’Stans by train with Great Dane

Isn’t it great when your travel expectations are not only met but greatly exceeded? This happened to my husband, Don, and me on our 1,000-mile train journey from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in October 2014.

We had contemplated traveling along the fabled Silk Road, so we started collecting information from travel brochures and catalogs and checked the Internet. Having endured long bus rides over bumpy roads in the past, we hesitated about taking such a trip, especially after arriving from 12 time zones away. 

Then, in ITN, we found an ad for a 2-week trip to three of the ’Stans by private train with Great Dane Journeys (Milton, NY; 855/702-4986, http://greatdanejourneys.com).

“Aha!” we thought. “We could cover many of the miles while we sleep or eat meals.” Since we’re both in our 80s, we felt this would be ideal.

We contacted B.J. Mikkelsen of Great Dane Journeys, had a very enjoyable and informative chat and were impressed and excited with the material he sent us. Seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites were on the itinerary. We would have eight overnights on the train and five in hotels, taking overnight bags to the hotels while the rest of our luggage stayed on the train.

Including all meals, transfers, entrance fees at sites and an onboard doctor, the trip price was $3,195-$9,635 per person, double occupancy, depending on the train accommodations chosen. We selected the second-to-least-expensive category, the Classic, and paid $4,980 per person. Our 2-person compartment provided adequate storage space for our luggage.

We flew into Almaty, Kazakhstan, and spent the night in the lovely, 5-star Royal Tulip Almaty (401-2M Ospanov St., Almaty; www.royaltulipalmaty.com/en). Our room’s décor was colorful and ornate though tasteful.

The next morning, our group was divided into smaller groups to be taken to points of interest in vans. Our English-speaking group consisted of three Dutch, one Scot and us. We had the same excellent guide in both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Because border tensions keep those countries’ citizens from entering Turkmenistan, a new guide showed us archaeological sites there.

All three countries have been independent of Russia since the early ’90s. Their citizens are mostly Muslim, but some are Russian Orthodox.

In contrast to what we’d seen in other Muslim countries, we heard no daily calls to prayer and saw no women covered head to toe in abayas. Most women, though, did wear scarves that covered most of their hair. In the cosmopolitan city of Almaty, many were dressed in Western attire.

After our day tour in Almaty, we boarded the train. Soon after it departed, we were called to dinner for the first of many tasty and generous meals in our lovely dining car. 

We were pleased to see how clean the train was. The dining car, bathrooms and shower room were immaculate. We had only one complaint: our compartment window was “cloudy,” as were quite a few of the train’s windows. We certainly could see out, but this was disappointing.

Each car had a steward who converted our beds into seating while we were at breakfast, pulled down our bed covers during dinner and kept everything spotless.

When exploring cities, we ate at very nice, large restaurants as well as at hotels, a private home and even a palace. All meals were tasty, with ample portions. Bottled water was always available at no charge. We could purchase wine by the glass or bottle.

We visited elegant shops and numerous galleries where we could acquire silk, carpets, ceramics, jewelry, painted miniatures, beautiful books, dolls, puppets and carved wooden objects. There were also embroidered wall hangings, purses, robes, gowns and hats to tempt one’s wallet, especially in Uzbekistan.

Some of these things were quite lovely, and calling them “souvenirs” would seem to denigrate them. We purchased a small silk carpet, which we are enjoying immensely.

Needless to say, we’re now sold on train adventures!

NANCY ADOLPHSON

Walnut Creek, CA