I stumbled upon this book on Amazon and had to read it as soon as I saw the title.
One of the online reviews I read on this book stated that he thought Turkmenistan was a made up country until he googled it. My advice of the day ~ google Turkmenistan!
Central Asia is the hot new travel destination. Curious to see what all the fuss is about?
Join intrepid traveler, Ged Gillmore, as he journeys with an unlikely group of characters on a whirlwind tour through the five ‘Stans – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan…
- Prepare yourself to come face to face with mesmerizing landscapes and striking citadels that look like sets from Star Wars and Game of Thrones.
- Learn about ancient rituals such as goat-pulling and bride-stealing that are still practiced today.
- Visit floating mountains, singing dunes, sunken forests and bejeweled cities so beautiful they are almost impossible to describe.
Along the way you’ll encounter yurt erections, bullet trains and enemy Silk Road travel agents. You’ll learn how a baby’s first steps are celebrated in Kyrgyzstan. You’ll become acquainted with the life-and-death importance of etiquette in a Khan’s palace. And you’ll be gently reminded that people – even those on a seemingly boring bus tour – are rarely what they seem.
‘Stans By Me’ is a hilarious Central Asia travel memoir, full of fascinating characters, magnificent monuments and curious customs – all told with Gillmore’s deadpan British wit. If you enjoy the offbeat travel tales of Bill Bryson, David Sedaris, J. Maarten Troost or Will Ferguson, you’ll definitely get a kick out of ‘Stans By Me’.
About the author
Ged Gillmore completed degrees in languages and literature at the University of London before fancying a change to sunnier climes and moving to Sydney.
These days he spends his time between Australia, Ireland and the UK. When he’s not falling off his surfboard at Bondi, or dabbling with a day job that pays the bills, he sits at his laptop and bashes out fiction.
I’ve been devouring any and all information I can find on the Five Stans especially the reviews of travellers that have gone before me and felt like I hit the jackpot with this book.
- Humour throughout!
- A different itinerary than my upcoming itinerary, but covers the Five Stans
- 3 weeks is a long time to travel with strangers, but you do forge connections with people that you would have never met otherwise
- It was a treat to read his insights and opinions on places that I will be travelling to
- I learned a few tidbits on what to look for!
- A well written page turner ~ I wanted to know what happened next
- I consider myself well travelled at 96 countries currently ~ I’m now anticipating that I may be the least travelled person on the tour
- Reading Ged’s stories I felt like I was already there
I enjoyed the humour throughout this book and will be checking out some of Ged’s other books. Highly recommended for those who have gone and want to go to the Five Stans and for anyone wanting a good laugh!
Happy Travels and Keep On Reading 📚
A Journey Off The Beaten Path
