I went to the world's strangest country - it has fewer tourists than North Korea
Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and the Caspian Sea.
A travel blogger has shared their thoughts on visiting the world’s strangest country that has fewer tourists than North Korea. A travel blogger visited Turkmenistan and uploaded a video on TikTok while sharing the experience.
Uploading a video on TikTok, @hudsonandemily wrote: “After visiting more than 160 countries, this is one of the most unique places we have ever been to.
“Would you visit ‘the strangest country in the world’. A lavish capital city with hardly any people, a crater that’s been on fire for 50+ years, and so much more. These were just our first impressions and we can’t wait to share more with you about Turkmenistan.”
Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and the Caspian Sea. It is known for its vast deserts, rich cultural heritage, and being one of the most closed and authoritarian countries in the world
The 51-second-long video shows various sides of the country. During the video, the couple said: “The country has forbidden to drive a dirty car in the capital. There is essentially no Wi-Fi, most websites are banned and the former President decreed that the cars cannot be black.
“But the strangest part is the city is full of these huge, lavish monuments with no people around. It’s like an eerie fairy tale.
“But you can’t travel here unless you are approved for what’s known as one of the world’s most difficult visas.
“We were actually denied the first time with zero explanation. But after travelling to almost 85 percent of the countries in the world, we know there is got to be so much more to this country than being nicknamed the strangest. So, follow along on our trip to visit Turkmenistan.”
The country is dominated by the Karakum Desert, one of the largest sand deserts in the world, covering about 70 percent of the country.
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@hudsonandemily After visiting more than 160 countries, this is one of the most unique places we've ever been. Would you visit "the strangest country in the world?" A lavish capital city with hardly any people, a crater that's been on fire for 50+ years, and so much more. These were just our first impressions and we can’t wait to share more with you about Turkmenistan! Follow to see more of what Turkmenistan is like! - @HudsonAndEmily Vid Inspo: @counting.countries ❤️ _________________________________________ If you're new here, we're an American travel couple on a trip to visit every country ?????? We'd love for you to follow along to visit every country in the world with us! And for those of you who have already seen our Turkmenistan videos - we have 150,000 new followers here since they were last published, so we're sharing some more! We have currently visited 85% of the countries in the world!! #everycountry #turkmenistan #ashgabat #ashgabatturkmenistan #turkmenistantravel #uniquetravel #adventuretravel #travelcouple ♬ original sound - Hudson & Emily ?????? Travel Vlogs
It has a coastline along the Caspian Sea, providing some of the country’s most scenic and fertile areas. The Kopet Dag Mountains run along the border with Iran, while the eastern region is more mountainous.
The capital city, Ashgabat, features extravagant and sometimes quirky architecture, like the Neutrality Monument, Arch of Independence, and the Turkmenbashi Ruhy Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Central Asia.
It is known for its white marble buildings, wide boulevards, and massive monuments. It holds the Guinness World Record for having the most white marble-clad buildings in the world.
However, Turkmenistan is considered one of the most repressive countries globally. Former president Saparmurat Niyazov ruled with an iron fist, creating a cult of personality, and after his death in 2006, his successor, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, continued a similar style of governance.
