Uzbekistan Travel Guide

First know that where ever you go you will be stared at. Especially if you have light colored hair, and blue or green  eyes! The boys will follow you (girls) and want to talk to you, just keep walking and stay in groups, they won't bother you if you keep walking and DO NOT LOOK AT THEM.

Before you go do some research into the culture, if you are in Samarqand the people are a very generous people but they can be very superstitious they know who the tourists are and do not expect you to follow all their traditions but you should know somethings to keep things safe.
Girls: DO not look directly in any local males eyes.
do not go outside with wet hair this marks you as a prostitute
Also wearing tank tops with spaghetti straps does the same

know some phrases in Uzbek the market language if you want to do your own shopping.
Simple phrases like
How much is that? Necha sum?
What is this?   Bu nima
NO.   Yok
you wouldn't say no thank you if you don't want it. Sellers will come up to you and try to get you to come into their shop saying things like "very cheap" which may be all the english they know. If you want to go go, but if you don't just keep walking and shake your head saying "Yok"
no.
if you traveling around by taxi take a small notebook with you and ask your tour guide or who ever you are there with, what to say to get where, and back. It may not be the street it may be a building, and it may not be where you actually want to go. You may want to stop before actually getting where you told him to go. TO stop say
Shuyerda tohtatang. meaning stop here.
you can also say stop which in Russian is for emergency stop so if the driver stops abruptly i warned you! :-)
But being tourists they will expect you to stay with English

No questions - the big bazaar, especially on Sunday, is a great place to spent hours - literally. An no problem at all even for single female travellers. It's not for souvenirs or so, it's mostly every-day stuff and food, but you might just find something special. The people are really nice and even if communication works only with hand and feet - it works ;-).
Also - take the metro there! It's easy to use and you gotta have seen some of those elaborate stations.

Samarkand is where the famous Registan can be found. Malika Hotel is a good place to stay in when in that area. Better shopping can be had in Bukhara though but, prices are cheaper in Samarkand.