Overland Travel Across Borders: A Tale of Two Frontiers
Farap Alat Turkmenabat Bukhara Slow Desert Declaration
The nearly 1,800-kilometer border between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan is a relic of Soviet administrative lines, now separating two of Central Asia’s most tightly controlled nations. The experience of crossing is defined by bureaucracy and meticulous procedure. Your journey between them requires careful preparation and an abundance of patience, as every step is subject to scrutiny.
Dashoguz Shavat Konye-Urgench Karakalpak History
You have several crossing points, with three being most common for travelers. The busiest is the Farap-Alat crossing, connecting the cities of Turkmenabat and Bukhara. Further north, you can cross between Dashoguz and Shavat. A third option is at Khojeyli, which provides access to the historical sites of Konye-Urgench in Turkmenistan and the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan.