Nurata Yurt Escape

Between Samarkand and Bukhara the map shows a direct road and a few hours of driving. This journey takes the long way round, north to the edge of the Kyzylkum, and turns a transfer into the quietest two days of a trip. The first stop is Nurata, a small town at the foot of bare hills, where the Chashma spring runs clear below the remains of an old fortress. The water is held sacred, and the fish in it are left alone. From there the road runs on to Aydarkul, a wide, shallow lake at the edge of the desert.

The camp is a ring of felt yurts a short walk from the water. There is little to do, which is the point. A camel ride in the last hour of light, dinner by the fire, and a sky with no competition from anywhere. The yurts are simple and warm, and the evening belongs to the fire and the people around it. In the morning you can walk down to the lake before breakfast, while the light is still low.

The drive across the steppe to Bukhara takes the rest of the second day, and after the open country the city arrives as trees and water. These two days are designed to sit inside a longer itinerary: your hotels in Samarkand and Bukhara are booked separately, and your travel designer will place the desert where it fits best in your journey. If you would rather travel in the other direction, the route runs just as well in reverse.