Sentob and the Nuratau Villages

A string of villages sits in the valleys of the Nuratau range between the desert and the mountains, farmed in terraces of walnut, apricot and mulberry and populated largely by Tajik speakers, and since the early 2000s several of them, Sentob and Hayat among them, have run homestays as a community project. Guests stay in family houses, eat with the household and walk in the hills, where the Severtsov's sheep is protected in a reserve above.

What you actually see

• The terraced valleys - walnut, apricot and mulberry worked on hillside terraces.
• The homestays - family houses in Sentob, Hayat and neighbouring villages.
• The mountain walking - routes up the valleys into the Nuratau range.
• The Severtsov's sheep - the wild sheep protected in the reserve above the villages.

When to go

April to June is green and mild, with fruit trees in blossom in April. September to October has the harvest. Winter closes the roads.

Honest expectations

Homestays are basic with shared washing and outdoor toilets in places. Booking is through a community organisation rather than online. The last stretch of road needs a suitable vehicle.

Nearby

Nurata is west, and Jizzakh is south.