TEXTILE TOUR people - 17 April is also the departure day of the textile tour - so you are in the same hotel and ready to start the extension.

CERAMIC TOUR people - your tour finished on the 16th so you will need an extra night to be ready to start the extention. We can book it for you.

The Aral Sea Extension is planned as an optional add-on to our Textile or Ceramic Tour.

We will start from the hotel those tours finish at.

For those flying in to join us, we can arrange airport transfer with an additional fee.

Ceramic Tour people will have an extra night in Tashkent between jaunts.

Start with an early flight to Nukus, 

we are on the road!

The Nukus Museum of Art, or more properly the State Museum of Arts of the Republic of Karakalpakstan named after I.V. Savitsky. It is located in Nukus, Karakalpakstan and is home to the world's second largest collection of Russian avant-garde artworks, as well as galleries of antiquities and Karakalpak folk art. 

We are hoping to have a private viewing of some of the ceramics collection. 

The government and other NGO's are putting a lot of effort into the area to help locals develop alternate forms of income, since the shrinking of the Aral Sea., as well as working on trying to get water to build up in the Sea again - a large and complex problem we will hear more about.

Local handicrafts are flourishing, liquorice cultivation  [it thrives on saline soils] and  harvesting brine shrimp, also known as Artemia or "sea monkeys". These shrimp are crucial for the global aquaculture industry, and their tiny eggs, called cysts, are harvested from the Aral Sea and used as food for farmed fish.

We will visit the ceramic workshop of Salamat this afternoon.

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We're off early today- heading to Muynak. This sleepy town was once a thriving fishing port.

Today it hosts a Ship's Cemetery. 

The Muynak Museum is interesting with paintings by F. Madgazina and R. Matevosyan, who captured on their canvases the greatness of the Aral Sea and the beauty of the Amu Darya River as it once was.

Home cooked lunch today with a local family.

Then we are off heading across the bottom of the Aral Sea towards the Ustyurt Plateau. We will stop at the magnificent canyons of Ustyurt for a photo shoot.

Later in the day we will arrive at the seashore and walk along the coastline, and settle into our yurt camp and a delicious dinner.

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Join us - 06:00hrs for an early start - it will allow you to watch the amazing sunrise over the endless sea, and mark the start of another amazing day.

Exploring the area we will visit the Kurgancha-Kala Fortress on the Ustyurt Plateau. Constructed in the 12th-13th centuries. The exact history of Kurgancha-Kala remains a mystery, as there are no historical records detailing its purpose or history. 

It is thought it once served as a frontier outpost on the northern borders of Khorezm, and possibly as the last caravanserai for merchants daring to cross the barren Ustyurt Plateau.

Along the way we will pass the Cemetery of Nomads and then explore the the descent from the Ustyurt Plateau through an area of canyons that feel like a Sculpture Park.

Lunch will be a yurt-home cooked meal and the tour continues to Cape Aktumsyk, walking through the picturesque places of Ustyurt: high canyons, Martian landscape, mysterious cave, and picturesque slabs of stone.

We sleep in anew cosy yurt camp tonight.

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Will you do it? 06:00am  

Early rising to meet the dawn, which paints the sea in delicate shades.

Breakfast and off again.

Komsomolsk Kubla Ustyurt as a small village out in the middle of nowhere.....

Against the background of the village landscape, you can capture camels and horses in your photos, walk along the abandoned Soviet runway, taste camel milk from the locals- just hang out and BE 😊

We will move onto Sudochie Lake, a former part of the Aral Sea, where numerous migratory birds nest, including pink flamingos. This place is a real paradise for fans of wildlife watching.

Barsakelmes was a former island, the largest in the Aral Sea. 

Its area was 133 km2 in the 1980s, but as the sea became more shallow it steadily grew, until in the 1990s it ceased to be an island. 

 "Barsa-Kelmes" means "the place of no return". It was given such a name because of a number of stories of people (or groups of people) returning years or even decades after going to the island, thinking they had been gone only 2 or 3 days. There are lots of creepy Urban Legends surrounding this area- you'll be sure to hear a few.

Great photo opportunities on the Salt Flats.

On the way, we will pass through the Kungrad and Khojaly districts, which played an important role during the Great Silk Road. 

We will explore the Mizdakhkan Necropolis in the Khojaly district. Mizdakhan Necropolis, ancient cemetery, located next to the remains of the Gyaur-Kala fortress, is one of the oldest and most visited pilgrimage sites of Karakalpakstan. 

The fortress received its name during the Arab conquest, and means “a fortress of disbelievers”, as scientists found that the inhabitants of the fortress used to be Zoroastrians before the Arab conquest. 

