Explore World Wonders

Turkmenistan is one of the few countries of any size left on the globe which is not the subject of a dedicated travel guide in English (major competitors cover Central Asia as a region). Yet, lying as it does at the heart of the Silk Road route, it is a historically and culturally rich land. Travelers can gain insight into the heritage with the clear itineraries supplied of the major archaeological sites of Merv and Konye Urgench and coverage of Turkmen pilgrimage shrines. For travelers looking to explore further afield, this guide spans the whole country comprehensively, including little-known sites such as the Yangakala canyon and the flaming crater at Darvaza. Turkmenistan is currently one of the safest countries in the Central Asia region, particularly where personal safety is concerned.

Features include:
>Information catering to all travelers: businesspeople, volunteer workers, archaeologists, and intrepid adventurers
>Silk Road archaeological treasures, ex-Soviet era relics, and post-independence monuments
>Horse trekking, how to buy Turkmen carpets, and other activities
>Paperwork, visas, and how to surmount red tape

Turkmenistan has transformed. Since its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991, it has developed from a little-known desert republic in central Asia into the destination for pioneer travellers. It combines sites of stunning natural beauty with ancient Silk Road cities, and offers up crumbling relics of its Soviet past.

 

The first English guidebook of its kind, Bradt’s Turkmenistan explores a country knee-deep in curiosities–from a flaming crater and a revolving golden statue of the president to dinosaur footprints and a national holiday devoted to melons.

 

*History and cultural considerations

*Accommodation, food and drink

*Cutting through red tape–getting there and around

*In-depth coverage of the glittering modern capital, Ashgabat

*Essential Turkmen words and phrases, including basic grammar