Asia

Finally… the Pegasus prophecy has been fulfilled 🔮

Edinburgh

Scotland

Yerevan

Armenia

Bishkek

Kyrgyzstan

Baku

Azerbaijan

Kuwait City

Kuwait

Bahrain

Giza

Egypt

Sharm El-Sheikh

Hurghada

Istanbul

Turkey

Manchester

England

Alexandria

Tbilisi

Georgia

Almaty

Kazakhstan

Birmingham

Muscat

Oman

London Stansted

Shymkent

Sharjah

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi

Antalya

Georgia, Egypt, Armenia and more ☀️ in £70s-£310s rtn

Not to brag, but we totally saw this sale coming 💁🏻‍♀️

Eindhoven

Netherlands

Amman

Jordan

Bodrum

Kutaisi

Charleroi

Belgium

Doha

Qatar

Kayseri

Rotterdam

Amsterdam

Dalaman

Gazipaşa

Stockholm

Sweden

Gothenburg

Copenhagen

Denmark

Billund

Aalborg

Oslo

Norway

Berlin

Germany

Hamburg

Bremen

Izmir

Hanover

Ankara

Cologne

Batumi

Dortmund

Dusseldorf

Frankfurt

Stuttgart

Nuremberg

Munich

Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, and more ⛰️in €100s-€190s rtn

Dubai

Dammam

Saudi Arabia

Paris

France

The Middle East & more ☀️ in €70s-€290s rtn

This is an excellent start to sale fares into this part of the world... 

Konya

Samsun

Mersin

Giresun

Trabzon

Gaziantep

Cairo

Brussels

Sivas

Diyarbakır

Elazığ

Turkey, Georgia, Egypt and more 🐚 in €60s-€320s rtn

A sale AND super cheap baggage?! Say no more!

Turkey, Georgia, Egypt and more 🏛️ in £60s-£290s rtn

Dublin

Ireland

Egypt, Oman, Georgia and more 🌏 in £180s-£280s & €140s-€250s rtn

I booked this deal - I’ve always wanted to explore Central Asia, and as soon as I saw Kyrgyzstan on JFC, I knew in my heart I had to do it. It’s a destination that’s so off the beaten track and I find it incredibly intriguing. I’ve saved so much money booking with JFC, it means the world to me, and I am beyond excited for next February and getting out to Bishkek! Thank you so very much 🇰🇬

Postcard from Rob Hamish

Postcard from Keith

Singapore

United Kingdom

Hi there, Travellers,
I hope you're all easing back into post-holiday life without too much stress. No such luck here at Jack's HQ, I'm afraid, as our team of eagle-eyed Navigators keep spotting yet more special January offerings from the airlines.
Suffice it to say, this edition of The Detour nearly didn't get to you today, as I got distracted debating with myself about grabbing non-stop flights to South Korea.
It was a close call, but in the end, I decided I would wait to see what Pegasus Airlines offers up for the Caucasus and Central Asia when their sale rolls around at the end of the month. And as a bonus, you all get to read about Navigator Akasha's experiences from the last time their January sale lured us in...
Happy travels and safe landings,

Katy - Editor of The Detour

The Whirlwind Before The Storm in Kyrgyzstan

Navigator Akasha finds phenomenal Flights faster than you can decide where you want to take a trip to next. A pro at finding the best of the best fares, she's also a master at sharing must-visit spots for when you land.

By Akasha

Travel Tales

An old Kyrgyz woman turned from the stove, a red-hot spoon steaming in her hand. Before I could flinch, she loomed over me, her calloused hands holding my chin with a vice-like grip, and she pressed the scalding metal to the back of my throat.&nbsp;
I hear my father&rsquo;s voice echoing in my head, &ldquo;God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change&rdquo;.&nbsp;
I wish I could tell you that she was a witch doctor, a hoarder of jars and remedial elixirs promising to restore the HP of weary, wide-eyed travelers. But truthfully, I was too weak to ask. And nor did I care. I was too transfixed by the spectral shapes circling us, fairly certain they were shadows only I could see.
Four days earlier, medical access was the furthest thing from my mind. I was scurrying across Bishkek&rsquo;s streets with my friend and colleague, Kristi, on the hunt for our 4&times;4 rental. We had met for the first time in real life just a few days earlier, having planned this insane trip over Slack.&nbsp;
Pixelated camaraderie and a dirt-cheap Pegasus winter sale convinced us that the next logical step was to commit to ten days mostly off-grid in a &lsquo;Stan. What followed were months of deeply philosophical debate between riding skirts and rain pants, seat savers versus padded cycling shorts.&nbsp;
The only sane solution? Bring it all.

You might think you&rsquo;ve heard this tale before in <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/kyrgyzstan-snapshots-from-an-expedition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kristi&rsquo;s photo diary </a>&mdash; think again. My experience of life in the steppe went a little differently&hellip;

Now, armed with a list of off-road coordinates and a bag of mechanical tools thrust our way with a Russian rental contract, we chuckled at the sheer absurdity of our gamble and hit the road smiling. The next four days would be entirely out of service and off-grid.&nbsp;

Our plan was to drive 4.5 hours from Bishkek to a village called Kyzart, meet our guide, and start our horse trek into the Tian Shan. We would stay in traditional yurts with nomadic herders, something I&rsquo;ve always wanted to do, and make our final ascent to the alpine lake of Song Kul.&nbsp;
After the trek, we&rsquo;d head another 5 hours south to the town of Naryn and spend the night at a hostel. Next, we&rsquo;d drive off-road deeper into the mountains to guide us through the Kok Kiya valley toward one of Kyrgyzstan&rsquo;s most stunning remote lakes, K&ouml;l-Suu. 
We&rsquo;d need a special border permit to cross a military checkpoint (it&rsquo;s located near a sensitive border zone near China), a few gallons of extra fuel, and old-school coordinates to guide us. No biggie.&nbsp;
Soon enough, I'd discover that I needn't have worried about that permit...&nbsp;

Driving in Bishkek is a touch above beginner level. I had only just gotten my full license a month prior, and so I happily let Kristi take the wheel in what can only be described as Russian roulette.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Oh god, Kash, where are the lanes?&rdquo; she mumbled, half-drowned by the incessant shrill of honking horns and screeching tires. The only thing soothing her anxiety? Taylor Swift, of course.&nbsp;
Turns out, the only thing I needed to do to experience culture shock was to plop myself in the passenger seat of a Toyota, eyes wide at the blur of life unfolding, &ldquo;Anti-Hero&rdquo; crackling on the radio. I could&rsquo;ve saved myself some serious saddle burn.
Genghis Khan statues, hawkers dishing out roadside plov. Overturned transport trucks, twisted carcasses on asphalt. Mosques pressed against Orthodox churches. Wild horses completely unbothered by it all.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Arggggh, are we driving on the left or the right? Why are those guys driving on the right?&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Ummm, maybe it&rsquo;s both?&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Woah, are those billboards made from rocks? Cool!&rdquo;
&ldquo;Should I go? Do I have time to merge?&rdquo; &ldquo;Go, go, go!&rdquo; 
&ldquo;Wait, is that a baby?&rdquo;&nbsp;

The biggest culture shock, however, wasn&rsquo;t Bishkek&rsquo;s vehicular chaos. I had lived in Mexico. I thought I knew things. I had spent two years acclimated to the toilet paper bin. I took whatever the street-food gods threw at me. But nothing, absolutely nothing, prepared me for Kyrgyz toilets.
Allow me to rephrase: Nothing on God&rsquo;s green earth had prepared me for Kyrgyz ROADSIDE toilets. I won&rsquo;t go into detail here; some things are better left unspoken. But heed these words of advice: Brace yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually. Don&rsquo;t breathe. Don&rsquo;t look down. Remember, it&rsquo;ll be over soon (probably).&nbsp;&nbsp;
And for the love of all things holy, empty your pockets.&nbsp;

<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/dream-and-delirium-on-the-kyrgyz-steppe">Keep reading...</a>

The Detour Editor Katy is a budget travel aficionado who has already travelled to more than 50 countries. Whether she's at home or on a foreign adventure, she has a particular talent for stumbling upon tasty Georgian restaurants.

