Off the north east tip of Koh Mak is the small island of Koh Kradat. It is a very flat low lying island, thought to resemble a sheet of paper floating on the waves giving it the name, Koh meaning island and Kradat meaning paper.
The island itself is a working coconut plantation. There are 8 full time workers that stay on the island with others that come in during the day. There is no electricity on the island so it gets very hot for the workers with no a/c.
There is a thriving herd of deer, which is the main attraction on the island. In addition to the deer the island has some nice beaches that will be completely deserted. On the very north part of the island are 3 smaller islands that are accessible by walking down stone paths to each one. The smallest island is 1 tree island that has a single tree. This is a popular place for Thais to come to take pictures of this island.
The entrance fee is 150 Baht which is payable as part of the boat fee, itself normally around 400 Baht per person ...
The railway network of Uzbekistan traces its roots to the late nineteenth century when the Russian Empire built the Trans-Caspian line across the region. During the Soviet period the system expanded into a dense network of broad-gauge tracks that linked industrial centers and agricultural zones.
After independence the country began modernizing its rails, focusing first on passenger comfort and then on speed. The breakthrough came in 2011 with the introduction of the Afrosiyob high-speed trains built by Spain’s Talgo.
These Spanish trainsets cut the Tashkent to Samarkand journey from more than four hours to roughly two hours and soon extended service to Bukhara. In 2026 Uzbekistan Railways added a new generation of Korean-built trains that pushed the high-speed corridor farther west to Khiva, completing a continuous modern spine across the heart of the country.
The route from Bukhara to Samarkand follows the upgraded high-speed line that runs roughly two hundred twenty kilometers across the open ...
Chor Minor (also called the Madrasah of Khalif Niyaz-kul) is a distinctive early 19th century gatehouse in Bukhara’s historic center, Uzbekistan.
Built in 1807 by the wealthy Turkmen merchant and imam Khalif Niyaz-kul under the Manghit dynasty, it once formed the ornate entrance to a larger madrasa complex that has largely disappeared.
The compact brick structure is crowned by a central dome and four corner towers topped with turquoise ceramic domes; the towers are decorative rather than true minarets and give the building its Persian name meaning “four minarets.” Its unusual design, possibly inspired by India’s Charminar, stands apart from conventional Bukharan architecture.
One tower collapsed in 1995 and was later restored with UNESCO support. Today it remains a protected part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bukhara’s Historic Center.
Chor Minor Madrasah: Bukhara’s Hidden Four Tower Gem & UNESCO World Heritage Site - Uzbekistan 2026
Markaziy Bozor, also known as Kolkhoznyy Rynok or the Central Market of Bukhara, stands on the northern edge of the historic city, close to the Chashma-Ayub Mausoleum, the remains of Talipach Gate, and the green expanse of Samanid Park.
Unlike the sixteenth century covered trading domes that fill the tourist core of the old town, this large marketplace serves the daily needs of local residents and visitors seeking an unfiltered glimpse of contemporary Uzbek life.
Formed during the Soviet period and operating in its present form since the 1980s, it continues Bukhara’s long commercial tradition while occupying a modern site outside the main UNESCO protected monuments.
Farmers from villages within a fifty kilometer radius bring fresh produce each morning, filling the stalls with melons, watermelons, plums, figs, vegetables, dairy products, meats, spices, nuts, dried fruits, honey, and freshly baked flatbreads known as lepyoshka. Sections for clothing, household goods, and simple prepared foods ...
