How to Find Cheap Hotels in Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Dushanbe, the capitol city of Tajikistan, rewards tourists with beautiful city parks, fascinating geological formations and delicious cuisine. While it can be a difficult place to visit, once here you should find plenty of interesting sites to explore in a city of just over one million residents.

Things You'll Need

• A valid passport and visa for crossing Tajikistan's borders
• Documented proof that you are not HIV-positive
• An invitation from a sponsor in Tajikistan
• A computer with a secure Internet connection
• Special advanced permission to enter the country if you plan on crossing the Gorno-Badakhshan border

Instructions

Prepare for Your Trip to Dushanbe, Tajikistan

1. Obtain a visa before entering Tajikistan. You can apply for your visa at the Dushanbe Airport or via the Tajikistan Embassy. See the U.S. Department of State Web site for details.

2. Obtain a Tajikistani sponsor before leaving the U.S. You will need a sponsoring citizen or Tajikistani organization sponsor to invite you to the country before you will be allowed to enter.

Organize Transportation in Dushanbe, Tajikistan

1. Plan to land at either the Dushanbe Airport or the airport in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Airport choice is usually dictated by your city of origin.

2. Consider renting a car to drive to your accommodations. Public transportation in Dushanbe--and in Tajikistan as a whole--is unreliable and spotty. You might also have your sponsor drive you around during your stay.

Choose Your Lodging in Dushanbe, Tajikistan

1. To book accommodations, contact United Friends Tourism Company at 011 ([phone] or visit their Web site (see Resources, below). You can opt for a "Soviet-style" hotel if you're looking for cheap accommodations. These older establishments tend to be bare-bones in terms of both aesthetics and amenities.

2. Consider checking with your Tajikistani sponsor to make sure he or she is familiar with your cheap lodging choice. Be sure it's known as a reputable establishment.

3. Use your accommodations in Dushanbe as a home base as you explore the culture of the Tajikistani people. Dushanbe is the cultural capital of the country.

4. Bring enough cash to cover all of your accommodations expenses while visiting the city. Cash is necessary for everything because Tajikistan has a cash-only economy.

Become Familiar with Local Information

1. Learn to speak the local language of Tajik. Russian is the second most common language used in this area.

2. Snap a photo of the world's tallest dam, located an hour from Dushanbe. It stands a whopping 984 feet above the Vakhsh River.

Tips & Warnings

• All phone numbers include the international prefix "011." When calling internationally but not from the United States or Canada, substitute that "011" with "00." All country codes are within parentheses and begin with a "+" sign.

• Submit your requests for entry permission at least a month in advance.

• Have all of the required entry documents.

• Know what the border crossing requirements are for your specific entry port.

• To ensure that you can leave the country in case of an emergency or political unrest, arrange for a visa for countries like Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey or Germany before you leave the United States.

• There are many checkpoints along roadways in this area, so expect frequent stops and searches of your vehicle and person.

• Bus service between cities has been greatly disrupted, due to the political turmoil in the area, and tends to be erratic.

• All types of accommodations in this city, including cheap accommodations, are limited.

• Be aware that hotels in this city do not use a star rating system as they do for hotels in the U.S.

• Dushanbe, Tajikistan, is not a city that has been developed for tourists.

• Dushanbe, Tajikistan, is one of the poorest and least economically developed capitol cities in the former Soviet Union.

• In cases of emergencies or troubles in this city, your departure options may be limited.

• Because of the economic problems in this city, petty crimes like pick-pocketing affect many tourists who come here.