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Turkmenistan: The Bradt Travel Guide

Turkmenistan: The Bradt Travel Guide
By Paul Brummell

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Product Description

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

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #489378 in Books
  • Published on: 2006-02-01
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 264 pages

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

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

About the Author

Paul Brummell is the current British Ambassador in Turkmenistan, having previously served in Islamabad and Rome. Prior to his posting in Turkmenistan, he worked in the Foreign Commonwealth Office department responsible for Britain's relations with former Soviet Union countries. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Customer Reviews

Wonderful travelguide with witty comments5
Mr. Brummell's travelguide to Turkmenistan provides not only accurate practical information, but also interesting and extensive background information. His observations and comments are witty and very funny. The guidebook is an indispensable companion for travellers to this fascinating country, but definitely also makes interesting reading for arm-chair travellers.

The Turkmenbasha is dead... long live the Turkmenbasha!5
This guide is getting old. The country was still ruled by a president for life calling himself "Turkmenbasha" - leader of the Turkmen people and hanging posters of himself all over the capital. Now with a new president the country may be a bit less colorful, but is still quite wild and not much has changed (the vote of 2006 was not considered fair by international observers). Still the chapters on politics are out of date. But the great style of righting more then makes up for this and the book is a great insight into a country which at the time of righting was truly unique and now is just a little less unique...