By Katy

Oops, we did it again. We asked our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/jacksflightclub/permalink/2683271538695357">Facebook community</a> a big question, and we should have known that they'd only go and answer. That big question? Which airports do&nbsp;you&nbsp;think are the best and worst in the world?
Nobody will be surprised to hear that Singapore Changi Airport is a popular choice. After all, it has been named Best Airport in the World by Skytrax 13 times. It has a butterfly garden, a cactus garden, an indoor waterfall. And it's actually quite nice.&nbsp;

Other airports getting a shout-out include everywhere from Osaka to Alicante, Schiphol to St. John's.&nbsp;
One (very confused) Traveller even seemed to think London Heathrow was great, but plenty more piled in to condemn it to the seventh circle of hell, where it belongs. I personally am right onboard with that assessment, as the sharper minded among you may recall from <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/delays-and-drama-are-flagship-carriers-any-good">my 2023 rant about BA</a> and, by extension, Heathrow.&nbsp;
So tell us, readers &mdash; which airports would you nominate for the titles of best or worst in the world, and why? Jump into <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-219-realities-of-a-dream-trip-great-airport-debate#comments">the comments</a> or drop us an email to share your thoughts.&nbsp;

<h2 id="plus-everlasting-ink">Plus: Inking Abroad</h2>
After last week's&nbsp;<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-1226-Ringing%20in%202026%20with%20Our%20Travel%20Memories#travel-tales">travel tattoo stories</a>, a few of you were keen to write in and suggest we discourage getting tattoos abroad due to the risk of contracting hepatitis A &amp; B, HIV, or infections.
Health concerns are always important to take into consideration. However, what I'd like to do instead, is recommend the exact same as I would to anyone getting a tattoo in their home country: do your research and get informed before going under the needle.&nbsp;
Pick a studio and artist with positive reviews. Make sure you're satisfied with the cleanliness and hygiene standards, e.g. that they use sterile, single-use equipment, and that you feel comfortable in the environment. &nbsp;
Beyond the artist and studio, it's also on you to ensure that you'll be in a position to give the tattoo the necessary aftercare during your trip. That means keeping it clean, moisturised, out of the sun and swimming pool, among other things.
Tattooing is an ancient art that has been <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tattoos-worldwide-history-144038580/">practiced all over the world</a> for thousands of years. If we choose to take part, regardless of where in the world that may occur, it is on each of us to do the risk assessment.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/3d0e6ffe9f2e987fb9255ff2ce420a7e0fdf4590" width="287" height="287">
And in case you were wondering, here are some of the tattoo artists around the world that I would gladly hop on a plane to visit:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/sollefe/?hl=en">Sollefe</a> - Based at Papaya Tattoo Studio in Hamburg, I've already synced up three visits to the Hanseatic city with ink appointments. The one above is my fave.&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/maxmurphytattoo/?hl=en">Max Murphy</a> - Absolutely worth the detour to Ellicott City next time you're visiting Washington, D.C., I'd say. Problem is, it's super hard to get an appointment!</li>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/suflanda/?hl=en">Suflanda</a> - Like getting an ornate children's storybook character etched into your skin, it's definitely worth booking an appointment first and then planning your trip to Manchester around it.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/pittakkm/?hl=en">PittaKKM</a> - As though I needed any more reason to visit Seoul, these colourful ornamental designs and whimsical clouds lure me in a little more every day.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/rit.kit.tattoo/">RitKit</a> - If you're having a "Live, Laugh, Love" moment in Bali, this is the artist who'll help connect you with nature for good, using real plants as stencils.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
So, readers, are there any tattoo artists you'd travel for? Or is there something similar that you'd hop on a plane for a chance to be part of? <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-219-realities-of-a-dream-trip-great-airport-debate#comments">Let us know below</a> :-)

Reader's Corner

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li>Slope fiends, assemble! Someone's only gone and done the research on whether it's actually <a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/is-it-cheaper-to-ski-in-europe-than-in-the-us-11880026">more affordable to go skiing in Europe or the USA</a>, and we finally have an answer: it depends. </li>
<li>There's a new entry for the shortest scheduled widebody service in Europe: At just 53 nautical miles, <a href="https://simpleflying.com/just-53-miles-ethiopian-airlines-launches-europes-shortest-airbus-a350-flights/">Ethiopian now flies from Geneva to Lyon</a>.&nbsp; </li>
<li>It's been a hard week in the skies over the UK and Europe, with <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy59k13e7eqo.amp">hundreds of flights cancelled</a> due to freezing conditions. Bad news for anyone hoping to travel this weekend: it <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/09/storm-goretti-germany-heavy-snowfall-strong-winds-france-northern-europe">ain't getting better.</a>.. </li>
<li>The <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/most-reliable-punctual-airlines-aeromexico-b2895541.html">most punctual airlines in the world</a> have been named, and for the second year in a row, Aeromexico takes the global win.&nbsp; </li>
<li>And finally, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8v5z15551o">potential competition </a>seems to be <a href="https://www.visitlondon.com/blog/eurostar-new-routes-london">scaring Eurostar into action</a>. But are they all talk, or will these new routes actually come to fruition? Guess we'll find out sometime in the 2030s...</li>
</ul>

Travel News

The Harsh Realities of a Dream Trip & The Great Airport Debate

<h2 dir="ltr" id="part-i-dream">Part I: Dream&nbsp;</h2>

An old Kyrgyz woman turned from the stove, a red-hot spoon steaming in her hand. Before I could flinch, she loomed over me, her calloused hands holding my chin with a vice-like grip, and she pressed the scalding metal to the back of my throat.&nbsp;
I hear my father&rsquo;s voice echoing in my head, &ldquo;God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change&rdquo;.&nbsp;
I wish I could tell you that she was a witch doctor, a hoarder of jars and remedial elixirs promising to restore the HP of weary, wide-eyed travelers. But truthfully, I was too weak to ask. And nor did I care. I was too transfixed by the spectral shapes circling us, fairly certain they were shadows only I could see.
Four days earlier, medical access was the furthest thing from my mind. I was scurrying across Bishkek&rsquo;s streets with my friend and colleague, Kristi, on the hunt for our 4&times;4 rental. We had met for the first time in real life just a few days earlier, having planned this insane trip over Slack.&nbsp;
Pixelated camaraderie and a dirt-cheap Pegasus winter sale convinced us that the next logical step was to commit to ten days mostly off-grid in a &lsquo;Stan. What followed were months of deeply philosophical debate between riding skirts and rain pants, seat savers versus padded cycling shorts.&nbsp;
The only sane solution? Bring it all.

Our plan was to drive 4.5 hours from Bishkek to a village called Kyzart, meet our guide, and start our horse trek into the Tian Shan. We would stay in traditional yurts with nomadic herders, something I&rsquo;ve always wanted to do, and make our final ascent to the alpine lake of Song Kul.&nbsp;
After the trek, we&rsquo;d head another 5 hours south to the town of Naryn and spend the night at a hostel. Next, we&rsquo;d drive off-road deeper into the mountains to guide us through the Kok Kiya valley toward one of Kyrgyzstan&rsquo;s most stunning remote lakes, K&ouml;l-Suu. 
We&rsquo;d need a special border permit to cross a military checkpoint (it&rsquo;s located near a sensitive border zone near China), a few gallons of extra fuel, and old-school coordinates to guide us. No biggie.&nbsp;
Soon enough, I'd discover that I needn't have worried about that permit...

Driving in Bishkek is a touch above beginner level. I had only just gotten my full license a month prior, and so I happily let Kristi take the wheel in what can only be described as Russian roulette.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Oh god, Kash, where are the lanes?&rdquo; she mumbled, half-drowned by the incessant shrill of honking horns and screeching tires. The only thing soothing her anxiety? Taylor Swift, of course.&nbsp;
Turns out, the only thing I needed to do to experience culture shock was to plop myself in the passenger seat of a Toyota, eyes wide at the blur of life unfolding, &ldquo;Anti-Hero&rdquo; crackling on the radio. I could&rsquo;ve saved myself some serious saddle burn.
Genghis Khan statues, hawkers dishing out roadside plov. Overturned transport trucks, twisted carcasses on asphalt. Mosques pressed against Orthodox churches. Wild horses completely unbothered by it all.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Arggggh, are we driving on the left or the right? Why are those guys driving on the right?&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Ummm, maybe it&rsquo;s both?&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Woah, are those billboards made from rocks? Cool!&rdquo;
&ldquo;Should I go? Do I have time to merge?&rdquo; &ldquo;Go, go, go!&rdquo; 
&ldquo;Wait, is that a baby?&rdquo;&nbsp;

The biggest culture shock, however, wasn&rsquo;t Bishkek&rsquo;s vehicular chaos. I had lived in Mexico. I thought I knew things. I had spent two years acclimated to the toilet paper bin. I took whatever the street-food gods threw at me. But nothing, absolutely nothing, prepared me for Kyrgyz toilets.
Allow me to rephrase: Nothing on God&rsquo;s green earth had prepared me for Kyrgyz ROADSIDE toilets. I won&rsquo;t go into detail here; some things are better left unspoken. But heed these words of advice: Brace yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually. Don&rsquo;t breathe. Don&rsquo;t look down. Remember it&rsquo;ll be over soon (probably).&nbsp;&nbsp;
And for the love of all things holy, empty your pockets.&nbsp;

Back en route, the road unwound before us, and we both relaxed into the rhythm of the drive, deliberately turning a blind eye to yet another multi-vehicle pileup.&nbsp;
I couldn't believe I was here. For years I had dragged that little yellow Google Map man over every street imaginable, fascinated by its nomadic culture, one of the last remaining in the world. 
The people here have watched empires come and go: Mongol invasions, Chinese dynasties, Russian rule, and Soviet control, and yet their flag still rises. Red, with a sun crossed by forty lines, each one representing a clan fighting quietly to keep their traditions alive. And now, here I was coasting along the Silk Road, feeling like I was sharing a breath with everyone who ever passed this way.&nbsp;
The view shifted like a magic eye poster: shepherds setting up the first yurts of May as wild foals stay close to their mothers, traversing squelchy green steppes and occasionally crossing the highways to reach a stream.&nbsp;
Their numbers appeared to multiply the more our eyes adjusted, moving past the dust of ancient settlements and ruins that speak of a forgotten era.&nbsp;

What captivated me the most was the trail of mausoleums leading us deeper into the mountains. Photos of lost loves and eagle feathers adorn ornate, rust-coloured tombs that seemed at odds with the alabaster mountains in the distance.&nbsp;
They reminded me of sandcastles, each plot echoing tales of Islamic faith, Kyrgyz tradition fused with Soviet history. Later on, my guide would tell me that the cemeteries are intentionally placed on hilltops and horse trails across all four corners of the land, &ldquo;close to the heavens, so they can follow the path of nomads.&rdquo;

After a few hours and a minor breakdown of our car, we reached Kyzart, the last village before the trek to Song Kul Lake and home to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kyzarthorses/?hl=en">our guide Ryskul</a>.

He&rsquo;d been guiding tours here since he was a teenager and knew the mountains like the back of his hand. The money he earned from guiding treks had allowed him to install a full Western-style bathroom with an electric shower and toilet&mdash;a total upgrade from the traditional Kyrgyz setup. He was proud to show us the renovation in progress when we arrived at his home.&nbsp;
His mother, Roza, served us some of the best bread I&rsquo;ve ever tasted. The Italians have nothing on her.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The last time I rode a horse was on my tenth birthday,&rdquo; I excitedly confessed to Ryskul. His brows twisted, a silent sigh escaping his lips when it dawned on him what the next four days with two clueless white women would entail. He muttered something in Kyrgyz under his breath. I didn&rsquo;t wait for a translation.&nbsp;
Our next destination, on the other hand, was deserving of translation: the Tian Shan, or &ldquo;the Celestial Mountains.&rdquo; A bolt of silk dropped carelessly from the heavens, strewn across the &lsquo;Stans before spilling into China.
Only an hour into the trek, my mind was happily suspended in disbelief. Valleys of jade and clay swept me up into a world of saffron and silk, crescent moons and caravanserais&mdash;silent stories carried by the trade winds. I&rsquo;m telling you, borders can&rsquo;t contain something this close to magic.&nbsp;

Sensation was the only thing reminding me I still resided on Earth. A dull ache in my back. The creak of the saddle beneath me. The distant rumble of thunder, and a hundred wild horses running in its echo.
Minutes later, bolts of lightning struck behind us in the valley, threatening to turn our peaceful trot into a test of nerve. Ryskul sprinted ahead, beckoning us with a whistle to haul ass.&nbsp;
My horse lunged forward into a gallop, his mane whipping in my face, and I clung for dear life as we outran the storm. I could feel myself tipping, my hiking boots slipping from the stirrups. I cursed myself for not taking Reddit&rsquo;s advice seriously. &ldquo;I have no horse-riding experience; how stupid would it be to go on one of those multi-day treks?&rdquo;&nbsp;
Bracing myself, I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the moment I&rsquo;d be sent tumbling into the valley, whispering silent prayers to every god under the sun. The terrifying plummet never came, and neither did divine intervention, but as I white-knuckled the reins, a jarring "POP" in my spine heralded a revelation: There's a reason why I'm an atheist.

Riding into the first yurt camp was one of many moments that humbled me on the trek in ways I still struggle to put into words.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Wow,&rdquo; I whispered to my horse.&nbsp;
The Kyrgyz steppe stretched out before me like an endless emerald ocean rising and falling in the distance. I had never seen anything like it. Never felt so far from home&mdash;in the most liberating way.
 I have this feeling when I travel, like there&rsquo;s an invisible thread stretched between me and home. The further I go, the tighter the pull, and I can&rsquo;t tell if it's going to drag me back or just break. 
Here, I would have happily let it break.&nbsp;

And the yurts! The colour of bone, layers of ancestral felt hugged all sides of the jailoos, cocoons for shepherds against the darkening sky.&nbsp;
Inside, I was met with a surprising contrast, an explosion of geometric and floral patterns fighting for attention, jolting awake the weary traveler seeking warmth from a crackling stove.&nbsp;
With steaming cups of chai in hand, we sat cross-legged on the floor, the swelling black leaves infusing their power into our aching glutes. Ryskul stifled a laugh beside me. A shepherd, undeterred by his audience of foreigners who didn&rsquo;t speak a word of Kyrgyz, was making a spirited case for Islamic conversion to anyone who happened to wander into his yurt. Today that was us.&nbsp;

A low, intricately carved wooden table snaked around our feet, groaning under the weight of what seemed to be a month's worth of groceries, a testament to the generosity of our hosts. Pots of homemade jam in every conceivable berry, bowls of fluffy white rice, and hearty stews brimming with potatoes and horse meat&mdash;something I'd usually think twice about tasting.&nbsp;
But taste I did; slurping down the broth, I kept my eyes fixed on the towering dessert stands stacked high with pastries and sweet bread. I tried not to dwell on the thought that I might be eating a creature that could have led other travelers to this very door. Horse meat is a staple here, but declining a meal would be seen as insulting to the cook.&nbsp;
People here have relied on horses for everything for centuries, so it makes sense that the tradition made its way onto the table too. &ldquo;Horses are a man&rsquo;s wings.&rdquo; So goes the Kyrgyz proverb. From statues to sports, stamps to soups. To understand the Kyrgyz people is to understand the deep, spiritual bond between man and mare.&nbsp;

We woke early the next morning, ready for day 2 of our trek. Peeling back the makeshift bamboo door of my yurt, my boots were greeted by the slick sweetness of dewdrops, horses grazing in the grass nearby. 
It was all but silent except for the deliberate brush-brush-swish of a traveler using a bottle as a makeshift sink to brush their teeth. A sound that, in my many years on the road, has always said&nbsp;&ldquo;Screw your corporate cubicles and your 401k, I&rsquo;m out here living.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Saddling up, Kristi and I made quite the pair; between us, we must&rsquo;ve had at least 6 layers of clothing on our bottom halves. Me with my padded cycling shorts underneath my leggings and waterproof trousers (earning me a high five from a German trekker who had the same wave of brilliance) and she with her waterproof detachable riding skirt. The circumference of an Edwardian kirtle, it swallowed her and half of the horse.
The Kyrgyz had never seen anything like it, trailing their hands along the warm fleece underside. A helper at the camp pursed his lips together, giving a single nod, the universal sign for &ldquo;not bad.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;
As I wrung out my leggings from yesterday&rsquo;s trek, it was clear Kristi had won that philosophical packing debate.&nbsp;
We rode 5 hours that day, and not for a minute did the rain relent as we ascended 3,228 meters to the Tuz-Ashuu Pass.&nbsp;
The valley surged with sleet and fog, the path ahead completely dissolving the higher we climbed. I no longer trusted I was part of a group; it was just me and an eerie mist swirling around my grunting horse. His hooves came into contact with an impassable trail of pure, treacherous ice, and we sickeningly skidded sideways down the mountain.&nbsp;

"Woaaaaah," Ryskul&rsquo;s disembodied voice called out from the abyss, "No, no, no, stop, stop, you go dowwwwwn&hellip;"&nbsp;
Had he called out a second later, we would've plummeted off the ridge.&nbsp;
That's the thing about fog: it erases everything you think you know is there. By the time we reached the top, I couldn&rsquo;t feel my fingers anymore. The rain had needled them past pain and straight into a dull, clumsy numbness, and the ache in my back had started to spread upwards in a slow, cold creep. Finally, we reached the top of the pass for a quick break.&nbsp;
As Ryskul disappeared to find any bit of cell service, Kristi and I huddled underneath her rain skirt, rubbing our hands together vigorously to regain feeling.&nbsp;
My spine was threatening to snap into shards of ice.&nbsp;&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure if I can keep riding,&rdquo; I whispered quietly, mostly to my horse.&nbsp;

But we continued on, for what felt like an eternity, through endless sucking squelchy marshes, every once in a while stepping through a curious mound of blackened bones and matted, half-scorched fur. I could make out a few sheep skulls and vertebrae, cracked and calcined, and remnants of felt or blankets fused to the bones by an intense and deliberate fire.
A cemetery of winter, each of these mounds marked a campsite where the jut&mdash;killing cold&mdash;won. Where a family had to burn what they couldn&rsquo;t save: animals lost to storms, and perhaps felt walls that sheltered them, all confined to the same purifying fire to spare the living livestock pasture from disease. We passed by quietly; the weight of the place settling solemnly into my bones.&nbsp;
Ahead, across the last span of open steppe, the yurts of the camp stood like a small cluster of pearls. And beyond them, a band of silver at the edge of the world, the slate-grey eye of Song Kul.&nbsp;
This was the picture I had come for. But as we rode the final stretch to the camp, the distance to the lake itself seemed to warp and stretch, not shrink; it was a blurry, indifferent dream.

As I struggled down from my horse, Ryskul caught my eye. Not with a smile, but with a long, assessing look. He saw the sweat beading on my cheeks, the unsteadiness of my stance, and the fever burning like a low, sinister inferno behind my eyes. I grasped the barrel of my horse for balance.&nbsp;
He said nothing. He didn&rsquo;t have to. His silence was the clearest translation of all. We were two days from Kyzart. Two days from anything resembling help. And the real journey, the one I hadn&rsquo;t packed for, was about to begin.

Dream and Delirium on the Kyrgyz Steppe

Canada

Uzbekistan

China

South Korea

Japan

Vietnam

Hey there Travellers,
You'll all be glad to know that I made it back from Portugal last weekend without so much as a drop of wine spilled down my front.
However, it's safe to say that my jeans were feeling a little tighter after a few days of sampling the Portuguese cuisine. Nobody warned me that I'd still be dreaming of that mustardy <a href="https://tasteporto.com/pt/portuguese-francesinha-the-deconstructed-version/">pica-pau</a> sauce a week later!
And no sooner had I returned than, once again, the good old&nbsp;Pastel de Bel&eacute;m was named <a href="https://www.tasteatlas.com/best/foods-by-category">sweet pastry of the year</a> for 2025. But would you visit just for its custardy goodness?&nbsp;
A few weeks ago, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/jacksflightclub/permalink/2654233541599157">we asked our Facebook Community</a> what food they'd travel abroad for time and time again. For me, it's an authentic&nbsp;<a href="https://polinachesnakova.com/blog/2020/3/29/imeruli-khachapuri">Imeruli khachapuri</a>, for others it's a Costa Rican breakfast, or Indian street food.
So tell me, dear readers, what's the tasty treat that you'd hop on a plane for right now? <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-216-island-life-bc-and-diy-pan-asian-adventure#comments">Let us know in the comments</a> (so we can organize a grand Jack's Food Club tour, obviously).
Happy travels and safe landings,

Win 5 Nights in Dreamy Puglia

We&rsquo;ve teamed up with DAYMADE to give one lucky Jack's member an unforgettable 5-night escape for 2 to Puglia &mdash; flights, hotel, sunshine, all sorted.
It&rsquo;s totally free to enter. Just pop your details in, and you&rsquo;re in the draw.
Someone&rsquo;s going&hellip; why not you?

