One of Turkmenistan’s most unusual sights, the Darvaza Gas Craters are the result of Soviet-era gas exploration in the 1950s. The three craters are artificial. One has been set alight and blazes with an incredible strength that’s visible from miles away, while the other two contain bubbling mud and water. There have been rumours for years that the burning gas crater will be put out to enable gas exploration in the area, but it was still burning in 2013.
Of the three, the fire crater is the most impressive, and it’s best seen at night, when the blazing inferno can only be compared to the gates of hell. There is a naturally sheltered camping place behind the small hill, just south of the crater. Getting to the crater is an off-road ride and drivers frequently get lost or get stuck in the dunes. There is no one around to give directions, so make sure you go with somebody who knows the way. If you intend to walk from the road, think twice. While the walk only takes two hours through the dunes, you’ll have to spend the night here, as finding your way back to the road without the reference of a huge burning crater is very hard. Even in daylight you may get lost – it’s much better to pay for a tour. There are no hotels in the area, but most of the chaikhanas that line the main road just north of the turnoff to the crater offer beds for the night, provide meals and even sell petrol. As there are no signposts for either the turnoff or the chaikhanas; look out for the train line crossing the main road. If coming from Ashgabat, the turnoff for the crater is about 1km before the railway line, and the chaikhanas are a few kilometres afterwards. If you plan to camp at the crater, make sure you sleep a good distance back from its edges, as breathing in the gas all night long can make you very ill.
All buses and marshrutki heading from Ashgabat to both Konye-Urgench and Dashogus go through Jerbent and pass nearby the turnoff for the Darvaza Gas Craters on the main road.
