Rahima’s guesthouse is located beautifully in a lush green river valley. Like most houses in the village it is entirely built from local materials and surrounded by a big garden. There are three simple, neat and clean guest rooms, in the main house. Gulmurod is able to accommodate up to 12 visitors. An outdoor reed fenced shower and a long-drop with a comfortable seat are available. The host is presently building a hammam and a flush toilet. On a hot day a water reservoir in front of the house invites guests for a dip. In the vicinity of the guesthouse there is a mountain spring that provides the family with drinking water. In the beautiful, shady garden there are two tapchans for visitors to eat, relax or even sleep on. Rahima’s family produces kurpachas (traditional sleeping mattress). The delicious dishes offered in the guesthouses are prepared out of locally grown products.

Rahima’s guesthouse is a perfect starting point for mountain hikes. One of the slightly more demanding hikes leads you to a small mountain lake (Fazilman). Especially in springtime the view from the ridged peaks of the Nuratau Mountains onto the flower covered plains is an unforgettable experience. On the hike you will come across steep mountain gorges and waterfalls and might have the chance to see some of the huge birds of prey, such as Golden Eagles, Eurasian Griffons or Lammergeyers. Some historical sites like ancient rock paintings, a mosque and ruins of old villages are worth visiting. Furthermore Sentyab is an ideal place to get some rest, sit in the shade of a walnut tree, drink tea and read a book.

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Djumagul’s guesthouse is surrounded by a big garden with old shade trees. The house has two guest rooms equipped with tapchan mattresses, where up to eight guests can be accommodated. A reed covered outdoor shower and a village-style toilet are on site. A small mountain river passes the property. It drives a water mill used by local farmers. A hydraulic pump lifts spring water up to the guesthouse without any power consumption. Under the trees in the garden two tapchans invite guests to sit and relax or even sleep upon. Tourists can enjoy the ample birdlife in the garden while reading a book or drinking green tee, which is the most popular beverage in this region.

In the guesthouse there is neither TV reception nor a radio signal or cell phone connection. If necessary, cell phone calls can be made from a hill nearby. The only source of information is the press, which is normally delivered with a delay of about a week. Bahrom loves his peaceful, quiet paradise and believes that the overload of stimulation in the modern world makes people age much faster.

The host is a cheerful, charismatic person. He always finds ways to entertain his guests despite of the language barrier. Tourists will be living in a traditional household and have a chance to see the everyday life of a rural Tajik family. Folklore performances by village musicians and dancers can be organized in the evenings.

Djumagul’s guesthouse is an ideal starting point for easy mountain hikes to the next guesthouse in Upper Uhum village. The host, Bahrom, will introduce you with pleasure to the secrets of donkey riding.
During hikes you will pass by the “Karaul” alp a place that used to be a lookout point in historical times. On the way visitors will have a chance to admire some of the prehistoric rock paintings, ruins of ancient settlements, a fortress and some old mosques.

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Arnor’s guesthouse is located about an hour’s hike from Uhum village in a remote river valley. It can only be reached on foot as the trafficable road ends about 4 km from the house.

Visitors are accommodated in a half open room on a self constructed traditional clay tapchan called “supa” (see photo). From this supa, which can accommodate up to four people, you can overlook the garden and hear the sound of the little brook. The facility is in use in the warm season (spring, summer and autumn) only. The guesthouse has no electricity, so it is advisable for tourists to bring a torch and charge their camera batteries in advance.

The garden is a flourishing orchard with nut- and fruit trees like cherry, peach, apricot, apple, mulberry and walnut. The host family grows a lot of vegetables; hence most dishes offered in the guesthouse are prepared from self cultivated products.

Located in a beautiful setting, with an excellent view of the mountain peaks, in the immediate vicinity of the Nuratau Nature Reserve the guesthouse is a paradise for nature lovers. However, it is strictly forbidden to enter the core area of the Nuratau State Reserve itself. For bird watchers the area might be particularly rewarding. There is a mountain rivulet near the guesthouse and a brook flowing through the garden. The spring is located about two hundred meters upstream. Next to Anor’s guesthouse there is a holy place called “Avliya”, where an Islamic priest used to live and from where four springs emerge. Shavkat, the owner of the guesthouse, can show interested tourists all the sights of Upper Uhum village.

