NomadMania’s 5th Conference took place in Fergana, Uzbekistan between May 24 and May 31st. Work on this event started more than 9 months in advance, once the venue had been decided. Building the relationships with the Fergana Tourist Organisation was the hardest and yet most essential step to ensure that our attempt to achieve something ground-breaking would be successful. Last October, our Founder and our Managing Partner travelled to Fergana to try out the flight to Sokh as well as make connections – an essential part of the work ethic in a country like Uzbekistan.
We believe that we can confidently say this was an amazing, if way-too-short event, the success of which is mainly thanks to the incredible mix of people who chose to trust NomadMania and accept the open invitation. The 95 travellers present fully booked our venue, the Grand Fergana Hotel, whose poolside became a centerpiece for breakfast, coffee breaks as well as our memorable first gala.
18 UN Masters
Ages ranged from mid-20s to 80+, with more than 25 nationalities and very different travel styles. 18 UN Masters were present overall, which led us to inaugurate our new NomadMania UN Master T-shirt – soon to be available for free to all verified UN Masters who become our Premium users. And as a special surprise, all present UN Masters got a hand-painted, commemorative plate from Rishton – a famous Uzbek centre of pottery.
Theme: Fixers
The theme of the Conference was Fixers, discussed over three work sessions. The question of what exactly constitutes a fixer in our travel jargon started a general debate on whether it is better to travel with fixers or without them. The question of whether reputable agencies are better than fixers was also addressed. Some of the participants shared their fixer stories- good and bad – and we then came up with a useful list of Fixers for all of us.
The highlight of the work-sessions was a panel with some fixers themselves – connecting with Angola, Armenia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Rwanda. This was not only a quick virtual trip but an opportunity to understand the people who help us travel, how they got into this business and what they see as their own challenges and opportunities.
The academic aspect continued at Kokand University, inaugurated in 2019 and currently with a student body of 12,000. NomadManians had a chance to meet local students and understand the dreams and endeavours of the next generation of Uzbeks. We also announced a NomadMania travel scholarship to be given specifically to a student of this University. Meanwhile, speeches were given on how to avoid cultural stereotypes, on varied travel experiences with fixers and on how to align one’s own situation and aspirations to a changing world. What surprised many of us was the interest and participation of the local students and how savvy some of them were.
Not everything was scripted though – very far from it. At the end of our first gala, when special certificates were awarded to local partners and to the only traveller who has participated in all five NomadMania Conferences, JoAnn Schwarz, the mood quickly shifted to a pool party. We can perhaps claim that this was the first ever nocturnal pool party in Fergana – and for sure the first one attracting so many big travellers from so many different places!
The Conference of Multiple Firsts
This was a conference of multiple firsts, where NomadMania once again demonstrated its resolve to break barriers and have people explore new horizons.
1) Sokh
We were the first group of (western) travellers to fly into the exclave of Sokh – three flights of 12 people each were organised and boarded the venerable Antonov-2, an aircraft built in 1969, the last model of its kind to fly commercially. Some got a special view of the cockpit by the friendly pilots! In Sokh itself, which is fully surrounded by Kyrgyzstan, the NomadManians met the mayor and had the chance to speak to many local people – some of whom claimed they had never seen a foreigner before, even though their English language skills surprised many.
2) Khanabad
All the conference participants made it to the far eastern corner of Uzbekistan where the Khanabad dam is located. This dam was completed in the late 1970s and is an impressive architectural feat. However, no travellers had ever received a permit to go there; our group were the first, courtesy of the Andijon governor who was sympathetic to our endeavour. This was a chance for a majestic group photo, as people tried to figure out where the border was exactly – one thing that unites us all is a fascination with borders!
Visits to Andijon, Margilan and Kokand ensured that everyone understood the Fergana Valley’s deep historical significance as part of the Silk route. Varied culinary experiences including in a Kyrgyz yurt, at a Soviet-style ‘stolovaya’ as well as at a winery showcased the diverse cultural and natural influences that make this region what it is.
3) Shahimardan
However, perhaps the cherry on the cake was the add-on, which was attended by 57 travellers. We were probably the first ever western group to head to the other Uzbek exclave, Shohimardan and certainly the first westernens in the past 25 years or so.
This exclave does not have an airport and crossing the border with Kyrgyzstan is impossible as this is only a bilateral border for citizens of the countries. Once again, our pioneering, can-do attitude ensured success. Some in the group were able to celebrate a new country when we stopped in a shrine in the 20-odd kilometers we had on Kyrgyz territory; we all got extra border crossings and a truly collectible Shohimardan stamp.
And a new ‘luxury’ hotel built in the exclave and only just opened topped it all by making it much less rough than expected. The perfect sunshine of a full day in this mountainous, tranquil place saw us cross back into Kyrgyzstan, take a 17-minute cable-car ride to a lake, where we boarded boats for a small ‘cruise’ and hike with a view of snow-capped mountains. And then, back in town, there was a circus-show with all the locals examining the acrobats and the strange group of foreigners in equal measure. What’s there not to like in all this? Oh, and the alcohol is really cheap too!
Next NomadMania Conference
One of the main activities was the holding of the vote for where the next NomadMania Conference will be. Nuuk, Cabinda, Nosy Be and the Andamans are the finalists: it is now up to the organizational committee to explore which options are viable and when the next conference will take place – we believe that for many of the attendees, it can’t come soon enough! See you all there, hopefully sooner than you expect!
