Things to do in Turkmenistan
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Tolkuchka Bazaar
With its teeming cast of colourful thousands, this bazaar is Central Asia, Cecil B. De Mille-style. It sprawls across acres of desert on the outskirts of town, with corrals of camels and goats, avenues of red-clothed women squatting before silver jewellery, and countless trucks from which vendors hawk everything from pistachios to car parts. Expect to haggle.
Above all, Tolkuchka is the place for carpets. Predominantly deep red, hundreds are laid out in a large sandy compound or draped over racks and walls.
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Azadi mosque
More a statement of foreign-policy leanings than a sign of religious awakening, the Azadi mosque stands just south of Magtymguly şayoli, 600m east of the junction with Turkmenbashi. Similar in appearance to the Blue Mosque in İstanbul, the mosque sees few worshippers because of several accidental deaths during its construction.
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Akhal-Teke Horseriding
Akhal-Teke horses are Turkmenistan's pride and joy and many visitors come to Turkmenistan specifically to ride one. Highly recommended is the Alaja Farm, run by Katya Kolestnikova and located in Geok-Dere (also called Chuli). This is a professional stable, the horses are well cared for and well fed (not always the case elsewhere). Riding here costs about US$15 an hour or about US$120 per day, worth the price for the beautiful golden stallions and some wonderful riding in the canyons around Geok-Dere.
Contact Katya or call her colleague Gulya Yangebaeva, otherwise you can just turn up as the farm operates seven days a week. Take the Geok-Depe road out of Ashgabat and turn…
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Karakum Desert
In the heart of Central Asia's hottest desert, Turkmen villages such as Jerbent get by on rural agriculture, livestock breeding and pluck. Here you can see you can see nomadic people, experience their customs, see handicrafts, watch carpet making and taste their food while staying in an ak oi (Turkmen yurt) or chaikhana. It's the real, traditional Turkmen experience.
At the heart of the desert lie the Darvaza Gas Craters, one of Turkmenistan's most unusual sights. Remnants of the Soviet-era, one of the craters has been set alight and blazes with an incredible strength that's visible from miles away. There are acres of free camping sites nearby and the fire crater is best…
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Tashkent To Ashgabat
15 days (Tashkent)
by Intrepid
Pick up souvenirs in the bazaars of Tashkent, Discover the romance of the Silk Road in Samarkand, Spend a memorable night sleeping in a yurt, Walk through…Not LP reviewed
from USD$1,985 -
Bishkek To Ashgabat
30 days (Bishkek)
by Intrepid
Eat mutton dressed up as itself in a Bishkek restaurant, Visit the wilds of Chong Kemin National Park, Practice your echoes in the canyons of Djety Oguz, Watch…Not LP reviewed
from USD$3,595 -
Kugitang Nature Reserve
Kugitang is the most impressive and pristine of Turkmenistan's nature reserves. Set up in 1986 to protect the Kugitang Mountain Range, its unique ecosystem and in particular the rare markhor mountain goat, it includes the nation's highest peak, several huge canyons, rich forests, mountain streams, caves and the unique Dinosaur Plateau.
Dinosaur Plateau is presumed to be the bottom of a lake that dried up, leaving dinosaur prints baking in the sun, after which a volcanic eruption sealed them in lava. Visiting the Karlyuk Caves is equally impressive. You'll need to arrange a special permit from a travel agency in order to visit here.
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Independence Park
South of Moskovsky şayoli the surreal world of Berzengi begins - an entirely artificial brave new world of white-marble tower blocks, fountains, parks and general emptiness that culminates in the Berzengi Hwy (Archabil şayoli), which is home to a huge number of hotel complexes.
Altyn Asyr Shopping Centre, the curious pyramidical shopping centre at the northern end of Independence Park is reputedly the biggest fountain in the world. Inside it's rather less than impressive - an all but empty two-floor shopping centre, although there's a restaurant at the top, that's popular for weddings.
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Ashgabat To Tashkent
15 days (Ashgabat)
by Intrepid
Gaze up at the ancient walls surrounding Khiva, Discover the futuristic architecture of Ashgabat, Learn about the Tamerlane’s dynasty, Walk through Bukhara´s…Not LP reviewed
from USD$1,985 -
Museum of Turkmen Values
The Museum of Turkmen Values is a rather empty and overpriced look at traditional Turkmen clothing and jewellery. This is a popular spot for wedding groups to take photographs with a golden statue of the president, and the fountains are pleasant enough (a kind of totalitarian Waterworld, if you will).
The Monument to the Independence of Turkmenistan, known universally to the foreign community as 'the plunger' (for reasons obvious as soon as you see it), is a typically ostentatious and tasteless monument which houses the Museum.
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National Museum
Looking like a lost palace in the desert, the National Museum occupies a striking position in front of the Kopet Dag. The lavish Ancient History Hall includes Neolithic tools from western Turkmenistan and relics from the Bronze Age Margiana civilisation, including beautiful amulets, seals, cups and cult paraphernalia. There is also a model of the walled settlement uncovered at Gonur.
