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Turkmenistan Travel Blogs

Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved its independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President NIYAZOV retains absolute control over the country and opposition is not tolerated. Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to this underdeveloped country if extraction and delivery projects were to be expanded. The Turkmenistan Government is actively seeking to develop alternative petroleum transportation routes in order to break Russia's pipeline monopoly. To be updated

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By rickmoore
October 9th 2008

Ashgabat and Alibeck

Asia » Turkmenistan » Ashgabat

Ashgabat at Night

Underused but stately buildings, older soviet era apartment blocks, Ladas with shiny 'racing' tire rims, cafes that don't serve beer - Ashgabat is different! [View Full Entry]

By BossManBing
July 9th 2008

Turkmenistan

Asia » Turkmenistan » Ashgabat

Ashgabat Mosque
Yep, that dome is gold-plated

Straight to Ashgabat, the capital, and probably the strangest place on earth. Some interesting facts; Ashgabat has more hotel rooms that the average number of tourists for the whole country, ANUALLY. Petrol costs less than 4p a gallon. There are 17 gold-plated statues or former president (and local madman) Niazov Turkmenbashi in town. There are no taxis in Ashgabat, you just flag down a car going in the right direction. I wander the streets, amazed by the brand new and empty ofccie and residential buildings, but am unable to take any photos for fear of arrest. I can't wait to leave. [View Full Entry]

By Gus C
October 14th 2007

Wacky Dictators

Asia » Turkmenistan » The Silk Road of Asia

El Presidente
Spunky portrait on the facade of the Mary Municipal Council building.

The 11th October started out like any other day, except we were leaving Uzbekistan and crossing into Turkmenistan. Things seemed a bit dire when I told everyone to make sure they had their Uzbekistan Customs Declaration forms ready to present at the border, and found out that 2 people didn't even have a form (both copies were mistakenly taken off them at Tashkent Airport). There was nothing we could do about it. Firstly we got them to offload as much currency as possible to other group members, but this still left them with around US$1470 total. Nothing for it. We knew [View Full Entry]

By Hiasi
June 24th 2007

Turkmenistan - An illusion in the desert

Asia » Turkmenistan

Ashgabat - an illusion in the desert
viewed from the lift in the mountains

After 6 weeks in Iran I headed for the Iranian/Turkmen boarder at Bajgiran/Gaudan, prepared for a totally new experience in the state of Turkmenbashy. But it turned out that my imagination was far too little for the reality in his realm. Neverthelsee, my first impression at the boarder wasn't that good, as I ran into a relict of the Soviet Union, the customs...time stealing and unnecessary in its extend, one has to pay an additional 12$ just for entering the country (not to mention the visa I purcha [View Full Entry]

By neil lockwood
May 12th 2007

Central Asia.

Asia » Turkmenistan

Ashgabat

Thursday April 12. We arrived in Turkmenbashi at 4.30 am. It was to be 8 hours before I competed all the procedures; welcome to Turkmenistan the wierdest country in Asia. In the guide book it is called a Stalinist Dysneyland but I felt it had a large dose of Hollywood. My agent/guide arrived, Oleg, and dealt with the endless paperwork. That night we stayed in a good hotel to the north of Turkmenbashi. Friday April 13. Oleg took me and the bike in his Toyota Surf back to the city and over the mountains behind before I began cycling. As [View Full Entry]

By Viajerong Pinoy
April 22nd 2007

DARVASA GAS CRATERS

Asia » Turkmenistan » Dashoguz

DARVASA GAS CRATER

From Tolkuchka Bazaar we drove for hours and camped somewhere in the desert, pitched our tents and we started cooking our meal, come night time Ata came back with this big tractor thing that transported us that night to the Darvasa gas sraters, it is better to view it at night as it would seem more dramatic, the trip to get there is very uncomfortable, bumpy ride, got there and was really impressive sight, after about more than half an hour we try to get back to the camp but got lost many times, the truck plowing through everything in sight, [View Full Entry]

By Viajerong Pinoy
April 19th 2007

WEIRD MODERN ASHGABAT

Asia » Turkmenistan » Ashgabat

LUNCH STOP

After the hellish border crossing experience we drove almost all day then finally getting to our bush camp near the Kow Ata underground thermal pools. i noticed there are many checkpoints everywhere we got stopped so many times I lost count, when we stopped at a market to shop for dinner, I was surprised to find out there are pork sashylik here, and our guide Ata said they are not really strict here, they are a secular country. It was very windy at the camp and took lots of effort to set up our tents. The next morning we went [View Full Entry]

By Longers
April 3rd 2007

Turkmenistan!! Bajgiran to Ashgabat

Asia » Turkmenistan » Ashgabat

The descent into Asgabat!

Ashgabat is strange. No, I take that back. It is bizzare. Pristine, sterile buildings that are simply out of place in their obviously highly sought after architectural modernity, perfectly manicured parks, and hundreds of women employed to sweep the dirt off the roads that gets blown right back on. To top it all off, a monstrous monument to the country's recently deceased president and dicatator - an enormous gold statue of himself, sitting atop a huge, futuristic structure that can be seen for miles that, wait for it, rotates through the day, following the path of the sun. Yes, Ashgabat [View Full Entry]

By Tweedledeedums
July 24th 2006

Halk, Watan, Beyik, Turkmenbashi!

Asia » Turkmenistan

3-5000 year old pottery, Gonur Depe
In any other country this kind of stuff would be in a museum and would have national treasure status, here it's just left lying around.

A quick search of this website reveals that, aside from an American chap working in Turkmenistan posting his contact details, the last tourist entry for this country was September 2001. So it's hardly surprising then that of all the places we'd planned to visit on this trip the one that aroused the most curiosity amongst our friends prior to departure was undoubtedly Turkmenistan. Those who had heard of it (and they were by no means the majority) had heard of it only in the context of some outrage enacted by the eccentric (some would say insane) president - the ice hotel [View Full Entry]

By StephenWSmith
October 1st 2005

New Blog

Asia » Turkmenistan

Please see my newblog at mlungu.civiblog.org it's a blog dedicated to civil society and international understanding. Please send everyone who may be interested in reading about my peace corps experience the following link. mlungu.civiblog.org mlungu.civiblog.org mlungu.civiblog.org mlungu.civiblog.org mlungu.civiblog.org mlungu.civiblog.org mlungu.civiblog.org [View Full Entry]

Links: Turkmenistan Travel Blogs (all) | Turkmenistan Travel Photos | Turkmenistan Travel Forum | Turkmenistan Facts | Map of Turkmenistan

Travel Blog » Asia » Turkmenistan