Sari Khosor Nature Park

Sari Khosor lies in the hills north of Baljuvon, a valley green enough to stand out sharply in a dry region, with walnut and maple woodland, waterfalls in the side ravines and terraced villages along the floor. It was made a nature park in 2010. A plane tree in the valley is reckoned locally to be many centuries old and is the size to make that plausible. Homestays in the villages take walkers. The valley is one of the few places in Khatlon where the original forest cover survives at any scale, which is why it was protected rather than left to grazing.

What you actually see

• The walnut woods - deciduous forest on the valley slopes.
• The old plane tree - a chinar of great age and size in the valley.
• The waterfalls - falls in the side ravines off the main valley.
• The village homestays - families along the valley taking walkers.

When to go

May to October is the season; autumn colour in the walnut woods is good. Snow closes the road in winter. Spring brings meltwater and difficult crossings.

Honest expectations

The road in is rough and slow and needs high clearance. Homestays are basic. There is little formal trail marking.

Nearby

Kulob is south, and Childukhtaron is southeast.