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- Turkmenistan – Photo Gallery 2023
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Destinations

Destination stories + blogs + book literature + photos February 08, 2016

© Nothing Declared: About

© Nothing Declared creator Brandon Niles Cox is an avid traveler with a dream of inspiring and helping others reach epic reach off beaten destinations. Working as a leader in the aviation industry, a travel consultant and sommelier. Nothing Declared focuses on adventure travel, international conflict research, photography, and the wine we enjoy along the way.
This site features detailed travel tips, how to guides, photography and informative short stories on rarely visited part of the world. The world is remarkably accessible, and we all need guidance on how to efficiently get there!

Brandon has spent over 120 months in 170+ countries on all 7 continents as an avid traveler, independent international conflict researcher, author, and photographer.

Currently he lives with his wife Emily in London, UK having recently moved from Paris, France. Brandon has worked as a leader specializing in building joint venture alliances, revenue & inventory management, pricing, capacity optimization and network management. He worked for the Coca-Cola Company after graduating from Georgia Tech studying Industrial Engineering, Management and Marketing. He has studied at Oxford University, as well as in Australia, France, New Zealand and Japan. His passion for adventure travel and conflict resolution began on a sporadic excursion from Japan to South Korea in 2003. Since then, his research has taken him to all 7 continents, over a hundred countries through over 34 active conflict zones. He has produced and directed documentaries in Ukraine, and researched conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, and Somalia during a 9 month overland journey through Africa from South Africa to Jordan and back.
Brandon Niles Cox’s work has been featured by CNN, Georgia Tech, Georgia Tech Alumni Quarterly, MTV, and Delta Air Lines Inc.

Recent Posts

Afghanistan – 2024 Independent Travel Guide - 28 Sep , 2024

Afghanistan – Reflections - 28 Sep , 2024

Afghanistan – Exploring Kabul - 28 Sep , 2024

Afghanistan – Torkham border crossing to Pakistan. Independent travel - 28 Sep , 2024

Afghanistan – The Ancient City of Herat - 28 Sep , 2024

Afghanistan – Mazar i Sharif & Balkh Independent travel - 28 Sep , 2024

Afghanistan – Bamyan. The Buddhas and the City of Screams - 28 Sep , 2024

Afghanistan – Crossing the border from Tajikistan - 28 Sep , 2024

Categories

Destinations 22
Conflict Research and Travel 22
Adventure Travel 21
Travel Tips 7
Photography and Video 4
wine 2

Recent Comments

Sean on Afghanistan – Torkham border crossing to Pakistan. Independent travel
Pat on Turkmenistan. 2024 Travel guide – Independently explore this mysterious country
Tiyen Miller on Afghanistan – Crossing the border from Tajikistan
Tanna Velten on Turkmenistan. 2024 Travel guide – Independently explore this mysterious country
Brando Niles Cox on Afghanistan – Mazar i Sharif & Balkh Independent travel

nothing_declared

Which Turkmenistani neutrality / war / independenc

Which Turkmenistani neutrality / war / independence memorial is your favorite?

When your guide only speaks Russian. So you guide

When your guide only speaks Russian. So you guide yourself around Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 🇹🇲
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Looking back, we probably could have used a bit more information about what we were seeing
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#turkmenistan🇹🇲 #turkmenistan_inst #turkmenistan #viajerosporelmundo #mochileros #solotraveling #letsgoeverywhere #travelpassport #meettheworld #traveltips #travelinspiration #москва #travel #instagood #nature #beautiful #россия #moscow #красота #followme #красноярск

Turkmenistani secret police hopped out of the bush

Turkmenistani secret police hopped out of the bushes and yelled at me for taking this waving photo. I'm not even joking 🌳 I asked what I did wrong and their response, "no waving, just stand" 🧍

Ashgabat 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan. You can build an

Ashgabat 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan.
You can build anything, but it must be white and constructed from marble....and please make it look epic
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Also, your car needs to be white, please ⚪
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If you want a non-white car, that's ok, but you can't drive it inside the cities and you will need to park it outside the city where there are massive parking lots for cars which aren't white or are too old, or if it's dirty...im not joking. It's the law

Turkmenistan 🇹🇲 (Part 1 - Ashgabat) We were

Turkmenistan 🇹🇲 (Part 1 - Ashgabat) We were nervous entering one of the most difficult countries in the world to gain access and explore freely.
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Everything is highly controlled and monitored by the government. But, once inside we met incredibly kind and open locals, who were surprisingly well connected and super down to earth.
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Oh...and the sights will absolutely blow your mind 🔥 link in bio
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#turkmenistan🇹🇲 #turkmenistan_inst #turkmenistan #ashgabatcity #ashgabat #everycountryintheworld #nothingdeclared #everycountry #travelworld #thediscoverer #worldnomads #traveldeeper #türkmenistan #adventuregram
#adventuretravel #reelsinstagram

Welcome to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 🇹🇲 also kn

Welcome to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 🇹🇲 also known as the "white city" because it's entirely constructed of white marble imported from Italy
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Turkmenistan is one of the most difficult countries in the world to gain access, but once inside, you will find a treasure trove of interesting sights and amazing people.
👆Follow us as we explore this fascinating place.

