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Turkmenistan

Surreal cities and burning deserts

Steven Hermans
By Steven Hermans
Turkmenistan_fire
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan_statues
§ 01

Welcome to Turkmenistan

The insider's travel guide to Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is the most closed-off (and most frequently bizarre) of the Five Stans.

Few visitors make it into the country, which makes exploring the ruins of ancient empires an extraordinary experience. Near the Caspian coastline, the ancient Tethys Sea carved mesmerizing shapes an colours into the Karakum. Right in the heart of it, the Darwaza crater smoulders like a volcanic door to Hell.

§ 02

Where to go in Turkmenistan

Highlights & hidden gems
Ashgabat
Ashgabat
The Karakum Desert
The Karakum Desert
Konye-Urgench
Konye-Urgench
§ 03

Dispatches

Guides & field notes
What to eat in Central Asia
Article

What to eat in Central Asia

Steven Hermans
Steven Hermans

Central Asia is generally absent from the world gastronomy map. Is that justified? At first sight, yes.
The Five 'Stans: The Best Places To Visit In Central Asia
Guide

The Five 'Stans: The Best Places To Visit In Central Asia

Steven Hermans
Steven Hermans

The Five ‘Stans… just a handful of countries, but covering a vast swathe of Central Asia. Where do you start an introduction to a region that stretches from China in the east, to the Caspian Sea in the west, when just one of the countries, Kazakhstan, is almost the same size as Europe? Some definitions to get us going: the Five 'Stans consist of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and the largest, Kazakhstan.
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