We started our 2025 Brazil trip landing in Rio de Janeiro. After a few days of initial acquaintance with this majestic city, and before returning a month later to experience its legendary Carnival, we decided to spend the intervening time exploring the coast of Rio State. Our first destination was the lesser-known town of Rio das Ostras.Rio das Ostras lies 168 km east along the … [Read more...]
From Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo by Bus
We spent a fantastic Carnival week in Rio. Now, it was time to head to São Paulo before continuing our journey south through Brazil.Many buses, operated by various companies, run the route between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. All depart from Rio’s central bus terminal (Rodoviária) located here. The day before our intended departure, we stopped by the station in person, hoping … [Read more...]
From Karagandy to Astana by Shared Taxi
For the final leg of our journey across Kazakhstan, we needed to get from Karagandy to Astana. The driver who had brought us from Balkhash the previous day mentioned that there were no buses running between Karagandy and Astana that day. It seemed odd, given the proximity and size of the cities, but I had no reason to doubt him. He wasn’t a taxi driver, just an honest local … [Read more...]
From Balkhash to Karagandy
Looking to break up the long journey between Almaty and Astana, we found ourselves in the bleak town of Balkhash in central Kazakhstan. Getting there from Almaty was easy by overnight bus, but leaving proved a bit more complicated.To ensure we wouldn’t get stuck, we tried to arrange our trip the day before departure. We went to the town’s bus station (located here) and asked a … [Read more...]
From Almaty to Balkhash by Bus
After spending three days in Almaty, we chose Balkhash as our next stop on the way to catching our flight out of Kazakhstan from Astana. We took a night bus to Astana, departing at 20:30 from Sayran Station in Almaty’s western suburbs. The ticket cost 6,000 KZT per person, which was proportionally lower than the full fare to Astana.We had purchased our tickets in advance at the … [Read more...]
From Bishkek to Almaty by Bus
After unforgettable adventures in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, we were now set to cap off our month-long journey through Central Asia with some time in Kazakhstan. Early in the morning, we left our cozy guesthouse in central Bishkek and made our way to the city’s western bus station (location) to catch a bus to Almaty.We found out that buses departed approximately every two … [Read more...]
From Issyk-Kul to Son-Kul by Public Transport
After an enjoyable time in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Lake region—highlighted by a six-day trekking adventure in the stunning Tian Shan Mountains—we decided to continue our journey toward the secluded Son-Kul Lake in the center of the country. Our lake-hopping adventure began in the town of Cholpon-Ata, where we had arrived the previous day after a three-hour van ride from … [Read more...]
Getting from Karakol to Cholpon Ata, Issyk-Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan
After our six-day trekking adventure in the Tian Shan Mountains, we left Karakol and headed to Cholpon Ata. Having traveled directly to Karakol from Tashkent on an international bus, this was our first encounter with Kyrgyz public transportation. We had anticipated a similar experience to Uzbekistan, where we primarily relied on cheap and comfortable shared taxis. However, it … [Read more...]
From Tashkent to Bishkek and Onward to Karakol by Bus
After some memorable adventures in Samarkand, Bukhara, and the Zaamin Mountains, our journey through Uzbekistan concluded in Tashkent. Now it was time to venture into neighboring Kyrgyzstan, with our sights set on the charming town of Karakol and the breathtaking Tian Shan Mountains in the country's eastern region. As a first step, we had to reach the Kyrgyz capital.Buses to … [Read more...]
From Zaamin to Tashkent, Uzbekistan
After two unforgettable visits to Samarkand and Bukhara, Uzbekistan’s Silk Road-era historical gems, we found ourselves in the remote Zaamin Mountains. Following a pleasant hike the previous day, it was now time to continue our journey through Central Asia to Tashkent.The taxi driver who had brought us from Samarkand two days earlier had given us his number, offering to drive … [Read more...]
