Route Suggestion Dushanbe to Tashkent??
 

Planning to ride through here in the Summer of 2011 and we are looking for route suggestions?

It appears M34 would be the best, but what about the multiple border crossing Tajik-Uzbek-Tajik-Uzbek? Anyone done this route?

Any suggestions for dirt routes would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks... Dan

M34
 

Yes did that route backwards in 09, from Tashkent to Dushanbe.

M34 is best and most scenic ... there is only one border crossing ... at Bostan (Bustan) between TJ and UZ.

Its an amazing road ... Dushanbe, Aini, Shakhristan, Ora Teppa, Khujand, Bostan, then cross to Uzbekistan and north to Tashkent. There are two massive mountain ranges to cross, the Hissar range between Dushanbe and Aini and the Turkestan range between Aini and Shakhristan. A lot of the mountain sections are dirt road, but it is being paved and smoothed out as we speak by Chinese road workers. There is no feasible alternative to cross those ranges other than the M34. Plenty of pictures here: Central Asia - Pure Photos ... pages 9-10-11-12 are Tashkent to Dushanbe, inclusive, via the M34.

Allow 2 days.

The alternative is to cross the first range to Aini and then turn left to Samarkand and from Samarkand to Tashkent, but that will not be as interesting ... in fact Samarkand to Tashkent is very boring.

colebatch, sorry I missed your reply...just got back from 2 weeks in Baja.

Thanks for the info. it's much appreciated.

Dan

It is really the first time mentioned only legal border crossing,or can legally prevent the border crossing and this second mentioned by the Aini and Samarkand?

Thanks again:thumbup1: