Is It Worth The Cost Traveling To Turkmenistan?
Why Travel To Turkmenistan?
Turkmenistan is a highly secretive, cultural/historically rich country located in Central Asia. Tourists traveling on the old Silk Road are often tempted to travel to this country, but after seeing the difficulty of obtaining a visa Turkmenistan is often left off of their itineraries. For those looking to get off the beaten track, the temptation is too great to ignore traveling to this closed country. Tourist visas are not possible without joining a tour and transit visas have over a 50% rejection rate. Even when looking at tours, some refuse to take solo male tourists due to the high rejection rate. With all the difficulties and the high price to get to Turkmenistan, is it still worth traveling to?
For more information on getting a visa click here!
Heart of the Silk Road
The largest pull for tourists to Turkmenistan is the abundance of historic cities which played a vital role on the Silk Road. These once magnificent lively centers of commerce were destroyed and pillaged from onslaughts of Mongolian invasions. Despite centuries of neglect, there are still a few cultural and religious monuments that still stand tall amongst the plains of desert and ruin. Only those with a profound interest or deep knowledge of historical sites could appreciate what Turkmenistan has to offer. Most of these ruins are left in such a state that it is hard to imagine what life was once like during these cities heyday. Merv, Nisa, and Kunya-Urgench are all historic treasures, but without a true understanding of what these places were, it is hard to appreciate how they stand today.
For a closer look at the historic sites of Turkmenistan click here!
The Gates of Hell
The one destination which attracts more tourists to Turkmenistan than any other has to be The Gates of Hell, also known as the Darvaza Gas Crater. In 1971 Soviet engineers were drilling to tap into a reserve of natural gas (Turkmenistan’s main export). Unfortunately, a hole formed, sucking in the overhead platform and equipment. While the sinkhole caused no fatalities, toxic gas was released into the air. In order to prevent the deadly gas from spreading, the pit was lit alight and has been burning ever since. Today, many tourists and tour groups venture out to the desert seeking out the Gates of Hell. Tourist camps and tents can be found pitched on top of the surrounding dunes, waiting for dusk to see the fires cut through the night sky. For the time being, the Darvaza Gas Crater manages to captivate its tourists with its surreal appearance. This may change with time. As the site becomes more accessible with paved roads, the number of tourists will increase. Eventually, The Gates of Hell may become nothing more than a tacky roadside attraction.
If you want to read more about my experience to the Gates of Hell click here!
Ashgabat: The Marble City
The capital of Turkmenistan is the elaborate white city of Ashgabat, which holds the world record for the highest density of marble-clad buildings. The uniqueness of the architecture doesn’t stop with only marble, the buildings are further adorned with golden ornaments and enormous sculptures. Every street of Ashgabat showcases monuments in the form of futuristic spaceships, golden statues, and grandiose palaces. All of these surreal attractions are made even more bizarre by the sheer lack of people on the streets. For such a large city with an abundance of high rise buildings, sighting a local going about their day is quite rare. On many days, the only human face you can see is the President’s portrait being beamed on massive LD screens on various street corners throughout the city.
As the sun sets on the marble city, Ashgabat turns into the brightly colored “Ash-Vegas”. Neon lights shine upon the pristine white facades of various buildings throughout the city. Lights, switching between all colors of the rainbow, bring life to the otherwise uniform apartments. Unfortunately, Ashgabat’s police enforce an 11 pm curfew in order to supposedly keep down crime. Be sure to do all your exploring of “Ash-vegas” before 11 pm or risk being brought to the police station and fined.
If you want to read more about Ashgabat click here!
Traveling in a Police State
The nightly curfew barley scratches the surface of the number of intense laws and regulations Turkmenistan has in place. If cars are too dirty they will be subject to a fine, photography of city streets are forbidden, merely walking past the presidential palace will result in police and locals alike scolding the transgressor. Not only the streets but numerous places around Ashgabat forbid photography. Even popular tourist sites are sometimes off-limits to photography due to the armed guards standing at attention at its base. One of the most strict rules in Turkmenistan is no photos of military or police. Outside of Ashgabat, it is easy to let your guard down due to how lax and welcoming people are. Once you enter the capital you will get a huge wake up call as to how strict the country truly is.
Is It Worth The Trouble?
Turkmenistan is truly an adventure to travel through. With its obscure laws and architecture as well as its rich culture and history, you are sure to find plenty to do when visiting this secretive Central Asian country. If you are lucky enough to be granted a transit visa, traveling through Turkmenistan is too good of an opportunity to pass up. If you are rejected, however, you may be stuck with joining a tour group. In my case, I had a 4-day tour crossing the border from Uzbekistan to Kunya-Urgench, spent the night at the Gates of Hell, a full day tour of Ashgabat, and lastly a visit to Merv before crossing the border back into Uzbekistan towards Bukhara. The total cost of a private tour was a whopping 1,500 USD. Even with the various tourist sites and the thrill of traveling through such a secretive country, the cost of a tour is too great. If possible, it would be best to find fellow travelers or a group tour to help cut back costs. Turkmenistan still has much to be explored, but as long as they keep limiting travelers and crippling them with obscure taxes and fees, their tourism industry will continue to suffer. Turkmenistan was an amazing country to travel through with a beautiful culture and people, sadly, it is not worth the astronomical price of a private tour. Travelers can only hope that eventually, this pearl of the Silk Road will open its borders to the anxiously awaiting tourists. Until that time, we are left paying an arm and a leg or gambling with coveted transit visa to get a glimpse of life in Turkmenistan.
Looking to travel to Turkmenistan? check out Young Pioneers and Owadan for tours!