In Partnership with DAYMADE

A Taste of Island Life: Day Trips from the British Columbian Capital

A San Diego native, Olivia left home a few years ago to live on the road. Since then, she's had homebases everywhere from Quebec to England to New Orleans, but she always ends up back on the West Coast.&nbsp;

By Olivia

This week, Jack's released a new <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/jacks-guide-to-victoria">city guide to Victoria</a>: British Columbia's provincial capital, located at the southern end of Vancouver Island.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The island,&rdquo; as it's colloquially known, is truly the jewel of the Pacific Northwest. It's roughly the size of Belgium, and packed with seaside villages and lush woodlands. Everywhere you turn, there are rocky coastlines, moss-covered pine trees, and boardwalk caf&eacute;s.
While the charming capital city is worth a few days on its own, it'd be a shame to stay in town when there's so much beauty right in your backyard. And you don't have to look very far to catch views around here! Even a quick stopover in Victoria comes with some pretty lovely day trips.&nbsp;
So if you find yourself contemplating a visit to the island (and any cheap YYJ fares that you just so happen to see in your inbox), allow me to introduce you to some local sights...
<h3 dir="ltr" id="butchart-gardens">Butchart Gardens</h3>
This is THE day trip from Victoria &mdash; the one pretty much every visitor takes.&nbsp;

<p dir="ltr" id="its-not-hard-to-see-why-the-butchart-gardens-cover-55-acres-of-land-in-beautiful-floral-displays-descend-into-the-manicured-sunken-garden-meander-through-a-forest-of-japanese-maples-and-admire-fountain-after-bubbling-fountain-while-its-worth-seeing-at-any-time-of-year-springs-rose-blossoms-and-autumns-bright-red-foliage-make-for-especially-colorful-visits">It&rsquo;s not hard to see why!&nbsp;<a href="https://butchartgardens.com/">The Butchart Gardens</a> cover 55 acres of land in beautiful floral displays. Descend into the manicured Sunken Garden, meander through a forest of Japanese maples, and admire fountain after bubbling fountain. While it&rsquo;s worth seeing at any time of year, spring&rsquo;s rose blossoms and autumn&rsquo;s bright red foliage make for especially colorful visits.
You can reach the Butchart Gardens from downtown Victoria in about 30 minutes by car, or with a one-hour bus ride aboard the 75 or 30.
<h3 dir="ltr">Nanaimo</h3>
Pronounced nah-NYE-mo, this is the second-largest city on the island. It&rsquo;s got a much more small-town feel, with a cute downtown and Old City Quarter.

Other than whale-watching and ferry connections, its biggest claim to fame is the Nanaimo bar: a chocolatey, coconutty, custardy treat that just might ruin you for every other caf&eacute; dessert.
You can get to Nanaimo from Victoria by city bus or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.islandlinkbus.com/">Island Link</a>, but driving the full ~90 minutes yourself is much more fun. The highways will take you through several charming villages worth the stop &mdash; my favorites are Cowichan Bay, Duncan, Chemainus, and Ladysmith. Expect cozy shops, dockside restaurants, small local museums, and tons of gorgeous bay and island views.
<h3 dir="ltr">Provincial and Regional Parks</h3>
The island may only have one &mdash; difficult-to-reach &mdash; National Park, but it&rsquo;s covered in Provincial and Regional Parks. These protected areas include dense, mossy woodland, waterfalls, tons of lakes, and rocky coastlines.

I could fill an entire article just with outdoor day trips from Victoria, but a few highlights within a mere half-hour&rsquo;s drive include Thetis Lake (Canada&rsquo;s first nature sanctuary), Mount Wells (known for wildflowers and a challenging summit hike), and Goldstream (massive trees and a beautiful waterfall).
<h3 dir="ltr">Sidney</h3>
One of my favorite things about Vancouver Island is the abundance of lovely coastal towns, and Sidney is one of the coolest and most accessible from Victoria.
Unique highlights here include the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea (a small but very well-done aquarium), a fish market frequented by the local seals, and a pier that offers an excellent view of the Gulf. On clear days, you can even spot Washington&rsquo;s Mount Baker across the water.

It&rsquo;s also home to the Victoria airport, and the first big town you&rsquo;ll see if you arrive at Swartz Bay on the ferry. This means you&rsquo;ll likely pass through Sidney anyway, so take some time to look around!
<h3 dir="ltr">Salt Spring Island</h3>
If you only take one more ferry during your trip, it should be the one to Salt Spring! This island is around the size of Aruba, and it&rsquo;s become quite the artistic outpost on the Gulf. The main town, Ganges, is packed with galleries and nifty boutiques, plus there&rsquo;s a weekly street market each Saturday where local artists take to the sidewalks.
It&rsquo;s also one of the best hiking spots in the area &mdash; drive down to Ruckle Provincial Park and follow the trail along the coast for some gorgeous, peak Pacific Northwestern views.

To get there from downtown Victoria, either drive or take one of several direct buses up to Swartz Bay, then hop on the ferry to Fulford Harbour. You&rsquo;ll be much better off with a car on Salt Spring Island, but <a href="https://www.bctransit.com/salt-spring-island/schedules-and-maps/">buses do run every couple hours</a> and cover most of the highlights. 
Want to learn more about Victoria? <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/jacks-guide-to-victoria">Check out the guide</a>.

Travel Tips

Silk Road to Sakura: A Choose-Your-Own Adventure

&ldquo;I am looking into planning the itinerary for our big trip to Asia and it is a bit confusing where to start and what to do with visas (China). But we are planning to fly less and use rail and buses to enjoy the scenery. 
Our departure airport is Manchester and we&rsquo;re aiming to be gone from the last week of March to about June. We definitely want to include: Uzbekistan, China, South Korea, Japan, and maybe Vietnam. Rough budget around &pound;2000.&rdquo;&nbsp;- Nehla

Answered by Akasha

Hi there, Nehla! Wow, what an adventure! Consider me officially jealous. Slow travel is by far one of the best ways to connect with the land and the people (and yourself!) on a deeper level. It&rsquo;s the anti-checklist trip.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ve done some research and dug up your best options for traveling overland, and flying when necessary.
<h2 dir="ltr" id="stage-1-manchester-to-uzbekistan">Stage 1: Manchester to Uzbekistan</h2>
Currently, <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/flights/search?tfs=CBwQAho8EgoyMDI2LTAzLTI1KAFqDAgDEggvbS8wNTJid3IMCAISCC9tLzBkbDNncgwIAxIIL20vMGZzbXmQAY4CQAFIAXABggELCP___________wGYAQI&amp;tfu=EgoIABAAGAAgAigB&amp;gl=GB">one-way fares</a> from Manchester to Samarkand or Tashkent in March are pretty decent, in the &pound;240s&ndash;&pound;380s.
Uzbekistan is a firm bucket-lister at Jack&rsquo;s, with Detour Editor Katy the first of us to chart a course through its mesmerizing blue mosques and mausoleums.

&ldquo;In Samarkand, your journey will no doubt start at<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/mar/31/registan-samarkand-square-history-cities-buildings"> Registan Square</a>, the city's most iconic landmark. It is dominated by three ornately tiled madrasahs&mdash;Ulugh Beg, Sher-Dor, and Tilla-Kari. Each one is a masterpiece, and pictures seriously do not do them justice.&nbsp;
There are hundreds of small alcoves and rooms to explore within the Madrasahs, not to mention handmade Uzbek crafts for sale. Needlework and embroidery are an integral part of the Uzbek culture, and you'll find gorgeous examples at shops all throughout the city.
If you look carefully, inside certain shops you&rsquo;ll spot narrow spiral staircases heading up. Follow them, and you&rsquo;ll emerge onto beautiful balconies overlooking the square, where you can grab a cuppa and watch the people go by.
Another highlight of Samarkand is <a href="https://www.baytalfann.com/post/the-beauty-history-of-shah-i-zinda">Shah-i-Zinda</a>, which is more or less a village of brightly-coloured mausoleums. To snap the best shots, plan to visit early in the day. The narrow pathways get pretty crowded, so a bit of patience is needed for unintentional photobombers.&rdquo; - Katy

