Bizarre and unusual destinations around the world

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In the Karakum Desert in northern Turkmenistan, a fiery pit has burned since at least the 1970s. The burning crater, called the "Gates of Hell" by some locals, was formed by accident. Engineers who were drilling for natural gas had stumbled upon a cavern with gas emanating from it. To contain the potentially harmful gas' release, they set it ablaze, hoping it would burn out in a few days. <a href="/travel/deals/la-trb-offbeat-traveler-darvaza-turkmenistan-20110926,0,78093.photogallery"><span style="color: #2262CC;">More photos...</span></a>

Darvaza

( Chris Wright )

Although well off the beaten track in a country with no real tourist industry, the hole attracts visitors at night, when it is diabolically beautiful.