Last month, I was back in Central Asia for my first time in Tajikistan. Having already been to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, I was already familiar with the region, but Tajikistan was more challenging than I expected. Tajikistan is a spectacularly beautiful country, but it isn't a conventionally "easy" holiday...

We've all been there, right? Standing over an empty suitcase, wishing you were Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and could just magic the perfect things together for your trip. It's hard enough trying to make sure you pack lightly enough, but not so lightly that you're washing underwear in the hotel...

For someone as obsessed with travel as I am, you'd think I'd be better at getting all the "need to know" stuff down pat before I go. I've got a Notion page for every trip: I plot out my itineraries, I make my packing lists, I've researched every vegan restaurant,...

Tashkent is often referred to as a "gateway city", the first stop for travellers before they move on to the more striking Uzbek cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, or Khiva. If you're travelling from abroad, you're almost definitely going to be landing in Tashkent, and rather than skipping the capital, let's...

Note for 2026 Travellers: I'm gutted to report that as of Spring 2026, EcoCafe has closed its doors. It was a vegan haven in Tashkent for five years, but unfortunately wasn't sustainable longterm. As a vegan, I'm all too used to beloved places closing down, from London to Tashkent, so...