New adventures ahead!! 🇹🇲

New adventures ahead!! 🇹🇲

The Roads of Afghanistan 🇦🇫 🫣 . . . . . #

The Roads of Afghanistan 🇦🇫 🫣
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#adventuregram #afghanistan #afghanmusic #traveltheglobe #everycountry #reelsinstagram #wonderlost #nothingdeclared

Sölden, Austria 📍Snowboarding Day 1 ✅ A pers

Sölden, Austria 📍Snowboarding Day 1 ✅ A personal triumph of sorts which I will go into more detail at a later date. ➡ scroll for nerd stats 😍 I love there are boarding / ski apps to keep track!!!

On approach to Innsbruck, Austria for a week of sn

On approach to Innsbruck, Austria for a week of snowboarding - a place I have wanted to board since passing through almost 20 years ago. Wow, 20 years!?! Seems like a different life Austria 🇦🇹

Their final choice. (Part 1:2) In these moments of

Their final choice. (Part 1:2)
In these moments of fleeting singledom, these young Wodaabe women have a long final good look at potential husbands before making their decision on who they will marry. The selection process occurs during the elaborate annual Gerewol festival & in my next post you will see the final moment, and how she communicates her choice of partner 🐫🌍

Spectators climb trees, or bring their camels to g

Spectators climb trees, or bring their camels to get a better view of Gerewol Festival 🌴 🐪

A Woodabe woman who had never seen a camera took t

A Woodabe woman who had never seen a camera took this picture. A trend where I kept handing over my camera to these amazingly curious nomads from the Sahel. It makes me smile so much ❤ I think the Woodabe have a gift for photography. They perceive beauty in their world in such a magical way. What do you think?

A woodabe man took this photo of me while playing

A woodabe man took this photo of me while playing with my phone and it actually turned out to be one of my favorites from my time at Gerewol ❤

Where do you hang your hat at the end of a long da

Where do you hang your hat at the end of a long day? This pointy hat is worn by men who spend their days walking with their cattle herds in search of food and water. These bowls are handmade by the nomadic Wodaabe tribe from a type of gourd and are used to prepare and carry food. 🍽

(Cont'd) a few camel 🐪 photos of the nomadic Wo

(Cont'd) a few camel 🐪 photos of the nomadic Wodaabe. Because, is 3 more camel photos ever TOO many camel photos? ❤🐫🐪

I love how gently this Man carries their baby goat

I love how gently this Man carries their baby goat. 🐐 The nomadic Wodaabe spend most of the year in small family groups following the rains across Saharan Africa. They cover vast distances on their journey as they live off the land, guiding their livestock towards leafy veggies and water. However, once the rainy season ends, they come together to celebrate beauty during Gerewol 🐪 🐫🌙

Making friends 🐫 as we make our way to Gerewol

Making friends 🐫 as we make our way to Gerewol festival ❤🌙

Have a good look ❤ in this moment she ponders wh

Have a good look ❤ in this moment she ponders who to marry. The Wodaabe tribe uniquely, and quite progressively, hand all the power to the women who pick their husband at an annual gathering called Gerewol in the middle of the Sahel desert. 🐫 🐪 🌙
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#africanamazing #niger #festival #gerewol #wodaabe #africatravel #westafrica #africageophoto #Africa #westafricatravel #bbctravel #cnntravel #Everypassportstamp #travelgoals #everycountry #everycountryintheworld #travelinspiration #beautifuldestinations #travelinspiration #traveltheworld #worldnomads #visiteverycountry #PassionPassport #viajeros #traveltoexplore #nomadmania #exploretheworld #natgeo #nothingdeclared #mochilero

I spent a day hanging out in a nomadic Woodabe vi

I spent a day hanging out in a nomadic Woodabe village and their welcoming kindness was an incredible feeling. Our worlds could not be any more different. They showed me the art of constructing their desert tents, camel milk, and raised beds. I showed them how to make videos on my phone, something they had never seen before. It's was incredible seeing someone film themselves for the first time and the joy they got from showing each other their video creation, and seeing themselves on screen. ❤ 🎥

🐫 The Wodaabe are cattle-herders and traders in the Sahel desert, with migrations stretching from southern Niger, through northern Nigeria, northeastern Cameroon, southwestern Chad, western region of the Central African Republic and the northeastern of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The number of Wodaabe was estimated in 2001 to be 100,000.They are known for their elaborate attire and rich cultural ceremonies.

The Wodaabe speak the Fula language and don't use a written language. In the Fula language, woɗa means "taboo", and Woɗaaɓe means "people of the taboo." This is sometimes translated as "those who respect taboos", a reference to the Wodaabe isolation from broader Fula/Fulani culture, and their contention that they retain "older" traditions than their Fula neighbors.

By the 17th century, the Fula people across West Africa were among the first ethnic groups to embrace Islam, were often leaders of those forces which spread Islam, and have been traditionally proud of the urban, literate, and pious life with which this has been related. Both Wodaabe and other Fula see in the Wodaabe the echoes of an earlier pastoralist way of life, of which the Wodaabe are proud and of which urban Fula people are sometimes critical.

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