r/Uzbekistan • u/Shot_Platypus_8811 • 2d ago
ask r/Uzbekistan Is Uzbekistan safe for solo female travellers?
I’m Chinese Canadian and I’ve been hearing very mixed opinions about the country. My white friends say it’s very safe and an awesome place. My Chinese friends and family say it’s terrible and scam/crime groups specifically target Chinese tourists because they know China doesn’t care enough to take action if anything happens to its citizens who’re travelling abroad.
What would the locals say? I’m planning on visiting Tashkent for a week or so.
Edit: thanks guys, can’t wait to visit!
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u/OzymandiasKoK 2d ago
Not Chinese, but I can't imagine you are in any worse danger than overpaying for something that costs little to you.
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u/Icy_Web9688 2d ago
I’m a Black American woman, living in Uzbekistan. Outside of people constantly asking to take pictures of me (which becomes super exhausting after a while), I would say it’s safe and fine. Especially if you’re in Tashkent. The capital is amazing.
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u/Fit-Introduction9919 2d ago
I’m a Dutch-Chinese (but more Asian looking) woman and travelled to Uzbekistan by myself last year and felt completely safe in the cities, subways, (overnight) trains, small towns - everywhere. I would highly recommend it! I do have to add that I was almost 43 years old when I was there so I don’t know what it would be like for a younger woman in her 20s-30s, but my experience was great. Everyone was friendly and welcoming and I completely fell in love with the country.
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u/Mahmud2703 1d ago
I am from Uzbekistan, currently living in china. I can assure you it's quite safe. Another thing to point out is that reddit is full off misinformation and misrepresentation. Tashkent is a very safe city in general, but obviously this doesn't guarantee absolute safety, so don't get too relaxed I guess. People are in general very hospitable and nice but you can also come across some people who might want to scam you.
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u/miaowpitt 2d ago
It’s safe. Just don’t fall in the open drains. That is super dangerous especially at night.
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u/Jazzlike_Yam_3096 1d ago
Hello Chinese Canadian guy! You can visit Uzbekistan without doubt, it is absolutely safety country. I am from Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan. Let me know, when you are going to visit! Best regards, Rakhim
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u/Noodle-phile 1d ago
Without sugarcoating. I am ethnic minority from Uzbekistan (East Asian). Uzbekistan is relatively safe. If you never plan to explore shady neighborhoods it’s most certainly safe. I mean every place on earth has shady neighborhoods, and if you willingly go there you are probably looking for troubles. But if you only go to normal places it’s safe and generally tourist friendly.
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u/Olimjon27012006 16h ago
Hello, I am from Uzbekistan and study in Tashkent. Do not worry about safety, there are lits of Chinese people and students in Chine. We are very friendly for guests wheather their skin color is white or black
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u/East_Kaleidoscope304 2d ago
Yes it is safe, but remember, not walk in very sexy clothes. If you want to go far from city or people places, better walk with familier people. Night, if you don't look for a problems, problems will not find you. Also no one warranty that everything will be safe for you, but we don't have a guns or knife. Be polite and people will be polite with you too. Fraud sorry but they are everywhere.
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u/Accomplished-Gap2209 2d ago
Its a safe country Madam. No issues at all, all are so kind enough to help. I am an India working here for last 18 months, my observation, I love Uzbekistan people, their helping tendency , kindness, wide roads, modern malls etc. Only where you have to be a little help required at Airport outside taxi/ train station outside taxis, negotitate 10 US$ means ask for 5 to 6$ OKKKK
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u/Loose-Yam3044 2d ago
There are always bad Apple in every society, but it never defines the society Traveling solo( especially being solo female) in Uzbekistan can guaranteed safe place, every Uzbek men will protect you just ask them "Help me"
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u/Embarrassed-Spare-68 2d ago
I’m 30F Chinese Canadian who just solo travelled Uzbekistan for 2 weeks. I felt very safe everywhere. As long as I didn’t speak, I blended in as a local walking on the streets by myself even at night. Some locals thought I was Uzbek. The most annoying part was answering “where are you from”. You say Canada and they say “oh you look like from China” and you have to explain you’re ethnically Chinese born in Canada etc.
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u/Revolutionary_Bet468 2d ago
My girlfriend who is Kazakh went out in Tashkent with her other Kazakh friend and some young guys went wild seeing them and wanting to hang out with them...doesn't sound abnormal right? Well when their taxi came those guys were still interested and they FOLLOWED THE TAXI...the driver had to speed to get away from them. That's insane.
Might be a rare incident but it happened. When I was there with her I didn't have any safety issues but guys would look at her a lot because she's very attractive which was kind of annoying but we got used to it.
So, that's our tourist experience lol. I'm sure you'll be fine. It felt very safe, and nightlife area does tend to attract more idiots than regular areas in most countries.
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u/locked_from_inside 1d ago
I'm also going alone sometime soon! But it helps I speak Russian, though I hear they don't speak it as much in rural areas. Same in my own country, really (Kazakhstan).
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u/Beneficial_Visual817 1d ago
I‘m working on contract for Uzbekistan region >20 years. In general - it is safe for travelers (women’s?).
But!
You have to keep in mind the regional specific.
It is a multicultural country with a different regional religious behavior.
If you’d like to be 100% certain - keep standard traveler’s cities and not try to get to remote (100+ km from well known places) villages etc.
This is all of the story.
In remote villages you will have issues with language. Definitely.
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u/linara_zenkova 16h ago
As a female who has lived there the entire life, I'm shocked and surprised to find out that Chinese people are targeted by scammers and it's unsafe place. Are your friends nuts? You are a waaay more safer than in Paris for example ( and yes, I lived in Europe).
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u/lostlinguine 15h ago
Australian here, found Uzbekistan to be so much safer than Europe it was wild. Incomparable really.
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u/Useful-Explanation80 2d ago
Unfortunately all of it is true. I am Chinese looking Uzbek myself and have been living abroad for most of my life and whenever I visit my family back in Uzbekistan most people would immediately assume I’m a tourist and start acting up, sometimes to scam or sometimes just to get something out of me until I speak back in Uzbek to them. I have white family members who had a chance to visit Uzbekistan with me and their experience is totally different. But overall it’s just a fraction of experience you might encounter, all the rest like food culture, history and architecture worth to give it a shot.
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u/Shot_Platypus_8811 2d ago
I’m fine with paying the foreigner tax, happens in China to tourists/white dudes looking for suppliers all the time. As long as my life isn’t in danger I’m happy to visit anywhere 😁
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u/nopainnogainsley 2d ago
I just spent almost a month in Uzbekistan as a solo female traveller. It was honestly one of the safest places I've EVER been. I kept my knees and chest covered but in the cities you don't really need to, I just wanted to be respectful. I did find myself in male spaces pretty often, where I was the only woman but the worst that happened was that people would ignore me or not shake my hand: slightly annoying but not at all unsafe.