World’s weirdest country

[bigbadmojothebulldog]

I wonder what the rest of the country looks like. You know, the parts that supervised tourists aren’t allowed to visit.

[SeventhGod]

Bro went to a dictatorship surveillance state and said “loved it despite the eerie feeling”.

[ljss]

If y'all are wondering, Tuekmenistan is basically the Soviet version of North Korea. I dated a girl from Turkmenistan and she was traumatized, always being afraid we were being watched and surveilled (we were in NYC).

[dagonkur]

If you liked visiting Turkmenistan, you should try North Korea next. They have guides who bring you everywhere too and there's beautiful architecture.

[stevememc]

"Tourists who do visit are under requirements to have a guide with you at all times"
that just explains it all

[lucasrobbins]

My dude has NO survival instincts. "Nobody around? No contact with the outside world? Under constant supervision? Huh, so weird."

[Mashy]

I actually watched a video where an investigative journalist went here and he was pretty much not aloud to do anything. He too had to have a guide anytime they left their hotel, and when he would try and ask any questions to the “locals” they seemed like they too were just a set up by the govt. he said the same thing about this place that something just felt super off about this place and there were SO many things that just didn’t make any sense. It’s kind of trippy not gonna lie

[Bigrignohio]

"Locals were super friendly and welcoming". Because A) You were probably the ONLY tourist they saw that week and B) If they were not your "guide" will report it.

[aqhasassy]

Foreigners live in the sky rise apartments. Most Turkmenians live in cramped and crumbling five-story apartments dating to the Soviet era, or in bare villages.
As one said, one notch above N Korea.

[DesusChristus]

guy witnesses a strict dictatorship first hand “i loved my time here so far“

[vrde]

It almost seems like another North Korea situation going on.

"it's great over here look"

[diyac]

“Popular swimming hole” … but no one else is there!

[stevengreen]

That city is super empty because it was created purely as a show piece. No one is allowed to live there. The gas crater is an accident. Decades ago Turkmenistan wanted to become the primary natural gas supplier to Russia. So the previous dictator built this big refinery solely for this purpose. But something went terribly wrong. The refinery got swallowed up into a huge fire crater which is still burning to this day.

[samcarmen]

That’s gives dystopian vibes. The fact that they have such nice, lavish buildings but there aren’t many people around, strict tourist rules, and WiFi and most apps blocked… yeah, something is going on underneath the surface

[IminHIGHpursuitofthelivingGod]

What's weird is a vendor, who's buying your items when there are no people around? What they just sit out there all day waiting for a tourist.

[JustinLaw]

People share N. Korea horror stories because there are actually more people that visits N. Korea than Turkmenistan. People who break the rules in N. Korea goes through shit but stories do make it back out to the West. People who break the rules in Turkmenistan just disappear because there won't be anyone to tell the story.

[moldy_chips]

When you build a lavish, extraordinary city but it’s in a single player world

[deathblade]

"President"

My brother in christ that's a dictator

[FabianVanL]

I was there in 2018. I would describe Ashgabat as "Las Vegas meets North Korea"

[sumuqh]

“Popular swimming hole”

Popular among whom ?