The people were wonderful and it was a very good place to hone one's bartering skills in the colourful bazaars.

The group I was with could not have been better, up there with my Vietnam experience, and the tour manager Laura was fantastic as was the local tour guide Larissa and our lovely tour guide. It was certainly a step into the 'unknown' but so glad I took that step. So many memories, so many good friends.

Cindy

Uzbekistan, May 2014. Absolutely brilliant. The whole experience was such a happy one, even the 10 hour journey across the desert, who could forget the sand dunes loo stop! And the crazy taxi convoy up the mountain.

The people were wonderful and it was a very good place to hone one's bartering skills in the colourful bazaars.

The group I was with could not have been better, up there with my Vietnam experience, and the tour manager Laura was fantastic as was the local tour guide Larissa and our lovely tour guide. It was certainly a step into the 'unknown' but so glad I took that step. So many memories, so many good friends.

Good to read such a positive review as I will be going later this year, also good to note there are a few sand dunes around, it wouldn't be the first time I have had to go 'alfresco' so to speak on a JY holiday, any port in a storm will do for me. I'm really looking forward to another great holiday.

Avocet

regards Dave

Regards

Jaya

The decision is still being made about Uzbekistan. Please be aware that even if it doesn't make it into the 2015 brochure it's probably not the end of it. The team do rest tours for a season or two, the Polar Bear trip and Rocky Mountaineer holiday have both been rested before and are back for 2014/15.

Kindest regards,

Julia

It does not matter if the tour is not on offer next year as I have already planned my holidays (being a bit selfish here since I am sure there are others who would like to go next year!). As long as it is offered again within the next couple of years, I will be happy.

Regards

Jaya

Uzbekistan, May 2014. Absolutely brilliant. The whole experience was such a happy one, even the 10 hour journey across the desert, who could forget the sand dunes loo stop! And the crazy taxi convoy up the mountain.

The people were wonderful and it was a very good place to hone one's bartering skills in the colourful bazaars.

The group I was with could not have been better, up there with my Vietnam experience, and the tour manager Laura was fantastic as was the local tour guide Larissa and our lovely tour guide. It was certainly a step into the 'unknown' but so glad I took that step. So many memories, so many good friends.

I really want to go to Uzbekistan ,, but one thing puts me off, the Hotel registration. Don't get me wrong, I have no problems about obeying local laws, but I have had some horrible experiences in the past when our passports were taken by the local travel agent and somehow the group leader got them. The group leader would always go to retrieve them from the hotel reception without telling us. Did this happen in Uzbekistan? Personally , I prefer to hand in my passport myself and for it to be given to me.

Uzbekistan, May 2014. Absolutely brilliant. The whole experience was such a happy one, even the 10 hour journey across the desert, who could forget the sand dunes loo stop! And the crazy taxi convoy up the mountain.

The people were wonderful and it was a very good place to hone one's bartering skills in the colourful bazaars.

The group I was with could not have been better, up there with my Vietnam experience, and the tour manager Laura was fantastic as was the local tour guide Larissa and our lovely tour guide. It was certainly a step into the 'unknown' but so glad I took that step. So many memories, so many good friends.

I really want to go to Uzbekistan ,, but one thing puts me off, the Hotel registration. Don't get me wrong, I have no problems about obeying local laws, but I have had some horrible experiences in the past when our passports were taken by the local travel agent and somehow the group leader got them. The group leader would always go to retrieve them from the hotel reception without telling us. Did this happen in Uzbekistan? Personally , I prefer to hand in my passport myself and for it to be given to me.

Hello Ina

I went to Uzbek last September and to be quite honest I can only remember one hotel where we had to hand our passports in for registration, maybe we did in others as well.

The answer to your question is, that on the occasion I can remember the Tour Manager collected everyones passport and handed them in at the hotel and then collected them and handed them back out again, its not something I think too much about as I have found this to be the practice on most holidays where the hotel requires to see passports and personally I have no problems with it.

This is a great holiday, Uzbekistan is a very safe country to visit and the Uzbeks are lovely people, I wouldn't let something like who hands the passport over put you off, if you feel that strongly about it I'm sure you can come to some arrangement with the TM.

Avocet

Uzbekistan, May 2014. Absolutely brilliant. The whole experience was such a happy one, even the 10 hour journey across the desert, who could forget the sand dunes loo stop! And the crazy taxi convoy up the mountain.

The people were wonderful and it was a very good place to hone one's bartering skills in the colourful bazaars.

The group I was with could not have been better, up there with my Vietnam experience, and the tour manager Laura was fantastic as was the local tour guide Larissa and our lovely tour guide. It was certainly a step into the 'unknown' but so glad I took that step. So many memories, so many good friends.

I really want to go to Uzbekistan ,, but one thing puts me off, the Hotel registration. Don't get me wrong, I have no problems about obeying local laws, but I have had some horrible experiences in the past when our passports were taken by the local travel agent and somehow the group leader got them. The group leader would always go to retrieve them from the hotel reception without telling us. Did this happen in Uzbekistan? Personally , I prefer to hand in my passport myself and for it to be given to me.

Hello Ina

I went to Uzbek last September and to be quite honest I can only remember one hotel where we had to hand our passports in for registration, maybe we did in others as well.

The answer to your question is, that on the occasion I can remember the Tour Manager collected everyones passport and handed them in at the hotel and then collected them and handed them back out again, its not something I think too much about as I have found this to be the practice on most holidays where the hotel requires to see passports and personally I have no problems with it.

This is a great holiday, Uzbekistan is a very safe country to visit and the Uzbeks are lovely people, I wouldn't let something like who hands the passport over put you off, if you feel that strongly about it I'm sure you can come to some arrangement with the TM.

Avocet

Thanks Avocet. Uzbekistan sounds amazing and is a chance of alifetime

You have to have some trust re passports. You do have to hand in the passports in quite a few places for registration. When I did the Istanbul, Tory and Ephesus trip, we handed in our passport in Istanbul. Then the local guide made note of everyone's details on a piece of paper which he handed in at reception at all the other hotels we stayed in. This was much quicker and better as some a couple of stops were only for a night. Even if you hand your passport in yourself and collect it, what guarantee is there that the details will not be passed on to someone dodgy?

Jaya

As I said before, I have no problem handing in a passport to hotels , - this is the law but it IS HOW it is done I'd complain about. Why should I place trust in people I don't know?

Nothing in life is foolproof but passports could still be handed onto someone dodgy if a guide handed them in!

There have been horror stories on trip advisor of how a tour guide collected passports in Vietnam at Halong and the following day hers went missing and it was never found. There was someone's blog on Cambodia where a passports were robbed, attempts to extort money for their return and the hotel were in on it.

And let's face it, if a hotel or guide lose it they are not going to take responsibility or pay for a new one or expenses incurred while awaiting replacement. They will just say they gave it back to you.

Passports for us, were not necessary to hand into hotels, the guide had details on a list.

I guess it's a matter of different strokes for different folks, different countries have their own ways of doing things.