Nukus, Uzbekistan

Nukus ranks among the most remote places featured on the TransIndus map, which makes the efficiency, friendliness and comfort of the Jilpek Joli all the more remarkable. It’s a far cry from five-star luxury, but the rooms are spacious, spotless and pleasantly furnished, and there’s a well shaded, sociable courtyard café decorated in traditional Karakalpakstani style where you can relax between trips to the nearby museum or covered market. Travellers from across the world congregate here, many of them embarking on journeys to the Aral Sea, another day’s drive north.