Earthlooping in Ashgabat
Turkmenistan is a big shock. Especially coming from Iran. At first you feel like you are entering a country of the future, but later you realize this is one of the least tourist-friendly countries in the world, where everything is forbidden and where people are even scared of going out from home. The capital, Ashgabat, is mostly a pile of white marble buildings with no people on the street, whereas Turkmenabat has no appeal at all. The only feeling after spending 5 days in the country is just being sorry for the people living there. However, it has been interesting experiencing a totalitarian country similar to North Korea, if just to feel lucky not being Turkmen.
The taxi from Quchan dropped us on the Iranian side of the border. After a painless passport control and getting the stamp out of Iran, we crossed to the Turkmen side. Only 10 meters but you already felt you were entering Central Asia, as the police officers were all with Asian features. On the Iranian side there were no people at all, but on the Turkmen one quite a lot of people were waiting to cross as all the procedure was stopped due to some unknown reason. Anyway, after some 2 hours everything got normal, we payed 11 USD as an entrance tax (yes, besides the 55 USD you pay for your 5-day transit visa you still have to pay more at the border), we went through the gate and got a Turkmen stamp on the passport.
Being a weird country as it is, it was quite strange that all the customs procedure was easy and straightforward: they didn't open our bag and just told us to go forward. On the other side of the border building, a minubus was waiting to take people 20 km downhill to where actually the border ends and you can take a taxi to Ashgabat. We were then registered in a paper and were free to spend 5 days in the country.
From the border we took a taxi to the center of Ashgabat for 10 USD. The ride takes some 20 minutes and here is where you start to be in shock. When you enter Ashgabat you feel you are entering a 22nd century city: wide avenues filled with white street lamps, everything clean, white marble buildings all around... wow, after Iran this was a big shock.
From the border we took a taxi to the center of Ashgabat for 10 USD. The ride takes some 20 minutes and here is where you start to be in shock. When you enter Ashgabat you feel you are entering a 22nd century city: wide avenues filled with white street lamps, everything clean, white marble buildings all around... wow, after Iran this was a big shock.
Ashgabat street
The taxi dropped us in a hotel, just to find out it was full, so we took the backpack and walked to another one. This one only accepted members of companies. First problems in Turkmenistan. Ok, let's go to a third one. After a lot of walking finally we found it and we decided to stay, as it was the cheapest option in town. 50 USD!!! You pay this money for a run-down place with rude staff. First symptoms that in Turkmenistan they don't like tourists that much. Anyway we had no choice so we stayed there and then we went for a walk in the surroundings of the hotel, quite central.
Christmas in Ashgabat and just a policeman on the street
The first thing you notice when you take a walk in Ashgabat is that there are almost no people on the streets, that there are police everywhere and that everything is absolutely clean. Not even a single paper on the ground and you see all around women brooming the roads and the streets, at all times. Actually these women and policemen are almost the only people you see. Weird.
We walked a bit to see a couple of nearby squares, some buildings and everything the same: empty, clean and white. All buildings in Ashgabat, at least in the downtown, are white marble and new. We then went to the Russian Market, quite close to our hotel and it was the first time we saw "normal" people and how probably looked Ashgabat before the marble time. Not a lot of people, but there were people shopping and walking around. And even some nice souvenirs shops! There's something special about Turkmens, too. Almost all of them are wearing traditional hats. Men wear a round colorful one whereas women have two types of hats: single ones wear one similar to men and they are all with braids, while married women wear a colorful scarf more like in Iran and their hair is totally covered. Besides, a lot of young girls are wearing a traditional dress, which are actually beautiful, colorful with different patterns.
We walked a bit to see a couple of nearby squares, some buildings and everything the same: empty, clean and white. All buildings in Ashgabat, at least in the downtown, are white marble and new. We then went to the Russian Market, quite close to our hotel and it was the first time we saw "normal" people and how probably looked Ashgabat before the marble time. Not a lot of people, but there were people shopping and walking around. And even some nice souvenirs shops! There's something special about Turkmens, too. Almost all of them are wearing traditional hats. Men wear a round colorful one whereas women have two types of hats: single ones wear one similar to men and they are all with braids, while married women wear a colorful scarf more like in Iran and their hair is totally covered. Besides, a lot of young girls are wearing a traditional dress, which are actually beautiful, colorful with different patterns.
