Cities and Towns in Asia

Nuwara Eliya is a cool town in many aspects. It's spread out on a plain at 1868 m, meaning the weather is actually cool. The town is surrounded by small farms and gardens which produce fruits and vegetables more associated to Europe than tropical Sri Lanka. The area is particularly famous for its strawberries, which the Sri Lankan consider as an oddity. And then, of course, there are the tea plantations, which cover pretty much every hill side on the way up to Nuwara Eliya. Since the town was founded by the British and has a temperate climate, it has a very distinct vibe with flowers, pine trees, horsemen, golf course and (sometimes) cold foggy weather - something the freezing locals never really have come to terms with, or so it seems.

For some, the only real reason to stop in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe is merely transport logistics. Truth be known, a visit here is almost inevitable. But as opposed to skipping through as quickly as possible on the way to someplace "better", the city could do with a couple days visits. Arguably the best thing to do is head to any one of the numerous parks in town. People-watching is spectacular as locals congregate for an afternoon stroll. But with a number of museums, monuments and other such tourist favourites, the city is more than just a place to get an airplane ticket or stock up on visas.

Though Khorog is the regional capital of Gorno-Badakhshan (GBAO), it's no bigger than a small town. It's nicely nestled in a valley, stretched along Gynt River which cuts the town into two parts. The downtown area includes a few banks, shops, a well-stocked bazaar, a lovely green park and a very useful tourist information office (PECTA). Since Khorog is the starting (or ending) point for the Pamir Highway, it's a natural traffic hub for the whole region and a meeting place for travellers going in any direction.

Murghab is a looong way from everywhere. It's beautiful located in a wide valley surrounded by red cliff in changing hue. But as pretty as the landscape is, as gritty is the town. There are no proper streets, just potholed dirt lanes and wheel tracks. Houses are worn out and the bazaar is a shanty town made up by old shipping containers. Although there is a tough vibe, it doesn't quite have the end-of-the-world feeling of Karakul and Bulunkul. It's a main stop on the Pamir Highway and a traffic hub for transport to/from Kyrgyzstan (and China when the border crossing becomes more mainstream).

Surin is mostly famous for the annual Surin Elephant Round-up held in November, but you are likely to see some of the stars any time of the year – and we don't just mean the countless elephant statues scattered around town. It's not unusual to see an elephant parked between the cars waiting for passers-by to buy some fruit for them from the mahout. Besides the elephants, the town doesn't offer much in terms of unusual sights, but since it is well connected by both buses and train, it is a great base to explore the countryside. You can find some of the best Angkor temples in Thailand close-by: Khao Phra Wihan/Preah Vihear (150 km to the east), Prasat Meuang Tam and Phanom Rung historial park (both 100 km to the west).

There is, perhaps, no better place to relive the fabled Silk Road than the old town of Bukhara. Although lacking in individual showpieces (like the Registan in Samarkand), Bukhara has maintained an authentic feel. Its interwinding streets and alleyways meander past ancient mosques and medressas. But it is the fact that the market is so alive that makes Bukhara special. While many of the items on sale are tourist oriented, the visitor can still see local merchants labouring away on hand-made crafts with skills passed down through generations. While the main thoroughfares might get a little busy, it is easy to escape down a back street and have the place to yourself.

Samarkand is the most famous of Uzbekistan's 3 must-see Silk Road cities (the others being Bukhara and Khiva). When you first enter the city, the first impression will be of a very modern place with lots of Soviet era apartment blocks, and not at all that ancient Silk Road city with protective walls, towering minarets, and azur domes that you might expect. But when you finally arrive at the Registan and see the blue tiled mosques and medressas, you quickly forget the dull surroundings. The historical centre around Registan and Timur's mausoleum, Gur-e-Amir (picture), is really done up, too much in many opnions, but it's not impossible to find your way into the old town, where people still live in mud brick houses.

Timur (1336-1405) was for Uzbekistan what Genghis Khan (1162-1227) was for Mongolia. Timur was born in Shakhrisabz and grew up to be a blood-thirsty ruler who conquered great parts of Arabia, Persia, Caucasus and northern India, not to mention Central Asia. Like Genghis Khan, his campaigns resulted in the death of more than a million people. Under Timur rule, Shakhrisabz was said to be more splendid than even Samarkand. Today Shakhrisabz is just a small town with a few historical reminders of a bygone era, but is nonetheless an interesting destination. Besides obvious sights, like the intended tomb for Timur which he built himself (Timur's real mausoleum is in Samarkand), the town has a great small-town feel with a buzzing main street carrying the fitting name Ipak Yoli, Uzbek for Silk Road. The drive from Samarkand is equally lovely and goes over the Takhtakaracha Pass (1788 m) with views of snow-covered mountains in the distance. The ride only takes two hours, making Shakhrisabz a possible day trip from Samarkand.

Tashkent is a sprawling city with no particular centre. The boulevards are wide and the urban space is an odd mix of green parks, imposing aged government buildings, and apartment blocks, mostly of the Soviet architecture type. But since this is Tashkent, it's often done with a twist of eccentricity. Take for example Navoi Park: a huge park with an artificial lake, where there also are a sandy beach, a fairground, some statues, and just weird buildings. But Tashkent also has a more traditional side where vibrant bazaars and beautiful mosques stand next to dense neighbourhoods of mudbrick houses. Tashkent might not be pretty nor exciting, but it's easygoing.

The hilly surroundings and cool climate of Dalat (alt. 1500 m) have attracted visitors for ages. Local tourists (and there can be many) come to try to wear wooden hats and eat strawberries, while backpackers come for an adrenalin kick. Whitewater rafting, kayaking and canyoning are all on offer, though not as wild as other places on the globe, but the best is probably the mountain biking. For instance, you can do a 28-km continuous downhill journey towards the coast. As a town, Dalat is far from charming, the real treasures lie in the beautiful hilly countryside. So if pedalling and paddling is not your thing, Dalat has become (in)famous for motorcycle tours, either on the back on one of the Easy Riders or with your own set of wheels. You can start here and go all the way up through the Central Highlands, before returning along the coast - or just keep going all the way.