Here’s a quick background of Khiva before we dive into the travel account. Khiva sits right at the border between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. In the local Uzbek language, it is written as Xiva (note this because it will come in handy during train bookings). It gained prominence as a key stop for caravans on the Silk Road. Khiva comes under the Khwarezm region of Uzbekistan and was once the capital of the Khanate of Khiva.

The term Khanate is derived from the Khans who used to rule here – Khans are usually part of the Mongol lineage (think Genghis Khan etc), though not always. The city then became infamous for being a slave market in the 17th century where a large number of Persians and Russians were enslaved and sold. After the Soviet collapse, it became a part of the new country of Uzbekistan in 1991.