Amazing ruins to visit with tombs from VI century BC - IX century AD.

And then we will be back in our hotel in Nukus.

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Early flight to Tashkent, we will drop our bags to the hotel and have an afternoon free to visit those last minute places in Tashkent.

Let's share a Farewell Dinner together, back in the modern world after those amazing days far, far away looking for the Aral Sea.

B,D

 Departures from Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport, Uzbekistan.

We’ll drop you to the airport to meet your flight.

NOTE - We travel by comfortable 4x4's over  bumpy roads and the seabed. 

We stay in comfortable yurt camps - our yurts are heated and warm, bathrooms and toilets are outside in communal ablutions blocks.

Physical Fitness for Sightseeing 

This adventure is designed for enthusiastic, active travellers with a good general level of health and mobility.

To make the most of your experience, you’ll need to be comfortable walking for 3 to 4 hours a day - exploring canyons and looking around.

If you’re up for a bit of daily movement and love immersing yourself on foot, you’ll thrive on this tour. 

Just a heads-up - it is not be the best match for those who like to take things very slowly or need lots of rest stops along the way.

Etiquette

• Be mindful of people’s privacy when taking photos

• Taking photos of people – how would you feel with a camera in your face?

• A good approach – people often enjoy a selfie; say hello, ask for a group selfie, show them, then ask for a portrait

• Learn a few local courtesies – always appreciated

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Workshops

• Workshops are fully catered – we just need to turn up

• A small personal kit (needle and snips) can be useful

• Hosts often enjoy seeing something you’ve made

Art / Sketch

• A suggested materials list will be provided for sketching tours

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Food

• Food is an integral part of culture – we are here to try it all

• Group meals are shared, with a range of dishes and local specialties

• Cooking is generally from scratch using fresh ingredients

• Uzbek cuisine is rich and meat-based

• Vegetarian / Vegan – very limited, especially outside major cities and in homes

o Expect salads, bread, and sides

o Consider bringing a protein supplement

• Dried fruits and nuts are plentiful in markets

• Wheat / gluten – manageable in cities; more limited on road days (plov, somsa common)

• Dairy – relatively easy to avoid

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Health

• Drink only filtered or bottled water – not tap, even for brushing teeth

• Aim for at least 2 litres of water daily

• Visit your doctor or travel specialist before departure

• Bring required medications and prescriptions

• Menstrual products – pads available, tampons less so

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Money

• Notify your bank before travel (including transit stops)

• Travel cards can be useful – check they work before departure (Wise generally reliable)

• Carry a backup card, stored separately

• ATMs – widely available and the easiest way to access cash

• Know your PIN – tap payments are not common

• Cash to exchange – USD easiest; other currencies less so

• Credit cards – not widely accepted

• Maestro and American Express generally not accepted

Currency

• Uzbek Som

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Shopping

• There are treasures to find – textiles, ceramics, suzani, spices

• It supports the local economy

• Bargaining is standard in markets

• NGOs and social enterprises usually have fixed pricing

• If you’re after specific items, a little research helps

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Suitcase

• Start with a medium suitcase and bring a soft bag for extra purchases

• Larger cases are harder to manage on buses

Recommended size

• Medium: 60–70 cm (H) x 40–50 cm (W) x 25–30 cm (D)

• Approx. 24–28" x 16–20" x 10–12"

• Not easy to buy luggage on the road

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Weather

• Warm during the day, cooler mornings and evenings

• Generally dry – moisturiser is useful

• Sunny – a hat is helpful

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Power

• 230–240 volts

• European adaptor plugs required

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Clothing

• Lightweight, loose layers work well

• 3–4 outfits are usually sufficient

• Pack socks and a cardigan for cooler mornings

• A light jacket can be useful

• Modesty: skirts/trousers mid-calf or longer; shoulders covered

• A scarf is useful – for warmth, sun, or covering when needed

• Leave expensive jewellery at home

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Shoes

• Comfortable walking shoes (sneakers or strapped sandals)

• Surfaces can be uneven – good footing matters

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Laundry

• Any 2-night stop is a good opportunity

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Fitness

• Frequent stops, getting on and off the minibus

• Walking is part of the experience – often 1–2 hours at a time

• Expect steps and uneven ground

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Begging

• Rarely seen

• Avoid giving sweets or gifts to children – better to engage with a smile and a chat

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Tipping

• Not common or expected for everyday services

• Restaurants – around 10% in more formal settings

• Set something aside for your driver

• A guide: the equivalent of a coffee per day, per person

• A group collection at the end works well

• Optional, but appreciated

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Environment

• Step lightly – conserve water and power

• Take rubbish with you where possible

• Say no to plastic

• Bring a cloth carry bag