Recently, the cross-border tourist train “Along the Great Silk Road” passed through the territory of Turkmenistan. 36 tourists from 9 countries visited the cities of Mary, Ashgabat and Dashoguz, getting acquainted with the monuments of Ancient Merv, the sights of Ashgabat and the burning natural gas crater of Darvaza.

At each stopping point a special program was prepared for the guests. Rustam Valiyev, manager and guide of the Suvara travel company, which is a local partner of the British company Golden Eagle Luxury Trains, the organizer of this train tour, told Turkmenportal about the trip.

According to Valiyev, the train included restaurant cars and hotel cars with different classes of accommodation - from double cabins to luxurious Premium Imperial.

“Tourists highly appreciated the comfort of the trip and customs control, noting that it was as convenient as possible thanks to the preliminary organizational work done by our company’s specialists,” Rustam Valiyev emphasized.

In Ashgabat, guests visited the main attractions - the Monuments of Independence and Neutrality of Turkmenistan, museums, the “10 Years of Independence” park, the “Bagt Koshgi” Wedding Palace and the circus, where they were impressed by the Ahal-Teke horses and horsemen of the “Galkynysh” equestrian group.

The organizers sought not only to show the sights, but also to introduce the guests to the authentic national culture, which, according to the guide, helped them immerse themselves deeper into the atmosphere of the country. The tourists tried traditional dishes such as samsa and pishme, prepared right in front of them.

– There was an interesting episode when tourists at a local bazaar saw a Turkmen melon and decided to try it. Their cook on the train appreciated its taste and decided to serve this dish for the final dinner. When tourists asked where he got the melon out of season, the guides explained that in this region it is possible to store winter melons almost all year round. The tourists were pleasantly surprised by this fact,” shared the manager of the Suvara company.

He also noted that the Golden Eagle company plans to conduct about 5 more such tours in Turkmenistan in the coming months.