First (only) visit: September 2002
Visited: Ashkabad, Sarakhs
Well, this place takes the cake as one of the weirdest and most insane, narrowly beaten by North Korea. Leadership cult to Turkmenbashi notwithstanding, there wouldn't be much to do here...but thanks to the madness of the cult, there are loads of golden buildings to browse and gawk at. Plus the feeling that you are always being watched, somehow...
Highlight: What else? Turkmenbashi...don't know how things are since he died...