Karon Palace

The supermarket right beside Karon Palace Hotel in Darvoz was handy for picking up snacks and drinks. I also found the hotel modern, clean, and well kept, with friendly, professional staff who were ready to help. My room was comfortable, and the atmosphere was peaceful. One of the best places I've stayed in Tajikistan, and an easy recommendation if you're traveling through the region and need a place to rest.

The hotel pictures look good, but I expected some customer service before and during a visit. I called 27 times over two hours before reaching someone, and he couldn't tell me about room reservations or availability, sightseeing spots, or the tourist permit. His manner on the phone wasn't right either. Then he told me to call back later and speak to the owner.

A very good place to stay, and a thank you for the Tadjik hospitality.

My laundry was ready when I returned from the Pamirs, they stored a bag for me, and a handyman came quickly to fix the cable TV in my room. Service was good. I've stayed here at both ends of a Pamir Highway trip, and it's become my favorite hotel in Tajikistan, Serena in Dushanbe included. The modern rooms are clean, air-conditioned, and comfortable, with good Wi-Fi and cable TV. On the way to Khorog, you need to leave at 3 AM to get through the roadworks before work begins at 7, so having a comfortable bed and a packed breakfast ready is a real help, even for a short sleep. On the return to Khalaikum, a later start works if you're heading to Dushanbe or toward the Afghan border. Breakfast is filling, with yoghurt, honey, bread, two fried eggs, and sausages, though the packaged donuts and small cakes aren't very healthy. They ask the night before what time you'll eat. The breakfast room is tiny, so being late or lingering affects other guests and their departure plans. That's the one downside. For such a remote mountain town, this place has the comforts of a four-star hotel in a large town.