Tajikistan: A Travel Guide

Zarlasht -

Want to learn more about Tajikistan and what can you do there? This article has all of the basics you need to know to have a successful trip in Tojikiston! Raftem! *This article was originally published in 2018. Some things, like the currency conversion and cost of bus tickets, may have changed since then.

Tajikistan is a wonderful travel destination. Located in the heart of Asia, the country’s breathtaking scenery and cultural and linguistic diversity contribute to its appeal as an excellent study abroad destination.

Demographics

This former USSR nation-state is located in Central Asia, between Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, China and Afghanistan. Its capital city of Dushanbe is located in the west and houses around 700,000 people, which is about 9% of the country’s total population. The majority religion is Islam.

Cost

The exchange rate is excellent for people using United States’ currency. One dollar translates to 9.45 Somoni. To put it in perspective, riding the bus costs one Somoni, so you pay about ten cents per ride.

Language

Tajiki/Tojiki/ тоҷикӣ is the country’s main language. It’s a dialect of Persian written with the Cyrillic alphabet. If you speak Russian or a dialect of Persian, you can easily communicate with people. When speaking Dari or Farsi, be cognizant of discrepancies that can lead to funny misunderstandings.

There is a lot of linguistic variety in Tajikistan, with people speaking Tojiki (Persian), Uzbeki, Shughni, Russian, and more. It’s important to keep this in mind when interacting with your host family. If you have trouble understanding what members of your host family say to each other, don’t assume it’s because your Persian needs work-they could be speaking a completely different language!

Tip: Watch some videos on beginning Cyrillic while you wait to board your flight. You’ll be thankful you did when you need to read street signs, menus and much more.

Food

The average Tojik diet is meat and starch based, similar to Russian cuisine. Your host family may welcome you with the national dish of Tojikiston: Osh Palao. Osh is a dish traditionally made for guests and is cooked almost identically to Afghan Qabli Palao: rice is colored with browned sugar, steamed over chunks of goat or lamb, and is topped with raisins and carrots. Vegetarian options are slim but they exist. I ate a boiled egg, toast and yogurt for breakfast every day and had lots of soup and cauliflower for dinner.

If you grew up in the global north, your body is probably not accustomed to fighting off the regional bacterium, so always keep Pepto Bismol, Tums, toilet paper and hand sanitizer on you. Remember those antibiotics your doctor prescribed for extreme diarrhea? Keep them close at hand too; you never know when you or a friend may need them.

Peanut butter is expensive; if you can’t live without it, bring your own!

A friend drank gin and tonics after most meals to ward off indigestion. It seemed to work for him.

Shopping

Shopping is an adventure in Tojikiston. Finding (or more commonly creating) clothes requires more effort than just stopping by a big-box shopping mall. Most, if not all clothing in Tajikistan is imported so it tends to be expensive and hard to find. Department stores aren’t really a thing. If you seek an H&M feel, check out the Turkish brand LC Waikiki at Ayni Street 17 in Dushanbe. Otherwise, you can find clothes in bazaars and small shops in strip malls. Most people opt to buy fabric from a bazaar and hire a seamstress to make pieces. This is the least expensive option, and who doesn’t want a custom outfit?

If you want traditional atlas (the national fabric of Tajikistan), go to Khujand in the north where the design originated. You can find atlas fabric all over Tajikistan, but there is a specific store in Khujand that carries more options than anywhere else.

The best grocery store is Paikar, the best shopping mall is Sad Barg, The best bazaars in Dushanbe and Khujand are Korvon Market in Dushanbe and Istaravshan Panjshanbe Bozor in Khujand. You get the best deals from average people selling their wares on the side of the road. So if you see someone selling beautiful plates, stop the car and buy a few.

I bought a gorgeous platter for my mother on my way home from Parandeh Bozor for 50 somoni that was sold in the capitol for 150 somoni!

The Best of Dushanbe

Plan Your Trip

What to bring:

  • Outlet adapter
  • Portable battery
  • Pepto Bismol and Tums
  • High-energy granola bars
  • Vitamins
  • Foods you cannot live without
  • Gifts for your host family

What you Can Buy There at a Lower Cost:

  • Toiletries (Shampoo, Conditioner, Soap, etc.)
  • Groceries
  • Biscuits
  • Sweets

Celebrate when you can. Visit neighbors for Eid, go to weddings, celebrate the Persian New Year. Enjoy your time in Tajikistan!