The hook
A wide pit in the Karakum desert that has been on fire for decades, a roaring crater of flame nicknamed the Door to Hell, at its most hypnotic when you camp beside it and watch it burn against the black desert night.
01Why it's worth it
Out in the empty Karakum desert, a large crater full of natural gas burns continuously, throwing up hundreds of small flames and a red glow that is genuinely startling after dark. The usual story is that Soviet geologists drilling here in the early 1970s triggered a collapse into a gas cavern and set it alight to burn off the gas, expecting it to last days; it has been burning ever since. Whatever the exact origin, the result is one of the strangest sights on the planet, and the classic way to see it is to drive out across the desert and camp overnight nearby, watching the fiery pit against the stars. Turkmenistan itself is one of the most closed and tightly controlled countries in the world, with difficult visas and restricted travel, so simply getting here is part of the adventure and requires planning through an approved tour.
02How to experience it
Come after dark, when the flames are most dramatic, and ideally camp overnight in the desert beside the crater for the full effect. Access is by 4x4 as part of an organised tour, since Turkmenistan requires visas and, usually, a guide. Sort the paperwork well ahead; it is not a spontaneous trip.