I’ll be honest—I was excited yet absolutely terrified to travel to Turkmenistan solo, and also extremely determined to see it after hearing how allegedly difficult it is to travel there. The stereotypes I’d heard ranged from “you can only drive white cars” (spoiler alert: that’s true) to “it’s the North Korea of Central Asia”.
I didn’t know what to expect aside from a difficult adventure, but I went anyway since that made it all the more enticing for me. What I discovered
Here are 11 of the most bizarre yet beautiful things I experienced.
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1. The Extremely Complicated Border Crossing
Let me start by saying: crossing the land border from Uzbekistan into Turkmenistan nearly gave me an anxiety attack. For starters, I was by myself taking a taxi from Urgench airport to the border, then left there to figure things out.
Both sides of the crossing took forever, but the Turkmen side was the clear winner with close to two hours of bureaucratic chaos. I went through about six different windows or rooms, made multiple payments, had my passport checked around twelve times, and watched my bags go through four separate security scanners.
It felt like I was entering a top-secret facility, not a country. Luckily, my mandatory tour guide (a super cool Gen Z gal) met me at the border and helped navigate the madness. Without her, I’m not sure I would’ve made it through with my sanity intact.
OH AND BTW: You can only use newer USD bills so be sure you bring at least $300 in cash minimum! And no one speaks English at the land border!
Check out my full post for more info: Ultimate Turkmenistan Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know!
2. Turkmenistan’s “Door To Hell”
Getting to the Darvaza Crater—better known as the “Door to Hell”—was like taking a ride straight to hell itself. Five hours on a terrible road in a minivan that thought it was a race car.
The Darvaza Crater is a natural gas field that collapsed into an underground cavern in 1971. To prevent the spread of methane gas, scientists set it on fire, expecting it to burn out in a few weeks. Over 50 years later, it’s still burning, but only at 40% as much as when it was first lit — meaning, yes, the gas is finally dying out, and it might be gone soon.
Most travelers stay overnight in cute yurts near the crater to watch the flames under the stars. But with my anxiety levels already maxed out and my fight-or-flight mode fully activated, I did what literally no other travelers do: I requested to drive back to Ashgabat that same night. At night. Through the desert. My guide thought I was crazy, but I needed civilization. And the driver did not complain about the big tip I left him.
Rumor Has It: “The Door to Hell will be closing soon” — I asked about this, and as mentioned above, I was told that it’s true that the gas is dying out, so the flames will eventually go out too. There’s also talk that the gov wants to shut it down in order to sell the valuable methane gas instead of use it as a tourist attraction, however since it’s one of Turkmenistan’s main and only attractions, I think it’s clear why that hasn’t happened yet. Either way, go see it before it’s gone!
3. Ashgabat, The All-White City
Ashgabat is unlike any city I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been to likely over a thousand cities. Everything—and I mean everything—must be white. This mandate comes from the former president’s vision of a pristine, futuristic capital, that resulted in over 500 marble white buildings, which earned it a Guiness World Record (also his goal).
Now, in order to keep that record and reputation, the rule still applies!
Buildings, monuments, even the marble sidewalks are gleaming white. The most bizarrely beautiful sights here are the grandiose monuments scattered throughout the city such! Be sure to check out my full travel guide for info on all of them but I’ll also list a recap here!
Must- See Sites in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
- The Arch of Neutrality
- The Independence Monument
- The Turkmenistan Tower
- Former Asian Games Arena with Giant Horse Head
- Wedding Palace Hotel (pictured below)
- The Alem Cultural and Entertainment Center—which houses the world’s largest indoor Ferris wheel. It’s like walking through a marble dreamscape that feels both awe-inspiring and eerily sterile. (Pictured Above)
Rumor Has It: “Ashgabat is just one big facade” – Yes. Well not all of it, but most of the grandiose structures you see, are in fact, just facades. More below.
4. The Hunger Games Decor Vibe – Grandiose Facades
If you’ve ever watched The Hunger Games and thought “that Capitol aesthetic is wild,” welcome to Ashgabat. There’s a massive stadium with a giant golden horse head that was built for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. Now? It’s mostly abandoned, just looming there like a relic from a dystopian future.
Then there are the hotels. I stayed in one that was absolutely stunning on the outside that’s called the Wedding Palace—massive, grand, gleaming white, and… with a Hunger Games-esque massive statue on top of the country’s symbol with a globe inside of it, that only has the country of Turkmenistan on it. Very cool but also very bizarre to see from the outside.
But inside? Only one small floor of rooms was operational, and I was the only guest. Allegedly there are also mariage courtrooms and even wedding halls, I even read there’s a shopping center. But I saw none of this, and my tour guide also said there was nothing inside the main platform. Staying there was luxurious yet creepy. The emptiness was both beautiful and deeply unsettling.
FYI: You can only book hotels through your tour operator!
