Thanks for the reply! I’ve seen pictures of people standing on high cliffs overlooking the former sea, now desert, with ships below. That’s Muynak, right? Is it possible to visit on a one-day tour?
Yes, that’s correct. There’s not much of a tour, really — you can explore the area leisurely in an hour or two. Sometimes, the caretaker, Sanyok, will tell you a few things if he’s still around. I left him a pack of cigarettes, though he asked for vodka — but where would you get that at 5 AM?
Thanks!
I don’t think we need a full tour either. What we’d like to do is stand on the cliff overlooking the former sea and explore the old ships.
Would it be simpler to just hire a taxi from Nukus (or ideally Urgench, where we plan to fly from), have the driver wait for us while we explore, and then return?
I understand tours to Muynak for two people can cost upwards of $80 — would a taxi be cheaper? Or is there public transport?
Has anyone had experience getting to Muynak or the former Aral Sea from Nukus/Urgench?
Here’s a report on our trip to the Aral Sea.
We booked a two-day tour with BESQALA for our group of 8 people. Three jeeps + guide cost us $240 per person. No prepayment; we paid on the day the tour started. We were very satisfied.
We booked via Telegram. The team was always responsive and attentive, didn’t forget or mix anything up. The guide, Irina, a local Russian philologist working at the Savitsky Museum in Nukus, was very pleasant and knowledgeable. She shared so much information about the tour and life in Karakalpakstan. Absolutely 5/5!
One of the drivers, Zafar Dauletbayev, spoke good Russian, while the other two had more limited language skills.
The route was standard and can be found on their website — it’s called the Eco-Tour to the Aral Sea, 2 Days/1 Night.
We traveled in mid-October when it was already cold. Nighttime temperatures were around 0°C. The yurts have heaters, but they were still being fine-tuned since they had just been installed. If you’re planning to go in cold weather, bring thermal underwear, hats, etc. Warm blankets and bedding were provided, so sleeping bags weren’t necessary.
There was cell service at the yurt camp; local Usell SIM cards worked well. The camp was full of people — a complete international mix, very lively!
Overall, the trip was excellent. Highly recommend.
We also booked another tour with BESQALA: Nukus – Khorezm fortresses – Khiva. It cost $180 for our group of eight in a minibus. We liked Irina so much that we paid an extra $60 to have her accompany us and explain everything. We were very happy with that too.