My Journey to Every Country in the World
May 26, 2015, 7:18 am
#347
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,522
Interesting article on the quasi-country, South Ossetia. The Russians recently signed a treaty giving them control of defence and the borders, and have started putting a razor wire, sand-bagged gun positions and observation towers, cutting off families from their land and villages:
May 27, 2015, 4:50 am
#349
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Dubai
Posts: 3,301
.Sounds like you've almost got Europe 'conquered'! So what is going to be country #184
?
May 27, 2015, 9:12 am
#350
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,462
CAR most likely... in September.
May 28, 2015, 10:08 am
#351
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Everywhere else
Programs: Miles and frowns, IHG aluminum
Posts: 346
Hey, I'm also planning to go to Turkmenistan this summer, probably in August or September but I'm still figuring out itinerary. All I know is that I'm getting to Almaty mid-July to apply for all my visas. I'm definitely a budget traveller and had planned to do transit visa tour (ps this requires overland travel in AND out, which took me a while to figure out). However I'm open to doing tourist visa tour if theres more people to go with. I've got flexibility with dates fwiw.
I did a lot of research and best prices by far were with Travel Notoria, though that other operator sounds similar price (but TN also included tour to a place or couple like Merv, gas crater, Konye, etc as well as border transport). I understand this is because they are actually located in Turkmenistan and most other agecies are abroad and take a cut. Generally good reviews and in talking with them myself they have been really helpful and prompt.
I guess if you're planning a trip to Turkmenistan you already know about Caravanistan, but throwing it out there if you don't.
Feel free to contact me if anyone's interested in joining forces!
I did a lot of research and best prices by far were with Travel Notoria, though that other operator sounds similar price (but TN also included tour to a place or couple like Merv, gas crater, Konye, etc as well as border transport). I understand this is because they are actually located in Turkmenistan and most other agecies are abroad and take a cut. Generally good reviews and in talking with them myself they have been really helpful and prompt.
I guess if you're planning a trip to Turkmenistan you already know about Caravanistan, but throwing it out there if you don't.
Feel free to contact me if anyone's interested in joining forces!
May 28, 2015, 1:50 pm
#353
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,462
Of course. 
I might even throw in Croatia but that will be a real cheater... Basically have a 23h40m layover in Vienna on an award ticket... Can you take a rental car from Austria to Slovenia/Croatia?
I might even throw in Croatia but that will be a real cheater... Basically have a 23h40m layover in Vienna on an award ticket... Can you take a rental car from Austria to Slovenia/Croatia?
Last edited by hauteboy; May 28, 2015 at 1:58 pm
May 28, 2015, 2:04 pm
#354
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Los Angeles / Basel
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 26,919
It's that easy!
Aug 20, 2015, 12:58 pm
#355
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: DL Diamond, HH Diamond, Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Gold, Turkish Gold, Copa Platinum, airberlin Gold
Posts: 77
Cool thread - I have to make me one of those maps hauteboy posted!
Wish I'd run into it before some of the trips I've taken the last year or two, would have given me some great ideas.
I can second Dag Syyahat in Turkmenistan being solid and also decently priced. I went with them last September to see the flaming gas craters - which was neat - and also to check out ancient Merv/Margush.
Ashgabat is a really odd place but very striking - white marble everywhere. Dag put me up at a military-affiliated hotel (I think it was specifically the hotel for the internal security branch of the service), which was a neat bit of local color - bunch of young soldiers in their uniforms and so on, rather curious about the one Westerner staying there. Caveat: not a lot of English spoken there; I'm not sure how it would feel if one didn't speak at least some Russian
I think I also used some of Advantour's help to get my Uzbek visa and they didn't push me to do more than book a hotel with them, or something along those lines.
11 nations to go here, not counting some of the quasi-nations that are floating around.
I'm off next week for Armenia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, and Niger. Angola's visa was as much a pain as is often reported. I'll post elsewhere about that process.
That will leave me with just 4 countries to go - unfortunately, one is Libya, which just gets iffier and iffier.
Wish I'd run into it before some of the trips I've taken the last year or two, would have given me some great ideas.
I can second Dag Syyahat in Turkmenistan being solid and also decently priced. I went with them last September to see the flaming gas craters - which was neat - and also to check out ancient Merv/Margush.
Ashgabat is a really odd place but very striking - white marble everywhere. Dag put me up at a military-affiliated hotel (I think it was specifically the hotel for the internal security branch of the service), which was a neat bit of local color - bunch of young soldiers in their uniforms and so on, rather curious about the one Westerner staying there. Caveat: not a lot of English spoken there; I'm not sure how it would feel if one didn't speak at least some Russian
I think I also used some of Advantour's help to get my Uzbek visa and they didn't push me to do more than book a hotel with them, or something along those lines.
