Central Asia enjoying a boom in the face of uncertainty in the Middle East.

LONDON - Central Asia is currently riding a wave of popularity, according to adventure holidays specialist Wild Frontiers. The tour operator has seen bookings to Central Asia rise by 27% in 2013 compared to 2012. The company puts this partly down to travellers viewing it as an alternative destination to the Middle East.
"With uncertainty continuing to reign over much of the Middle East, our travellers are turning to  Central Asia  for similar cultural experiences," said Wild Frontiers founder and MD Jonny Bealby. "Uzbekistan, for example, has some of the finest Islamic architecture anywhere in the world in its silk road cities of Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara . The region also has a fascinating history, which appeals to cultural travellers who would previously have considered Syria, Iran and Egypt ."
Syria, once one of Wild Frontiers' most popular destinations, is currently in the grips of a devastating 28-month civil war, whilst the ousting of elected leader Mohamed Morsi has caused further instability in Egypt. Libya, meanwhile, is plagued with armed regional militias in the aftermath of the overthrow of Colonel Gadaffi. Whilst Wild Frontiers continues to offers tours to Iran, the fact visas must be obtained from Brussels, owing to the lack of diplomatic ties between Iran and the UK, makes arranging travel there more complicated than previously.
"What is happening in  Syria  is terribly sad and we desperately hope things improve in the  Middle East  and clients are able to return to this culturally fascinating and traditionally welcoming destination," said Bealby. "In the meantime we are seeing increasing interest in  Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and even Afghanistan."
Wild Frontiers offers tours throughout Central Asia, with its most popular destinations being Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Mongolia and Turkmenistan. The 23-day Silk Road Odyssey travels from Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan through to Kashgar in China before heading west into Tajikistan and finishing with the fascinating ancient cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva in Uzbekistan. The 11-day Samarkand & The Aral Sea tour covers the highlights of Uzbekistan, including Tashkent, the desert castles of Karakalpakstan and Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand. Cities of the Silk Road tour travels along the ancient silk road from Uzbekistan into Turkmenistan.

Sourced: TravelDailyNews