Turkmenistan worth a visit

In a letter about Turkmenistan (March ’14, pg. 23), a subscriber made many valid complaints about travel in that country. 

As he correctly pointed out, there are a number of challenges for tourists there. Entering the country usually involves delays at the border, and there is that little item about walking in the no-man’s land between borders, but this annoyance is not limited to that area of the world.

Arbitrary decisions by the authorities there can also be very frustrating, but, again, arbitrariness is the norm elsewhere. Remember Libya under the late Muammar Gaddafi? He would stop issuing visas to Americans for many months, only to reopen the gates for a brief period before having another fit and withdrawing that privilege.

I did a tour of the five ’Stans with MIR Corporation (800/424-7289) several years ago, led by a capable and well-informed tour leader. We experienced certain annoyances in Turkmenistan, but it was one of the best tours I’ve ever done. 

Uzbekistan was, to this traveler, by far the most interesting of the five places, but experiencing the beauty of mountainous Kyrgyzstan was a wonderful treat, and the enormity of Kazakhstan was revealing.

In sum, I think the problems in Turkmenistan should not discourage travelers from availing themselves of the chance to experience visits to an area of the world that still retains much of its ancient culture.

CLAUS HIRSCH

New York City, NY