AI generatedDarvaza
Turkmenistan · Ahal · 80 m
Short description of Darvaza
The Darvaza crater is a collapsed gas field in the middle of the Karakum that has been burning since a Soviet drilling accident set it alight. Travellers camp on the sand rim and watch it after dark, because daylight shows little more than a wide pit of scorched rock and pale gravel. Containment wells have cut the flame back sharply and what once filled the hollow is now scattered pockets of fire. Two quieter craters nearby hold bubbling water and grey mud. The last stretch off the highway is soft sand and needs a high vehicle with good clearance.
AI edited
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Recommended length of stay
Travel seasons at a glance
Best time to visit: April – May or September – October
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All highlights and sightsBeta
- The burning crater after dark
- Overnight camp on the crater rim
- Karakum dunes and stargazing
- Sunset over the desert
- The water crater
- The mud crater
- Yerbent desert village on the approach