<h2 dir="ltr">Stage 2: Uzbekistan to China</h2>
Option 1: Flying from Uzbekistan to China
Obviously, <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/explore?tfs=CBwQAxopEgoyMDI2LTA0LTA4agwIAxIIL20vMGZzbXlyDQgEEgkvbS8wZDA1dzNAAUgBcAKCAQsI____________AZgBArIBBBgBIAE&amp;tfu=GioaKAoSCVmL8zotQUhAEXruTojanVpAEhIJfdK0362sN0AR9NydEDUQTUA&amp;gl=GB">flying from Uzbekistan to China</a> is the easiest and quickest option and will cost you around&nbsp; &pound;100-&pound;180. Flying non-stop, you can either fly to Urumqi (close to the border with Kazakhstan), Guangzhou, Xian or Beijing.&nbsp;

Option 2: Crossing overland into China&nbsp;
Alternatively, if you&rsquo;re up for an adventure, you can cross overland into China, either via <a href="https://caravanistan.com/border-crossings/kazakhstan/#kazakhstan-%e2%80%93-china-border-crossings">Khazakstan</a> or <a href="https://caravanistan.com/border-crossings/kyrgyzstan/">Kyrgyzstan</a>. It&rsquo;s more difficult to cross from Kyrgyzstan because the region that borders it is Xinjiang, which is <a href="https://caravanistan.com/east-turkestan/">quite tightly controlled</a>, and they don&rsquo;t usually let foreigners visit. You&rsquo;d have an easier time crossing from Khorgos (Horgos) in Kazakhstan. The road is better, and you can cross by bus.&nbsp;
While you&rsquo;re in Kazakhstan, you might want to consider crossing the steppes by train; this <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/oct/22/across-kazakhstan-by-rail-a-photo-essay?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawOmN9FleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF5czdqRWlPU21WOWlvYmtzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHl-dy5BRK4EbERMEiciMj5sJvKtWQcnvqEoTDjGx1kX5jg-U2dvxJt_U0Kr4_aem_karr_pNUs9Emx9HVMjFJ1g">dreamy photo-journal</a> certainly entices me to!
From Tashkent, you can take <a href="https://www.railrussia.com/routes/tashkent-almaty">a train overland to Almaty</a> (Khazakstan) in about 17 hours, and then catch a bus from <a href="https://thetripgoeson.com/almaty-to-urumqi/">Almaty to Urumqi</a> (China). The bus takes about 19&ndash;20 hours and costs around &pound;30 on average. This is by far the easiest way and beats trains with changes or separate border buses.&nbsp;
From Urumqi Railway Station, direct connections span Xinjiang regionally, as well as east to central China via the <a href="https://www.chinadiscovery.com/china-trains/urumqi-high-speed-train.html">Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway</a> &mdash; no transfers needed for most.
This 12-hour train route follows the ancient Silk Road via the oasis town of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RR-hlrRZrs">Turpan</a>. From here, it travels through some of China&rsquo;s wildest terrain, whizzing past lunar landscapes like the rainbow mountains of Zhangye and <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/china/gansu/dunhuang/attractions/mogao-grottoes/a/poi-sig/1496278/355964">the caves of the thousand Buddhas in Mogao</a>. This is one of the most important collections of Buddhist architecture in the world.&nbsp;

<h2 dir="ltr">Stage 3: China to South Korea</h2>
Option 1: Flying from China to South Korea
It&rsquo;s very <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/explore?tfs=CBwQAxooEgoyMDI2LTA0LTA4agwIAhIIL20vMDE5MTRyDAgEEggvbS8wNnFkM0ABSAFwAoIBCwj___________8BmAECsgEEGAEgAQ&amp;tfu=GgA&amp;gl=GB">easy to fly</a> between the two countries &mdash; expect to pay around &pound;60 one-way.
Option 2: China to South Korea via ferry
I imagine you'll train-hop from Urumqi across China to the Beijing area. From Beijing, hop on a high-speed train to Qingdao (3&ndash;4 hours, around &pound;40 for economy seats), where you can take <a href="https://4corners7seas.com/asia/china/china-korea-ferries/">a ferry to Incheon, South Korea</a>. The Weidong ferry sails every Mon/Wed/Fri at 17:30 and takes about 17&ndash;18 hours, costing around &pound;85+.&nbsp; 
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/silk-road-to-sakura-a-choose-your-own-adventure">Continue reading...</a>

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Storm Bram&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/storm-bram-flights-trains-ferries-cancelled-weather-warnings-b2881568.html">brought chaos to travellers</a> in the UK and Ireland this week, disrupting everything from flights to trains to ferries. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">No photo can truly do the Northern Lights justice, but these <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2025/12/08/25-award-winning-northern-lights-photos-to-inspire-your-next-adventure/">25 award-winning photographers</a> have gotten pretty close. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Spirit&rsquo;s bankruptcy is <a href="https://simpleflying.com/is-american-spirit-merger-in-the-cards-new-court-filing-draws-speculation/">drawing rumours of an American Airlines buy-out</a>. Now, would their celebrity couple name be Spamerican or Amerit?&nbsp; </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">After several shipping containers full of fruit were <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/cruise-ship-iona-delayed-fruit-overboard-b2879752.html">accidentally plunged into waters off the Isle of Wight</a>, officials have warned locals not to eat any loose bananas they find washed up on shore. Darn it, there goes our whole lunch plan! </li>
<li>And finally, let's&nbsp;paws on a warm and fuzzy note: From donuts to shrines, this entire neighborhood in Tokyo is <a href="https://japanjourneys.jp/tokyo/lifestyle/things-to-do/cat-lovers-need-to-visit-yanaka-right-now/">themed around its feline residents</a>. It's&nbsp;purr-fect!</li>
</ul>

A Taste of Island Life in British Columbia & a DIY Pan-Asian Adventure

Sometimes, we receive a question from the Jack's Community that sets our soul alight. The kind of question that excites us, ignites our wanderlust and transports us across continents.&nbsp;
This was one of those questions.&nbsp;
Navigator Kash fell so far down a pan-Asian rabbit hole that she's yet to fully emerge, so it's only right that we share all the goods she dug up along the way.
<hr>

Hi there, Nehla! Wow, what an adventure! Consider me officially jealous. Slow travel is by far one of the best ways to connect with the land and the people (and yourself!) on a deeper level. It&rsquo;s the anti-checklist trip.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ve done some research and dug up your best options for traveling overland, and flying when necessary.

<h2 dir="ltr">Stage 1: Manchester to Uzbekistan</h2>
Currently, <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/flights/search?tfs=CBwQAho8EgoyMDI2LTAzLTI1KAFqDAgDEggvbS8wNTJid3IMCAISCC9tLzBkbDNncgwIAxIIL20vMGZzbXmQAY4CQAFIAXABggELCP___________wGYAQI&amp;tfu=EgoIABAAGAAgAigB&amp;gl=GB">one-way fares</a> from Manchester to Samarkand or Tashkent in March are pretty decent, in the &pound;240s&ndash;&pound;380s.
Uzbekistan is a firm bucket-lister at Jack&rsquo;s, with Detour Editor Katy the first of us to chart a course through its mesmerizing blue mosques and mausoleums.

