Capital:
Ashgabat
Currency
Manat
Best time to visit:
From April to June and from September to November
In a word:
Salam Alaykum (good morning)
Vaccines
None
Warnings:
- Avoid long walks: the sun is strong and many paths are steep and stony.
- Protect children from the sun with suitable clothing and making sure they are always well hydrated.
At the table:
In Turkmenistan, you can't help but enjoy the delicious cuisine. Indulge in excellent plov (rice, meat, and carrots), dograma (soup made with bread, pieces of meat, and boiled onions), manty (steamed dumplings served with sour cream), samsa (puff pastry samosas filled with meat), and of course the ever-present shashlik (grilled meat skewers).
Essential experiences:
Spend a night on a train from Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi; Admire a romantic sunset over the Yangykala Canyon; and marvel at the Darvaza Gate to Hell in the dead of night.
Ashgabat welcomes us with its colorful lights in the dead of night: from the capital, our journey begins aboard a night train that skims the steppe. The landscape passes slowly outside the windows: dim lights, silhouettes of trees, the horizon stretching into the distance. Sleeping on board becomes an indelible memory: the smell of steel, the hum of the carriages, and the echo of the tracks.
Upon arrival, Turkmenbashi appears like a gateway to the Caspian Sea, where the boundary between past and present grazes without ever falling. From here, a day's excursion begins, taking us to the Yankykala Canyon: red cliffs, dry fjords, a landscape sculpted by wind and time. Every curve reveals layers of geology and traces of ancient hands, an erosion that speaks of profound silences.
We head toward the center of the country, reaching the highlight of the journey: Hell's Gate in Darvaza, a furnace burning in the middle of the steppe, illuminating the darkness. A symbol that embodies curiosity, risk, and wonder. This is a country with many contradictions, yet it still manages to surprise with its strong character and the great openness it is experiencing today.
Our suggested itinerary (7 days) | |
two days: | Ashgabat (capital city tour: Arch of Neutrality; ride on the world's tallest indoor Ferris wheel; Saparmurat Hajji Mosque; Kipchak Mosque and Niyazov Mausoleum; Ertugrul Gazi Mosque; Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Church; Independence Monument; National Museum and Russian Bazaar) |
two days: | Turkmenbashi (breakfast overlooking the Caspian Sea and visit to the Orthodox Church of St. Michael the Archangel); excursion to the Yankykala Canyon; Nokhur (visit to the village market and the Muslim shrine of Qyz Bibi); excursion to the underground lake of Kow Ata |
two days: | Darvaza (night in a yurt not far from Hell's Gate and BBQ under the stars) |
| one day: | Return to Ashgabat |
valid, with a remaining expiry date of 6 months.
Letter provided by the local Tour Operator essential for obtaining the VOA (Visa on Arrival). We relied on the Gadymy Miras for obtaining.
$70 (adults); $35 (children 7-16)
31 USD, it is done at the airport and it is a very lenient control
15 USD
4 USD
We travel with a direct flight of Turkmenistan Airlines and it is 4.30 in the morning when we leave the new international airport of the capital, we meet our guide Dias and our driver Mekan of Gadymy Miras, a local tour operator, led by Guncha, essential for visiting and fully appreciating this country.
Shortly afterward, we arrive at our hotel, "Mizan." We're staying in a mini-apartment with two spacious bedrooms, a large living room, kitchen, and bathroom.
Turkmenistan became famous for the rule of its first president, Niyazov, known as “Turkmenbashi,” the father of the Turkmen, until his death in 2006. The country was filled with golden statues of himself and monuments to the achievements of his reign.
Despite all this, it is an ancient land rich in spirituality, tradition and natural beauty!
Visiting ancient cities like Merv, Misrian, and Konye-Urgench, it's easy to imagine the slow caravans that crossed the Silk Road. You'll be amazed by the beauty of the Karakum Desert or the various canyons where you can even discover dinosaur footprints or old craters.
You'll also be amazed by the hospitality and warmth of its people. The women wear colorful turbans and long dresses decorated with Turkmen motifs, and everyone, from children to aksakal (the highly respected elders), will welcome you by shaking both hands and bowing.
With its luxurious marble palaces, glittering golden domes, and expanses of beautifully manicured parks, Ashgabat, the city of love in Arabic, presents itself as the capital of Turkmenistan.
Built almost entirely with the proceeds of gas and oil sales, gasoline here costs 5 cents a liter and, until a few years ago, was even free; every citizen received a monthly voucher for 200 liters of fuel! Even today, total bills for electricity, water, and gas don't exceed €10!
Today the city continues its dizzying growth, while entire peripheral neighborhoods are being demolished and rebuilt in the name of progress.
Imagine that on the night of October 6, 1948, Ashgabat disappeared in less than a minute, razed to the ground by an earthquake measuring ninth on the Richter scale.
