lovely at coordinating the home visit and everything that went on with that. The visit to the summer palace though was a bit anticlimactic after such a wonderful visit.

Bekhruz. Goodness. I don’t know where to begin. I like him so much and we had some fascinating conversations. As I told him on one of the last days: I am not going to learn anything the rest of the year because my brain is full with all I learned from him! He is soooooooooooo knowledgeable. And, he is one of those very unique and gifted people who can make history come alive.

When I mentioned that I wanted time to shop for suzanis, he did point out which merchant he felt would be most reputable and did take me in and had a merchant educate me. That was helpful.

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