Turkmenabat (former Charjou)

• Transport from Ashgabat

by train from Ashgabat (14 hours), Bukhara (3 hours), Tashkent (17 hours), or by car from Ashgabat (appr. 8 hours) and Bukhara (2 hours). Six flights a day from Ashgabat.

• City administration (Khyakimlik)

42, Niyazov shaelly, tel. (+993422) 26847; 21621

• Accommodation

- Hotel Amu-Darya, 5 Saparmurad Niyazov Street Tel 2 24 34, 2 58 22, (central, but expensive and shabby);

- Hotel Charjou, Shaidakov Street (150m off Niyazov square) (uncheap and dirty)

• Turkmenistan Airlines

Booking office 300m south of Niyazov Square (working hours 09h00-14h00 and 15h00-20h00)

• Restaurants

No restaurants in the city really excel, though you could try

- Hotel Amu-Darya

- Turkmenistan, Prospect Niyazov near Railway Station

- Cafe Arslan, Lenin Street 37.

• Clinics
• Post office

Saparmurat Niyazov Prospect, near Railway Station.

• Banks

Turkmen Bank on Niyazov Square.

• Telephone and telegraph

Saparmurat Niyazov Prospect, south of Niyazov Square.

• Things to see

- Kugitang Reserve near Gaurdak. Flight once a week from Charjou.

- Repetek Desert Reserve. Tours available through Turkmen Intour, Tel 2 63 74, and Repetek Tours, Tel 4 44 70.

- Tourist office at 15 Mala Buharskaya street.