Darvaza Gas Crater — Door to Hell

Turkmenistan was the section of the journey that refused to behave. In ten days it moved from white-marble Ashgabat to the Caspian edge, from canyon dust to crater fire, from Merv’s ruined city walls to Dayahatyn’s brick arches and the Amu Darya.

This hub keeps the five Turkmenistan posts in one place. Start with the full route below, jump to the episode that fits your mood, or use the map when the geography begins doing its usual Central Asian magic trick: making every place look close until the road explains otherwise.

Dayahatyn Caravanserai entrance

We woke up in Mary before sunrise, still carrying Merv dust in our shoes and a healthy respect for ruined cities that refuse to stay politely in the past. The previous part is live here: Episode 4: The Silk Road’s Beating Heart - Nisa to Merv.

This final Turkmenistan leg follows the road east from Mary to Turkmenabat, the old Amul of Silk Road maps, then turns north toward Dayahatyn Caravanserai and the Amu Darya. It is a neat little package: canals, fortress walls, desert tracks, Seljuk brickwork, an Oxus sunset, and enough bouncing to remind several internal organs of their job descriptions.

Great Kyz Kala, Merv, Turkmenistan: Iconic Caravanserai on the Ancient Silk Road

From the Darvaza Gas Crater, our Turkmenistan route turned back toward Ashgabat, then south to Old Nisa and east toward Mary and Ancient Merv (MAP). This part follows the old Silk Road through Parthian ruins, Kopet Dag border country, the M37 corridor, the new Ashgabat–Turkmenabat motorway, and the brick bones of a city that once made medieval mapmakers feel useful.

If you missed the previous leg, catch up on the fire, fury, and practical heat management at the Darvaza Gas Crater in Episode 3. Then come back here for Nisa, Mary, Merv, mausoleums, camel diplomacy, and another day when the sun behaved like it had tenure.

Darvaza Gas Crater - Door to Hell

In this episode, we leave behind the marble perfection of Ashgabat and head north across the Karakum Desert on some of the worst roads we've ever driven - zigzagging past camels, craters and ancient gas rigs en route to one of the world's most surreal destinations: the Darvaza Gas Crater, or as locals call it, the Door to Hell. With roadside kebabs, feral Alabai dogs and flaming geology, this leg of our Turkmenistan expedition is as thrilling as it is bumpy.

Missed the previous leg of the journey? Catch up on our travels through Turkmenbashi, Yangykala Canyon, Balkanabat and Nokhur in [Episode 2].

Yangykala Canyon: Crocodile's Mouth

Have you ever driven into a Martian canyon in the middle of the desert while dodging camels?

In the last episode, we explored the white marble city of Ashgabat and took a night train to Turkmenbashi (see Turkmenistan Part 1 | Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi Overland via the Silk Road, Karakum Desert & the Trans-Caspian Railway). We now leave Turkmenbashi's Caspian Sea coast behind, plunging into the Karakum Desert, where the "roads" dissolve into cracked asphalt and sand-drifted trails. Our 4x4 lurched like a ship in a storm, slowing only when a caravan of dust-caked camels claimed right of way — their languid strides a reminder that here, time moves on desert terms. We head to the fabled Yangykala Canyon and then on to ancient Nokhur (aka Nohur) village via the city of Balkanabat. We will stay overnight with a local family in Nohur and share a traditional dinner, visit the tree where Noah's family found shelter, climb down 350 steps to a deep underground thermal lake, taste some fabulous Turkmen kabob and continue our Turkmenistan adventure in this episode.

Our Ashgabat - Turkmenbashi overnight sleeper train at Ashgabat Railway Station

We had a little bit of experience in Central Asia when we visited Mongolia at its eastern end previously. When we started talking about the other end of Central Asia, i.e. Turkmenistan, they said this was a mysterious, closed-off and untouched country. They weren't wrong. But they forgot to add: "utterly magical."

After 10 days exploring (MAP) this surreal Central Asian nation where ancient Silk Road ruins collide with Soviet-era oddities, marble-clad cities and a literal Gates of Hell, we can confidently say: Turkmenistan is one of the world’s most fascinating, bizarre and criminally underrated travel destinations. From the gleaming white emptiness of Ashgabat to the echoing ruins of Merv, the fiery spectacle of Darwaza, the timelessness of Dayahatyn Caravanserai and the legendary Amu Darya (Oxus) river, plus an unexpectedly luxurious overnight train to Turkmenbashi, every moment felt like stepping into a dream (or sometimes, a slightly dystopian novel). Here’s the first episode of the full story of our Turkmenistan adventure, with plenty of history, humor and what-the-heck moments along the way.