The Russian Market
Now before going to eat and hev something to drink, first thing we needed was money, and as we were running out of dollars and euros and we were not in Iran anymore, we went to a bank to withdraw money from the ATM. Problem: there's only one ATM in the whole city which accepts Visa cards and it's far away, so take a taxi go there, and have some fresh Manats, the local currency. It was actually a good feeling being able to use your credit card after one month in Iran.
Back in the center we went to the train station to book an overnight trai ticket to Turkmenabat, in the border with Uzbekistan, just to make sure we had a place in the train, as we could only be in the country 5 days and we had to plan everything well.
Back in the center we went to the train station to book an overnight trai ticket to Turkmenabat, in the border with Uzbekistan, just to make sure we had a place in the train, as we could only be in the country 5 days and we had to plan everything well.
Everything clean!
The train station in Ashgabat is actually one of the most beautiful buildings of the city: marble white, of course, but with a nice needle tower. We could easily book our tickets and they were the cheapest ever! Less than 4 USD for a 12-hour overnight sleeper train! How is it possible that they have these train prices and totally opposite hotel ones?
Anyway, with our train ticket we went to the station restaurant to eat something. And what a nice surprise: the kebab, pizza, hamburger diet was over!! The restaurant was like the ones you have in Russia, home-made food on display and you choose what you want to have. The options were several, such as stew, soup, baked potatoes... like paradise after Iran!
And later it was the moment to go to the British Pub and have the first beer in one month! The Pub was a European looking one, quite appreciated after one month in Iran, and we could enjoy our good but pricey beer. As we qute liked the Turkmen beer we went to a nearby Pivobar (Beer Bar) to have another one, this time at the better price of 3 manats. In the bar there were even some local people and the owner even tried to communicate wth us and he was nice! Maybe Turkmenistan is not that bad....
Anyway, with our train ticket we went to the station restaurant to eat something. And what a nice surprise: the kebab, pizza, hamburger diet was over!! The restaurant was like the ones you have in Russia, home-made food on display and you choose what you want to have. The options were several, such as stew, soup, baked potatoes... like paradise after Iran!
And later it was the moment to go to the British Pub and have the first beer in one month! The Pub was a European looking one, quite appreciated after one month in Iran, and we could enjoy our good but pricey beer. As we qute liked the Turkmen beer we went to a nearby Pivobar (Beer Bar) to have another one, this time at the better price of 3 manats. In the bar there were even some local people and the owner even tried to communicate wth us and he was nice! Maybe Turkmenistan is not that bad....
A marble building
We went to bed that day with the feeling that Turkmenistan was maybe better than Iran in many ways but wondering why the streets are so clean and why there are no people on them. Anyway, we had quite a good feeling about the country so far, which we would check the following day, devoted to visit the main sights of the city.
So, we woke up early and started the sightseeing tour. The plan was going to the Independence Park, Independence Square, the Presidential Palace... typical sights. We started by taking a bus to the Independence Park. Buses are really cheap and, to match with the city, totally white.
You get to the Park, a massive one with the biggest fountain in the world to make sure all the city is the same: No people (only cleaning women and police), clean and marble buildings. We walked along the park, saw a big sculpture of the Ruhnama (the national book explaining the history and culture of the country according to the president), mandatory to study at schools, and some golden statue of Niyazov, the former crazy president who started building what is today Turkmenistan. While trying to take pictures in the park we noticed that is not as easy as in other countries. If the police sees you taking a picture of anything they wil shout at you and tell you it is forbidden. So you better hide a bit.
So, we woke up early and started the sightseeing tour. The plan was going to the Independence Park, Independence Square, the Presidential Palace... typical sights. We started by taking a bus to the Independence Park. Buses are really cheap and, to match with the city, totally white.
You get to the Park, a massive one with the biggest fountain in the world to make sure all the city is the same: No people (only cleaning women and police), clean and marble buildings. We walked along the park, saw a big sculpture of the Ruhnama (the national book explaining the history and culture of the country according to the president), mandatory to study at schools, and some golden statue of Niyazov, the former crazy president who started building what is today Turkmenistan. While trying to take pictures in the park we noticed that is not as easy as in other countries. If the police sees you taking a picture of anything they wil shout at you and tell you it is forbidden. So you better hide a bit.
