04 Sep 2023
We’re glad we did this trip instead of staying in Tashkent as Khujand was a really nice city, but logistics and communication could’ve been better. Our driver in Uzbekistan didn’t speak English, so he had to call someone to explain to us what would be happening for the day. Might’ve been easier if that info were emailed to us in advance. The guide in Tajikistan spoke English pretty well but didn’t really understand it when we spoke, so he couldn’t answer any of our questions. 3 sites in Khujand ended up being closed the day we were there (it was a Monday), which I feel like a tour company should’ve known. But to the guide’s credit, he found other places in the city to show us instead - appreciate his resourcefulness. There was time for lunch but we weren’t hungry…he still took us to a restaurant and we sat there while he ate a huge meal. We hadn’t been given the opportunity to change money, so we wouldn’t have been able to eat even if we’d wanted to. He felt like he was very knowledgeable about the city but not about tourists’ wants and needs.