Video: Central Asia: Uzbekistan & Kyrgyzstan

In the heart of Central Asia are the former Soviet republics of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, an area of vast inaccessible wilderness, surrounded by harsh deserts and high mountains. They were once on the ancient caravan routes and their towns were oases on the Great Silk Road. . Traveller Ian Wright's journey begins in Uzbekistan where he travels through the ancient cities of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand and on to the Uzbek capital, Tashkent. He then ventures into Kyrgyzstan where he takes in the remote Tian Shan Mountains and the Arshane Valley.

Along the way...

• Attend a wedding where festivities include ram-butting and wrestling
• Hitch a ride on an old Red Army helicopter
• Earn some extra money picking cotton
• Go on a horse trek and meet nomadic shepherds

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