Surkhandarya region: everything for travelers – from Sangardak waterfall, tourist villages to ancient Buddhist monuments

Surkhandarya is one of the most desirable routes for tourists, especially foreign ones, primarily due to the rapidly strengthening infrastructure and numerous fascinating routes combined with modern service and comfortable conditions. This was facilitated by creative work aimed at improving people's living conditions, ensuring their employment, especially in rural areas. 

Take, for example, the small village of Sangardak, located high in the mountains of the Saryasi district. In recent years, many catering and consumer service outlets have been opened here, a mosque, a 50-bed hotel and 20 family guest houses have been built. The Sangardak chevarlari enterprise was created, which allowed to employ local women who produce traditional national clothes and carpets that are in great demand among tourists. Increased attention is also paid to the preservation of local attractions. For example, for the convenience of visitors, a high-rise platform has been built and over one thousand steps have been laid out to the place of pilgrimage of Huzhai Ilgor. Not far from it is one of the pearls of Surkhandarya — Sangardak waterfall, which is located at an altitude of two thousand meters above sea level, which is much higher than the famous Niagara Falls. Breaking into thousands of rainbow drops, the water cascade falls from a height of 150 meters, giving a special charm to the mountain landscape. The local healing water, light air, forest trails filled with juniper aroma, the silence of majestic mountains, disturbed only by the singing of birds, have a beneficial effect on people's health. Everything disposes to peace and tranquility.
Perhaps that is why there are always a lot of vacationers here, as, indeed, in the original design of guest houses offering a special menu of freshly caught fish.
During a visit to Surkhandarya on October 17-18, 2019, the head of state gave the necessary instructions for the construction of a modern sanatorium on this picturesque mountain territory. In accordance with this, the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan built a multi—storey building here, where a new health resort - sanatorium "Sangardak" for 200 people is located. It has all the conditions to have a good rest, gain strength and impressions, strengthen your health. This facility, equipped with the latest equipment, specializes in improving the health of people with diseases of the respiratory, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal systems and a number of others. The commissioning of a new socially significant facility has allowed over 150 people to be employed.  
The construction of a new highway leading to Kashkadarya has also been completed here, which will reduce the travel time of tourists from the capital to these beautiful places by four to five hours. By the end of the year, Sangardak is planned to be given the status of a "tourist village", which will serve to open new tourist facilities and, accordingly, create jobs, improve the infrastructure of this remote settlement.
Seven mahallas of the mountainous Baysun district — Inkabod, Dashtigoz, Mustakillik, Tuzbozor, Bibishirin, Temir Darvoza and Sayrob - also specialize in providing tourist services. Hotels and guest houses, four handicraft huzars and a tourist services center, health, sports and cultural and entertainment complexes, catering and technical service points have been built on their territory. Gas, water and electricity supply has been improved, roads have been built, sanitary facilities have been opened. The local population has been trained in the skills of guest service, entrepreneurs are involved. 
Over the past six years, 118 such projects worth 597.1 billion soums have been implemented in the region, within the framework of which two thousand people have been employed. In particular, the Iceberg Ice Palace and a large shopping and entertainment center were commissioned in Termez, the Marvarid, Oxus, Ecotourism complexes in Termez, Angor Baraka in Angora and Baraka Savdo in Kumkurgan districts. Each of them has retail and catering outlets, playgrounds for children, handicraft centers, and other facilities actively visited by Surkhandarya residents and guests of the region. The Termez Zoo, reconstructed due to the development of 19 billion soums, is very popular. 
Projects are being implemented to preserve and develop cultural heritage sites. In particular, 19 billion soums were allocated for the restoration of Said Otalik madrasah in the center of Denau district, 23.1 billion soums — for the repair of roads leading to ancient monuments in Termez, Shurchinsky, Baysun, Altynsay districts. 
A significant part of foreign tourists visit the ancient region precisely for this purpose — to learn more about the centuries-old history of human civilization, the evidence of which abounds in local attractions. Therefore, it is not surprising that in the coming years, the state plans to allocate 50 billion soums to conduct archaeological excavations on the territory of Surkhandarya. These funds will help to uncover the secrets of the past at such historically important objects of world significance as "Humkhona", "Tallitogora", "Karatepa", "Zurmala", "Uzundara", "Dalverzintepa", "Burgut-kala", "Hayitobodtepa", and others. In addition, measures are being implemented to protect damaged Buddhist historical monuments from natural disasters, such as "Kyrk-kiz", "Zurmala", "Fayaz-tepa", "Karatepa". Archaeological excavations are planned to be carried out annually in the region on an average of five cultural heritage sites.  
An "Ethnocity" will be built in Termez, which will symbolically unite all the historical cities of ancient Surkhan. The number of air and rail flights will be increased. Special attention is paid to the support of entrepreneurs engaged in tourism, their use of benefits and preferences provided by the state.
Consistent work has had a positive impact on the development of the industry. Over the past six years, the number of tourists who have visited here has increased 13 times. Their stay lasted from one to three days. 
According to forecasts, by 2030 the number of foreign tourists visiting Surkhandarya will reach 900 thousand, and local travelers — up to five million people. The volume of revenue from the implementation of the industry service is planned to increase to $ 70 million per year.