Places vturano Wants to Go

The heartbeat of modern Uzbekistan’s thriving market culture.

Where you'll find anything but nothing.

Granny Smiths and Fujis can both be traced back to Kazakhstan, where apples still grow wild.

An eccentric dictator's take on a Turkmen version of Disneyland.

This harsh mountain path was built as a strange attempt to improve the health of Turkmen citizens.

Sumptous memorial to a controversial independence.

A huge monument to a bizarre book written by Turkmenistan’s longstanding dictator.

Touching displays of wishes for peace from the Cold War era.

Looking for a unifying history, Uzbekistan finds its answer in a 14th Century Turco-Mongol conqueror... despite the fact he wasn't Uzbek.

One of the most ethnically diverse spots on the planet.

Giant cauldrons overflow with Uzbekistan's favorite rice dish at this cavernous dining hall.

An 18-meter-long sarcophagus of a constantly growing dead prophet.

Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.

Once a luxurious flagship of the Soviet Union, this Brutalist structure remains a landmark of Tashkent’s communist past.

This museum is dedicated to one of Russia's greatest explorers.

Dedicated to a Bolshevik revolutionary, this museum is a true time capsule of the Soviet era.

This retro, UFO-like structure is a remnant of the Soviet-era circus.

This Soviet-era athletic and recreation facility is the highest ice skating rink in the world.

A brilliant turquoise lake in the mountains.

Founded during the Ayutthaya era, this unique Buddhist temple remains shipshape to this day.

"Bangkok's Green Lung," a large park on an island, feels worlds away from traffic-choked Sukhumvit Road.

This Chinatown hole-in-the-wall serves what might be the ultimate oyster omelet.

A local Thai artist started building this gallery in 1980.

An eclectic Buddhist temple packed with pop-culture icons.