Photo: You'll soon be able to travel to UNESCO World Heritage-listed city Samarkand on Uzbekistan Airways; Visit-Uzbekistan.com
Brace yourselves, intrepid travellers, you'll soon have a new destination to untangle that's as far off the beaten trail as you can imagine. Come April 4, Uzbekistan Airways will commence a weekly service direct from Singapore to the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.
Picture yourself wandering through the alleys and bazaars of city's Old Town, traversing the Silk Road between the ancient UNESCO World Heritage-listed cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, and gazing upon the sand dunes of the Kyzyl Kum desert; it's all just eight hours away. Uzbekistan is a landlocked country which also makes it a gateway to other Central Asian countries like Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Flights depart from Singapore on Wednesday and from Tashkent on Thursday and are available from $975. Flights are also available via Kuala Lumpur on Fridays (outbound) and Wednesdays (inbound). To make your bookings, visit the Uzbekistan Airways website. Trips can also be organised through Chariot Travels.
A visa is required for visiting Uzbekistan and it can be arranged with the Consular Department of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Singapore. Visa appointments can be arranged by calling 6734-3942. Processing takes five to 10 working days and costs vary depending on the length of your stay, starting at $55 for a seven-day visa (which includes a $15 service charge).
Photo: You'll soon be able to travel to UNESCO World Heritage-listed city Samarkand on Uzbekistan Airways; Visit-Uzbekistan.com
Brace yourselves, intrepid travellers, you'll soon have a new destination to untangle that's as far off the beaten trail as you can imagine. Come April 4, Uzbekistan Airways will commence a weekly service direct from Singapore to the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.
Picture yourself wandering through the alleys and bazaars of city's Old Town, traversing the Silk Road between the ancient UNESCO World Heritage-listed cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, and gazing upon the sand dunes of the Kyzyl Kum desert; it's all just eight hours away. Uzbekistan is a landlocked country which also makes it a gateway to other Central Asian countries like Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Flights depart from Singapore on Wednesday and from Tashkent on Thursday and are available from $975. Flights are also available via Kuala Lumpur on Fridays (outbound) and Wednesdays (inbound). To make your bookings, visit the Uzbekistan Airways website. Trips can also be organised through Chariot Travels.
A visa is required for visiting Uzbekistan and it can be arranged with the Consular Department of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Singapore. Visa appointments can be arranged by calling 6734-3942. Processing takes five to 10 working days and costs vary depending on the length of your stay, starting at $55 for a seven-day visa (which includes a $15 service charge).