The Antiquity Hall houses amazing rhytons - horn-shaped vessels of intricately carved ivory used for Zoroastrian rituals and official occasions.
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Carpet Museum
The Carpet Museum is an excellent museum for anyone interested in the history of Turkmen carpet weaving. The 'expert commission' at the back of this new and well-curated space is the place to have your carpets valued and taxed, and the necessary documentation issued for export. While there's a limit to the number of rugs the average visitor can stand, the central exhibit, the world's largest hand-woven rug, really is something to see.
Shutterbugs may want to restrain themselves as the camera fee is around US$2 per shot.
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Ashgabat To Bishkek
30 days (Ashgabat)
by Intrepid
Visit the wilds of Chong Kemin National Park, Be amazed by the ferocity of Darvaza Gas Crater, Walk the lively streets of Ashgabat, Uncover Soviet memorabilia…Not LP reviewed
from USD$3,595 -
Tashkent to Isfahan
21 days (Tashkent)
A fabled journey through Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan to Iran.
Not LP reviewed
from USD$4,890 -
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British Pub
If it's pub grub, expats and large mugs of imported beer you're after then step into British Pub, which has been around for quite awhile, albeit under different names and management. The low-lit, dark-wood atmosphere is a bit sombre, but gets going at night with live music and free-flowing alcohol. The menu (dishes around US$3) includes burgers, fish and chips and steak; the fajitas are recommended. For something more ethnic, expats recommend trying Tandoori, located adjacent the British Pub.
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Earthquake Museum
This is perhaps Ashgabat's most touching museum and the display includes once-banned photos of pre-1948 earthquakes as well as information about the five-year clean-up effort, the burying of 110,000 bodies and the building of a new city. Unfortunately the museum is usually locked (asking a guard nearby might get you inside). The Earthquake Museum is under the Earthquake Memorial, a bombastic bronze rendering of a bull and child (the baby Niyazov).
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Beijing To Ashgabat
72 days (Beijing)
by Intrepid
Wander through Beijing’s’ Forbidden City, Explore the temple and pagoda studded Kongtong Mountain, Climb deserted sections of the Great Wall of China, See the…Not LP reviewed
from USD$8,470 -
Xi'an To Ashgabat
56 days (Xi'an)
by Intrepid
Travel on an overland adventure from the Terracotta Warriors of Xi'an to the zany city of Ashgabat. Travel through some of the planet's most remote, wild and…Not LP reviewed
from USD$6,420 -
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Muhammed Art Gallery
If you are looking to buy some locally produced art, try Muhammed Art Gallery, run by artist Allamurat Muhammedov. The unique collection has Muhammedov's own works set around his studio, plus a museum of ancient artefacts. The gallery is next to City Pub (look for the metal gate with the stained-glass horse design). Muhammedov, who speaks English, has displayed his art in galleries worldwide and welcomes foreign visitors in for tea.
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Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts is located in a beautiful new building with a big rotunda, two tiers and lots of gold ornament. The collection contains some great Soviet-Turkmen artwork: happy peasant scenes with a backdrop of yurts and smoke-belching factories. There is also a collection of Russian and Western European paintings, including one by Caravaggio, and a fine selection of Turkmen jewellery and traditional costumes.
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Ayna
A seafood restaurant is no easy feat to pull off in Central Asia, but this place manages by flying all its ingredients in from Moscow and Dubai. The tasteful interior is appropriately decorated with model ships and the service is friendly. Starters include an excellent seafood soup and the tsar's salad, which includes red caviar, potato and sour cream. Baked scallops and a pricey lobster US$45 are among the mains.
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Coffee House
The eclectic menu, excellent service and European-style atmosphere make this one of the more attractive restaurants in the city. As the name indicates, there is a nice selection of coffees imported from Indonesia, Africa and Latin America. Breakfast includes omelettes and pastries while afternoon appetisers might see you sampling the hummus or tabuleh. This place is very popular with Ashgabat's expats.
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Pushkin Russian Drama Theatre
While Turkmen productions flourish, the Russian Theatre is dying a slow death. No longer supported by the government, the once-proud Pushkin Russian Drama Theatre saw its original theatre demolished and was moved into a smaller facility near Gunesh Park. Performances are held at 19:00 on Saturday and Sunday. Ballet and opera are not performed in Ashgabat, thanks to a presidential decree banning both.
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Kumush Ay
The biggest, brashest nightclub in Ashgabat is this newly renovated venue, located above the British Pub and owned by the same people. The dance room is a flashing inferno of strobe lights and lasers while a second room contains a huge bar and lots of padded nooks where you can sit and watch the action. Note that some taxi drivers may know this place by its alternative name, the Florida Nightclub.
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Independence Square
Trips to the top of the Arch of Neutrality give commanding views of the enormous Independence Square, on which sits the golden-domed Palace of Turkmenbashi, the Ministry of Fairness, the Ministry of Defence and the Ruhyyet Palace, all of which were built by the French corporation Bouygues Construction, the court builder to Niyazov. Behind this is the Majlis (parliament).
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