&ldquo;In Samarkand, your journey will no doubt start at<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/mar/31/registan-samarkand-square-history-cities-buildings"> Registan Square</a>, the city's most iconic landmark. It is dominated by three impossibly ornately tiled madrasahs&mdash;Ulugh Beg, Sher-Dor, and Tilla-Kari. Each one is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture, and pictures seriously do not do them justice.&nbsp;
There are hundreds of small alcoves and rooms to explore within the Madrasahs, not to mention handmade Uzbek crafts for sale. Needlework and embroidery are an integral part of the Uzbek culture, and you'll find gorgeous examples at shops all throughout the city.
If you look carefully, inside certain shops you&rsquo;ll spot narrow spiral staircases heading up. Follow them, and you&rsquo;ll emerge onto beautiful balconies overlooking the square, where you can grab a cuppa and watch the people go by.
Another highlight of Samarkand is<a href="https://www.baytalfann.com/post/the-beauty-history-of-shah-i-zinda"> Shah-i-Zinda</a>, which is more or less a village of brightly-coloured mausoleums. To snap the best shots, plan to visit early in the day. The narrow pathways get pretty crowded, so a bit of patience is needed for unintentional photobombers.&rdquo; - Katy

Tip: When it comes to your first glimpse of public transport in this area of the world, you&rsquo;re in for an absolute treat in Tashkent. Its <a href="https://twinperspectives.co.uk/the-most-beautiful-metro-stations-in-tashkent-2025/">metro stations are more like museums</a>. A myriad of mosaics and motifs, each spinning tales of the Silk Road and crumbled empires.&nbsp;

Option 2: Crossing overland into China&nbsp;
Alternatively, if you&rsquo;re up for an adventure, you can cross overland into China, either via <a href="https://caravanistan.com/border-crossings/kazakhstan/#kazakhstan-%e2%80%93-china-border-crossings">Khazakstan</a> or <a href="https://caravanistan.com/border-crossings/kyrgyzstan/">Kyrgyzstan</a>. It&rsquo;s more difficult to cross from Kyrgyzstan because the region that borders it is Xinjiang, which is <a href="https://caravanistan.com/east-turkestan/">quite tightly controlled</a>, and they don&rsquo;t usually let foreigners visit. You&rsquo;d have an easier time crossing from Khorgos (Horgos) in Kazakhstan. The road is better, and you can cross by bus.&nbsp;
While you&rsquo;re in Kazakhstan, you might want to consider crossing the steppes by train; this <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/oct/22/across-kazakhstan-by-rail-a-photo-essay?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawOmN9FleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF5czdqRWlPU21WOWlvYmtzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHl-dy5BRK4EbERMEiciMj5sJvKtWQcnvqEoTDjGx1kX5jg-U2dvxJt_U0Kr4_aem_karr_pNUs9Emx9HVMjFJ1g">dreamy photo-journal</a> certainly entices me to!

Tip: This website, <a href="https://caravanistan.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caravanistan</a>, is a great resource for destinations all along the Silk Road. Here&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1Ml8xrhk9Jwr00_GdccYtBrEYScU&amp;ll=41.93493861474455%2C79.74287294999999&amp;z=3">a handy map of border crossings</a> on the Silk Road.

From Tashkent, you can take <a href="https://www.railrussia.com/routes/tashkent-almaty">a train overland to Almaty</a> (Khazakstan) in about 17 hours, and then catch a bus from <a href="https://thetripgoeson.com/almaty-to-urumqi/">Almaty to Urumqi</a> (China) the bus takes about 19&ndash;20 hours and costs around &pound;30 on average. This is by far the easiest way and beats trains with changes or separate border buses.&nbsp;
From Urumqi Railway Station, direct connections span Xinjiang regionally, as well as east to central China via the <a href="https://www.chinadiscovery.com/china-trains/urumqi-high-speed-train.html">Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway</a> &mdash; no transfers needed for most.
This 12-hour train route follows the ancient Silk Road via the oasis town of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RR-hlrRZrs">Turpan</a>. From here, it travels through some of China&rsquo;s wildest terrain, whizzing past lunar landscapes like the rainbow mountains of Zhangye and <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/china/gansu/dunhuang/attractions/mogao-grottoes/a/poi-sig/1496278/355964">the caves of the thousand Buddhas in Mogao</a>. This is one of the most important collections of Buddhist architecture in the world.&nbsp;

<h2 dir="ltr">Stage 3: China to South Korea</h2>
Option 1: Flying from China to South Korea
It&rsquo;s very <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/explore?tfs=CBwQAxooEgoyMDI2LTA0LTA4agwIAhIIL20vMDE5MTRyDAgEEggvbS8wNnFkM0ABSAFwAoIBCwj___________8BmAECsgEEGAEgAQ&amp;tfu=GgA&amp;gl=GB">easy to fly</a> between the two countries &mdash; expect to pay around &pound;60 one-way.

Option 2: China to South Korea via ferry
I imagine you'll train-hop from Urumqi across China to the Beijing area. From Beijing, hop on a high-speed train to Qingdao (3&ndash;4 hours, around &pound;40 for economy seats), where you can take <a href="https://4corners7seas.com/asia/china/china-korea-ferries/">a ferry to Incheon, South Korea</a>. The Weidong ferry sails every Mon/Wed/Fri at 17:30 and takes about 17&ndash;18 hours, costing around &pound;85+.&nbsp;

Tip: It&rsquo;s easier (and cheaper) to buy tickets in person than online, and you&rsquo;ll want to arrive no later than two hours before departure to fill out customs declaration and boarding cards. The amenities on board are basic, so pack snacks accordingly, or consider splurging for a higher tier like Business or Royal class.

<h2 dir="ltr">Stage 4: South Korea to Japan</h2>
Option 1: South Korea to Japan via ferry
Once you arrive in Incheon, you can then take an AREX train or subway to Seoul, which takes about an hour and costs around &pound;5.&nbsp;
At this stage, a few days of rest and rejuvenation probably wouldn&rsquo;t go amiss! In Seoul, a visit to <a href="http://google.com/search?q=siloam+sauna&amp;oq=Siloam+Sauna&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgBEAAYgAQyBwgCEAAYgAQyBwgDEAAYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyBwgFEAAYgAQyBwgGEAAYgAQyBwgHEAAYgAQyBwgIEAAYgAQyDQgJEAAYhgMYgAQYigXSAQgxMTAwajBqN6gCALACAA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Siloam Sauna</a> offers traditional Korean spa relaxation for you weary travellers. Alternatively, a gentle hike up Achasan Mountain will do wonders for the spirit, and afterward, reward yourself with a quiet tea at <a href="https://firefortysix.com/2023/07/08/a-relaxing-afternoon-interlude-at-tteuran-teahouse-in-ikseondong/">Tteuran Tea House</a>.
From Seoul, you can then take <a href="https://www.koreantrain.com/train-seoul-busan">a highspeed KTX train to Busan</a> (stop off in the city known as <a href="https://southkoreahallyu.com/gyeongju-south-korea-things-to-do/">&ldquo;the museum without walls&rdquo;</a> if you have the time). From Seoul straight to Busan it takes about 2hrs 15 mins and costs around &pound;30.&nbsp;

Next up, <a href="https://whirled-away.com/ferry-south-korea-japan/">hop on an overnight ferry across to Fukuoka</a>. The ferry prices usually fall somewhere between &pound;46 and &pound;77 depending on the season and what kind of seat or cabin you pick. All in, you&rsquo;re looking at roughly &pound;76&ndash;&pound;108.&nbsp;
Another option is the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcleb7YgKGA">PanStar Cruise Line</a> to Osaka, offering a longer, more cruise-like experience that honestly might be worth the detour!
Option 2: Flying from South Korea to Japan
If you&rsquo;d rather get there fast, <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/explore?tfs=CBwQAxoqEgoyMDI1LTEyLTI0KABqDAgDEggvbS8waHNxZnIMCAQSCC9tLzAzXzNkQAFIAXACggELCP___________wGYAQKyAQQYASAB&amp;tfu=GgA&amp;gl=GB">flights from Seoul</a> to places like Tokyo, Osaka, or Fukuoka are typically pretty cheap and only take around 1.5&ndash;2 hours, with fares starting from &pound;40&ndash;&pound;70 if you catch a deal.

