Moynoq is a city in Karakalpakstan. This town used to be a prosperous fishing town, but since the Aral Sea disaster, it has become a poor town with lots of problems, not least health risks caused by pollution and unemployment, as fishery was the only resource.
Get in[edit]
You can get there from Nukus. Taxis charge about US$60 for a day-trip from Nukus, which can be shared among up to 3 passengers in comfort. In summer, be sure to hire a car with aircon. And always bargain politely over the price, which must be agreed before departure.
There are two buses a day from Nukus, leaving at 09:00 and 11:00. The bus stop is called Gone Kale in Old Town (web link). Arrive early as they get filled up quickly. The price is 13,000 som (October 2018).
Get around[edit]
On foot or by taxi — it is not a big town.
See[edit]
A tour from Nukus will take you to all the interesting places.
- The monument for the Aral Sea - there is a monument near what used to be a bank of the Aral Sea with a board telling the history of Aral Sea. Al Gore has visited this monument. There is also a fleet of rusted trawlers there, still lined up in the desert where once the quay stood. You can walk down to the old sea bed and explore the boats. A better-preserved trawler is nostalgically displayed at the bus station. The Aral Sea is over a hundred kilometres away, and still shrinking, the level dropping about a metre per year. The man who maintains the memorial might talk to you. He used to be the captain of a fishing boat - he last went to sea in 1978, which was the last time Moynaq had access to the sea. He will refuse donations, preferring that you spread the word about the sea.
- There is a museum with intermittent hours and a low entry cost. It has an interesting exhibit about the history of the sea and the problems caused by its destruction.
- The fish factory, which used to provide work and now is abandoned, the equipment left there to rust.
Do[edit]
Buy[edit]
Eat[edit]
Drink[edit]
Sleep[edit]
- Hotel Oybek, 30 Kazakhbayev str, ☏ +998-61-3221868. The only hotel in town, it provides registration. Don't expect anything comparable to western standards. Rates starts at 7000 som.
Stay safe[edit]
Avoid drinking tap water. The water supply is heavily polluted with defoliants, pesticides and fertiliser.
Connect[edit]
Go next[edit]
There is at least one bus everyday which leaves Moynoq at 15:00 and cost 13,000 som. Ask around in the bus station in Nukus to comfirm this as it seems to change quickly.