There is no other place where the Aral Sea disaster significantly impacted its people like in Moynaq. Once a prosperous fishing port, today, a ghost town with very few remaining inhabitants left. Travel is not always nice, and one should be involved in the places to see the harsh reality of selfish human actions. Our travel guide will give you all the necessary information to have a smooth visit to Moynaq and the ship cemetery.

MOYNAQ TOWN

If you like off the beaten path locations, don’t rush and spend a night in Moynaq, you will love it. If Khiva and Nukus felt quiet, now you will see the real offbeat place.

Moynaq used to be a prosperous city on the shore of the Aral Sea, making it the fourth biggest lake in the world. Fishermans took off every morning on their boats to catch fish, and life was just good. Today? Life is gone. The Aral Sea dried out almost completely. The salinity in the air is so high that many people suffer from respiratory diseases, and the remaining few percent of the lake is now more than 80 km away from the original shore. 

Why? Greedy Soviets wanted to get rich through cotton cultivation, and they seeded it around the Aral Sea, an environment where cotton would never grow. But since there was enough heat and enough water, it sounded to them like a genius plan. But guess from where they took all the water? You’re right. The Aral Sea. Today, known as one of the biggest environmental disasters made by humans. 

The town is growing, and we were surprised how modern buildings grew in the area. They built a textile factory and offices, and the area around the Teniz hotel is also newly built. However, the town has still a very abandoned look, with just a few people on the streets of this forgotten corner of the world. Most people moved away; it’s mostly the elderly population and a few hotels who decided to stay.

Read: Top places to visit in Uzbekistan & 2 weeks itinerary

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SHIP CEMETERY

The ship cemetery is the biggest attraction, if we can call it this way. It is located just in front of the Yurt camp. If you came many years ago, you would see a sea shore here. Today, you see dry dessert as far as your eye can see. There is just one reminder of the horrific environmental tragedy. Rusty shipwrecks lying aimlessly on the former seabed. They have been brought by people as a reminder and today serve more like an open-air museum that leaves you thinking how different this place would be if the Soviets hadn’t touched the Aral Sea. 

We recommend you to come 2 hours before sunset for the best light as even though the place has a sad history and reality, it is still a stunning place. It was too hot in June for us to be camping. Otherwise, we would just pitch a tent and stay overnight. 

Even if you decide not to stay in the Yurt camp, make sure you go inside to see the heart-touching billboard showing you what your view would be like, if there was any lake left. 

Make sure you visit Moynaq Museum, which is right by the ship cemetery. 

Learn more: 25 things you need to know before travelling to Uzbekistan

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VISIT ARAL SEA

Do you want to visit the Aral Sea? Cool! Today, the remaining 10% of the sea is located around 80km from the original sea shore. The only way to reach it is by 4WD car with an experienced driver as the path goes through the unmarked desert land. Jipek Joli Inn organises tours from Nukus, and the prices are not less than $500. We found it too expensive and didn’t take any tours. Or you can contact Besqala, a tour company that also does tours to the Aral Sea (+998913777729).

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WHERE TO STAY IN MOYNAQ

Budget I Yurt camp – these yurts are located on the cliffs overlooking the ship graveyard, and most travellers stay here. For $10 per person, you get a bed to sleep, shower and breakfast. You can also be camping here in your own tent. 

Budget I Hotel Muynak – if you don’t feel like staying in yurts, check out Hotel Muynak, which is very close to the ship graveyard. They have rooms with air-con as well as very basic rooms. There is no Wi-Fi or breakfast; you just get a basic, old room to spend a night in. Negotiate the price as they ask SUM 300000, but you can get it down to SUM 150000. 

Budget I Hostel Muynak – This is an excellent option if you want to stay close to the bus station. Another budget-friendly place where travellers meet. Don’t take it too literally, as you will likely be alone during your visit, but if you’re lucky enough, this is where you meet fellow travellers. 

Mid-Range I Hotel Teniz – the most luxurious option in town. Rooms with aircon, breakfast and clean rooms. The price starts around SUM 400000. 

Note: Most of the mentioned places are not possible to book online. If you want to book a place before your arrival, it is only possible in the Yurt Camp or Ratmina Hotel.

