{"id":312531,"date":"2025-11-23T01:31:22","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T01:31:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/11-bizarre-yet-beautiful-things-to-experience-my-lifes-a-movie\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T01:31:22","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T01:31:22","slug":"11-bizarre-yet-beautiful-things-to-experience-my-lifes-a-movie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=312531","title":{"rendered":"11 Bizarre Yet Beautiful Things to Experience \u2013 My Life’s a Movie"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Turkmenistan is one of the most bizarrely beautiful countries I\u2019ve seen in the world. And I\u2019ve been to 145 countries\u2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019ll be honest\u2014I was excited yet absolutely terrified to travel to Turkmenistan solo, and also extremely determined to see it after hearing how allegedly difficult it is to travel there. The stereotypes I\u2019d heard ranged from \u201cyou can only drive white cars\u201d\u00a0(spoiler alert: that\u2019s true)<\/em>\u00a0to \u201cit\u2019s the North Korea of Central Asia\u201d.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know what to expect aside from a difficult adventure, but I went anyway since that made it all the more enticing for me. What I discovered\t\t<\/p>\n

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\t\t was one of the most bizarre, beautiful, and utterly surreal places I\u2019ve ever visited in all my travels. From mandatory white cars to rainbow-lit monuments to a literal door to hell, Turkmenistan defied every expectation.<\/p>\n

Here are 11 of the most bizarre yet beautiful things I experienced.<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. The Extremely Complicated Border Crossing<\/h2>\n
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These were all the receipts for the various payments needed to get the Turkmenistan visa!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Let me start by saying: crossing the land border from Uzbekistan<\/strong> <\/a>into Turkmenistan nearly gave me an anxiety attack. For starters, I was by myself taking a taxi from Urgench airport to the border, then left there to figure things out.<\/p>\n

Both sides of the crossing took forever, but the Turkmen side was the clear winner with close to two hours of bureaucratic chaos. I went through about six different windows or rooms, made multiple payments, had my passport checked around twelve times, and watched my bags go through four separate security scanners.<\/p>\n

It felt like I was entering a top-secret facility, not a country. Luckily, my mandatory tour guide (a super cool Gen Z gal) met me at the border and helped navigate the madness. Without her, I\u2019m not sure I would\u2019ve made it through with my sanity intact.<\/p>\n

OH AND BTW:<\/strong> You can only use newer USD bills so be sure you bring at least $300 in cash minimum! And no one speaks English at the land border!<\/em><\/p>\n

Check out my full post for more info: Ultimate Turkmenistan Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know!<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Turkmenistan\u2019s \u201cDoor To Hell\u201d<\/h2>\n
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Definitely looks like the Door to Hell at night!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Getting to the Darvaza Crater\u2014better known as the \u201cDoor to Hell\u201d\u2014was like taking a ride straight to hell itself. Five hours on a terrible road in a minivan that thought it was a race car.<\/p>\n

The Darvaza Crater is a natural gas field that collapsed into an underground cavern in 1971. To prevent the spread of methane gas, scientists set it on fire, expecting it to burn out in a few weeks. Over 50 years later, it\u2019s still burning, but only at 40% as much as when it was first lit \u2014 meaning, yes, the gas is finally dying out, and it might be gone soon.<\/p>\n

Most travelers stay overnight in cute yurts near the crater to watch the flames under the stars. But with my anxiety levels already maxed out and my fight-or-flight mode fully activated, I did what literally no other travelers do: I requested to drive back to Ashgabat that same night. At night. Through the desert. My guide thought I was crazy, but I needed civilization. And the driver did not complain about the big tip I left him.<\/p>\n

Rumor Has It: \u201cThe Door to Hell will be closing soon\u201d<\/strong> \u2014 I asked about this, and as mentioned above, I was told that it\u2019s true that the gas is dying out, so the flames will eventually go out too. There\u2019s also talk that the gov wants to shut it down in order to sell the valuable methane gas instead of use it as a tourist attraction, however since it\u2019s one of Turkmenistan\u2019s main and only attractions, I think it\u2019s clear why that hasn\u2019t happened yet. Either way, go see it before it\u2019s gone!<\/em><\/p>\n

3. Ashgabat, The All-White City<\/h2>\n
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My favorite site to see in Ashgabat was this \u2013 Ferris Wheel!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ashgabat is unlike any city I\u2019ve ever seen, and I\u2019ve been to likely over a thousand cities. Everything\u2014and I mean everything\u2014must be white. This mandate comes from the former president\u2019s vision of a pristine, futuristic capital, that resulted in over 500 marble white buildings, which earned it a Guiness World Record (also his goal).<\/p>\n

Now, in order to keep that record and reputation, the rule still applies!<\/p>\n

Buildings, monuments, even the marble sidewalks are gleaming white. The most bizarrely beautiful sights here are the grandiose monuments scattered throughout the city such! Be sure to check out my full travel guide for info on all of them but I\u2019ll also list a recap here!<\/p>\n

Must- See Sites in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan<\/h3>\n