Barbecue at Doors To Hell Turkmenistan Darvaza Program

Clip from our first trip
to Turkmenistan in 2016
M
ost mysterious and the least explored of Central
Watch the Clip Asia ‘stans, this country has been difficult to ap-
proach for a long time. Bordered by Kazakhstan to
the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north and east,
Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest,
and the Caspian Sea to the west. Turkmenistan has
been at the crossroads of civilizations
for centuries. In medieval times, Merv was one of the
great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the
Silk Road, a caravan route used for trade with China until the
mid-15th century.
Annexed by the Russian Empire in 1881, Turkmenistan later

figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik movement in Central
Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a constituent republic of
the Soviet Union, Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic became
independent in 1991.
The country became famous for the dictatorship of Saparmyrat

Niyazov, who ruled as ‘Turkmenbashi’ (‘leader of the
Turkmen’) until his death in 2006. He covered this desert republic
with golden statues of himself and monuments to the achieve-
ments of his ‘golden age’.
BARBECUE AT DOORS TO HELL

Darvaza – Turkmenistan
T
urkmenistan has a very unusual regime controlled
by the government nearly every way. Tourism as
such is welcomed though Soviet-style visa require-
ments and expensive guided tours seem to chal-
lenge everyone... Image control is taken very seriously. Out-
side of the monuments, best to snap a quick picture and move on.
The full Turkmen experience is ultimately

about mingling with the warm and fascinating Turkmen people
themselves, whose hospitality is legendary.
Ashgabat is a capital designed at the cost of billions of dol-

lars showing off the world glory and accomplishments of
the Turkmen. A thoroughly artificial collection of white marble
buildings across a long, dry valley. At sunrise or sunset, there’s
a beauty to this uniform, resembling more of a science-fiction film
than actual human settlement.
T
he Kopet Dag, also known as the
Turkmen-Khorasan Mountain Range
is a mountain range on the fron-
tier between Turkenistan and Iran
that extendsabout 650 kilome-
tres along the border southeast of
the Caspian Sea, stretching northwest-southeast
from near the Caspian Sea in the northwest to the
Harirud River in the southeast.
The word “kopet” or in Persian “koppeh” means

“pile” or “heap”, and the word “dag” or “dagh”
means “mountain” in Turkish. So “Kopet Dagh” or
“Koppeh Dagh” could be defined as “the mountain
that is piled or heaped” and therefore the words
could mean “piled or hilly mountains” or “low
hills” in general.
The woodlands of the region are home to many

fruit trees, shrubs, and vines.
Visit to the Köw Ata Underground Lake is a unique experience.
You will enter a cave at the base of a mountain and walk down a staircase, 65m underground,
which takes you into a wonderfully sulphurous subterranean world. At the bottom awaits a superb lake of
clear water naturally heated to about 36°C where you can have a dip.
T
he village of Darvaza is centrally located in Turkmenistan, its 350 tribal residents
braving the inhospitable conditions of the desert for hundreds of years. Nothing
could interrupt the peaceful and quiet lifestyle of the nomadic tribe, aside from sit-
ting on a valuable cache of natural resources.
Turkmenistan
Initial estimations of the site’s reserves were extremely low; when the soviet scientists lit the gas,
it erupted and didn’t stop burning. Over forty years later locals call it the Doors to Hell.

Here is our plan
Day 0
Departure
Thursday
Meeting at Terminal 2 for
a direct flight to Ashgabad

Day 1 Saturday
Day 2
Friday
A
rrival, immigration procedure, check in and short
rest. Foreign passport registration procedure.
Quick look at majestic statues of Ashgabat and
few other landmarks of the city.
In the evening departure to Darvaza. On the way stop at two

other craters with water and sulfur mud, both seeping with gas
from the underground.
“A little party never killed nobody” themed barbecue dinner Return towards Ashgabat, lunch at local restaurant. Drive to Nokhur
near the main crater. Unforgettable sunset over the gas burning village and short exploration. Overnight at local house and celebra-
spectacle (camping - basic facilities, but very reasonable). tion of Trekkup 6th anniversary in Turkmen style!
Day 4
Monday
Early morning transfer to airport for
a return flight. Back in Dubai 06.00am.
Day 3 Sunday
I
n the morning hike around Nokhur village of Kopetdag mountains.
Swim at volcanic underground lake of Kow-Ata. Come back to
sci-fi scenery and indulge into neon lit up streets with white mar-
ble decorations. Check up on local nightlife.
Trip Info
Level of Difficulty Easy
Activities Trekking, camping, swimming, sightseeing, getting amazed with burning gas crater!
3-star hotel (double sharing room), 1-night comfortable camping,

Accommo & Meals 1 night guesthouse, local meals, barbecue
Flights Refer to trip manual for the flights details.
We are arranging visa approval within trip budget, however visa sticker fees, payable
at the airport are excluded from trip budget. Consider approx. 100 USD for visa related
Visa fees; exact cost depends on nationality.
In case of visa invitation refusal, processing fee of 50 USD is deductible
Our first trip to Turkmenistan in 2016

Clips
https://vimeo.com/183429568
See yah in Darvaza! x

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Clip from our first trip

Annexed by the Russian Empire in 1881, Turkmenistan later

The country became famous for the dictatorship of Saparmyrat

BARBECUE AT DOORS TO HELL

The full Turkmen experience is ultimately

Ashgabat is a capital designed at the cost of billions of dol-

The word “kopet” or in Persian “koppeh” means

The woodlands of the region are home to many

BARBECUE AT DOORS TO HELL

BARBECUE AT DOORS TO HELL

In the evening departure to Darvaza. On the way stop at two

Level of Difficulty Easy

3-star hotel (double sharing room), 1-night comfortable camping,

Flights Refer to trip manual for the flights details.

Our first trip to Turkmenistan in 2016

See yah in Darvaza! x

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