For a country that doesn't exist, Transdniester is pretty well organised.
The breakaway Republic of a breakaway Soviet Republic, it ranks longside Nagorno Karabakh, South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Kosovo. In the case of all the other breakaways though at least one other country (and for Kosovo 62 countries recognise independence, though not crucially Russia or China, who have to do so in order for Kosovo to become a UN member). Poor Transdniester though is recognised by absolutely nobody else, and therefore oficially it does not exist.
A brutal (civil) war (of independence) with Moldova has led to Russian troops on the border acting as a 'peacekeeping' force. A porous border with Ukraine, tobacco and alcohol smuggling, gun running and tales of aggressive communist throwback attitudes to visitors on traveller forums suggest you will have a heavy time of things if you try to get in. Stories of cameras being confiscated and large bribes being required to let you out again abound along with instructions to register yourself at a non-existent address in the second city, Bendery.
As this country is not recognised by anyone else in the World, it's place in the Global Happiness Index is also currently unknown.
Sadly the quickest route from Chisinau to Odesa lies through Transdniester, and following my visit to North Korea, I am not one to shy away from a bit of authoritarian Stalinism...
Happilly, more careful reading of the traveller forums shows such horror stories petering out about a year ago and more recent tales talk of happy customs officials dealing with you efficiently and helpfully, if not cheerfully. So was my experience...
The breakaway Republic of a breakaway Soviet Republic, it ranks longside Nagorno Karabakh, South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Kosovo. In the case of all the other breakaways though at least one other country (and for Kosovo 62 countries recognise independence, though not crucially Russia or China, who have to do so in order for Kosovo to become a UN member). Poor Transdniester though is recognised by absolutely nobody else, and therefore oficially it does not exist.
A brutal (civil) war (of independence) with Moldova has led to Russian troops on the border acting as a 'peacekeeping' force. A porous border with Ukraine, tobacco and alcohol smuggling, gun running and tales of aggressive communist throwback attitudes to visitors on traveller forums suggest you will have a heavy time of things if you try to get in. Stories of cameras being confiscated and large bribes being required to let you out again abound along with instructions to register yourself at a non-existent address in the second city, Bendery.
As this country is not recognised by anyone else in the World, it's place in the Global Happiness Index is also currently unknown.
Sadly the quickest route from Chisinau to Odesa lies through Transdniester, and following my visit to North Korea, I am not one to shy away from a bit of authoritarian Stalinism...
Happilly, more careful reading of the traveller forums shows such horror stories petering out about a year ago and more recent tales talk of happy customs officials dealing with you efficiently and helpfully, if not cheerfully. So was my experience...
I got totally ignored on arrival (pictured). While being asked to step off the bus with the Austrian guy I was travelling with for the day, we both got stared at and then waved back in the direction of the bus. I was pleased on the one hand and woefully disappointed to not have a better anecdote on the other. On departure I was asked how much money I had... I was waiting for the sly wink and the outstretched palm, but things have clearly and thankfully moved on.
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