11 nations to go here, not counting some of the quasi-nations that are floating around.
I'm off next week for Armenia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, and Niger. Angola's visa was as much a pain as is often reported. I'll post elsewhere about that process.
That will leave me with just 4 countries to go - unfortunately, one is Libya, which just gets iffier and iffier.
Aug 22, 2015, 8:19 am
#356
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,522
I can second Dag Syyahat in Turkmenistan being solid and also decently priced. I went with them last September to see the flaming gas craters - which was neat - and also to check out ancient Merv/Margush.
.....
That will leave me with just 4 countries to go - unfortunately, one is Libya, which just gets iffier and iffier.
.....
That will leave me with just 4 countries to go - unfortunately, one is Libya, which just gets iffier and iffier.
Angola was a giant pain, pretty sure it took Hauteboy and I at least a dozen visits to the embassy before they would finally issue it.
18 to go here, soon to be 14 after an upcoming trip to Chad/CAR/Yemen/Mongolia. Then down to 11 after Cuba/Algeria/Bahamas in November.
Aug 22, 2015, 2:33 pm
#357
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: JNB
Programs: Asiana Club, Mileage Plan, Skywards, Flying Blue, HHonors
Posts: 131
When I went a few years ago to London Consulate, I was told visas are not available even though I was invited by letter by one of the largest companies in Angola in which Government has a large stake - Consulate claimed the letter was phoney! I hjad to go to Joburg to get it then.
Things are improving at the Angolan Consulates!?
Aug 22, 2015, 4:00 pm
#359
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,462
Cool thread - I have to make me one of those maps hauteboy posted!
Wish I'd run into it before some of the trips I've taken the last year or two, would have given me some great ideas.
I can second Dag Syyahat in Turkmenistan being solid and also decently priced. I went with them last September to see the flaming gas craters - which was neat - and also to check out ancient Merv/Margush.
Ashgabat is a really odd place but very striking - white marble everywhere. Dag put me up at a military-affiliated hotel (I think it was specifically the hotel for the internal security branch of the service), which was a neat bit of local color - bunch of young soldiers in their uniforms and so on, rather curious about the one Westerner staying there. Caveat: not a lot of English spoken there; I'm not sure how it would feel if one didn't speak at least some Russian
I think I also used some of Advantour's help to get my Uzbek visa and they didn't push me to do more than book a hotel with them, or something along those lines.
11 nations to go here, not counting some of the quasi-nations that are floating around.
I'm off next week for Armenia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, and Niger. Angola's visa was as much a pain as is often reported. I'll post elsewhere about that process.
That will leave me with just 4 countries to go - unfortunately, one is Libya, which just gets iffier and iffier.
Wish I'd run into it before some of the trips I've taken the last year or two, would have given me some great ideas.
I can second Dag Syyahat in Turkmenistan being solid and also decently priced. I went with them last September to see the flaming gas craters - which was neat - and also to check out ancient Merv/Margush.
Ashgabat is a really odd place but very striking - white marble everywhere. Dag put me up at a military-affiliated hotel (I think it was specifically the hotel for the internal security branch of the service), which was a neat bit of local color - bunch of young soldiers in their uniforms and so on, rather curious about the one Westerner staying there. Caveat: not a lot of English spoken there; I'm not sure how it would feel if one didn't speak at least some Russian
I think I also used some of Advantour's help to get my Uzbek visa and they didn't push me to do more than book a hotel with them, or something along those lines.
11 nations to go here, not counting some of the quasi-nations that are floating around.
I'm off next week for Armenia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola, and Niger. Angola's visa was as much a pain as is often reported. I'll post elsewhere about that process.
That will leave me with just 4 countries to go - unfortunately, one is Libya, which just gets iffier and iffier.
Aug 23, 2015, 1:10 pm
#360
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: DL Diamond, HH Diamond, Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Gold, Turkish Gold, Copa Platinum, airberlin Gold
Posts: 77
Yeah Libya is one of my remaining ones as well, found a company that will issue a visa but $$$$... was planning on going in Jan (Tunisair had TIP loaded in their schedule) but seems they've zeroed out inventory now. I'm at 12 remaining now, with 11 in two weeks after a trip to CAR with ironmanjt.
Kicking myself that two years ago I had a ticket to Tripoli on a RTW award but dropped it due to visa nuttiness feeling too shady (that was the window where they'd issue business visas for 300 USD or so through a sponsor)