We follow the paths carved by some of the greatest and most terrible conquerors,everyone from Alexander the Great to Genghis Khan to Timur.
If you’re looking for your next great meal in this moveable feast we call life,it might be time to head to these often-overlooked places.
Look beyond the usual destinations and you’ll find outstanding countries that offer something different,and may well be bargain-priced and uncrowded too.
This once-mysterious Central Asian nation now grants visa-free travel to 90 countries,part of a plan that may change its character forever.
Uzbekistan can boast all sorts of achievements,from ancient astronomy to mathematics to empire-building to the perfection of plov.
It is likely to involve plov,shorpa,non ... and quite a lot of vodka.
The past is not always distant in this part of the world.
For much of last century,Uzbekistan was in Moscow's iron grip and few visitors reached the most splendid of the"Stans". Now it's in the midst of a creative and cultural revival that some have dubbed the Uzbek Spring.
Baby-boomers want tours that will feed their minds (plus a bit of shopping),writes Caroline Gladstone.
On a trip along the old Silk Road,Sandra Hall admires intricate carpets and embroidery,and the revival of a nation's traditions.