theonearmedcrab.com
first-hand travel experiences and impressions of travel destinations
  • Home
  • About Us
  • What’s New?
  • The Arts
    • The Paintings
    • The Photos
    • The Library
    • The Gallery
    • The Attic
  • The Travels
    • The Locations
    • The Articles
    • The Blogs
  • The Map
    • African – East & Southern
      • Tanzania
      • Rwanda
      • Malawi
      • Zimbabwe
      • Botswana
      • Namibia
      • South Africa
      • Ethiopia
      • Somalia
    • Africa – West & Central
      • Chad
      • Cameroon
      • Benin
      • Togo
      • Ghana
      • Cote d’Ivoire
      • Liberia
      • Sierra Leone
      • Gambia
      • Democratic Republic of Congo
    • Asia – Central
      • Uzbekistan
      • Kyrgyzstan
      • Kazakhstan
      • Tajikistan
      • Turkmenistan
    • Asia – Southeast, Mainland
      • Myanmar
      • Laos
      • Cambodia
      • Vietnam
      • Thailand
    • Asia – South
      • India
      • Bangladesh
      • Nepal
    • Caucasus
      • Armenia
      • Azerbaijan
      • Georgia
    • China
    • Europe – Northeast
      • Finland
      • Estonia
      • Latvia
      • Lithuania
      • Poland
    • Europe – Southeast
      • Albania
      • Bulgaria
      • Bosnia & Herzegovina
      • Croatia
      • Czech Republic
      • Hungary
      • Kosovo
      • Macedonia
      • Moldova
      • Montenegro
      • Romania
      • Serbia
      • Slovakia
      • Slovenia
    • Haiti
    • Indonesia
      • Sumatra
      • Java
      • Pulau Madura
      • Sulawesi
      • Kalimantan
      • Sumba
      • Flores
    • Italy
      • Northern Italy
      • Sicily
      • San Marino
    • Latin America
      • Argentina
      • Chile
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Peru
      • Uruguay
    • Middle East
      • Arab Peninsula
      • Egypt
      • Jordan
      • Lebanon
      • Iran
      • Syria
      • Turkey
    • Papua New Guinea
  • The Rest
  • Contact

17. the verdict

Blog entries
Is it worthwhile visiting Turkmenistan, admittedly not the most touristic country in the world? Obviously, it depends on what you want to achieve, but for most people it probably isn’t. Most of the places on our itinerary weren’t that impressive, there are better canyons, better deserts, better mountain villages and better lakes at the bottom [...]
[Continue Reading...]

04. Ashgabat

Blog entries, Locations
Our first day consists of a bus tour through Ashgabat, with the occasional stops. I had been prepared, but the initial impression of the city is still one of complete amazement, unreal. Wide avenues, with two times four lanes, are lined with white marble apartment buildings, where, apparently, ‘the elite’ is living – dixit our [...]
[Continue Reading...]

02. a brief history of Turkmenistan

Blog entries
I am aware that Turkmenistan is not the most obvious travel destination for most. But perhaps that is just one of the things that appeal to us, it is utterly non-touristic. And for a reason, of course: 70% of the country consists of the Karakum desert, the dryest desert on earth. It is also a [...]
[Continue Reading...]

01. the missing ‘Stan’

Blog entries
In 2015 we travelled through the so-called ‘Stans’, the name given to the old Soviet Republics in Central Asia. We spent six weeks on a loop from Uzbekistan through Kyrgyzstan, with a sidetrip to Almaty in Kazakhstan, and then back through Tajikistan. We omitted Turkmenistan, because at the time you would only receive a three-day [...]
[Continue Reading...]

46. looking back

Blog entries
Some impressions and observations that haven't been covered yet, during our Central Asia trip
[Continue Reading...]

45. the way back

Blog entries
The end of the journey, to Tashkent and back to Europe across the Kyzyl Kum desert
[Continue Reading...]

44. Istaravshan

Blog entries, Locations
Back in the lowlands, Istaravshan is a pleasant town, with mosques and markets, and with our own palati experience
[Continue Reading...]

43. Penjikent

Blog entries, Locations
The area around Penjikent is home to two ancient cities, and, from the looks of it, an even older winery
[Continue Reading...]

42. the tunnel

Blog entries
The Anzob tunnel, on the road between Tajikistan's two main cities, is a nightmare; I show some video footage of the experience
[Continue Reading...]

41. Dushanbe

Blog entries, Locations
Tajikistan's attractive capital is booming and well looked-after, unlike so many other Central Asian cities, with a pleasant tree-shaded centre and lots of construction in its outskirts
[Continue Reading...]
  • ← Previous Entries
  • The 10 Latest Entries to the Site

    • What’s new? June 11, 2026
    • the museum June 10, 2026
    • the murals June 6, 2026
    • 27 Mexico City (2) – the murals June 6, 2026
    • 26. Mexico City May 28, 2026
    • 25. a bit more Mexican history May 23, 2026
    • 24. arrival in Mexico City May 23, 2026
    • Museo de Antropología de Xalapa May 17, 2026
    • 23. the way back to Mexico City May 17, 2026
    • 22. the Tren Maya May 14, 2026
  • The Categories

    • The Locations
    • The Articles
    • The Blogs
    • The Photos
    • The Paintings
    • The Attic
    • The Art Galleries
    • The Book Reviews
    • The Travel tips
  • Trento
  • Northern Italy
  • Sicily
Build a website with PageLines