Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION - PART 1: PLANNING YOUR TRIP 1.1 Routes, costs and making a booking - Route options - Costs - When to go - Making a booking - Visas - 1.2 Before you leave - Who to go with - What to take - Vaccinations and health safeguards - Background reading - Internet Resources PART 2: THE SILK ROAD 2.1 History - The route - Alexander the Great - Zhang Qian - The Parthian Shot - The Royal Purple - No more secrets - A New Golden Age - The Mongols - Pax Mongolica - The end - Map Key PART 3: THE MIDDLE EAST 3.1 Facts about the region - Geographical background - History - The people and their religion - 3.2 Practical information for the visitor - The route - Documents - Climate - Accommodation - Travel agencies and tourist information - Transport - Electricity - Time - Money - Communications - National holidays - Customs and Attitudes - Food - Drink - 3.3 Istanbul History - Istanbul today - What to see - Practical information - 3.4 Cappadocia History - Cappadocia today - What to see - Practical information - 3.5 Antakya History - What to see - Practical information - 3.6 Aleppo History - What to see - Practical information - 3.7 Hama What to see - Practical information - 3.8 Palmyra History - What to see - Practical information - 3.9 Damascus History - Damascus today - What to see - Practical information - 3.10 Malatya/Kahta What to see - Practical information - 3.11 Erzurum What to see - Practical information - 3.12 Dogubeyazit What to see - Practical information - 3.13 Tabriz What to see - Practical information - 3.14 Ghazvin What to see - Practical information - 3.15 Tehran What to see - Practical information - 3.16 Esfahan History - What to see - Practical information - 3.17 Shiraz What to see - Practical information - 3.18 Mashad What to see - Practical information - PART 4: CENTRAL ASIA 4.1 Facts about the region Geographical background - History (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan) - The people - 4.2 Practical information for the visitor The route - Documents - Climate - Accommodation - Safety - Travel agencies and tourist information - Transport - Electricity - Time - Money - Communications - National holidays - Food - Drink - 4.3 Mary and Merv History - What to see - Practical information - 4.4 Ashgabat History - What to see - Practical information - 4.5 Konye-Urgench History - What to see - Practical information - 4.6 Nukus History - What to see - Practical information - 4.7 Urgench Practical information - 4.8 Khiva History - What to see - Practical information - 4.9 Bukhara History - What to see - Practical information - 4.10 Samarkand History - What to see - Practical information - 4.11 Tashkent History - What to see - Practical information - 4.12 The Ferghana Valley History - Practical information - 4.13 Osh What to see - Practical information - 4.14 Bishkek What to see - Practical information - 4.15 Issyk Kul PART 5: PAKISTAN AND THE KARAKORUM HIGHWAY 5.1 Facts about the region Geographical background - History - The people - The Economy - Religion - 5.2 Practical information for the visitor The route - Documents - Climate - Accommodation - Travel agencies and tourist information - Transport - Electricity - Time - Money - Communications - National holidays - Food - Drink - Social customs - Attitudes - Activities - Shopping - 5.3 Passu Practical information - Hiking around Passu - 5.4 The Hunza and Nagar Valleys History 5.5 Karimabad What to see - Practical information - 5.6 Gilgit History - What to see - Practical information - 5.7 Rawalpindi and Islamabad What to see - Practical information PART 6: CHINA 6.1 Facts about the country Geographical background - History - The people and religion - 6.2 Practical information for the visitor The route - Documents - Climate - Accommodation - Travel agencies and tourist information - Transport - Electricity - Time - Money - Communications - National holidays - Preserving your sanity - Food - Drink - 6.3 Xinjiang Geographical background - History - Kashgar (What to see, Practical information) - Kuqa (What to see, Practical information) - Korla - Turfan (History, What to see, Practical information) - The Southern Taklamakan route (Khotan, Charklik) 6.4 Dunhuang History - What to see - Practical information - 6.5 Jiayuguan History - What to see - Practical information - 6.6 Lanzhou History - What to see - Practical information - 6.7 Xi'an History - What to see - Excursions - Practical information - 6.8 Datong What to see - Practical information - 6.9 Beijing History - What to see - Excursions - Practical information APPENDIX Useful phrases INDEX

About the Author

Paul Wilson is a graduate of History at Oxford University. He has lived and worked in North, South and Central America as well as extensively travelling in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Reviews

'Packed with history and practical information.' DAILY TELEGRAPH, September 2018; 'No nonsense, information-packed guide' LAM Magazine (UK)