Our Central Asian itinerary included staying at three yurt camps, and whilst I’m not into glitzy five-star hotels, I like a little comfort, so was naturally apprehensive. Our first camp was established for visitors to what is known as Turkmenistan’s ‘Door or Gate to Hell’ and I hoped this wasn’t a bad omen.
The crater and camp are located in the Karakum Desert with the Darwaza Yurt Camp being owned by the company we were travelling with, Owadan Tourism. Having started with just three yurts there are now 40 of the circular, framed, tent-like structures.
Our yurt, around 18-feet in diameter, had a tall domed roof which gave a feeling of space. A patterned carpet on the concrete floor made it look cosy and whilst the two single beds were a little hard, the thick and thin blankets were essential during the night when day time temperatures of 40 degrees dropped dramatically. A brightly painted chest was ideal for our two suitcases and although there was a single canvas director’s-style chair, we didn’t have time to sit out. Small solar panels at each yurt provided electricity for charging mobile phones.
The bathroom facilities of eight toilets and three showers can best be described as adequate and functional, and it was the first time I’ve brushed my teeth with a hedgehog for company. Fortunately on the night we stayed, the only other two guests arrived after we’d gone to bed and left before we got up.
The camp had an outdoor restaurant with a reed canopy, and picnic benches and tables but there was also an indoor dining room for poor weather. Dinner began with a delicious vegetable soup and bread, followed by an Asian style noodle and carrot salad. The main course of vegetable plov (a rice dish) was accompanied by lamb, chicken and tomatoes cooked on a BBQ which went well with Berk 2 beers. The only downside was flies swarming around the food, although this didn’t seem to bother our guide, despite us swatting away with hands and napkins.
After a post-dinner stroll to the crater, we enjoyed a final beer whilst browsing the photograph albums of the renovation work which had been undertaken during Covid.
As well as the hedgehogs, there were also rabbits, a huge Central Asian shepherd dog known as an alabai, and several cats roaming around the restaurant, whilst early the next morning, several camels walked nonchalantly past the shower block.
Bearing in mind our remote desert location, the buffet style breakfast was a feast with yoghurt and cereals, juice, cheeses, salads, bread with jams, potato pancakes and fried eggs, along with Central Asia’s ubiquitous green tea.
Despite my initial reservation about yurts, the stay was more comfortable than I’d anticipated, and I looked forward to, rather than dreaded, the next yurt camps.