The victims were over 110,000, two-thirds of the population, and from there it was rebuilt in Soviet style, even if its modern version is a sort of cross between Las Vegas and Piong Yang with a series of spectacular fountains, squares for Soviet-style military parades...
Ashgabat is said to be a ghost town, with a series of impressive Carrara marble buildings completely empty and uninhabited. It might seem that way to the untrained eye, or to someone who only stops to visit the area of the ministries and embassies. But those who manage to get to the Old Town will discover a different city, with its heavy traffic (strictly white or light gray cars, no other colors allowed), its beautiful Russian market with vendors of all kinds, and its frenetic urban life.
It represents faith in Islam and the cultural heritage of the nation.
This band contains the “gul”, which are carpet motifs.
These iconic designs symbolize the five major Turkmen tribes: the Teke, the Yomut, the Saryk, the Chowdur and the Ersari.
It is a traditional Islamic symbol, associated with hope and a bright future.
They symbolize the five regions (velayat) of Turkmenistan but are also associated with the hope and unity of the country.
We visit the Arch of Neutrality, shaped like a rocket and a symbol of peace and independence, looking toward the future. At the top of the Arch stands the monument's true centerpiece: a 12-meter-tall, gold-plated statue of the first president, Nyazov, which rotates with the sun... or so legend has it!
We take a ride on the world's largest indoor Ferris wheel, priced at €6 for four people, which is open just for us. We first visit the fascinating National Museum and then a wedding house where our excellent guide explains the various wedding customs. Finally, we have lunch in the Russian Bazaar, featuring delicious plov, dograma, and some samsa and manty!
In the afternoon we reach the beautiful train station just in time to catch our night train which in 14 hours will take us to the far west of the country: direction Turkmenbashi, the largest port on the Caspian Sea facing theAzerbaijan.
The train ride, Chinese, with our four-bed compartment, super safe and quite clean, was a great experience that cannot be missed on a trip here to Turkmenistan!
These long trains pass through small villages with few houses, enter the Karakum Desert and lull you into an old romantic feeling.
I was expecting a bit of chaos, Soviet vendors selling snacks, food, tea, a big man with big buckets of traveler's food... Trans-Siberian images... but none of that! No vendors came on board, no chaos, so we enjoyed this adventure until the morning when we reached our destination!
We have a relaxing breakfast on a terrace overlooking the Caspian Sea, visit the charming Orthodox Church of St. Michael the Archangel, and then set off on a three-hour dirt road to the Yangykala Gorge.
With its pink, red, and white streaks along the sides of the deep Canyon, it is a breathtaking natural attraction, one of the most evocative ever seen!
Little known and therefore still genuine and uncontaminated: it left us speechless!
The journey to our destination is long, almost six hours with a short pit stop at an excellent restaurant in Balkanabat, before arriving at the “Cynar Hotel” in Serdar where we will spend the night.
Guncha and her team “Gadymy Miras” are doing an amazing job!
Not far from Serdar lies the small village of Nokhur. Nestled between the mountains a few kilometers from theIran, this village offers the opportunity to trek among the hills as well as learn about the rural traditions of the place.
Thanks to their isolation, the inhabitants of Nokhur have maintained their traditions unchanged over time and still speak an ancient Turkmen dialect today.
They claim descent from Alexander the Great's army, preferring to continue intermarrying rather than introducing new genes into their tribe.
At the small local market, we were enchanted by the many natural remedies for so many ailments, and we couldn't leave without buying some "magic herbs"!
We visit Qyz Bibi, a Muslim sanctuary rich in spirituality where faithful from all over the country come on pilgrimage.
Legend says that nine virgin sisters lived in this village.
When enemy warriors attacked the village, only one of them managed to escape, taking refuge in a hole inside the mountain! It is said that Qyz Bibi became the patroness of women and the goddess of fertility.
The faithful tie colored fabrics as a good omen or leave a hair clip as a wish for the conception of a child.
We take advantage of the opportunity to have a small picnic in the shade of the thousand-year-old cynar tree, with nine mighty branches, each resembling one of Qyz Bibi's nine sisters, and we eat some excellent corek bread (flat, round bread) and goat's cheese bought from the farmers.
Not far away is the cemetery where each grave is protected by the mighty horns of mountain goats, which the locals consider sacred and which keep evil spirits away.
We set off again towards the underground lake of Kow Ata. Visiting it is a truly unique experience, almost like entering the underworld. Once inside a cave at the base of the mountain, a staircase leads you 65 meters underground, introducing you to a wonderful world of humidity and sulfurous vapors.
At the bottom lies an extraordinary lake with water at a temperature of 36°C (97°F), perfect for a refreshing dip. Upon exiting, we sat at one of the traditional Turkmen tables and ate the best shashlik of the trip: mutton and veal skewers!
