Darvaza Fire Crater - The World’s Most Isolated, Yet Unforgettable, Attraction
It had been over a month of travelling through Central Asia. At this point, I had experienced some of the most epic highlights throughout my travel life. There were five highlights throughout the Five Stans of the Silk Road about which I shared stories on.
Having covered four highlights up to this point of the journey - it is appropriate to save the upcoming one for last during my travel through the final Stan country. Ironically, this highlight was part of a man made accident, yet, it is one of the world’s most isolated and unknown tourist attractions.
Darwaza is located in central Turkmenistan in the middle of Karakum Desert.
Located in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan, the Darvaza Fire Crater (Door to Hell) was the site of what ended up being the most incredible experience of my Central Asia journey.
A day earlier, the group and I left from Khiva, Uzbekistan on an unusual rainy morning. The 45 minute van ride from the hotel to the Uzbek-Turkmen border was smooth and we met our local Turkmen guide, Serger. After a two-hour border crossing, we made it into the world’s most isolated country.
After a day in Dashgouz, my group and I were picked up by four 4x4 vehicles for a three hour journey through the Karakum Desert. Bumpy roads, sandy terrains and bright sunny skies made for quite an adventure. We eventually made it to our yurt camp and settled in.
The moment of triumph was about to take shape. I approached the 400-metre walkway from the camp to Darvaza Fire Crater. The first thing going through my mind was OMG!!!! A gargantuan hole with burning flames right in front of my eyes.
Around 60-70 metres (200-230 feet) in diameter and 38 metres (98 feet) deep, Darvaza was created as a result of a man-made methane gas accident in the early 1970s. This event led to the ground collapsing as a result of gas pipes exploding and burning non-stop for half a century.
A small fence surrounds the crater with an opening adjacent to the camp that lets visitors enter close to the edge of the crater. This is a potential moment where one wrong step could have disastrous consequences. Especially in the evening hours as the ledge next to the crater is covered in darkness.
Fires of Darvaza lighting up during evening hours.
Ironically, the nighttime skies added to the experience as the burning flames light up the complex making it one of the most unique and under travelled sites in the world.
Feeling the intense heat of the fires, it felt like a moment in a movie. Only this was not a movie. It was real life!
Imagine sitting by a campfire or a fireplace in a home. Having a picnic blanket with food and drinks. Darvaza is popular with local tourists and caravans arrive to do just that, usually in the later hours of the evening.
I was walking along the ledges of the crater when I came upon a local couple from Ashgabat (the Turkmen capital). They were camping with another couple and invited me to sit down with them for a picnic within a few feet of the burning fires.
Sharing a dialogue, the woman shared with me how she works with children on the autism spectrum. A moving and compassionate conversation, she was inspired by my story as a traveller who travels with autism and to learn what I was doing in one of the world’s most isolated countries.
After sharing yurts in Kyrgyzstan & Uzbekistan with fellow travel mates, I was rewarded my own yurt in the middle of Karakum Desert. I went to sleep and woke up around 5am and made the 400 metre walk to the crater.
Making the round loop around the fire, I met an Indian-British gentleman who took a photo of me with the burning fire and sunrise in the background. The result was the most epic and well positioned photo of my travel life. It captures me experiencing the world’s most isolated and unforgettable attraction.
Crouching by the edge of Darvaza Fire Crater with the sunrise and yurt camps in the background. My most epic travel photo of ALL TIME!!!!
Leaving the site the following morning was difficult to process. I knew this will probably be the only time travel to Turkmenistan. The visa application process, crossing the border, the long-drive through the desert and getting to stay at a yurt camp only a few hundred metres away with access to the fires of hell, made my experience in this country all worth it!!!
Unforgettable on all fronts, this was my final and greatest highlight of Central Asia. Taking the arduous long-drive through Karakum Desert rewarded me with memories that will last a lifetime. Darvaza Fire Crater is truly unique in being able to burn consistently for the last half century without the fires being extinguished.
After one final three hour drive, the group and I concluded our 26-day journey in Ashgabat and reflected on Darvaza and the Five Stans altogether. I left in the early hours from the airport leaving behind the greatest trip of a lifetime, yet bittersweet to head back home until my next big adventure took place a couple months later.
