[rallison]

I was lucky enough to visit in 2018. It is a truly surreal place. I've been a few places, and Darvaza is still one of the most memorable. Since travel in Turkmenistan is quite restricted, I hired a driver to travel from Ashgabat to Darvaza to Konye-Urgench, with an overnight at the crater (and another overnight in Dashoguz, after visiting Konye-Urgench).

The heat of the crater. The size of it. The light it puts out into an otherwise perfectly dark surrounding. The remoteness. The bareness of it all. To be there as the sun sets, and as the stars come out, and until the crater is the only source of light.. absolutely amazing.

Of course, sometimes the destination is only part of what is memorable. The drive out was an obstacle course of avoiding potholes at high speed. Once there, healthy amounts of vodka were enjoyed with my driver. Hours of talk, despite minimal shared language. And sleeping involved a rather tiny tent (perfectly serviceable for a night of camping).

It's hard to convey how surreal the place is.

[rallison]

A few photos from my visit:

Pitch black night, illuminated by the crater: https://imgur.com/a/3sgz6oB

Crater at twilight: https://imgur.com/p7BZfYA

Milky Way at night from near my tent, facing away from the crater, and with the moon rising: https://imgur.com/4mq71D5

[latchkey]

This is when I wish HN had the ability to inline images. Great shots and sounds like an epic adventure.

[irrational]

It’s too bad that artificial light is shining in the third picture. It would be so much better with just the crater and the Milky Way.

[Mistletoe]

I was hoping you would post photos, thank you.

[CarVac]

How loud is it?

[rallison]

It's definitely got some noise to it. Not super loud, but definitely not quiet.