Discussing natural beauty and landscapes, I immediately think of dancing amidst golden dunes or beside the Mediterranean. Tunisia and Turkmenistan offer incredibly diverse landscapes. One boasts Mediterranean charm; the other, a vast desert.
Indeed. Tunisia offers stunning Mediterranean beaches, like those in Hammamet and Djerba. It also features the Sahara Desert, with iconic dunes around Douz and Tozeur, and the Chott el Djerid salt lake.
The Tunisian desert also holds incredible oases—lush palm groves amidst the sand. It's breathtaking.
Shifting to Turkmenistan, the Karakum Desert covers 80% of the country. The Darvaza Gas Crater, or "Door to Hell," is its most striking feature—a perpetually burning crater.
The "Door to Hell"! It's both terrifying and captivating. Beyond that, Turkmenistan has the Kopet Dag Mountains, offering unique flora and caves.
While the Karakum dominates, Turkmenistan also has a Caspian Sea coastline with the Avaza resort—a planned tourist destination in an otherwise isolated area. They also have the Yangykala Canyon, with red and orange rock formations.
And let's not forget Tunisia's northern Atlas Mountains—forests, fertile valleys, and cork oak trees—a stark contrast to the arid south.
A surprising contrast, indeed. Turkmenistan's landscape, dominated by the Karakum, offers a stark, awe-inspiring beauty.
Whether it's Tunisia's diverse offerings or Turkmenistan's dramatic landscapes, both countries offer extraordinary sights for nature lovers. Bring your camera and sense of wonder!
And perhaps a fire extinguisher. Each country offers a unique flavor of natural beauty—one inviting and familiar, the other stark and awe-inspiring.