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Nukus, and the Jipek Joli - For the Savitsky Museum and a base to visit Moynak and the Aral Sea, they are perfect. Otherwise it is a very quiet large town with just enough cafe/restaurants for tourists (We like Soffram restaurant). Lots of huge new Soviet modern buildings and large highways. The environment beyond the town is largely desert and degraded as we expected, Moynak is desolate and the roads outside town in poor condition. We did not do the extra trip to get to the Aral Sea which we regret. Overnight train from Tashkent was old and slow but comfortable. We travelled to Khiva by car+driver and visited some of the fortresses which was good.

The Savitsky museum and the Karakalpakstan museum were excellent. Well worth to visit Mausoleum half an hour away, but my main reason for visit was en route to Moynaq / Aral. Would like to come back in a warmer season one day and discover more of this region.

First, make sure you have completed the Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva holy trinity of Uzbek venues - all three are brilliant places. Nukus has come in for some flak, a little undeserved. Though not as interesting as the Big Three towns, and not as cosmopolitan and buzzing as Tashkent, it has some charm. Art lovers will enjoy the excellent Savitsky Museum, and if you splash out for a taxi, or wrestle with public transport/short taxi journeys, a trip to Mizdakhan and the neighbouring hill fort (4th/3rd century BC) is a good option. Walking round Nukus is pleasant enough and there are cafes near the Savitsky, though the clean, specious streets and ordinary riverine amble might quickly lose your interest. If buses are running, it's a point of departure for Muynak, a high-and-dry fishing port now hundreds of kms from the disappearing Aral Sea with its ghostly wrecked ships repositioned at the end of town. The town is grim, apparently (no buses out of Nukus when I was there), but that might be part of the exerience.

People go for Savitsky museum. In my opinion, it is over rated. And the ticket price is too high considering its collection. Camera charge is kind of astronomical...but taking photo with mobile phone is free...Don't pay for camera. Restaurant NEO is where I had my dinner...its a lovely restaurant with reasonable price. Drinks available and smoking allowed inside.

It's not a place I would go to just to make a city visit but if you are passing through on the way to the Aral Sea then this is a fine city. You shouldn't miss the superb Igor Stravitsky Musuem - an art gallery and archaeology collection which is this city's most interesting attraction. It gives a brilliant insight into soviet life in this part of Asia.

Nukus is nothing like the Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan. The city is large, with lots of empty spaces and wide roads and parks. There's not much to see and do, but the Savitsky Museum is totally worth it. Some of the art pieces are mind boggling. Nukus will serve as a gateway to explore Moynaq and the Aral Sea.