Tip: In Tokyo, instead of sticking to Shibuya, Asakusa, or Ginza, venture to neighbourhoods like Yanaka, Shimokitazawa, Kiyosumi‑Shirakawa, or Kichijoji for more local energy. 
<a href="https://monocle.com/travel/yanaka-neighbourhood-guide/">Yanaka</a> offers a quiet, nostalgic Tokyo with over 70 different temples, wooden houses and cozy eateries - and <a href="https://japanjourneys.jp/tokyo/lifestyle/things-to-do/cat-lovers-need-to-visit-yanaka-right-now/">most importantly, cats</a>!

<h2 dir="ltr">Stage 5: Japan to Vietnam</h2>
Option 1: Ferry and Overland
This one is tricky. You can do it overland by heading back to China by ferry (although the <a href="https://www.shinganjin.com/en/schedule/">Kobe/Osaka&ndash;Shanghai service</a> was suspended this week due to ongoing tensions), and then travelling south by train.
If you want to go for it, just be aware that there&rsquo;s a time investment involved! The crossing takes 45&ndash;48 hours, then it&rsquo;ll be around another 10 hours by train from Shanghai to the Vietnamese border.
Trains crossing from China into Vietnam <a href="https://www.indochinatour.com/china-vietnam-tour/china-to-vietnam.html#:~:text=hub%20in%20China.-,The%20Train%20to%20Vietnam%20from%20China%20is%20Available%3A%20A%20Very%20Scenic%20Route%20from%20Nanning,-Instead%20of%20flying">were not reinstated after the pandemic</a>. That means you&rsquo;ll have to alight at Pingxiang, take a taxi to the border crossing, and then hop on a train from Dong Dang on the Vietnamese side to continue towards Hanoi.

Option 2: Flying from Japan to Vietnam&nbsp;
You can catch <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/explore?tfs=CBwQAxorEgoyMDI1LTEyLTI0KABqDAgDEggvbS8wN2Rma3INCAQSCS9tLzAxY3JkNUABSAFwAoIBCwj___________8BmAECsgEEGAEgAQ&amp;tfu=GgA&amp;gl=GB">a direct flight from Tokyo</a> to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City in about six hours, with economy fares that can drop as low as &pound;80&ndash;&pound;90 one way.
In Hanoi, I recommend starting your mornings early at <a href="https://lilystravelagency.com/quang-ba-flower-market/">Quang Ba Flower Market</a> to see the city come alive with traders&rsquo; fresh flowers before the crowds arrive.&nbsp;
You can also use buses, trains, or the app Grab (similar to Uber) to catch a motorbike or taxi to quieter districts or artisan villages like Bat Trang and Duong Lam.&nbsp;
In <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/story/0AUR6zBKq7ucyg">Bat Trang</a>, arrive in the morning to watch artisans shape pottery by hand, and try making a small piece yourself. In <a href="https://wander-lush.org/duong-lam-ancient-village-hanoi-day-trip/">Duong Lam</a>, take a bus or Grab through scenic rice paddies, then walk or cycle among clay-tiled houses and temples. Bring cash and wear comfortable shoes, and consider visiting on weekdays for a quieter, more authentic experience of local crafts and village life.

Tip:&nbsp;If you decide to go south, take a look at our <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/jfcs-guide-to-ho-chi-minh-city">Ho Chi Minh Guide</a> &mdash; it&rsquo;s packed with Katy&rsquo;s tips for your trip.

<h2 dir="ltr">Stage 6: Homeward Bound</h2>
Flying back home
Once you&rsquo;re done exploring Vietnam, getting back to the UK is easiest via London: there are several direct flights from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City to London, and from there it&rsquo;s just a quick hop on a domestic flight or train to Manchester.&nbsp;
Total flight times from Vietnam to London are roughly 13&ndash;14 hours for a direct route, with fares ranging from &pound;390s&ndash;&pound;600 depending on the airline, season, and how early you book. Currently, <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/flights/search?tfs=CBwQAho4EgoyMDI2LTA2LTE1KABqDAgDEggvbS8wZm5mZmoMCAMSCC9tLzBobjRocgwIAhIIL20vMDRqcGxAAUgBcAGCAQsI____________AZgBAg&amp;tfu=EgoIABAAGAAgAigB&amp;gl=GB">fares in June </a>are reasonable at &pound;396.&nbsp;

<h2 dir="ltr">Rough totals</h2>
Overland/ferry-heavy route: &pound;1,400pp
Mostly flying: &pound;1,200pp

<h2 id="visa-notes">Visa Notes</h2>
Uzbekistan
<ul>
<li data-start="288" data-end="412">UK, EU, Canadian &amp; US Passports: Most will qualify for up to 30 days visa-free for tourism. Longer stays require a visa, usually via the official e-visa portal.</li>
<li data-start="288" data-end="412">Other passports: Many nationalities still qualify for visa-free entry or simple e-visas, but rules vary. Check your specific passport eligibility on the <a href="https://e-visa.gov.uz/">Uzbek government visa site</a>.</li>
</ul>
China
<ul>
<li data-start="640" data-end="900">UK, US &amp; Canadian Passports: A visa is usually required, depending on the exact duration and destination of your visit. The current process involves an online pre-approval form on <a href="https://www.visaforchina.cn/VIE3_EN/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">visaforchina.cn</a>, followed by an in-person biometrics appointment at a Chinese Visa Application Service Centre. Fees average about &pound;130. Allow 3&ndash;4 weeks total.</li>
<li data-start="903" data-end="1128">Other passports: Most European countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand, will qualify for 15-days visa-free entry to China. These rules change frequetly, and requirements, fees, and processing times can differ, so travelers should always check the rules for their specific nationality.</li>
</ul>
South Korea
<ul>
<li data-start="1150" data-end="1270">Most UK, European &amp; North American passports: No traditional visa needed for trips up to 90 days, but you must <a href="https://www.k-eta.go.kr/">apply for the K-ETA</a> before travel.&nbsp;Some passports may require a short-stay visa, so check the K-ETA site for nationality-specific entry rules.</li>
</ul>
Japan
<ul>
<li data-start="1150" data-end="1270">Most UK, European &amp; North American passports:&nbsp;Visa-free for up to 90 days. You may be asked to show proof of funds and onward travel/accommodation.</li>
<li data-start="1582" data-end="1742">Other passports: Japan offers visa-free entry to many countries, but not all&mdash;travellers should confirm whether their passport is on Japan&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/short/novisa.html">visa-exempt list</a>.</li>
</ul>
Vietnam
<ul>
<li data-start="1760" data-end="1813">UK &amp; European passports: Most qualify for visa-free entry for up to 45 days.</li>
<li data-start="1816" data-end="1994">Other passports: Visa exemptions vary greatly by nationality. Many travellers will need an e-visa, which is generally straightforward to obtain via <a href="https://evisa.gov.vn/">Vietnam&rsquo;s official portal</a>.</li>
</ul>

Safe travels! I&rsquo;d love to know which routes you end up choosing! And <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/postcards">send us a postcard</a> on the road!

Kyrgyzstan

Georgia, Egypt, Armenia and more in £70s-£310s rtn

Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, and more in €100s-€190s rtn

The Middle East & more in €70s-€290s rtn

Turkey, Georgia, Egypt and more in €60s-€320s rtn

Turkey, Georgia, Egypt and more in £60s-£290s rtn

Egypt, Oman, Georgia and more in £180s-£280s & €140s-€250s rtn