Turkmenistan is by far one of the most difficult countries I have ever set foot in. Due to its isolation from the outside world and its political obscurity, being there was a challenge but also fascinating.

For one, this country is where the Gateway to Hell is located. Darvaza crater, as it is known, is a natural gas crater that has continued to burn ever since it got lit on fire 60+ years ago. Camping near it at night was one of the most bizarre and yet beautiful experience I ever had.

Ashgabat or the white marble city is quite hard to describe. Imagine if North Korea and Las Vegas had a baby, you'd get Ashgabat. With stunning, almost alien-looking structures scattered around Ashgabat, and the weirdly empty streets, I hated it at first but then I started to enjoy the city as I learned the ropes. It was different.

In my 8 years of traveling, I have never seen a city like it. Ashgabat was interesting but for me, Turkmenistan is best to experience outside the city. Camping near the crater or on top of a canyon was possibly one of the best experiences I had on this trip. These locations were so isolated with no one for miles away, it was quite incredible to think about it.

For this video, I went with a more atmospheric sound and dramatic visual with no crazy transitions or fast-paced cuts to convey just how isolated the country is from the rest of the world. Turkmenistan is the country of extremes, extreme wilderness, extreme extravagant, and unfortunately extreme poverty, and I hope this video touched all of those 3 points I wanted to make. Enjoy the video

Location: Ashgabat, Yangykala Canyon, and Darvaza Crater

Camera Gear: Sony a6500 + 16mm - 70mm Zeiss lens (bucketlistly.blog/posts/advanced-travel-video-gear-guide)

Music: The Planet by Moment of Now (Licensed through artlist.io/Pete-165569)