Fleewinter

It’s a long four-wheel drive into the desert wilderness to reach Yangykala Canyon, Turkmenistan’s most beautiful natural site. That’s why it’s well worth making the most of the journey by spending the night out here under canvas – and we’ve chosen a basic camping set-up for a wild experience.

Spectacular stripes of red, pink and yellow adorn the steep walls of Yangykala Canyon, a fantastic geological phenomenon. The peaks and troughs of the canyon stretch for 15 miles towards the Garabogazköl Basin. It’s an isolated spot in a sparsely populated country. Many Turkmen don’t even know of the canyon’s existence.

We’ll set up camp on a plateau overlooking the ravine. It’s just a couple of hundred metres from the famous “crocodile jaws”, where the coral-coloured bands are particularly distinctive. It can be windy, but you’ll be well-equipped with a good tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and pillow.

Arriving in the late afternoon, you can watch the sun sink slowly beneath the horizon of this Martian-like landscape. Then we’ll light a bonfire and set up tables and chairs for dinner cooked up by the team. After that, there’s nothing more to do but gaze at the stars above, in one of clearest skies in the world.