Baku a good place for STAN visas

[grandy]

I was in Baku about 3 weeks ago and I picked up a couple of visas there. Baku is a fantastic place to get Central Asian visas. Here are the details (I am fairly sure this information is accurate for Swedes, but as I am British and did not take the time to note the requirements for Swedes, I cannot be 100% sure):

1. Kazakhstan - For 20 USD, the embassy will issue you with a one month visa in about 2 days. There is no hassle involved and you don't need an LOI. The embassy has recently moved - it is no longer near Genelik Metro station, but is now a couple of kilometers north of Nizami Metro station. I can give you directions should you require them. Important note - the visa is issued with fixed dates.

2. Kyrgyzstan - For a further 20 USD, the KAZAKHSTAN embassy will also issue you with a 1 month Kyrgyz visa. They can process the Kyrgyz visa at the same time as they process your Kazakh visa. Again, the visa comes with fixed dates.

3. Uzbekistan - This embassy is not only hassle free, but has one of the friendliest, most charming consulates I have ever met, and he even speaks a bit of English. Compared to other Uzbek embassies in the region (at least in Central Asia itself), this place is heaven. As a British citizen, I did not require an LOI to make a visa application, though as a Swede you might well need one. But it's certainly worth asking at the embassy if you arrive in Baku without an LOI. Once you have submitted your application, it is forwarded to Tashkent for approval (this takes about 3 working days, and the embassy does not hold onto your passport during this time). If approval comes through, you make a payment into a bank and pick up your visa. Costs vary depending on length of time and number of entries - it's 75 USD for a one month single entry visa.

Iran on the other hand is a pain in the ass, at least depending on your nationality. I don't know what Sweden's relationship with Iran is like - this will be the biggest factor in determining how easy it is to get a visa. But Iranian embassies in the region (including Baku) frequently reject visa applictions for no reason - I have heard of French and Canadian travellers recently who had this problem, and my application on a British passport in neighboring Armenia was also rejected. On the other hand, for citizens of Holland, Germany, and Switzerland (which have better relations with Iran), I believe it is fairly straightforward to get a visa. But at any rate, you are probably better off applying for this one at home.

I know little about Turkmen transit visas, but travelling this way from Baku to Turkmenbashi by ferry can cause you BIG headaches because of delays with the ferry.

[Manne]

Thanks for the information

[Cyan]

Hello all, just a few words about Kyrgystan,

I like eating

Kyrgyz food is quite similar to the rest of Central Asia: laghman and manty are always on the menu.In homestays, a hearty soup is very often the main course served at lunch or dinner. The rice dish plov may also appear and sometimes fried or boiled eggs fresh from the chickens running around the garden. Homemade jam and bread and pots of tea are plentiful. Breakfast may include a rice pudding cooking in milk (sprinkle sugar on top) or a salad.Soviet canteens serve hearty meat-and-potatoes type dishes for budget prices and keep an eye out in markets for Dugan women selling gelatine noodles with a spicy sauce.
Vegetarians can ask for the traditional meals without meat but the dish is still likely to include an animal-based broth.To drink, tea is always offered, both green tea and black with milk. Instant coffee is also normally available as are the standard soft drinks. For alcoholic beverages, popular choices include Baltika or the Kazakh brew Shymkentsoe. Vodka is also common, sometimes mixed with juice.
In mountainous areas, the drink kymys will be sold from roadside stands and offered to travellers by nomadic families. It’s made from fermented mare’s milk and is an acquired taste to say the least: quite sharp and slightly fizzy. Small children sometimes mix in a little sugar and this may help if you can’t handle it straight.Wherever you find kymys, you’re also likely to find salty balls of dried cheese. If you like things like feta cheese you may love these and they make a great travel snack as they never spoil. They can also be good grated on top of pasta or in an omelette.
For self-caterers, almost every village has at least one small shop. Ask around if you don’t see one. Someone probably sells things from their home. If the shop appears closed, look for a small buzzer near the window or door and ring this to summon the shopkeeper.Things almost always sold in these shops include candies, chocolate bars, cigarettes, coffee, cookies, pasta, powdered milk, soft drinks, sugar, tea, tins of corn or peas and, of course, vodka. You’ll usually also find tins of tomato sauce, some variety of sausage and fresh eggs. The biggest shops will sell fresh vegetables and cheese. We found porridge oats difficult to locate.Cooking oil can often be bought in just the quantity you need. Bring a small plastic bottle and ask to have it filled up. You may need to know the name for what you want as it won’t always be visible from behind the counter.Bazaars selling a decent selection of vegetables and fruits are only found in larger centres. The standard vegetable trio of carrots, cabbage and potatoes are always there along with onions, cucumbers and tomatoes. Apples are usually around too. Anything more exotic depends largely on the season.For water, we always drank from communal pumps and never had a problem. A water filter is handy for drawing water from rivers and lakes in remote areas or where pumps aren’t working. All shops should sell bottled water but it’s reasonably expensive, around 20-25 Som or about $0.75 U.S. for a 1.5 litre bottle.