THE SEVEN PEARLS OF SHING

I just returned from an extraordinary exploration of Central Asia. I’ll be going into more depth of what we learned and experienced in Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan in the near future – but right now I’d like to share with you just one exquisite experience.
It’s a hidden unknown wonder tucked into the Fann Mountains of western Tajikistan called the Seven Pearls of Shing.
The Shing River flows through a high narrow valley dotted with small villages of Mountain Tajiks who have lived here for thousands of years. Thanks to ancient rockfalls eons ago damming up the river in stages, there is a series of seven stepping-stone lakes in the Shing Valley, each of uniquely breathless beauty.
Here’s what we saw. All the photos are mine, with none photoshopped or have the saturation jacked up. The colors are real.












