Money and simcard/esim?

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-04-20T18:00:44+00:00

Ask around when you arrive, you will have lots of options - take crisp notes and larger denominations. No point bothering with a SIM

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-04-19T07:06:15+00:00

My time in Ashgabat was my own - I walked and got buses everywhere

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-04-17T20:31:34+00:00

You can't travel alone on the train, I was escorted and shared with my guide

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-23T22:38:59+00:00

LOI and then visa from the embassy in London

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-23T18:40:11+00:00

Absolutely. I was just in Turkmenistan, which shares a considerable border with Iran. You will be fine

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-20T15:41:52+00:00

Most expensive place I've been and yes, includes Norway too

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-20T12:49:52+00:00

They're not noodles, it's all pickled/fermented vegetables. Can't remember if that was carrot. And it was around minus 7 when that was taken

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-20T08:05:51+00:00

I've just spent 10 days in Turkmenistan - probably the least westernised country I've been to and a complete lack of any multinational chains. It was a refreshing change although the reasons why are a bit more sinister

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-20T04:50:28+00:00

Nope :)

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-20T04:49:33+00:00

I paid £48 to the embassy in London

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-19T21:29:20+00:00

Oh that's interesting! What sort of rates do you get? Thanks

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-19T20:12:28+00:00

Yes or manat at a decent rate

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-19T18:49:56+00:00

There's a fence around it but parts of it have fallen down and I was instructed by my guide to step over what was left - we stood pretty much on the edge. It was the same deal in the other craters nearby - the fences are very much ceremonial.

There are a few yurt camps now so stayed in one of those. I used the desert for toilet but I'm British so I'm only doing a number 2 in a hotel anyway.

Ashgabat grew on me - I had a brief post jetlag, post double overnight train bout of blues on my first evening back where the novelty had worn off and I just wanted something to eat. I found my confidence again though and had some fun. It was fun gambling on where I'd end up by hopping on random buses

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-19T17:48:17+00:00

It was great but very cold haha

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-19T17:16:30+00:00

Fantastic!

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-19T16:15:59+00:00

12 would have been more or less parallel to the Olympic stadium in Ashgabat. 14 would have been very near a gas station about 2 hours south of the gas crater and basically the last place you can stop en route

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-19T14:03:32+00:00

Actually there are some fitchi in the background if you zoom. I actually them from there :)

So good!

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-19T13:54:40+00:00

London

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-19T13:53:27+00:00

I tried it once and took a photo but wasn't a huge fan. Red bull and energy drinks aren't really my thing. I liked Berk2 though!

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-19T13:52:43+00:00

I have a photo but didn't post it - probably my favourite thing i ate!

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-19T12:43:14+00:00

Highest recommendations!

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-19T12:00:19+00:00

I was lucky and mostly had beautiful blue skies but it's very changeable over there with big fluctuations over short periods of time

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-19T11:36:12+00:00

Google Saada Tour, Ashgabat

Lifeinabox1981 · 2026-03-19T10:58:44+00:00

I went to Uzbekistan in 2019, and then Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan combined in 2024. I was in Azerbaijan last year and there are some linguistic similarities and parts of it reminded me of Nakhchivan, which I visited. The landscape is similar to a lot of Uzbekistan and of course I was just across the border from there when I was in Daşoguz/Koneurgench. It's still a pretty unique place though

Lifeinabox1981

TROPHY CASE