Extension in the Aral Sea region

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Tashkent – Nukus (flight)

  

  Breakfast at the hotel (lunch box). Check-in. Early morning transfer to Tashkent domestic airport to take the flight (HY11 dep.: 07:15/arr.: 08:55) to Nukus. Arrival at the airport and transfer to the hotel, deposit luggage at the luggage storage. Check-out after 14:00. Discover Nukus with a (self-guided) visit to the Savitsky State Art Museum (closed on Mondays), a true artistic gem housing one of the most important collections of Russian avant-garde in the world. You will discover works by artists such as Pavel Surikov, Igor Savitsky himself (the museum owns 44 of his paintings), Alexander Volkov, Robert Falk, Pavel Benkov, as well as an exceptional collection of Central Asian folk art. *You will mainly visit the first building of the Savitsky Museum, the second one is currently closed for renovation.* Lunch at the museum café or at a local restaurant (on your own). In the afternoon, transfer and check-in at the hotel, time to rest. - A walk in a local bazaar is a must to soak up the atmosphere and culture of a city. This colorful market, a true kaleidoscope of flavors and smells, will transport you to the heart of Karakalpak culture. Return on foot to the hotel. Dinner at a restaurant in town (on your own). Overnight at the hotel.

• day 2

  Nukus – Moynaq – Ustyurt Plateau – Aral Sea

  

  Breakfast at the hotel. Early in the morning, departure towards Moynaq (200 km / ~3h drive), once a thriving port on the shores of the Aral Sea. Today, it is a ghost town; the remnants of this prosperous era rest in a ship cemetery, a poignant testimony to the disappearance caused by the ecological disaster. - A melancholic walk in the "Ship Cemetery" that has formed on the site of the former port of Moynaq. The ships and fishing boats that once plied the surface of the Aral Sea are now rusted, neglected, and abandoned, frozen for eternity at the bottom of a sea that was once tumultuous and magnificent. To this day, this open-air museum houses barely more than 10 wrecks, compared to more than a hundred in the past. - The ecological museum offers a unique perspective on the past life of the Moynaq region, once a prosperous port on the shores of the Aral Sea. It traces the history of the Aral Sea, from its greatness to its gradual disappearance. Lunch in a guesthouse in Moynaq (included). Departure for the Aral Sea to the "Besh Kala" camp (200 km / ~3h) passing through the Ustyurt plateau, the former coastline of the Aral Sea, where you will discover sublime canyons, as well as stratifications dating from the ancient seabed. Arrival and installation in the yurt camp. Possibility of a walk to the Aral Sea, then return to the camp. Dinner around the campfire (included) and overnight in the yurt.

• day 3

  Aral Sea – Kourganchakala – Nomad Cemeteries – Aktumsek Canyons – Aral Sea

  

  Wake up early to take admirable photos of the Aral Sea landscapes at dawn, then have breakfast in the camp. Discovery of the Aral Sea region (100 km/~2h30 drive in total). Departure for the mysterious Davletgirey fortress, also called Karganchakala, the former northernmost outpost of the Khorezm kingdom on the shore of the Aral Sea. - Located below the Chink of the Ustyurt plateau, the Kurganchakala complex (12th-13th c.) includes a camp, a tower, a potter's kiln, and isolated constructions. The ancient city houses the remains of a center dedicated to trade between the Khorezmians and the nomads of the region. Then, discovery of the Aktumsyk camp with the possibility of a walk through the picturesque places of the Ustyurt plateau. - On the way, stop at an ancient cemetery of nomadic tribes from the Silk Road era to take magnificent photos of the Martian landscapes. Lunch in the yurt camp (included). In the afternoon, walk by the sea, observe the wildlife or have a photography session (free), with the possibility of swimming in the sea (depending on the season) and searching for Megalodon shark teeth. Return to the camp. Dinner (included) and overnight in the camp.

• day 4

  Aral Sea – Kubla Ousturt – Lake Barsa Kelmes – Lake Soudotchié – Kungrad – Khojeyli – Nukus

  

  Breakfast at the camp. Departure towards the village of Komsomolsk to see the abandoned airport of the gas compression station, which was used as an emergency landing strip for planes. - On the way, stop in the village of Kubla Ousturt to take photos of camels and horses, and taste camel milk. - A special stop at Lake Barsa Kelmes for a photo session would be perfect, especially considering the lake's fascinating history as a relic of the ancient Tethys Ocean. - A moment of relaxation at the salt lake Soudotchié, formerly part of the Aral Sea, where many migratory birds nest, such as flamingos and others. Picnic lunch en route (included). Drive to Nukus via the districts of Khojeyli and Koungrad, former trading centers during the time of the Great Silk Road, to visit: - The necropolis of Mizdakhan, an ancient cemetery housing the tombs of kings and notables of the ancient kingdom of Khorezm, a flourishing civilization that played a key role in the region. - The ruins of the fortress of Gaour Kala (4th century BC – 3rd century AD), located in the heart of a desert landscape. Inside the fortress, it is possible to see a grand building that has survived, which consists of rooms of modest size revealing decorated pillars, niches housing murals, and a sanctuary. According to scientists, the word Gyaur means "fire worshipper." In all likelihood, it was a temple of fire worshippers. Arrival in Nukus at the end of the day (300 km/7-8h drive in total), transfer and check-in at the hotel. Dinner (not included) and overnight at the hotel.

• day 5

  Nukus – Ellik Kala – Khiva

  

  Breakfast at the hotel. Early departure towards Khiva (280 km / approx. 5h drive in total) via the Ellik-Kala region, where once stood cities and royal castles of ancient Khorezm. - The Toprak Kala fortress (1st – 6th century AD), a fortified city located a few kilometers from the Soultan Ways mountain range. Scientists suggest that it was used as a residence by a Khorezm monarch in antiquity, before the Afrigid dynasty came to power. The current name of the monument comes from its location and shape. The word toprak can be translated as "Fortress covered with earth." - 1.5 km west of Toprak Kala, Kizil Kala, or the "Red Fortress" (1st – 4th century AD). Some scientists suggest that it served as a garrison barracks for military troops or as an armed residence for the owner, a typical function in the Khorezm province during the early Middle Ages. - Discovery of Ayaz Kala (4th – 3rd century BC), also known as the "Fortress under the wind," which is one of the most beautiful and picturesque sites in Karakalpakstan. In reality, Ayaz Kala is not a simple citadel, but a group of three fortresses surrounding an imposing hill over 100 meters high, on the eastern slope of the Soultan Ways mountain range. Lunch en route or at the "Ayaz Kala" camp (free). Arrival in Khiva at the end of the day, transfer and check-in at the hotel. Time to rest. Dinner in a local restaurant (free). Overnight at the hotel.