From the park we wanted to go up to a mountain to have views of the city but as there was no transportation we just took a bus to the outskirts to contemplate Ashgabat from the distance: white buildings, white buildings and more white buildings being built. This is crazy. We took a bus back to the center to try to see the Presidential Palace, where this crazy guy lives in. As we got off the bus and started walking towards the palace a guy run into us and told us to walk away, it was forbidden to walk there! Yes, even if it is on the street, there are places of Ashgabat you cannot walk in. So we just looked at the palace from the distance and went to another part of the city to visit some squares, but again, we were the only ones there only surrounded by police, not a really nice feeling. So we decided to go and visit the mosque.
On the way to the mosque is the first time you see how Ashgabat looked like before the marble craze. Soviet neighbourhoods quite run-down and with even a few people walkig on the street. Nothing special but quite a contrast from the city center. The mosque is totally avoidable, so we took a bus which was going out from city to have like a sightseeing tour. Again, the bus drives through wide avenues with 4 lanes but totally empty. Clean, wide avenues and no cars. What's the point? On the way you get to see more and more marble buidings and hundreds of white streetlamps, plus Ashgabat flagpole.
On the way to the mosque is the first time you see how Ashgabat looked like before the marble craze. Soviet neighbourhoods quite run-down and with even a few people walkig on the street. Nothing special but quite a contrast from the city center. The mosque is totally avoidable, so we took a bus which was going out from city to have like a sightseeing tour. Again, the bus drives through wide avenues with 4 lanes but totally empty. Clean, wide avenues and no cars. What's the point? On the way you get to see more and more marble buidings and hundreds of white streetlamps, plus Ashgabat flagpole.
Screens on the street. Useful, eh?
Tired of marble, of not seeing people and of prohibitions on everything we just headed back to the pivobar to have a few beers. There we met a couple of Spanish men who had been working in Ashgabat for a year and a half. We chatted a bit with them to prove that this country is totally crazy, that everything is forbidden and that the best thing you can do is just avoid it.
After that, we just went to buy some beers and to the hotel (watch out not to be out late, as there is a curfew at 23:00). The feeling was now quite different from the day before. Turkmenistan is just a country where there's a guy ruling it and everybody does what he wants to. For tourists almost everything is forbidden and actually there's not much to see, only white marble buildings which look pretty much the same.
The next morning was our last day in the capital before heading to Turkmenabat. We went to the bazar outside town. It used to be one of the best ones in Central Asia, but this damn goverment has ruined it. Now it is just a big concrete area with numbered buildings and shops inside. Not worth going at all. Still, there are some really beautiful things to buy, like traditional dresses or bracelets. Actually, before Niyazov came to power and also before Soviet times, Turkmenistan must have been a really nice country according to the handicrafts and stuff you see, but now is everything totally ruined.
After that, we just went to buy some beers and to the hotel (watch out not to be out late, as there is a curfew at 23:00). The feeling was now quite different from the day before. Turkmenistan is just a country where there's a guy ruling it and everybody does what he wants to. For tourists almost everything is forbidden and actually there's not much to see, only white marble buildings which look pretty much the same.
The next morning was our last day in the capital before heading to Turkmenabat. We went to the bazar outside town. It used to be one of the best ones in Central Asia, but this damn goverment has ruined it. Now it is just a big concrete area with numbered buildings and shops inside. Not worth going at all. Still, there are some really beautiful things to buy, like traditional dresses or bracelets. Actually, before Niyazov came to power and also before Soviet times, Turkmenistan must have been a really nice country according to the handicrafts and stuff you see, but now is everything totally ruined.
Ashgabat from the outskirts
Back from the bazar, just a few beers and to the train station to eat something and to wait from the train to Turkmenabat, scheduled at 18:20. The train departed punctual and the ride was much better than the one in Iran.
We arrived in Turkmenabat at 6 in the morning and we just waited to be light. Then the problem was to find some accomodation. We checked the hotel next to the station: 60 USD. Not an option, so we took a bus to another one. Not knowing where the bus was going we ended up in a bazar outside the city. Back to the city and to another hotel. 38 USD for a room totally wasted and with no hot water. Discarded. We sterted asking on the street and we came accross a nice hairdresser, who offered us to stay at her place for free. Wow!! There are really nice Turkmen people, at least in Turkmenabat! He took us home, introduced us to her children and gave us plenty of food. It was like going back to Iran. We left the backpack there and went to explore a bit the city.