5. Yes, It Really Is Empty Outside
Most travelers report that Ashgabat feels deserted, and they’re not wrong. But here’s the thing: it’s because everyone is inside. Locals live in luxurious homes, suburbs, so they’re either there, or working normal hours, or they spend their time in the insanely huge, ultra-modern shopping malls that dot the city.
The streets may look empty, but life is happening—just indoors, away from the scorching heat and the watchful eyes of the white marble city.
6. Cars MUST Be White in Ashgabat (But You Can Be Risqué with Light Gold or Silver)
This is one of the strangest rules I’ve ever encountered. All vehicles in Ashgabat must be white. The official reason? To reflect the city’s clean, pure aesthetic and to maintain the all-white reputation. Even buses are white. Stop signs are white. Stoplight poles are white. I asked my driver how people find their cars in big parking lots when they’re all the same color. He didn’t seem amused and replied flatly, “We just know which one is ours.” Fair enough.
I also went ahead and ask what would happen if I rented a blue car and just showed up in Ashgabat. My lovely guide politely responded that first of all, tourists are not allowed to rent cars, so that wouldn’t happen, and if a local did it, they’d likely get a huge fine and maybe even their car taken away!
7. Social Media, WhatsApp, and SMS Are Banned
Despite being asked to make a TikTok trend video with a local influencer (yes, really), all social media is actually banned in Turkmenistan—similar to China’s Great Firewall. However, most people have VPNs that bypass the restrictions, and no one seems to really mind that most people get on social media anyway.
That said, it was definitely hard to get the VPN to work well enough to access Instagram or WhatsApp. If you’re used to being constantly connected, prepare for some serious digital detox. (See my Turkmenistan travel guide for info on which VPNs worked).
Oh and for those wondering WHY social media is banned — it’s because Turkmenistan is an authoritarian country, of course! The gov wants total control over what is said about the country, and likewise, what people hear about other countries, which kind of makes you wonder what really goes on there!
Check out my Turkmenistan Travel Guide to see what VPNs work and how to stay connected!
8. Women’s Fashion Is Interesting
While the entire city of Ashgabat is draped in white, the women’s traditional robes pop with vibrant color. University students wear bright red robes, while grade school girls wear emerald green.
But the most bizarre fashion tradition I witnessed was what brides wear for their bridal photoshoots. I saw several brides at the Independence Monument—one of the top spots for wedding photos—and each one had what looked like a birdcage over her head and shoulders, covered with a veil. My guide told me it’s extremely heavy, and the groom doesn’t really help carry it. Talk about a test of endurance before the wedding even starts.
9. Food and Drink Culture Is Extremely Diverse
For some reason, I expected everything in Turkmenistan to be strict and traditional. And while it does have traditional aspects, it’s also surprisingly futuristic—there’s even a monument shaped like a spaceship! (I learned later that their gov’s goal is to appear futuristic).
Anyway, to my pleasant surprise, the food and beverage scene is incredibly diverse. I found “knock-off” alcohol brands like “Turk Daniels” (yes, really), locally produced wine with an 18% alcohol content, and every type of cuisine you can imagine. I ate sushi most of the time I was there. In Turkmenistan. Who knew?
But don’t worry, there is definitely no McDonalds, Burger King, or Starbucks around to ruin the uniqueness of the country!
10. The White City Turns Rainbow at Night
I guess there’s a loophole about the white city being all white—or maybe people just got really sick of only seeing white—because at night, Ashgabat transforms into a rainbow wonderland. Neon lights illuminate building signs, monuments, and overpasses in every color imaginable. It’s a stunning contrast to the stark white daytime aesthetic, and it makes the city feel alive in a whole new way.
11. You Can Only Go to Turkmenistan with a Tour and Guide
Here’s the deal: you cannot just read a blog post (even this one!) or ask an AI bot to plan your trip to Turkmenistan and then go do it on your own. You must have an official tour company and guide accompany you. To enforce this, you need a “letter of invitation” to even get your visa. It’s one of the most controlled travel experiences you’ll ever have—but honestly, having a guide made navigating this bizarre, beautiful country so much easier!
Finding a tour company is also difficult, and it took me researching nearly every one of them, emailing and whatsapping them all, and then finally finding someone in Uzbekistan to negotiate a do-able solo trip price (it is NOT solo travel budget friendly) with the only company who would budge on pricing.
Keep reading for the info on how to book a tour!
Want to Experience Turkmenistan for Yourself?
Want to join me in Turkmenistan next year along with the other ‘Stans of Central Asia? We’re doing an awesome custom-created group trip there October 8-20, 2026 with a group of really cool, like-minded travelers! Check out the information here and book your spot!
Want to book this trip on your own with the tour company I used? Send me an email and I’ll connect you! info@mylifesamovie.com
Otherwise you can compare tour companies that list their experiences online here, just be sure to double check if they will take just one person if you’re traveling solo — most of them won’t or will charge twice as much! Again, read my Ultimate Turkmenistan Travel Guide for all the info you need to go there!
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