The Long Road Through the 5 Stans, 22d

Twenty-two days on the road across all five Central Asian republics, following the Silk Road overland from Kyrgyzstan's mountains to the deserts of Turkmenistan. You cover a lot of ground, mostly by vehicle, with the pace built around seeing the in-between places as much as the big names.

The route starts among Kyrgyzstan's alpine passes and yurt camps, crosses into Kazakhstan's canyons and cities, then heads south to Tajikistan's mountain lakes and quiet historic towns. From there it's Uzbekistan's Silk Road cities before finishing in Turkmenistan with a night by the Darwaza gas crater and a look at Ashgabat's marble streets.

This is a trip for people who want to properly cross the region rather than sample bits of it — long drives, local guesthouses and yurts, shared meals, and a real sense of how the distances and landscapes shape life out here.

What you'll do

• Cross high mountain passes and stay in yurt camps in Kyrgyzstan
• Explore Kazakhstan's canyons and modern cities
• Visit mountain lakes and historic towns in Tajikistan
• Follow the Silk Road through Uzbekistan's ancient cities
• Spend a night by the burning Darwaza gas crater in Turkmenistan
• See the marble city of Ashgabat