Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TURKMENBASHI
Turkmenbashi is Turkmenitan's only major port and the end of the line for travellers
heading on to the Caucasus via the ferry to Baku. There's nothing much to keep you
here for any length of time, but it's a pleasant and friendly town with a more Russian
feel than mot Turkmen cities and an enjoyable Caspian Sea location. Budget travel-
lers should overnight at the
Hotel¨Hazar
(
%
2 46 33; fax 2 46 36; Azadi köçesi; s/d
55/85M;
a
), while midrangers should head for the
Hotel¨Çarlak
(
%
2 13 64; fax 2 13
75; Bahri-Hazar köçesi; s/d/te incl full board 140/200/285M;
paWs
), both of which are
in the town centre.
From the Turkmenbashi ferry terminal there are frequent untimetabled cargo
ships to Baku in Azerbaijan, mot of which take passengers (approximately US$100
per person), although there's always the chance that there won't be a departure for
several days. Bring all the food you'll need for the 24-hour crossing, and be aware
that you may have to wait up to 48 hours or more for a departure, so be prepared to
wait (and if your visa is about to run out, you'll need to wait onboard the ferry, having
exited Turkmenitan).
The Karakum desert draws visitors for
the
Darvaza¨Gas¨Craters
, one of Turk-
menistan's most unusual sights. The re-
sult of Soviet-era gas exploration in the
1950s, the three craters are artificial.
One has been set alight and blazes with
an incredible strength that's visible from
miles away, while the other two contain
bubbling mud and water. There have been
rumours for years that the burning gas
crater will be put out to enable gas explo-
ration in the area, but it was still burn-
ing in 2013. Check the latest news with a
travel agency in Ashgabat.
Of the three, the fire crater is the most
impressive, and it's best seen at night,
when the blazing inferno can only be com-
pared to the gates of hell. There is a natu-
rally sheltered camping place behind the
small hill, just south of the crater. Getting
to the crater is an off-road ride and driv-
ers frequently get lost or get stuck in the
dunes. There is no one around to give di-
rections, so make sure you go with some-
body who knows the way. If you intend
to walk from the road, think twice. While
the walk only takes two hours through the
dunes, you'll have to spend the night here,
as finding your way back to the road with-
out the reference of a huge burning crater
is very hard. Even in daylight you may get
lost - it's much better to pay for a tour.
There are no hotels in the area, but most
of the chaikhanas (teahouses) that line
the main road just north of the turnoff
to the crater offer beds for the night, pro-
vide meals and even sell petrol. As there
are no signposts for either the turnoff
or the chaikhanas, look out for the train
line crossing the main road. If coming
from Ashgabat, the turnoff for the crater
is about 1km before the railway line, and
the chaikhanas are a few kilometres after-
wards. If you plan to camp at the crater,
make sure you sleep a good distance back
from its edges, as breathing in the gas all
night long can make you very ill.
All buses and marshrutki heading from
Ashgabat to both Konye-Urgench and
Dashogus go through Jerbent and pass
nearby the turnoff for the Darvaza Gas
Craters on the main road.
WESTERN
TURKMENISTAN
Driving west from Ashgabat, the main
road skirts the edges of the Kopet Dag and
the Iranian border before opening up into
a vast, featureless landscape that is won-
derfully Central Asian.
Köw Ata Underground
Lake
Like entering Milton's underworld, only with
changing rooms and a staircase, a visit to the
Köw¨Ata¨Underground¨Lake
(admission 40M;
h
dawn-dusk)
is a unique experience. You en-
ter a cave at the base of a mountain and walk
down a staircase, 65m underground, which
takes you into a wonderfully sulphurous
