The Serena Inn back in Khorog is a charming six-room inn, built in the style of a traditional Pamiri house to accommodate his Highness the Aga Khan on a visit and now provides accommodation to weary travellers (double rooms from $100).

Beautiful gardens, satellite connections for televisions and telephones, and an extensive restaurant menu was a far cry from the barren mountains. Western civilisation has permeated here even lesss than their troubled neighbour - cans of soft drinks were all imported from Kabul. The shaded gardens on a ‘taphan’ (tea bed) at sunset offered stunning views of Afghanistan across the river Panj.

Rita, the helpful manager at the Serena Inn, pointed me in the direction of the De Pamiri shop (www.depamiri.org), which sells local handicrafts from all over the Pamir region and strives to continue the revival of lost crafts. Here you can pick up traditional musical instruments, CDs, ‘palas’ (woven carpets) and cushion covers.

The next day I travelled back to Dushanbe. After a 15-hour jeep journey over mind-boggling mountain passes and spiralling roads, I spent a couple of days at the new Hyatt Regency (www.dushanbe.regency.hyatt.com ) – by far the slickest hotel in the region with doubles from $250.

The scariest plane ride in the world

Brian Schofield was so desperate to fly through the Pamir mountains of Tajikistan that he bought out the entire plane

• Worse than babies on plane? Businessmen

Overlanding through Turkmenistan

You can visit dictatorial Central Asia on a kitted-out truck. Gareth Scurlock started off with the bright lights of bizarre city Ashgabat

A guidebook for Tajikistan or Uzbekistan

Mark Butcher wants a specialised guidebook, not just one for the whole of central Asia

• Is Uzbekistan Airways safe?

Thubron returns to Uzbekistan

Last time the author visited the Stans, it was easy. Now, after two chaotic decades, everything has changed

• The Chinese capital swamped by desert

• In the valleys of west China

Related Links

• The scariest plane ride in the world

• Overlanding through Turkmenistan

Ready for more escapades after my 5-star treat, I enlisted the help of history buff Ruslan Nuriloev of Hamsafar Travel (www.hamsafartravel.com) who speaks perfect English, having studied in Belfast. We went to the taxi bazaar and Ruslan quickly arranged a shared jeep for the following day for me to travel to Penjikent by road through the Fan Mountains.

Early the next day, we set forth on a road that was even worse than the one from Khorog. The swirling dust crept in through gaps in the ventilation, the potholes and bumps making all passengers queasy, especially me. Some brave locals even made the journey in Ladas, not in 4x4s.

After an 8-hour journey we arrived in Penjikent at dusk. This ancient Sogdian town (5-8th century) is home to the wonderfully eccentric Rudaki museum, a scattering of Zoroastrian temples and a traditional bazaar. Crucially, Penjikent is only a 20-minute drive to the Uzbek border – Samarkand is only an hour away.

With only one rather sorry hotel option in town, it was a far better, Ruslan had advised me, to stay with Firdaus and his family and to enjoy the much talked about Tajik hospitality. Currently travellers stay at the family home but next summer will see the completion of his new guesthouse where there will be brand new rooms, a kitchen for guests, and beautiful rural views (cnotact Firdaus at firdaus772004@mail.ru). In its heyday Penjikent was one of the most cosmopolitan cities on the Silk Road, and tow or three days are needed to take in the excavations and the ancient remains.

Waving goodbye to Firdaus, who had insisted on driving me to the Uzbek border, I was met by a gold-toothed official in a baseball cap who was alarmed that I was travelling alone.

He gently guided me into the little wooden hut for me to fill in customs forms and introduced me to his colleague, pulled out a chair for me, and helped me with the paperwork. It was a fine example of the kindness of the Tajik people, who were endlessly patient with me as a naive explorer and made me feel safe and welcome wherever I was.

I left with an overwhelming feeling that this remarkably remote corner of Central Asia has wide appeal. Trekkers, Silk Road buffs, crafts enthusiasts, world music fans, photographers and the fans of derelict Soviet architecture are all catered for.

It is not easy to travel in Tajikistan, the journeys are long and forward planning is decidedly difficult, but with an adventurous spirit the rewards are huge.

Need to know

Getting there Air Baltic flies to Dushanbe from London Gatwick via Riga twice a week. Tickets from £350. This route, despite an unsociable arrival time to Dushanbe, is currently the most comfortable and economical way to get to Central Asia

Reading Tajikistan and the High Pamirs (Odyssey, £18.95); Central Asia (Lonely Planet, £17.99); Steppe magazine covers all of Central Asia

Visas Embassy of Tajikistan, Grove House, 27 Hammersmith Grove, London, W6 0NE. Tel: 0208 600 2520. Fax +44 (0) 208 600 2501

When to go Summer (July-September) months are best for the Pamirs, spring (March, April) and early autumn (September/October) are perfect for lower altitudes

Times recommends

• The smart guide to travel blogging
• 30 top takes on New York
• Europe's 20 best Christmas markets 2009