A Central Asian road trip from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan

Photographer Carlotta Cardana is no stranger to a road trip. As an Italian based in London, she regularly meets up with a good friend in Australia to travel around the world. “We had been on a road trip across Armenia and Georgia earlier in the year, and we both loved the post-Soviet ambience and being in countries where tourism wasn’t overly developed,” she said. In summer 2024, they headed out on a road trip across the entire length of Kyrgyzstan, from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to the Uzbekistan border. 

Cardana did enough research before heading out to know that they didn’t need visas for a trip under 30 days. “Due to the many unpaved roads across the countryside and a language barrier – most people in the area only speak either Russian, Kyrgyz, Kazakh or Uzbek – we decided that the most efficient way to travel would be hiring a local guide with a car and some English knowledge.” They covered 850 miles together over seven days. 

“The guide knew the roads very well and had a car that could withstand the dirt roads. He was also experienced and aware that Western tourists might not appreciate the local adrenaline-raising driving style," she said. 

After a long, hot day driving across two mountain passes, Cardana and her friend arrived in Toktogul, a little town by a reservoir. They wanted to jump in the water, so their guide took them down a bumpy dirt road to a spot were locals went swimming. Carlotta Cardana

Left, the road leading up to the Töö-Ashuu “Camel Mountain” pass, over 11,000 feet above sea level. Right, people on their horses by Sary-Chelek, a mountain lake in a beautiful nature reserve. Carlotta Cardana

A fishery on the Naryn River. The river flows eastward across the whole country, and it contains the Toktogul Reservoir and several other dams that provide hydroelectricity to the area. Carlotta Cardana

“We spent a lot of time in a car, but traveling independently meant that we could stop anytime if we saw anything that triggered our attention,” said Cardana. “In my experience, the most interesting things and encounters are to be found in between the main destinations. As a travel photographer, it is very important for me to be able to stop whenever something catches my eye.” 

Left, a group of boys bring a donkey across the waters of the Kara-Üngkür River, along the road to Arslanbob. Right, a grandmother poses for a photo with her grandchild in Arslanbob. Carlotta Cardana

Horses are a big part of Kyrgyzstan culture and economy, so horse-riding was at the top of Cardana's to-do list during the trip. After a swim in Sary-Chelek lake, Cardana and her friend rode down back to the village. It was a two-hour trek, at times on very narrow trails by a steep ravine. Carlotta Cardana

Left, the path leading to the small waterfall in Arslanbob is lined with stalls and “photo corners” where people can have their portrait taken. Right, people gather and cool down at the bottom of the small waterfall in Arslanbob. Carlotta Cardana

“I really loved the landscape in Kyrgyzstan,” said Cardana. “The country is landlocked, very mountainous and populated by nomadic herders. We went there in the summer, when there’s lots of activity in the mountains, and we often came across shepherds moving their livestock.”

Leaving Bishkek and heading south-west, the road extends over the Alatau mountain range. During the summer months, it’s very common to come across herders moving their herd. Carlotta Cardana

Above: Locals gather by Toktogul Reservoir on a late afternoon to swim and have picnics. Carlotta Cardana

All photographs by Carlotta Cardana.