Silk Road Treasure Tours' 2016 Family Milestone Vacations Coordinate with the Central Asian countries’ own milestone: 25th Anniversary Since Independence from the former Soviet Union.

[Marian Goldberg]

Silk Road Treasure Tours, the premier American tour operator with founding roots in Central Asia announces its brand new 15-day Family Adventure to the “-Stans” Of Central Asia with a customized itinerary to suit families with children ages seven to adult and multi-generations traveling together. Trips offer hands-on experiences, age matching people-to-people interactions, participation in seasonal, traditional festivals, and a balance of adventure and culture created just right for every family’s interests. The tour offers a unique bonding opportunity for family members of all ages together exploring a region of ancient trading civilizations along Central Asia’s Silk Road. In addition, if they travel in 2016 families further enjoy the excitement that the countries of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are experiencing, as they celebrate their 25th year anniversary of Independence from the former Soviet Union!

American family -- parents and daughters -- enjoy glamping in the deserts of Uzbekistan

Says Zulya Rajabova, Uzbekistan native and President of Silk Road Treasure Tours, “We made this itinerary in response to the tremendous increase we've seen in family travel, especially milestone vacations. We take special care to insure that family celebrations are memorable. Recently, we welcomed a multi-generational family, where the grandfather was celebrating his 80th birthday and brought along his adult children and grandchildren. We arranged for local craftspeople to create a gold embroidered rope that we presented to the 80-year-old grandfather to wear on his actual birthday.”

Of course Silk Road Treasure Tours also welcomes single parents and children and nuclear families. Notes Zulya, “One eight-year-old-girl traveling with her family to Uzbekistan loved meeting the local children her age, learning their favorite songs and dances, and eating a meal

and exchanging gifts with these children in their home.

Young American Traveler in the far right, wearing Uzbek dress that she just received as a gift.

She was so enchanted by the 3,000 years of history in my home city of Bukhara

Ancient UNESCO World Heritage City of Bukhara, Uzbekistan

that she went back to her school in Indiana and gave presentations to her fellow classmates.  She is now my youngest ambassador!” 

8-year-old girl explores Uzbek fruit market with her dad.

 

Silk Road Treasure Tours offers a unique young guide's program where they train local youngsters, ages 8 to 15 in working with travelers -- sharing their culture, history, traditions, and practicing their English. These young apprentice guides join the professional guides on tour in age-matching programs with family travelers. Comments Zulya, "The Central Asian and foreign youths bond, and have a wonderful time together." 

Uzbek children demonstrate local crafts to travelers.

From the breathtaking minarets and magical bazaars of Uzbekistan 

to the bold beauty of Kazakhstan’s vast steppes and ice-capped mountains, 

the rich history and traditions of the “-Stans” developed at the crossroads of Persian, Turkish, Russian, Mongolian and Chinese cultures. In Central Asia, the fabled cities of the Silk Road -- places like Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva, Konya-Urgench, and Khodjand – come alive as families enjoy thousands of years of history, tradition and the warm hospitality of the region together. Together, families discover the exotic world that sprung to life along the pathways of the old silk trade routes. 

Silk Textiles in an Uzbekistan Bazaar


Sample family experiences include: shopping together in the bazaars, traveling together on horseback in the world’s most spectacular mountains, riding camels with nomadic families and their herds; sleeping in comfortable yurts

in the Kizil Kum and Karakum deserts under the stars; and eating breakfast together at a camp-fire next to a magnificent, fiery gas crater.

Mothers and daughters, passionate about weaving and textiles, especially love learning together how Uzbek mothers and daughters create the intricately woven, cotton and silk fabrics and camel wool rugs. 
Families with younger children really enjoy visiting the puppet theater, after which, the children can make puppets of their own. In the bazaars children and their parents shop for ingredients to make halva – a traditional sesame seed-and-sugar-based sweet, and bring the ingredients with them to a local family’s home to make this delicious candy together. They also go to a local bakery to bake traditional bread together. 

Also in the bazaars, local children work together with their parents and grandparents learning the traditional craft, and these Uzbek children actually demonstrate the crafts to their traveling peers! Explains Zulya Rajabova, “Children from around the world understand the international language of joy and discovery together.”

Families who want to join and exchange with other families – particularly pleasurable for grandparent-grandchildren pairs - can select from five guaranteed group departures between July 23, 2015 to August 4, 2016 (July 23-August 6, 2015, August 14-28, 2015, June 16-30, 2016, July 7-21, 2016, and August 4-18, 2016).  Prices for the 15-day itinerary start at $6,140 per person, land-only for two to six travelers and include: 4-star and boutique hotels, domestic flights from Ashgabad to Dashoguz and Tashkent to Almaty, ground transportation including comfortable road vehicles and the train from Samarkand to Tashkent, visa support, most meals, entrance fees, performances and folklore shows, and more.  There is a 30% discount for travelers age 12 and under, and custom-designed shorter programs also cost less.

View this personal video created by a past Silk Road Treasure Tours' family -- parents and four adult and young adult daughters -- traveling through all Five -Stans of the Central Asia Silk Road.

For more information on Silk Road Treasure Tours visit: www.silkroadtreasuretours.com. For specific questions email: [e-mail] or call directly at: 888-745-7670 or 908-347-4280.

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Silk Road Treasure Tours specializes in custom private and group tours to Central Asia “Stan” countries and the most fascinating destinations of the Silk Road that have inspired imaginations for centuries, including: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Silk Road Treasure Tours’ founder, Zulya Rajabova, is a Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist for Central Asia and a Wendy Perrin “Wow” list Trusted Travel Expert.