Turkmenabat is more a normal city than Ashgabat. No marble buildings, not as much police... but it has nothing interesting to see. We just went to the bazar, which as being Sunday was very busy. Shopkeepers there were very nice, trying to talk to us and stuff, you felt more like in a normal place after being scared all the time in Ashgabat in case you did something wrong. we had something to eat and back to the hairdresser's place to find out bad news. She had talked to her husband and he told her she couln't take strangers home. She was really sorry about it, but we were with no place to stay overnight and it was already quite late. After she gave us food and put us in a taxi we went to a hotel the woman told us. It was closed, do the onlyoption we had was going back to the 38 USD with no hot water hotel. It was a total rip-off, but we had no choice.
We arrived in Turkmenabat at 6 in the morning and we just waited to be light. Then the problem was to find some accomodation. We checked the hotel next to the station: 60 USD. Not an option, so we took a bus to another one. Not knowing where the bus was going we ended up in a bazar outside the city. Back to the city and to another hotel. 38 USD for a room totally wasted and with no hot water. Discarded. We sterted asking on the street and we came accross a nice hairdresser, who offered us to stay at her place for free. Wow!! There are really nice Turkmen people, at least in Turkmenabat! He took us home, introduced us to her children and gave us plenty of food. It was like going back to Iran. We left the backpack there and went to explore a bit the city.
Turkmenabat is more a normal city than Ashgabat. No marble buildings, not as much police... but it has nothing interesting to see. We just went to the bazar, which as being Sunday was very busy. Shopkeepers there were very nice, trying to talk to us and stuff, you felt more like in a normal place after being scared all the time in Ashgabat in case you did something wrong. we had something to eat and back to the hairdresser's place to find out bad news. She had talked to her husband and he told her she couln't take strangers home. She was really sorry about it, but we were with no place to stay overnight and it was already quite late. After she gave us food and put us in a taxi we went to a hotel the woman told us. It was closed, do the onlyoption we had was going back to the 38 USD with no hot water hotel. It was a total rip-off, but we had no choice.
Turkmenabat Bazar
The place was totally run-down, cold and no hot water, yes, but it was this or the street, and it was quite cold so we had to dtay at that place. The good thing is that it was only one night and the following day we were leaving that crazy country.
And so we did. We woke up early in the morning, went to the train station to take a taxi to the Uzbek border and said "hope to not see you again" to Turkmenistan. Ahead of us there were 3 days of express sightseeing in Uzbekistan, as we only got a 3-day transit visa, quite a pity, as Uzbekistan is supposed to be much more interesting than Turkmenistan.
As a conclusion, the 5 days in Turkmenistan were not the best ever, but still it was a fulfilling experience in terms of seeing a totalitarian country with plenty of restrictions and where a lot of things are forbidden. Turkmenistan is just a place you don't want to spend your holidays in, because even as a tourist you have a lot of restrictions, but if you have to go there, just try to make the best of it. Anyway, I hope the situation changes and they have a change in the goverment because it cannot be that a big city is totally empty of people and that they have prohibitions for everything: no pictures, no internet, no smoking, no being out after 11 at night, no walking next to some places... And of course, people are scared of talking to you, scared of going out... a totally tourist-unfriendly place. Thanks God we are not Turkmens!
Still, if you are heading to Turkmenistan, you can check our travel guides of Ashgabat and Turkmenabat and have a look at our Turkmenistan picture gallery!
And so we did. We woke up early in the morning, went to the train station to take a taxi to the Uzbek border and said "hope to not see you again" to Turkmenistan. Ahead of us there were 3 days of express sightseeing in Uzbekistan, as we only got a 3-day transit visa, quite a pity, as Uzbekistan is supposed to be much more interesting than Turkmenistan.
As a conclusion, the 5 days in Turkmenistan were not the best ever, but still it was a fulfilling experience in terms of seeing a totalitarian country with plenty of restrictions and where a lot of things are forbidden. Turkmenistan is just a place you don't want to spend your holidays in, because even as a tourist you have a lot of restrictions, but if you have to go there, just try to make the best of it. Anyway, I hope the situation changes and they have a change in the goverment because it cannot be that a big city is totally empty of people and that they have prohibitions for everything: no pictures, no internet, no smoking, no being out after 11 at night, no walking next to some places... And of course, people are scared of talking to you, scared of going out... a totally tourist-unfriendly place. Thanks God we are not Turkmens!
Still, if you are heading to Turkmenistan, you can check our travel guides of Ashgabat and Turkmenabat and have a look at our Turkmenistan picture gallery!
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