Turkmenbashi

• Transport from Ashgabat, Baku and Kazakhstan.

Two flights per day, 12 hours by train or 800 km by car. Train station centrally located on 36 Rylov Street. Also busses available to Bekdash and further into Kazakhstan. Irregular ferry service on average three times a week to Baku leaving from “Morskoj wokzal”.

• City administration (Khakimlik)

36, Turkmenistan Street Tel 7 46 81, 7 47 60, 7 47 26.

• Accommodation

- Khazar, Pobeda square, Tel 7 46 33, 7 46 36 (cheap, central and smelly)

- Turkish hotel, Naberezhnaya street, Tel 7 49 19 includes bar and sauna.

- Awaza, at 20km in seaside resort of Awaza, Tel 7 43 49 and 1 76 05, includes restaurant, bar, swimming pool and sauna (expensive).

• Turkmenistan Airlines

Just off Pobeda square, below the Khazar Hotel, Tel 7 54 74, 7 58 04, 7 58 80.

• Restaurants

Next to Khazar Hotel and at Turkish Hotel complex.

• Clinics

- Hospital, 40 Petrova street, Tel 7 24 79, 7 54 14.

- City hospital, Ashgabat street, Tel 1 55 37.

- Railway hospital, 41 Gogol street, Tel 2 26 59.

• Post office

Central post office at 27 Rylov Street, Tel 7 54 20.

• Telephone and telegraph

At Telephone exchange on Pobeda square.

• Banks

- AKB “Turkmenistan”, Tel 7 65 45, 7 21 79.

- Turkmenvneshinvestbank, Tel 1 51 50. 1 53 92.

- Daikhanbank, Tel 7 41 44, 7 65 25.

- Sberbank, Tel 7 51 39, 7 61 12.

- Vneshekonombank, Tel 7 24 65, 7 42 10.

• What to see:

- Local tourist office, Balkansyakhat, on ground floor of Palace of Culture on Pobeda square, Tel 7 38 69, 7 38 70.

- Museum of regional history, Rylov street.

- Beaches, 50 km north of town.

- Turkmenbashi state reserve and red water islands (kyzyl-suv). Excursions at natural history museum, 42a Naberezhnaya street, Tel 7 50 58, 7 42 76.