If you had asked me few years ago about Central Asia, my mind would have fumbled for country names; images of how a Central Asian city might look, thoughts about their local cuisine or even customs and clothing. But today, Central Asia is slowly coming into its own, and generating a rising awareness amongst travelers. Commonly referred to as the “Stans”, the countries that make up this region are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.