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The National tourist zone “Avaza”

The National tourist zone “Avaza”, which is being realised in Turkmenistan on the shores of the Caspian Sea, is an unprecedented project in its scale, breadth and daring of concept. This project combined several important aspects of the economic strategy of Turkmenistan, with its efficient use of the rich natural resources, recreation facilities and transport systems, the diversification of the national economy and mutually beneficial international cooperation.

Magnificent hotels, health resorts and resorts for children have been created in Avaza such as “Vatanchi”, “Hazyna”, “Nebitchi”, “Kervent”, "Kuwat”, “Serdar”, “Arzuv” “Dayanch”, “Shapak”, “Bereket”, “Deniz”, “Merdana”, “Bagtyyar”, “Shamekan” amongst others. On summer days during the holiday children’s voices can be heard on the ancient Hazar shore, and the clean waters, fresh air and wonderful sand beaches attract many people looking for a vacation. Every hotel complex is characterised by its own individual style of construction and interior design. Well- thought-out planning, comfortable furniture and a range of organic colours are available in suites and standard rooms. There are restaurants and cafes with a variety of dishes of national and European cuisine and there are conference-halls for conducting business meetings, symposia and presentations.

There are Internet cafes available in the hotels, it is possible to switch to the wireless system - Wi-Fi; bank departments and Western Union offer services in currency exchange and money transfers.

Fitness-centers with fitness machines, swimming-pools, saunas and massage parlours are also at guests' disposal and are equipped with state-of-the-art medical, fitness and physiotherapeutic equipment. Qualified health and beauty therapists, a cardiologist, a stomatologist and others offer a course of therapeutic procedures including a treatment with the application of healing loam and water. Outdoor summer swimming-pools, children’s playgrounds and sport courts are also available for guests to enjoy, and practically every tourist centre has a pontoon pier where visitors can rent motor boats and hydro-cycles, and light- duty motor boats, swaying at their berths, are lined up at the pontoon ready to take aboard all those wishing to go on a sea trip.

One of Avaza's most eye-catching sightseeing attractions is a 7km navigable river which has become a harmonious part of the local natural landscape. A well-established recreation zone with comfortable cafes, restaurants and piers for pleasure crafts, is located along its banks and is connected by inter-laced arches of roads and pedestrian bridges. The river width allows sea yachts to make trips into the open sea through special lock-chambers. The riverhead from which sea water enters into its streambed is designed in the shape of a waterfall and pedestrian and bicycle paths are paved along both banks of this water artery. Exciting excursions over this picturesque river which stretches through the Avaza area are in great demand among holiday-makers. Two of the five thousand hectares of the tourist zone will be taken up by parkland providing visitors with a picturesque natural landscape, and where further trees such as pine, cedars, cypresses, mulberry trees and poplar trees will be planted. Besides that, there is a further 1,300 hectares which has been dedicated as green parks, public gardens, alleys and flower beds.

The resort at the National tourist zone Avaza is further enhanced with three entertainment complexes which adorn the sea coast with original architectural and landscape design. The Deniz merjeni (Sea Pearl) recreation park has an area of five hectares and is home to bright swings and merry-go-rounds, ferris-wheels, playgrounds and other amusements. There are many cozy cafes and a summer cafe on the roof, and holiday-makers can enjoy restaurant and bars with views over the sea. Young visitors can enjoy game machines and a 3-D cinema and there is an area for playing volleyball on the beach, a shop and two permanent buildings with shower rooms, locker-rooms and other services have been built.

One of the entertainment centres in the 'Turkmen Riviera is the Alemgosar (Rainbow) amusement park where there are gaming machines, bowling and other surprises for children and adults. The third amusement park is Jadyly kenar (A Magic Shore) and it in keeping with the style and theme of the resort. Here, there are numerous activities including swings and merry-go-rounds, a car- racing track, trampolines, a railroad and other playgrounds for children and adults, with a collection of original and modern amusements.

The formation of a world class resort on the Caspian coast is not just an expansion of a hotel network but also of cottages and villas for family rest and vacations, sport and entertainment facilities, landscapes and scenery, that together provide a new level of comfort, customer service and health- improving facilities. The development at Avaza continues to amaze with the variety of projects from exclusive multi- storeyed buildings which shoot up skyward to cozy two-storied cottages, and from modern to classical. At present about 25 new facilities are being built and 15 of them will open to visitors this summer. The realisation of this large-scale project to create a world class sea resort is thanks to the President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, whose active support and personal patronage has been integral to the success of the Avaza tourist zone. The fast pace of construction is evidence of the favourable investment climate in the tourist industry in Turkmenistan.

Every year more and more visitors come here to rest in comfortable hotels and on well- attended beaches, making the National tourist zone Avaza a visible result of progressive transformations and a bright symbol of the open foreign policy of Turkmenistan.