The two provinces in the south of Armenia, Vayots Dzor and Syunik, are a spectacular strip of land at the very bottom of the Caucasus. The highway that runs through them, between the towns of Yeraskh and Meghri, passes over the mountains that separate the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh in the east from the Azeri […]
Every time I have approached the Mountain: from our side, so majestic and eternally snowy, surrounded by fertile lands; from that alienated side, so desperately meager and rocky, with placers of gigantic volcanic stones and ashes, whipped by horses’; hooves into powder, I looked at the top with eyes, by which only a child can […]
WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM OCA#35 SUMMER 2020 Interview with Michael Schena recorded by Saniya Seilkhanova Growing up in Plymouth, Massachusetts and later studying at Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he pursued a degree in International Affairs, Michael Schena decided to pursue a career that would allow him travel and work. A regular visitor to […]
Often overlooked by your classic holiday maker, Central Asia has always exercised a powerful fascination over a certain kind of traveler. Home to some of the most ancient cultures and breathtaking landscapes on earth, it is nevertheless only lightly trodden by wanderers and merchants. But traffic on the silk road is once again picking up. […]
My trip to Tajikistan in the summer of 2019 was one of my most memorable adventures ever. I’ve been travelling full-time for the past 9 years and seen some stunning destinations, but not many countries have touched me like this little Central Asian country did. What exactly makes Tajikistan so special? 93% of the country is covered in mountains, […]
The map of Russian places in Great Britain, originally developed on the basis of the free Google Maps service in 2015 for the website of the Russian Embassy in London, has now become the most complete and clear illustration of the deep historical ties between Russia and the United Kingdom. At the time of launch, […]
I remember the first time I entered Uzbekistan, more than a decade ago. My car, an already rather battered Isuzu Trooper, broke down in the no man’s land between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and had to be push started to make it across the border. It wasn’t an auspicious start. With a trio of friends, I […]
The recent international tourist forum “Ulytau-2019” in Nursultan City attracted participants from more than 30 countries, including the UK, USA, Italy, France and others. President Kasym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan announced that the government of the country would continue putting special attention and billions of dollars into promoting his country as a major tourist destination. Indeed, […]
After meeting eight young Kazakhs at the International Olympiads of Linguistics, I decided to fly from Canada to see my friends again and at the same time, discover the land of the Kazakhs… My name is Nathan Samson, I am now 18 years old and I study Linguistics at the University of Ottawa. Last year, […]
In July & August 2018, two British women Catherine & Hannah, undertook the 2500km drive, unaided, along the Pamir Highway, famously the 2nd highest road on Earth, reaching altitudes of 4500m and coursing through the heart of Central Asia. Their mission: to reach, live with and film the women living along it. During their time […]
1 On the wild steppes of Transbaikalia, Where people dig for gold in the mountains, A vagrant, bemoaning his fate, Is wandering with a bag on his back. 2 He walks through the thick taiga, Where only a few birds sing, He carries a tin can on his side, His feet are strapped in dry […]
THE WELCOME TO GEORGIA – NATIONAL TOURISM AWARDS Georgia is one of the most beautiful and ancient countries in the world, with its untouched nature, history, mountains and architecture. This small country is a real paradise for all kind of travellers throughout tthe whole year. Let Tbilisi be the starting point of your unforgettable journey. […]
National Tourism Awards On December 17, 2018 Rustaveli Theatre will host the most remarkable event of the Tourism and Hospitality industry of Georgia – the Fourth Official Ceremony of the Welcome to Georgia! National Tourism Awards. On the Awards Ceremony winners and finalists of 20 different nominations, out of more than 350 nominees will […]
Ruzhany Castle, located in Brest region of Belarus, is currently under reconstruction. Earlier it was the residence of the potent dynasty of Sapieha, a castle whose beauty was compared to the French Versailles. Historical information states that the duke Jan Sapieha received the king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Sigismund 1 the Old in Ruzhany. There […]
Strangely enough, it is not the cold that hits me as I step out of Yakutsk airport onto the frozen snow trodden path to my taxi. The whole area is shrouded in a thick misty fog and the waiting row of cars all sit patiently with their engines humming and billowing exhausts. It doesn’t feel […]
Take it how you like but having been based in Kyrgyzstan for two years now as a freelance consultant completing evaluations of developmental projects I’ve seen tourists to the country come and go and have reflected on my own experiences in the process too. I originally herald from the historic city of York in the […]
‘Everyone has a book in them’, someone once said – I hope I have two or three! But ‘in them’ is not ‘out of them’,in public and it is the publication that gives birth to your ideas and exposes your soul. This may be why many people do not let the book loose or release […]
China’s gargantuan Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road initiative, ‘One Belt, One Road’ for short, promises much. President Xi Jinping has hailed its proposed super-grid of rail track, oil and gas pipelines, superhighways and shipping facilities as this century’s economic game-changer, a project that will bring about ‘a new type of […]
On 23 May 1851, the English explorer Thomas Witlam Atkinson, along with his wife Lucy and two-year-old son Alatau – along with several Cossacks and Buryat guides – set out from Irkutsk in Eastern Siberia on a journey that would take them to some of the remotest and wildest places in the world. Their first […]
The Eurasian Creative Guild (London) is a public non-profit organization which serves to unite creative talents around the world. Between January and March, the representatives of the ECG visited; Almaty, Astana, Bishkek, Dublin, Edinburgh, Kiev, London, Minsk, Nicosia, Oslo, Paphos, and Paris. During these visits, members in each of these locations discussed the Guild’s projects; […]
When you travel to new places most of us tend to do some research, ‘the top ten places to visit ‘, ‘must do in Bishkek!’ and in doing so we connect with previous travellers and base our experiences on theirs. If somewhere is so alien then a ‘guide’ is a good idea but I like […]
At full gallop the world streams past as a blur of stone, sand and sky, stretching away from under my horse into the miles of empty steppe all around us two. The wind whips Kafka’s mane wildly across my stiffened hands – numb from the chill Mongolian air – as I try to keep control […]
Mountains loom on either side of the steep, precarious road, snow-capped peaks towering over the road like silent, immovable titans, dwarfing the car to the size of a child’s toy. The icy waters of a stream rush past below, huge boulders impeding its progress. The air is crisp and pure, and I breathe it into […]
WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM #23 AUTUMN 2016 Imagine an opportunity to turn the clock back and invest in the developing tourism sector in Switzerland 60 years ago. A time when investments were reasonable, and investors were afforded significant returns on investment. Now fast forward to the Kyrgyz Republic. Kyrgyzstan has on numerous occasions been referred to as the […]
OCA #22 SUMMER 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Text by Eugenette Morin It is calm, silent at the end of the Tian Shan mountain range in the Sayram-Ugum State National Park of South Kazakhstan. That won’t last as the sun rises early, snowy peaks glisten and birds break out into song. The view is breathtaking, bathed in the […]
OCA #21 SPRING 2016 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM The beauty of Caucasus is charming. Many historical, cultural and natural attractions there attract people from all over the world. For me the Caucasus has always been associated with towers. They are an integral part of the highland scenery. This is the world of towers. Their simplicity of form, rigorous […]
OCA #21 SPRING 2015 WWW.OCAMAGAZINE.COM Text by Andrew Glenister Before visiting Kazakhstan, the country had never really been on my radar. I knew where it was, and a little of its history, but I had never considered it as a holiday destination. I definitely do now. And I would recommend that anyone with an interest […]
