I loved Uzbekistan, I hated the taxi drivers.
The big 4 dont disapoint. Samarkand just blew me away, the Registan and Shah-I-Zinda were amazing. I also loved Khiva. Most people rate Bukhara before Khiva but for me I dont. I dont really know why, probably because Bukhara was so overt and in your face. The madressa's werefull of souvineer shops or you had to pay to get in, or both. The biggest rip off was the Ark in Bukhara. There was nothing to see, except a couple of "museums" with a few pieces of broken pottery and a couple of faded pictures.
I hated the taxi drivers. It only happened when I wasnt expecting it. I arrived at a place and was surrounded by taxi drivers like sharks smelling blood in the water. When I was prepared it was OK cos I knew what to expect and was prepared. I much prefer busses and trains, but in Uzbek you dont get that choice a lot of the time, the only option you have is share taxi.
All the hotels and guest houses were great. There were, of course, more expensive than I had been paying but were worth it.