Man visits 'strangest country in world' and finds streets completely empty

A travel blogger has documented his trip to what he describes as the "strangest country in the world".

Jordan, who runs the Counting Countries channel on YouTube, posted a short account of his recent trip to Turkmenistan in Central Asia.

Sharing a montage of snaps and videos of the location's stunning architecture and monuments, he explained: "This is the strangest country in the world - there are no people around anywhere."

He continued: "The city [Ashgabat] is full of these crazy, lavish monuments, there is no traffic - malls, hotels are all empty so the question is where is everyone?" Good question - for the nation boasts a population of more than seven million.

Jordan added: "After visiting more than 130 countries, this place is unlike anywhere I have ever been. The president requires all buildings and cars to be white. Tourists are under strict requirements to have a guide with you at all times and are banned from visiting certain places and cities."

Jordan appeared mesmerised as he wandered through one of the country's airports, with more staff than travellers, before embarking on a sight-seeing journey that saw him take in municipal buildings, a graveyard and yurt camp accommodation. He went on to reveal that Turkmenistan has banned most websites and apps, while Wi-Fi is "pretty much non-existent".

Alongside footage of him heading down steps to a body of water, he added: "Every activity we did we were the only ones there, including this popular swimming hole and even the famous gas crater.

"We were the only ones who stayed at this awesome yurt camp and the airport is full of security guards but for what? It's empty. Restaurants and streets all the same."

Jordan concluded: "The locals I did meet were super-friendly and welcoming though. This place fascinates me and I've loved my time here so far, but the truth is there is just sort of a weird and eerie feel."

Responding to the clip, a former resident expressed their delight at simply being able to leave the country. "I’m originally from there and thanking God for being able to escape almost 20 years ago - it wasn’t like that back then though I’m surprised they let you in to begin with," they said. "Getting tourist visa is a nightmare, especially for Americans."

A second attempted to explain the reason for it appearing so desolate. "It is common knowledge that Turkmenistan is an extremely repressive country led by a dictatorship that has been widely criticised for its human rights record," they detailed.

Ashgabat is split into two areas - the old town and the new, with the latter dubbed the "city of the dead". According to Times of India, the central part of the city - including its presidential gold-domed palace - is "off-limits to the public".

"This urban design, seemingly tailored for parades and demonstrations, contrasts sharply with the absence of people on the streets," they explain.