Unrecognised states

Nagorno-Karabakh is a republic recognised by nobody, especially not Azerbaijan. It lies inside Azerbaijan but is "occupied" by Armenians - the Armenians have always lived in Nagorno-Karabakh, but the region was given to Azerbaijan during the Soviet times. When the USSR dissolved, the conflict reemerged with fierce fighting going on in 1991-1994 which left Nagorno-Karabakh wartorn. Today, it is possible to visit Nagorno-Karabakh Republic - but only from Armenia. You will be denied entry to Azerbaijan if they find any proof (souvenirs, photos, visa from NKR) that you have been to Nagorno-Karabakh.

Disclaimer: We are not political here on Globe Spots, we are just presenting things from a traveller's point of view.

Trans-what? Yes, Transdniestr is a self-proclaimed republic located mostly between Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine. The breakaway territory declared independence from Moldova in 1990 and sports its own president, border control, police, and even money. Even with these impressive efforts, nobody recognises Transdniestr as an independent state, besides a few similar breakaway states like the ex-soviet territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Nevertheless, it has recently become possible, and rather easy, to visit this wanna-be-state. Crossing into Transdniestr from Moldova feels like travelling back in time and makes Moldova look like a futuristic utopia. The journey requires border crossings (your passport is not stamped, sorry), change of money, and the skill of reading Russian since this is the official language of Trandsniestr. Dobro pozhalovat!