Anne Hall & Bill Van Hook, May, 2018

Zulya Rajabova put together a 25 day trip for us to travel along the Silk Road, from Turkmenistan, to Uzbekistan, to China in May 2018. It was an extraordinary trip.  Zulya’s itinerary was perfect. 

It was an extraordinary trip, the itinerary was perfect. We visited the most important cities and towns along the northern Silk Road. At the end of our trip we felt we had gone back in time to really understand what travel and trade was like in 500 – 900 CE and to understand how people lived. Even more, thanks to Zulya’s guides who took us through this adventure, we felt we had come to know better the countries we visited and each country’s extraordinary people.

Here are some highlights of our trip.  But first, let us say that we never once, not once, felt unsafe.  We felt that these were the safest countries we’ve ever traveled in.  We recommend this trip for anybody of any age.

Highlights:  Getting to know the guides (for whom we became very fond), the warmth of the local people (including local women who wrapped their arms around us as we all took pictures of each other; the mother and daughter who encouraged us to come into their courtyard to see how they made bread; the people we didn’t know but who spontaneously ushered us through the border crossing from Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan), the ancient city of Khiva so beautifully preserved, the old and charming Komil Boutique Hotel in Bukhara, the public markets in nearly every city, the amazing Registan in Samarkand and the extraordinary Shahi Zinda Ensemble, lunch with a Bukharan family, the old city of Kashgar, the 1000 Buddha Caves outside Turpan and the Magao Caves in DunHuang, a camel ride on the Gobi Desert, and walking the Great Wall outside of Beijing.

We recommend Zulya Rajabova and her Silk Road Treasure Tours without reservation.  Our trip was a life-changing event and it went without a hitch.”

Anne Hall & Bill Van Hook, Olympia, Washington, USA