tURKMENISTAN

491,210 km2
Area

80% of the country is covered by the uninhabited Karakum, a desert with a barren flat-to-rolling landscape and dunes

5,125,693
Population

Turkmenistan is sparsely populated. Ethnic groups are Turkmen (85%) Uzbek (5%) and Russian (4%)

Manat (TMT) Currency

Due to the isolated nature of the country, there are few working international banking services in the country

Ashgabat Capital

Ashgabat is known for its white marble buildings and grandiose national monuments.

Turkmen Russian

Spoken languages are Turkmen (official) and Russian (as an inter-ethnic language)

About Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is definitely worth to visit as traveling here you will discover such an alluring life: skullcaps and pilaf, Akhal-Teke horses, and colorful folk weddings, green tea, the famous carpets of dazzling beauty, the lightest silk and honey melon. However, the main reasons for visiting have been the difficult visa process. Tightly controlled Turkmenistan is considered the hermit nation of the ‘Stans. The territory of Turkmenistan is rich in monuments which in antiquity were the most considerable stops on the Silk Road especially the cities as Nisa and Marv. They are the magnificent, sometimes unique architectural masterpieces of the past. The Karakum (Black Sand), which forms together with the Kyzylkum (Red Sand) in Uzbekistan the fourth biggest desert in the world. The Karakum covers about 350,000 square kilometres.

DRINKING WATER

Drinking tap water is not safe in Turkmenistan. You can get bottled water anywhere throughout the country.

safety

Generally Turkmenistan is safe country to travel. However, you should also expect being stopped by policemen and law enforcement and asked for documents or questions about your trip.

Best time to go

Like the rest of Central Asia, the best time to visit is Spring and Autumn. Turkmenistan’s climate is a severely continental cold desert climate, identified by long, hot and dry summers, and humid, mild and dry winters that can turn occasionally cold and damp in the north

Currency exchange

Due to the isolated nature of the country, there are few working international banking services in the country. There is no other legal currency exchange.

BUDGET TRAVEL

Turkmenistan is the most expensive country in Central Asia for travelers due to its government regulations. If you want to stay for more than 5 days, certain you have to book a tour which won’t be cheap. For the transit visa, you should have a ticket to the third country. And budget travelers on a transit visa, the choice is limited as well.

cREDIT CARD

ATMs are non-existent anywhere in the country and credit cards are rarely accepted, so keep a stash of both US dollars and manat.

Local Sim card

Possible to get sim card in Turkmenistan, but it is not easy.

WIFI

WIFI is exist in Turkmenistan, however it’s very expensive. Internet in Turkmenistan is filtered. You are being watched and unwanted websites are blocked. VPNs are illegal in Turkmenistan, and are usually blocked as soon as the authorities pick them up.

Religion

Turkmenistan is predominantly Muslim. Religion is practiced but completely controlled by the state to avoid any kind of extremism.