On the way to Ashgabat we first stop at a beautiful riding school, “Ashir Afa Horse Farm,” where we admire majestic Akhal-teke horses, a sacred animal considered a national symbol on a par with the Turkmen Alabay: the national heritage dog.
Finally we stop at the futuristic Saparmurat Hajji Mosque, with its sky-blue domes. The mosque's name refers to the pilgrimage to Mecca accomplished by President Niyazov, who returned from that sacred place with 10 billion dollars in aid delivered by the Saudi government.
Back in Ashgabat, in our hotel Mizan, after a quiet dinner, we take the opportunity to take a pleasant walk to the National Museum which becomes even more suggestive at night... A bit like the whole city which at night transforms into a Las Vegas of white buildings with psychedelic lights of all colors.
Tomorrow we set off for the highlight of this adventure!
This morning we visited the majestic Kipchak Mosque, which stands next to President Niyazov's mausoleum. Turkmenistan's first president was buried here, along with several of his family members, including two brothers aged 6 and 8, and his mother. They all died on October 6, 1948, following the disastrous Ashgabat earthquake.
There is a white marble statue depicting a woman cuddling two children… In memory of her mother and her two brothers.
The mosque is superb with huge, finely embroidered carpets and Carrara marble on the walls.
Orthodox Monastery of Alexander Nevsky, a prominent twelfth-century warrior. We pause for a brief prayer while watching numerous women of Russian origin gather to pray together.
Not far away stands the monument dedicated to the Turkmen Alabay dog, which is not just an animal but a true national heritage.
Before leaving Ashgabat we stop at the Ertugrul Gazi mosque, built in the late nineties with the support of the Turks, it is a bit reminiscent of the one in Santa Sofia, today it also houses a small Koranic school for children inside!
We're ready, off we go, heading for the Karakum desert!
The Karakum Desert is a sun-scorched expanse of dunes and sparse vegetation located in the heart of Turkmenistan. It takes us almost five hours to reach our destination today, perhaps one of the highlights of this trip: the Darvaza gas crater.
The result of some Soviet experiments in the 1950s, the three craters are of artificial origin.
One is lit and blowing with remarkable force, so much so that it can be seen from miles away, the other two contain mud and water.
The burning crater is the most evocative and is even more so at night when the flames bring to mind the gates of hell.
Our driver Mekan and guide Dias prepare a delicious barbecue of mutton and beef shashlik with grilled vegetables… it's like something out of a movie… a starry sky that seems to fall on your head at any moment, us illuminated by the light of our torches, a pair of white foxes suddenly appearing waiting for a bone, a cute hedgehog passing by curiously, a huge moon suddenly growing darker and darker… what's going on? Oh my God, there's a stunning lunar eclipse… Little by little the moon is obscured and then reappears in all its brightness… We haven't had internet for several days so we don't know what's happening, but it's something unique! Later, on Google, we discover that we have unknowingly witnessed one of the most majestic total lunar eclipses in recent years!
We spend the night in a yurt 200 meters from the crater… It's very exciting and it reminds us of the many evenings Mongolian!
At dawn we set off again for Ashgabat even though the journey is very tough.
In the capital, we take the opportunity to visit the monument dedicated to the sacred book “Ruhnama,” written by the first president Niyazov, an autobiography that narrates the Turkmen battles as well as the people’s rules of conduct.
Until a few years ago it was compulsory to study it in school.
We dive back into our beloved Russian Bazaar for a few purchases: some caviar, some aromatic herbs, tea as well as the inevitable local scarves.
From the Arch of Neutrality, a wide view opens up of the vast Independence Square, dominated by the golden dome of the Turkmenbashi Palace, the Ministries of Equity and Defense, and the Ruhyyet Palace, all built by the French company Bouygues Construction, Niyazov's "court" company.
We visit the statue of Lenin, a small figure placed on a mighty plinth in typical Central Asian style, surrounded by a profusion of fountains!
Independence Park. Independence came in 1991, and beneath the majestic monument is a museum dedicated to independence, although it's only open once a year: on September 27th, the day this important event occurred! The monument features a five-headed eagle, representing the country's five regions.
We end the day strolling up and down Old Ashgabat, past parks adorned with statues and sculptures of Turkmen poets, wide avenues lined with Soviet-era buildings that remind us that a few years ago, another world existed here, small city parks with children playing, and the occasional colossal white building that underscores the country's new governance.
We dine at an elegant and relaxing “Uzum,” with classical music and a chic atmosphere, enjoying the latest delicacies of this country still not truly understood by the West.
Tomorrow we set off again, much richer than before, with the knowledge of having discovered a culture and people decidedly new compared to everything we've visited so far.
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