Tajikistan - destination for people who like peace

Tajikistan is a peaceful destination with unspoiled natural scenery, convenient for Vietnamese people when they only need to transit once and apply for a visa at the border.

Nguyen Cao Hong Nhung (Rosie Nguyen), 28 years old, in Can Tho, is currently a general manager for a foreign company, also works as a content creator on social networking platforms. From February 28 to March 24, Nhung and her husband, Houman Abouei (American), had a trip to the Central Asian country, Tajikistan, once a republic of the Soviet Union.

Hissar Fort (Hiso), the site of the 20 Somoni bill of Tajikistan.

Tajikistan is a landlocked, landlocked country. Besides the wild and majestic scenery, Tajikistan has a rich history and culture due to the fact that it was under the rule of many empires. Most of the Tajiks speak Persian. The currency is Somoni, the exchange rate of 1,000 VND is equal to 0.46 Somoni.

Nhung said the couple chose Tajikistan because of the convenient visa policy for Vietnamese citizens. Vietnamese people only need to apply for a visa at the border gate, the procedure is simple, with a period of 30 days. If applying for an e-visa, the stay is 90 days. From Vietnam, there are direct flights to Kazakhstan, the neighboring country of Tajikistan. Visitors can combine going to both these countries.

In Tajikistan, the internet is not popular, Nhung thinks that this will be a suitable place for those who love slow, peaceful life and beautiful natural scenery. Here for a month, Nhung did not meet a single Vietnamese, and few foreigners. Recognizing foreigners here is very easy due to the different way of dressing.

Right time

Nhung and her husband come to Tajikistan in the spring to participate in the country's Nowruz Bayram (Spring Festival). This is a festival held at the time of the new year according to the culture of the Tajik people. This year is March 21. During the festival, people will decorate everywhere and hold many parades in the streets.

She said that Tajik people recommend coming from May to October, the temperature in the capital Dushanbe fluctuates between 30-35 degrees Celsius. The weather is pleasant, suitable for moving and visiting places. Winter (November to April) also has its own beauty with mountains and snow-covered roads. However, the temperature dropped to minus Celsius, heavy snowfall made movement limited, the road difficult to go.

Stay

For a month in Tajikistan, Nhung and her husband rented a luxury apartment in the capital Dushanbe for 800,000 VND a night. If traveling for a short time, visitors can choose rooms to stay through the Airbnb channel at a cheaper price, about 400,000 VND per night.

Famous places

The first place Nhung and her husband visited in Tajikistan was the capital Dushanbe. Clean street. Peach and tulip are grown and bloomed everywhere. Nhung went to Rudaki Park to admire the Dushanbe flagpole (165 m), the third tallest flagpole in the world, and Dousti square, where there is a memorial to Ismoil Somoni, the tenth king of the Samanid empire, when he was the land of development . prosperous development.

Haji Yaqub, a mosque over 200 years old, is the largest Islamic center in Tajikistan, in Dushanbe. The mosque has a large dome, colorful walls decorated with Persian-style patterns like the mosques in Iran.

Hissar Fort (Hisor) is located in the valley of Hissar, a historical site appearing on Tajikistan's 20 Somoni banknote, nearly 25 km from Dushanbe. The fortress is located on a high hillside, the campus is wide, surrounded by a wall more than 1 m thick. On the campus of Madrassa-I Kuhnah Academy, located next to it, there is a museum that holds relics nearly 2,000 years old.

The Varzob River is about 71 km long and lies along the cliffs of the Gissar range, about 30 km from the capital Dushanbe. The river flows down from the steppe side, the water is clear and smooth. Sitting on the rocks by the river, you can enjoy the cool water and take pictures as a souvenir.

Nhung and her husband visit the largest mosque in Tajikistan, Haji Yaqub.

Culture

Tajikistan is the place that caused Nhung the most culture shock among the countries she has ever been to. Sunni Islam is the main religion in Tajikistan, so the dress code is quite strict. Not only women must dress modestly, even men are not allowed to wear shorts to the street. Even men and women do not communicate in public places.

People's lives are quite peaceful. The busiest places are the local markets. There are shops selling handicrafts such as wooden statues, leather goods, cloth statues, towels and carpets with fancy patterns.

Cuisine

During the Tajikistan New Year festival on February 23, Nhung and her husband enjoyed Qurutob. This is a traditional dish eaten with the hands at large parties such as weddings or holidays. The main ingredients include bread, lamb, onions, cheese, yogurt. Nhung said the dish was quite strange, the smell of lamb was quite strong, unlike anything she had ever eaten.

Traditional Qurutob of Tajikistan.

Because it is not bordered by the sea, there are only freshwater fishes here, no seafood. The people of Tajikistan mainly eat beef, sheep, and do not eat pork due to Islam. The usual way of processing is fried or grilled on skewers, served with cheese. According to Nhung's perception, the dishes in Tajikistan have a strong and rich taste, not easy to eat with Asians but suitable for her husband's (American) taste.

Compared with Vietnamese cuisine, the vegetables and fruits are not diverse, but almonds and walnuts are cheaper and of good quality, which can be bought as gifts.

Note

Dushanbe Airport currently does not sell sim phones and does not have wifi. Visitors should register for an international data package with a Vietnamese sim if they need to contact urgently to look up information, call a car and contact.

Before going, visitors should learn about the culture of the people here to prepare appropriate costumes. Although locals have a more open look to tourists, they should not wear costumes that reveal too much of their body to avoid attracting attention. Women should be vigilant when walking on the street at night.

Should bring instant noodles, dry food and some medicine, in case of stomach upset due to incompatibility with food.

English is not common in Tajikistan. Out of the city where there is no network, it is difficult to use translation apps. This is a big disadvantage for tourists who do not know Persian.

During her one-month stay in Tajikistan, Nhung experienced three earthquakes. Although they are only aftershocks and do not cause serious damage, tourists should consider, learn and choose an appropriate travel time.

After experiencing Tajikistan's long-standing culture and wild and majestic scenery, Nhung said, "I didn't think a country considered 'poor' in Central Asia would make such an impression".