The former Soviet state of Turkmenistan has maintained its enigmatic reputation since declaring independence in 1991, as a historic post on the silk road consisting mostly of the Karakum Desert. Spread between Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan and the Caspian Sea, the country became first part of the Russian Empire from 1881, then the USSR from 1925. The population is predominantly Turkic, but to my admittedly untrained eye there appeared to be a full mix of all the surrounding areas, with some appearing Persian, Afghan, Slavic and East Asian. While Turkmenistan’s leadership is absolute, its mineral resources are abundant, particularly natural gas of which it had the world’s fourth highest reserves during my 2016 visit. As a result, to me it felt a bit like North Korea but with money.

We visited Turkmenistan in late summer 2016 as part of an organised tour with Koryo Group, who organised the visas, accommodation, local guides and all on-the-ground activities. Flying from Edinburgh via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, we were mostly based in the capital Ashgabat, split by a night up at the Darwaza gas crater under canvas, before striking out across the Karakum Desert to the Caspian via Balkanabat and Yangykala Canyon, and spending a night at the coastal resort of Awaza near Turkmenbashi. An internal flight on Turkmenistan Airlines took us back to Ashgabat for another couple of nights, before returning home. It was a spectacular trip with plenty to do and see, and rewriting these pages in 2024 has reminded me what an incredibly other-worldly place it is.