Originally Posted by
nequine
Yes seems daft to change the name like that (although i get why they did it), And fair enough, I know what its like trying to put together a schedule to fit everything in! I will say though you did miss visiting an excellent city from the photos my family send me of the place.
I don't doubt it. If I'd had more time, I would've like to see Astana.
Originally Posted by
nequine
Yikes at your departure at the airport! I'd have been having kittens at the thought of missing the flight!!!
Wow at how beautiful the Novruz Palace was, and I agree, that would have cost a small fortune to create!
Yeah, it was quite the nerve wracking experience. I don't recommend it!
Originally Posted by
Romanianflyer
That Novruz Palace indeed looks like quite some place, like a modern-day version of the old mosques and madrassas of Samarkand in Uzbekistan (which is ethnically majority-Tajik).
Curious about your impressions of Samarkand (I loved the place!) - and thanks for posting about the other Stans as they are high on my list to visit.
I think you are also one of the few with a proper Turkmenistan Airlines review!
I have always wondered about them. You know what kind of booze they serve? Any nice top brands of champagne or cheap local/Russian stuff only?
Samarkand was interesting and has many fine examples of various Islamic architectural styles, but it also felt very touristy. Much more so than any other city I visited in the region. Aside from the main architectural sites, there wasn't a whole lot to see. In contrast, Tashkent felt like a more vibrant and cosmopolitan city.
Ah, yes, T5. It's not an oft-flown airline, that's certain. As far as booze goes, I didn't inquire about their selection and there was no printed menu listing beverages on offer. They did offer a PDB, but I declined. If there was champagne on offer, I didn't see anyone drinking it and I never heard a cork pop. They had wine available with dinner, but I never saw the bottle. I'm sure they had vodka, whisky, etc. Most likely local brands if I had to guess.
They did have a very small selection of liquor in the lounge, but it was not free. The booze served in the lounge was from brands I did not recognize, so likely mid range regional brands (presumably of Russian, Uzbek and Kazakh origin). They also had chocolate in the lounge, which was not free either. All other food and drink was free, but the selection was quite limited.