Why take a trip to the unknown by discovering the most beautiful deserts on earth?
Unsuitable and inhospitable area, I propose you to make a journey towards the unknown.
Let me tell you about the most beautiful deserts on the planet that are full of wonders and have always attracted adventurers in search of wild beauties.
ATACAMA: Northern Chile
The world’s driest desert, the Atacama in Chile reaching 6000 metres above sea level. It stretches for 1000 km to Peru and Bolivia. Bordered by the Cordillera de los Ángeles, vegetation has adapted to altitude and drought because in this region it may not rain for 30 years!
70 km from San Pedro de Atacama, is the largest salt desert in Chile: the Salar of Atacama culminating at 2500 meters. It is in this immensity of salt that an armada of pink flamingos rumbles and throw themselves the quebradas (small ravines with fire colors).
In the far north of Chile, you can admire an area of volcanoes still active with their snowy peaks. It’s an incredible contrast with the lunar landscape of Death Valley!
Mojave and Arizona: USA
Spanning several states in the American West, the Mojave Desert covers more than 40,000 km2. Bordered by mountains reaching 2000m altitude, we can find snow on some peaks.
The Mojave desert is home to dried-up salt lakes, rocky valleys where vegetation has ceased to exist. Time seems to have stopped as you discover a surreal landscape with dunes where the wind blows the sand.
To the east of the desert, you can admire the Grand Canyon and its 2 billion year old rock gorges.
The Namib: Namibia
Bordered by the Orange River in southwest Namibia, the Namib stretches over a strip of 2000km2. It is the oldest desert in the world! It is coastal because its dunes plunge into the Atlantic Ocean. Sossusvlei dunes are the highest dunes in the world.
The ghost town: Kolmanskop
In the 20th century, this region was invaded by diamond prospectors. Now exhausted, the reserves no longer attract anyone and it is a ghost town. Along the coast, rotting whale bodies and shipwrecks. It’s a strange but fascinating sight and feeling!
Wadi Rum: Jordan
At the border with Saudi Arabia, this desert carries within it every step of Lawrence of Arabia. Its sandy valleys are bordered by orange-pink or black and yellow granite cliffs. Also known as the Valley of the Moon, this is where the headquarters was established during the Arab revolt against the Ottomans. On a camel or 4×4, go discover the kingdom of Jordan. Discover and meet the semi-nomadic people, the Bedouins, who will welcome you with incredible generosity.
The great sand desert and Ayers Rock: Australia
The flattest, most isolated and driest continent on earth, the centre of Australia is the second largest desert belt in the world after the Sahara. You will find on site only a few communities of Aborigines who live in this desert area. The heart of Australia also reveals wonders like Uluru (or Ayers Rock), sacred mountain of the famous Aborigines. It is a unique stone (monolith) red of 9.4km in circumference and high of 348m. This dream country would seem to be one of the oldest regions on earth. The bush has a western-like setting with ghost towns crossed by kangaroos, dingoes and wild camels.
Gobi: Mongolia
Contrast land, this desert is one of the coldest. Winter is cold with temperatures up to minus 40 degrees! In summer, expect up to 45 degrees; the difference is therefore spectacular. The diversity of landscapes is impressive because the Gobi desert is surrounded by the Altai mountains, the Mongolian steppe, the Tibetan plateau and the North China plain.
This arid immensity is only tread by nomads and their camels. This desert is the ancient land of dinosaurs where grazed horses Przewalski, hunt snow leopards as well as the golden eagle and bear.
Kyzyl Kum: Uzbekistan
Natural border between the Khiva region and the rest of the country, the Kyzyl Kum desert covers 2/3 of Uzbekistan (11th largest desert in the world). It is surrounded by water bodies (3 main rivers fed by glaciers of the surrounding mountains) but remains particularly arid.
With its red dunes as far as the eye can see, the desert of Kyzyl Kum has charmed adventurers like Alexander the Great or Marco Polo. Through this immensity, you will discover a single human presence that inhabit large white yurts. The desert ground is filled with gold and natural gas and is also crossed by the ancient silk road.
The Sahara crosses 10 countries from Egypt to Mauritani.
From the Atlantic to the Red Sea, the Sahara has more than 8 million km2 of sand. It is a paradoxical area since the days are hot (45 degrees) while the nights are cool or cold! Many explorers have been enchanted by this desert of golden sand. The days are punctuated by sandstorms and strong winds.
Just 8,000 years ago, this region was dotted with large rivers like the Ighaghar. The Sahara is a place steeped in history and more than 2.5 million people live there. A Touareg proverb says that “the real fight is to be at peace with oneself, may the vastness of the Sahara desert show you the way…”.
In Europe: the Tabernas desert in Spain
It is the only natural desert in Europe located in Andalusia. Of modest size, it consists of arid hills dotted with stones and dust. The Tabernas desert was used for many American movies (cowboys) in the 1960s. These landscapes resemble the American West and great directors like Sergio Leone have taken advantage of them.
