Cycling In Uzbekistan And Turkmenistan - Border Crossing - Bukhara To Turkmenabat

km

Uzbekistan to Turkmenistan – Bukhara to Turkmenabat (137 km)

0

Bukhara – follow road past The Ark – turn left at lights and go down main road in front of market (blocked – but ignore)

5

Reach junction - M37 sign – go left(ish)

20

Roundabout – turn left

30

Shop – Bus Shelter style

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Shop – Bus Shelter style

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Qaraqol Town centre – cafes on left – sign saying straight on M37 – road follows the drainage channel on the right.

75

M37 bends left (M77 goes right) – stay on M37 – road wiggles a bit

76-79 Bridge and rubbish road surface 96

Army checkpoint – need to show passport. Money changers hovering around.

98

Uzbek Border / Cafe and toilets. Closes 6pm but they let us through at 6.30pm Process: show passport, complete customs declaration and make sure you write less than on the one in your passport (look at it because they might take the original away so that you don't just copy out the answers – they did for us! If you have more money with you when you leave you are in trouble!) They never checked our hotel registrations – told us to keep them as a souvenir. Very friendly and chatty – 1 hour maximum

98-98.5 No-Man's Land: You can camp here so that you can get an early start for your Turkmenistan visa the next day. It's a good place to camp, a bit sandy, but quiet and easy to hide your tent. The Uzbek guards will also get you water for cooking before you enter No-Man's land 98.5

Turkmenistan Border: Opens 8am – quite simple – they use a scanner to complete all the details on your entry form from your passport and then you must sign it. You then go and pay $10 +$2 to the bank window, bring back your receipt and they give you your passport back. They make you wheel your bike through but they never looked at ours or scanned it. When you declare your money, make sure you exaggerate so that you don't end up leaving later with more money. For us – 1 hour

110

Turn right (near cafe) – the route is very messy from here to Turkmenabat, to avoid large irrigation canals. You might see old ladies selling drinks by the side of the road.

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Turn right

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Turn left

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Big metal pontoon bridge over river – watch out for gaps when cycling over

130

Passport check

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You are now entering Turkmenabat although the locals call it Charjo (Sharjo) Turn left over railway

134

Road turns right, then immediately turn left

135

Turn left and go over big bridge – you will see a mosque on your left

136

Turn left and go up the one way street (the wrong way – cycle on the pavement)

137

On the left is a big building (the train station) with a sign that says WAKSAL. Outside the building there are lots of cars parked who will take you anywhere in Turkmenistan for a cheap price. For us, 320km for two bikes to Mary, cost $20 in a Toyota estate car with a driver who spoke some English. One estate car fits two bikes with luggage.

If you want to prearrange a lift then try a guy called: Azarmat Home: 800 422 4 43 15 Mobile 1: 800 66 28 50 28

Mobile 2: 800 67 28 50 28