Posted on 21 July 2021

Do you crave vast, open space? Do you want to enjoy the stars in all their clarity, free from urban light pollution? Do you yearn for absolute silence in a world filled with hubbub and clamour?

 

Then including a desert in your next itinerary is sure to soothe your soul. Here are seven of the most stunning deserts on the planet...

 

Atacama Desert in Chile

With just 1mm of rainfall a year, the Atamaca is the world's driest desert. Located between the Andes and the Chilean Coast Range, here you can experience a desert in the truest sense, against the backdrop of majestic mountains. With 300 clear days annually, the expansive sky brings a sense of tranquility that few other locations can match, and viewing the Milky Way with the naked eye is assured once the hot sun goes down.

 

Sahara Desert in Africa

The Sahara is the closest desert to the UK - if you don't count Dungeness in Essex! About the same size as the USA, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, taking in seven countries along the way. It offers quintessential North African scenes: camel trains traversing mighty sand dunes, dry oasis, and silent, clear nights that present the perfect conditions for stargazing.

 

Namib Desert in Namibia

The oldest desert on the planet (at least 55 million years), the Namib has a great deal to recommend itself: signs of stone age human life are still visible, making it a must for history buffs; and it is home to a stunning variety of plant and animal life, some of which you won't find anywhere else. There are even 'desert elephants' that can survive the harsh conditions. The Namib lines the Atlantic coasts of Namibia, Angola and Southern Africa for more than 1,200 miles.

 

Gobi Desert in Asia

The vast Gobi desert played a key role in the Mongol empire and formed part of the famed Silk Road. Summers reach highs of 50 degrees, while winters are extremely cold. A diverse array of fossils have been found here, including dinosaur eggs. Today it is home to Gobi brown bears, Siberian ibex and Bactrian camels.

 

Mojave Desert in California

If you're visiting the bright lights of Las Vegas, why not take some quiet time in the Mojave Desert, covering as it does vast swathes of California and Nevada. Here you'll find the legendary Death Valley and the Valley of Fire State Park, along with the desert's famous protected Joshua Trees. As vast and open as it is, you're never very far from civilization. Perfect if you need respite from touring the cities of the western seaboard - or the roulette tables of Sin City!

 

Antarctic Desert

Not all deserts are hot. The Antarctic desert, for instance, is specularly cold. It's considered a desert because it has such little precipitation. While the fauna here is limited to algae and moss, animal life is far more bountiful: think whales, seals and penguins.

 

Thar Desert in India

If you're exploring the mighty temples of Rajasthan in India, pencil in time for a camel trek in the Thar Desert. Explore shifting sand dunes and salt lakes, and camp under the stars. As tranquil as this desert is, you're never far from life: more than 140 bird species call Thar their home, as well as 25 snake species. And when you realise you didn't take any beer into the desert, fear not - there'll be a man along with a sack of surprisingly cool Kingfishers at any minute. After all, it's the most populated desert on the plant!

 

 

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