Due to the mountainous terrain of the region, travel by plane and helicopter often is preferred to travel by car. Walking down the streets of Dushanbe, a number of special features attract your attention. A prominent one is the teahouse or the chaikhana. You realize you are near a chaikhana when you hear the music filling the air and when you see the many colorful benches that invite the customers to take a few minutes of rest, drink tea and listen to the gossip of the day. In addition to tea and sweets, kabob and rice, are often also served.
Women also wear hats with their national costume.
The hats, especially those imported from Bukhara and Badakhshan, are either embroidered or decorated with precious stones. Farmers and herders wear a special heavy boot over their usual shoes. The older generation wear long Islamic cloaks and turbans. A feature of Dushanbe not liked by Westerners is related to some green patches of dried spit one comes across on the sidewalk. These patches are made by those who, like Westerners who chew tobacco, chew nas .