The former Soviet republics are perhaps not the most obvious choice for a weekend break, especially if you’re used to sipping tequila sunrises while lazing on a tropical beach. But that kind of activity can hardly be classed as adventure. And that’s where Turkmenistan comes into its own.
The Turkmen landscape is an enchanting stage for a wide range of adventure activities, with one of the best among them being horse riding. The reason for this is down to the specially-bred horses endemic to the region - tours in the country almost exclusively use Akhal-Teke horses, which have been streamlined over thousands of years to produce optimum riding characteristics.
Needless to say, before embarking you’ll need a reasonable level of horse-riding skills. You would also be smart to tone up your thighs in the run up to your trip, otherwise you’ll wake up in a whole world of pain on your second day. However, the prerequisite effort is more than worth it – your horseback travels will see you journey through some jaw-dropping and varied terrain, not to mention getting a taste for authentic nomadic living. This, my friends, is adventure.
The central Asian states such as Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are too frequently ignored as excellent tourist locations, mainly due to their relative anonymity. Along with the rest of the ‘stans, Turkmenistan falls into this group of hidden gems. With the expertise of a local guide you’ll discover the wealth of cultural and historical highlights the country has to offer. What’s more, thanks to the relative political stability of the area this is the first time in history where we can all enjoy them.
For keeping you on your horse (and your horse on trail) we recommend saddling up with DN Tours. The guides are all multilingual, have nearly fifteen years of experience under their belts and only use the very best Akhal-Teke horses.
Giddy up.
DN Tours
Turkmenistan, 744013 Ashgabat
42, Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy Ave.
Tel: (99312) 22 63 12, 22 63 20