Tashkent: Farewell Grand Orzu Hotel

The facade of the Grand Orzu Hotel, Tashkent

As many Uzbek Journeys travellers know, the Grand Orzu Hotel in Tashkent was my home away from home.

For many years I stayed there, always in suite #48. I had made peace with the curtains, the noisy and almost broken air conditioners, the towel rack that regularly fell down. I replaced the dreary paintings with artworks from friends.

So why did I stay there? And why did I use this hotel as the Tashkent base for my clients until just two years ago?

Because the staff were wonderful: what they may have lacked in expertise they readily made up for in enthusiasm and sweetness. (Once I caught the flu and the restaurant manager herself made chicken noodle soup and brought it to my room).

The staff were all well-educated people, who, although during Soviet times had professional work, now needed better paying jobs, e.g. my cleaner Oksana was a meteorologist. Another had been a language teacher and helped me with my Russian homework. There was nothing "slick" about the Grand Orzu or the people who worked there, but the atmosphere was special.

On a hot summer's day this pool was perfect for a dip

The courtyard was exceptional and very rare in Tashkent. Climbing red roses bloomed twice a year and surrounded the small, refreshing swimming pool. Traditional tapchans (raised platforms for eating and sleeping) edged the courtyard. How lovely to sit there in the evening, sipping a beer or wine.

The location was super: Caravan restaurant just across the road as well as Georgian, Japanese and Central Asian cafes nearby. It was an easy 20-minute walk to the State Fine Art Museum, Babur Park 5 minutes by foot, Ulughbek Holmuradov's jewellery boutique just around the corner and Askiya bazaar a further 5 minute walk from there.

And now it has closed its doors. A new Grand Orzu will open in 2020 in nearby Nukus Street. The original building is slated for demolition soon. Like all the Central Asian capitals, land is expensive. Too expensive for a small, cosy hotel. The space will house a multi-storey apartment block.

To all the staff who looked after me, I thank you and hope that you have found work in Tashkent that suits your skills.

To my travellers who were sometimes a little taken aback by its "on-the-verge" of shabbiness, thank you for not complaining too loudly.

Vale Grand Orzu.

The courtyard was a perfect place for breakfast and a relaxing, evening drink after exploring Tashkent

Related posts:
Uzbekistan's Secret Underground
Tashkent Nostalgie - Eugene Panov's Exhibition, Tashkent
Seismic Modernism - Architecture and Housing in Soviet Tashkent
Pushkin in Babur Park, Tashkent 

Kyrgyzstan: A Week at Anna and Sergei's Guesthouse in Tamga

View of the garden at Anna and Sergei's guesthouse, Tamga

On the rugged, south side of Lake Issyk-kul, lies Tamga.

Once a thriving town servicing the famous sanatorium - where cosmonauts and sports people trained and recuperated in the heyday of the Soviet Union- today it is a dusty Kyrgyz village.

And well worth visiting.

On an Uzbek Journeys tour we spend one night there, in Anna and Sergei's charming guesthouse with the loveliest garden I know in Kyrgyzstan.

For many years I have enjoyed Anna's scrumptious meals made with vegetables, fruits and herbs straight from the garden, accompanied by homemade wine. Sergei, handy man extraordinaire, has repaired clients' spectacles, made a walking stick and fixed zippers on suitcases.

Late last summer, I decided to spend a week there - what a treat!

Sergei and Anna are childhood sweethearts - he was Father Frost and she the Snow Maiden at a school New Year's play. Sergei, who trained as a beekeeper in Soviet times, was born in the house: his parents worked at the sanatorium.

The tree house - a private spot to sip tea and read

It reminds me of childhood holidays. The garden is full of secret places dotted with small pavilions, where you can lie down and read for hours in absolute quiet. Fragrant flowers bloom in spring and autumn, and the apple trees are laden.

There is a tree house - complete with wifi! I played table tennis with other guests - many families from Kazakhstan and Bishkek come every year to this special place. There are a couple of bicycles and a sauna - make sure you wear the special Kyrgyz embroidered sauna hat!

Every morning Sergei drove guests to the nearby beach - golden sands lapped by the shimmering, clear water of Issyk Kul lake. He picked us up again for lunch and was happy to take us back to the beach later in the afternoon. There are other nearby excursions which Sergei can arrange:

• the remarkable Fairy Tale Canyon, about 10 kilometres away;
• the Tamga Tash stone decorated with Tibetan inscriptions;
• day hikes;
• waterfalls in the Barksoon gorge.

Your hosts Sergei and Anna

I pottered about the village every afternoon. The small Dr. Zhivago - style homes have gardens burgeoning with fruit and vegetables.

Frequently the owners rushed out to give me plums and apples, saying that there was too much fruit for their families and neighbours.  The nearby cemetery - Orthodox and Muslim sections - is testimony to Tamga's former status as a thriving Soviet community.

If this is the sort of break you need, I encourage you to stay with Sergei and Anna. The south side of Issyk Kul is quiet, far from the high rises that dot the more popular north side.

Rates are so reasonable - about US$30 for two people with breakfast and dinner included. There is no menu - rest assured that whatever Anna cooks is delicious. Her zapekanka, a cottage cheese pie, served occasionally at breakfast, is a stand out. During my week there, Anna never prepared the same meal twice.

Sergei can arrange transport from Bishkek (about 4 hours 30 minutes) and Karakol (1 hour 30 minutes).  More photos below of the guesthouse and the village.

Contact details:

Email: sergei-hutor@mail.ru
Tel: +996 770 567 508/ +996 770 436 734
Address: 8 Podgornaya street, Tamga

Related posts:
Kyrgyzstan: Monumental Art in the Provinces (Images of mosaics in Tamga sanatorium)
Kyrgyzstan's Bus Stops
Kyrgyz Blues
Holidays in Soviet Sanatoriums

The beach at Tamga

 

Huge tray of apricots drying in Anna's garden

Tamga's main street

Another sweet nook in Anna and Sergei's garden

A grave in Tamga's Muslim cemetery