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Shiringul has been successfully accommodating tourists for several years. The guesthouse has two guest rooms; one furnished in the traditional way with tapchan mattresses, the other one with two beds. In a side building there is an outdoor shower and a long-drop. In the cold season visitors can use the bathhouse which can be heated. In an additional building across the path, three more guestrooms are available. In total Shiringul’s guesthouse can accommodate up to sixteen people. In front of the house, a covered sitting platform provides a great view over the valley and the mountains. A creek passes the huge garden. Guests can relax in the shade of the big walnut trees either using one of the two tapchans or the various tables and benches. In the orchard there is an additional village style garden toilet.

Like most guesthouse owners of the Nuratau Mountain area, the family grows vegetables, keeps livestock (sheep, cows, goats) and poultry and produces their own eggs, meat, butter, yogurt and other milk products. Most of the delicious traditional dishes served by Shiringul are prepared from their own merchandise.

Shiringul’s guesthouse is equipped with two satellite antennas that give tourists the opportunity to keep up on the latest news or watch their favourite TV show. From a prominent spot nearby, tourists have cell phone reception (MTS only).
From a hill near the guesthouse, guests have a chance to observe the rare endemic sheep (Severzov Argali) in a breeding enclosure operated by the Nature Reservation Organisation. As the aim is to release these sheep to the wild, visitors are not allowed to enter the enclosure.

Photo album of this guesthouse

Asraf village is located in one of the lush green mountain valleys of the Nuratau range. A crystal clear mountain brook passes through the property right in front of the guesthouse. The house, built from local rocks, has two clean guest rooms furnished with tapchan mattresses. Yahshigul can accommodate up to eight people. An outdoor shower and a pit latrine are on site. A spring provides the family and guests with pure, cold drinking water. In the shade of the big fruit trees in the garden, guests can chose either to relax on one of the two supas (sitting places built out of clay) or on a tapchan. One of these unique comfortable sitting, lying and eating facilities is placed across the rivulet. Reading a book, while listening to the gentle bubbling sound of the water, is a great way to rewind and recall all the impressions of your journey.

Bobojon’s family lives from subsistence farming. Hence many types of fruit trees such as peach, apricot, apple, mulberry, pomegranate and walnuts and a lot of vegetables are grown in the huge garden. Guests will be spoiled by tasty dishes prepared from home grown products. Traditional music performances can easily be arranged for guests in the evening.

The guesthouse in Asraf village is a good starting point for short or long mountain hikes. For more comfort, pack or riding animals can be hired at the guesthouse. The village and its surroundings are rich with natural and historical sites. Two of Bobojon’s sons have been working as guides for some time and are familiar with the mountains.

The guesthouse in Eski (old) Forish is the least remote of all the guesthouses. It is relatively close to the central village of Forish (now renamed and sign posted Yangiqishloq) and has cell phone reception (MTS). As it is located only about 1 km from the main road, it is easily accessible and can be used as a stopover point for trips to the Nuratau Mountains.

“Porasht” guesthouse was established in 2008. It has two nicely decorated guestrooms, where up to six people can be accommodated on tapchan mattresses. In a spate stone building there is a shower and a long-drop toilet with a comfortable seat. The host is very determined to provide good quality services to tourists. In the shady garden of the house three tapchans invite guest to sit, eat and relax from their journey. The meals are prepared from fruits and vegetables cultivated by the host family. If guests are interested to learn more about the work and everyday life of local farmers, the guesthouse owner can take them to his livestock farm, 10 km from Eski Forish, where cheese, butter, yogurt and brynza (dried cottage cheese balls) are produced.

The villagers of Eski Forish are very friendly and hospitable and enjoy having a chat with foreign guests. There are several interesting sights in and around the village. Tourists can visit a river passing through a beautiful mountain gorge and enjoy drinking cold spring water. Traditional handicrafts such as embroidered rugs “suzane”, and “pashta” are produced in the Porasht guesthouse.

Photo album of this guesthouse