A burning crater in the middle of the desert
In the middle of the Karakum Desert, a crater some 70 metres across has been burning for decades, fed by natural gas escaping from the ground. It is said to have formed when a Soviet drilling rig collapsed into a cavern and geologists set it alight to burn off the gas. By day it is a curiosity; after dark, when the flames and heat shimmer up from the pit, it is unforgettable. Most visitors camp nearby in yurts or tents and eat dinner under the desert stars.