Turkmenistan is one of the most reclusive countries on the planet and can only be visited as part of a tour. Friend Jacob Kallman and I booked a custom trip, starting off with a few days in the capital Ashgabat. Ashgabat is a unique city with extravagant monuments and complex water fountains, boasting over 48 million square feet of white marble. Having city sights to ourselves contributed to the surrealness of it all.

After Ashgabat we visited Turkmenbashy (Caspian Sea), Yangykala Canyon, Nokhur Village, Merv, Darvaza Crater (Gates of Hell), and finished in Konye Urgench before crossing into Uzbekistan on foot. We visited several Unesco sights along the way including Old Nisa (an early Parthian capital) and ancient Merv (silk road hub and at one time the largest city in the world). We also got to the summit of Gora Arlan, a stunning ultra prominent mountain that receives few (if any) foreign visitors. We had a great time in one of the most unusual and interesting countries I’ve ever visited.