TURKMENISTAN
Karakum desert
The Karakum Desert occupies about 70 percent, or 350,000 km², of the area of Turkmenistan. Its name means Black Sand in Turkic languages, in reference to the dark soil that lies beneath the sandy surface of much of the desert. It occupies about 70 percent, or 350,000 km², of the area of Turkmenistan.
There are no cities in this vast and mostly empty quarter of the country, but there are a few small villages. The Karakum Desert, where Derweze (or Darvaza) is located, has one of the largest gas reserves in the world. The country hopes to up its exportation rate around 75 million cubic meters of gas in the next 20 years.
BEST TIME to VISIT TURKMENISTAN
BEST TIME to TRAVEL to Karakum desert
From May to September
(hot in summer)
driving
visiting Yangykala canyons
visiting Yangykala canyons
visiting Yangykala canyons
wild horses drinking
shepherd with sheeps
dunes
landscape
driving on a dirty road
sandy rod and dromedaries
driving
dromedary
landscape
sandy road : a 4WD is mandatory
traditional craddle in a house
Asia Minor ground squirrel
village in Karakum desert
goats and sheeps
overview of the desert village
woman cooking outside
shepherd is following its dromedaries with a motorcycle
dromedaries are kept in the village for the night
Woman with dromedaries
Dromedarie
milking
outside kitchen
dromedaries are leaving the village for the day to graze in the desert
dung beetle
baby dromedary
Dromedary at sunset
small dromedary
houses in a desert village
Baby playing
dirty road
children
4WD only
preparing a wedding
landscape
driving in the desert
small boys
village
enclosure for animals - made in wood
large herd of goats and sheeps
village in the desert
off road
herd crossing the road
cattle
arriving in a village
dunes
landscape
sandy road
houses
landscape
landscape
dromedaries drinking at dawn
houses in a village
ground squirrel
Dromedary
desert vegetation - Ferula
old man in a village
young girl with baby
toxic desert mushroom
temperature in the desert was hot - avoid june-august if you don't like heat - We traveled in may.
2 boys on a motorbike - may be the driver is a bit too young