Another option is to pitch a tent around the ships in the desert as we read many travellers do that and there is no problem with it.

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WHERE TO EAT IN MOYNAQ

Not good news in this section. Restaurants in Moynaq are barely existing. There is one opposite the hotel Teniz. Cafe Dawlet, but they are not serving food regularly. Just behind the corner, there is a small grocery store, where you can buy some basic food, fruit and most importantly, water. By the Yurt Camp there is a Kafe Mayak. However, all options seem unreliable, and we recommend you bring your own food.

At the beginning of the village, where the bus stop is, there is one small supermarket. But if you stay around the ship cemetery, it is 3.5 km away. 

Explore other quirky locations: How to visit the Ghost Town of Varosha in Northern Cyprus.

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HOW TO GET TO MOYNAQ FROM NUKUS

By bus

It is straightforward to get to Moynaq from Nukus. Bus to Moynaq (Муйнак) goes from the Konye Qala bus station.

From the Nukus bazaar, take the marshrutka number 5 (UZS 1500) that frequently runs between the bazaar and bus station. 

Buses leave at 8:50am, 12pm, and 15pm daily (UZS 18000). We took the morning bus, and it was half empty until the next stop, when it filled up completely. There are roughly 28 seats, and if it’s full, the driver allows people to stand wherever possible. The bumpy ride takes around 3.5 hours, and you want to be sitting; the road to Moynaq is not in the best conditions and don’t expect the ride to be comfortable. However, it is a fantastic adventure. 

Essential: Travelling by train in Uzbekistan & Need to know

It drops you off at the beginning of the town, from where it is another 3.5 km to the ship cemetery. We took another bus that took us in front of Hotel Teniz, from there it is 500 m to reach the ship cemetery. You can also use a taxi, which charges around UZS 5000. 

To return to Nukus, go to the exact spot where the bus drops you off. It leaves at 9am and 3pm every day. The bus on the way back was utterly packed, so make sure to arrive early. 

By shared taxi

You can get to Moynaq from Nukus by shared taxi, which costs UZS 40000. Also, the way back is possible by shared taxis. Optionally there are also shared taxis to Kungrad, from where you can take another one to Moynaq. 

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TRAVEL INSURANCE 

Given its offbeat location, far from any civilisation and emergency services, it is necessary to have proper travel insurance with high coverage. We use the services of IATI insurance; they have excellent customer service, comprehensive coverage and prices. As a reader of Broken Navigation, you also get an exclusive 5% discount. 

Get your 5% discount with IATI Insurance here.

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VISIT MOYNAQ IN ONE DAY

If you’re short on time you can manage to visit Moynaq in one day. However, we strongly recommend you stay overnight as it is an adventure of a lifetime and the sunset over the shipwrecks is stunning. If you still want to come in one day, you can go by private taxi, which your hotel can organise for you in Nukus. The price is UZS 400000 per car, if you find other people going with you, so you’re 4 in total, the price is not that bad. 

Or take a morning bus at 8:50am; that way, you arrive in Moynaq around 12:30pm, then head quickly to the ship cemetery; a taxi will cost you around UZS 5000. You will have roughly 2.5 hours to explore it, which might be enough if you don’t want to see anything else in Moynaq. Then head back to the bus station and catch the bus at 3pm that goes back to Nukus. 

Depending on where you are going next, you can also get off the bus in Kungrad. There is a train station from where you can continue to Bukhara, Samarkand or Tashkent. 

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Back to Nukus 

We returned to Nukus the next day and spent a night in the Family Friends Guesthouse. They have a perfect and cheap base for travellers, with fast Wi-Fi and are located in the city centre. We left some of our stuff there before going to Monyaq, so we didn’t have to carry them all. In Nukus, there are plenty of things you can do. From exploring the Savitsky Museum, which holds the most extensive selection of Soviet Art, to walking around its long boulevard streets or getting lost in the local bazaar, which btw was the most authentic and beautiful bazaar we saw in Central Asia. 

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Where to next? 

There is a train station in Nukus from where you can comfortably take a train to Bukhara, which was the next stop on our two weeks Uzbekistan itinerary. From Uzbekistan, you can easily travel to neighbouring Kazakhstan and try one of many interesting trips into wild nature.

SAVE IT!