Visas: Every visitor to Turkmenistan needs to
obtain a visa and a letter of invitation before turning up at the border. Failure to have
such a letter, or at the very least, a personal statement with an itinerary, is likely to
mean that your experience of Turkmenistan will be limited to what you can see as you fly
straight back out of there.
Health risks: Hepatitis A & E, diphtheria, tuberculosis & undulant fever.
Don't drink the water even if locals say it's OK to drink.