The city of Khorog in GBAO is the closest place Tajikistan — and probably Central Asia — has to a backpacker town. With its young, well-educated population, lots of cafes and cheap places to stay, tourists passing through on their road trips along the Pamir Highway, and plenty of attractions in and around the city, it reminds me a lot of the Himalayan tourism destinations of Leh. No one comes to Khorog by accident: whichever way you’re travelling, it takes effort to get here. There used to be a daily flight, weather permitting, from Dushanbe, but now the only way in or out is by road. For most travellers, that means coming by car, but a few crazy types do make the journey by bike, often as part of an attempt to cycle round the world.
We arrived, hot and dusty, in Khorog late in the day after our drive from Kalai Khumb. We dropped our bags at Lal, a hotel, hostel, and cafe in the centre of the city, dressed up, and headed out for dinner.
Anyone who has spent any significant time in the Pamirs will be able to guess where we went to eat. The reputation of Delhi Darbar (not part of the famous chain…) extends far beyond Khorog and, frankly, far beyond what you’d expect from the quality of the food. But just the chance to eat Indian food, even if it is mediocre, in the middle of Tajikistan is a treat. Founded years ago by an Indian-Tajik couple, the restaurant has achieved god-tier status; coming here is akin to a pilgrimage. We cracked open beers and snapped papadums, then feasted on butter chicken, dal, and paneer.
Rising early enough that the day was still cool, we went our separate ways for a few hours. Sophia and Miskola headed out of Khorog to hike at Khabnou, a picturesque spot where a small lake has pooled in a gorge. The views down onto the valley are splendid.
Meanwhile, I met a friend, Zarra, for tea, relaxing on the veranda of her grandmother’s garden. The house is tucked behind KFC — the altogether superior Khorog Fried Chicken — and given the altitude and the harsh climate, I was amazed how the plants were thriving. The flowers beside the house were bright and abundant. We ate tiny scarlet strawberries, and in a bid to pick fat, dark mulberries straight from the tree, I turned almost every part of myself a brilliant purple. Only Zarra’s baby son made more of a mess with this fruit!
Rendezvousing back in the centre of Khorog, we took a walk through Chorbogh, the city’s riverside park. Government propaganda was blasting out from the speaker system, which was unnerving and an unwelcome change from previous visits. But other than that, Pamiri families seemed to be going about business as usual, sitting on benches in the shade, eating ice creams, and swimming and shrieking in the huge outdoor pool. Khorog isn’t a large city, and if you spend enough time here, sooner or later you’ll bump into someone you know. Miskola and I had a good chat with Mirzo Mirzoev, who runs the excellent Pamir Ecotourism Association (PECTA), and I also saw a colleague from the Commitee for Tourism Development, who was visiting from Dushanbe. There are numerous challenges in Khorog, political, economic, and environmental. It’s a stunningly beautiful, enjoyable place to visit, but not necessarily and easy place to live. When the upgrading of the Pamir Highway is complete, better connecting Khorog to western Tajikistan, it’ll be an improvement, but that time is many years off.