Categories
Asia central asia Tajikistan

Khorog

Stories and Photos from Day 4 and 5 on the Pamir Highway: From Bulunkul to Khorog.

Destination 》Asia 》Central Asia 》Tajikistan 》Khorog

Year Visited: 2019 – August

Days 4 and 5 on the Pamir Highway: From Bulunkul to Khorog and a rest day in Khorog

Because of a flat tire in Bulunkul, we had to change our original plan of visiting Wakhan Valley, instead drove towards Khorog, the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).

We were extremely careful while driving because we didn’t have any additional spare tire anymore. The view along The Pamir Highway was as breathtaking as it had been for last 3 days. We were descending to a lower elevation as Khorog is at around 2200 meters.

The Pamir Highway: Once in a while you will see Bicyclists, Bikers or Chinese Trucks on the road.
The Pamir: Driving through the alpine desert, no tree or shrub can survives in its harsh weather condition. As you can see, our truck is completely covered in dust, needs a wash!
The Pamirs: We stopped multiple times along the way to admire such a picturesque landscape.

Driving along the Gunt river was the most spectacular sight. The source of this river is Yashikul, the freshwater lake we visited near Bulunkul. We started seeing green trees, animals, and birds again after descending to an elevation below 3000 m.

The Gunt river: such a picturesque view
The Gunt river: such a picturesque view, look closely, you might notice a pedestrian bridge
Pedestrians’s bridge across the gunt river.
It was pleasure seeing some green shrubs.
We started seeing green trees, animals, and birds again after descending to an elevation below 3000 m.
This is the place we decided to take our lunch break, the bridge and surrounding community gets support from USAID.
Yes, This is still Highway M41, The Pamir highway. The landscape and the view completely changed as we descended to elevation around 2300 m.

Khorog is the biggest city on the Pamir Highway and the capital of the Gorno-Backhanded Autonomous Region (GBAO). The city has few proper coffee shops, Pizza places, a Fried Chicken restaurant and an Indian restaurant, Delhi Durbar, that every traveler brags about. Pamirs Eco-Cultural Tourism Association (PECTA) has office in the Khorog Park (Chor Bough), they can help you with travel in Wakhan valley.

Khorog receives funding from Aga Khan foundation as it is a home to a large population of Ismaili Muslims. The city has its own university, multiple schools, and a very modern hospital staffed with volunteer doctors from around the world.

I decided to stay and rest one additional day in Khorog before continuing my journey to Ishkoshim in Wakhan Valley,

Window on The World's avatar

By Window on The World

In May 2017, 23 days before I was going to complete 50 years, grabbed an opportunity and took an early retirement.. Picked up a backpack and traveling ever since.. Love to travel around the world, experience different culture, local cuisine & drinks .. and take pictures.. so far been to 108 countries and still counting...

One reply on “Khorog”

Leave a comment