{"id":6357,"date":"2019-09-05T10:49:16","date_gmt":"2019-09-05T08:49:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/?p=6357"},"modified":"2019-09-05T10:49:16","modified_gmt":"2019-09-05T08:49:16","slug":"travel-guide-exploring-the-worlds-most-beautiful-deserts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/destinations\/travel-guide-exploring-the-worlds-most-beautiful-deserts\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel Guide: Exploring the World’s most Beautiful Deserts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most people are drawn to bustling big cities that are filled with energy and charm, but few know the pleasures found in the desert. The still, quiet, effortless stretch of raw beauty.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps many believe there isn\u2019t much to see or do in a place of \u2018nothingness\u2019, but there\u2019s really a whole new world to be discovered, if only they\u2019d explore! But the great thing is most of deserts are located very close to (and sometimes in) these big cities, giving you the chance to enjoy all the desert has to offer, without venturing too far into its vast expanse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Take a look at our list of the world\u2019s most beautiful deserts, where extraordinary sights and experiences await.<\/span><\/p>\n

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1.The Namib Desert, Namibia<\/b><\/p>\n

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The Namib Desert is a coastal desert found in the Southern African country of Namibia. It is one of the most charming deserts in the world for many reasons: It meets the ocean along the <\/span>Skeleton Coast<\/span><\/a> of Namibia – a rare combination, and, of course, a mesmerising sight. The sand is also a deep red hue, which glows spectacularly during sunrise and sunset. But the best part about the Namib Desert is that it\u2019s easily accessible, and offers extreme activities for all. Sossusvlei, situated in the Namib-Naukluft National Park is the place to go to enjoy a true desert adventure with activities such as dune hikes, sandboarding, quad-biking and more. What\u2019s great about Namibia, though, is that you can enjoy the desert from the towns and cities too. You needn\u2019t venture out too into the vast expanse of wilderness – it\u2019s also right on the doorstep of your <\/span>hotel in Swakopmund<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

2.Arabian Desert, UAE<\/b><\/p>\n

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The Arabian Desert stretches across most of Western Asia and the UAE, and is one of the most well-known deserts for tourists to explore. It\u2019s also the fifth largest desert in the world. Here again, it\u2019s easily accessible from bustling cities like Dubai, parts of Qatar and Jordan, making it a go-to for travellers looking for some adventure, while staying in the city. From Dubai, for example, you can take camel rides out into the desert, and even watch belly-dancing shows under the stars. Desert camps are also now available to those wanting to escape the city and spend a few nights out in the unique <\/span>landscapes of the Arabian Desert<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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3.Atacama Desert, Chile<\/b><\/p>\n

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The Atacama Desert is one of the harshest deserts in the world because it\u2019s the driest place on earth. But that doesn\u2019t mean one cannot visit – there is too much to be discovered in the Atacama to turn down the opportunity! It\u2019s not only a fantastic place for avid-hikers and nature lovers enthralled by unusual typography, but it\u2019s a place so unique that it truly moves visitors. You have not known silence until you\u2019ve been to the Atacama, nor have you known extreme terrain. From sand dunes, to jagged mountains that look like the spines of dinosaurs, to volcanoes and desert oasis – Atacama seems otherworldly. In fact, some parts had me feeling like I was on Mars!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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4.Sahara Desert<\/b><\/p>\n

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The Sahara Desert in Africa is the largest hot desert in the world – its size can be compared to that of China or the United States! It stretches across more than 10 Northern African countries including \u2018tourist hotspots\u2019 Morocco and Egypt. <\/span>Morocco<\/span><\/a> is certainly one of the best places to enjoy all the Sahara has to offer including 4x4ing, camel-back trips and desert camps. Egypt is another favourite access point to the Sahara, especially because it engulfs most parts of the big cities such as Cairo. Remember the <\/span>Great Pyramids of Giza<\/span><\/a> are in Egypt too, making Egypt it a must-do for history lovers and nature enthusiasts alike.<\/span><\/p>\n

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5.The Gobi Desert<\/b><\/p>\n

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The Gobi Desert, situated in northern China and southern Mongolia, is one of the most unusual deserts in the world. It\u2019s not just all sand, sand dunes and mountain ranges – it\u2019s also home to some rare wildlife species such as the snow leopard and rare species of camel. There have also been many dinosaur fossils discovered in the region, and it as now become a paleontologist haven. There are also many <\/span>folk stories that come out of the Gobi<\/span><\/a>, influenced by ancient Mongolian cultures and communities. It is said the desert sands of <\/span>Khongoryn Els sing when the wind blows.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most people are drawn to bustling big cities that are filled with energy and charm, but few know the pleasures found in the desert. The still, quiet, effortless stretch of raw beauty.\u00a0 Perhaps many believe there isn\u2019t much to see or do in a place of \u2018nothingness\u2019, but there\u2019s really a whole new world to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2685],"tags":[4805,4806,4807,4621,4211,4802,4809,4810,4800,4801,723,4804,4808,4803,4212,4210,4112],"class_list":["post-6357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-destinations","tag-arabian-desert","tag-atacama-desert","tag-chile","tag-desert","tag-deserts","tag-dune-hikes","tag-gobi-desert","tag-khongoryn-els","tag-namib-desert","tag-namib-naukluft-national-park","tag-namibia","tag-quad-biking","tag-sahara-desert","tag-sandboarding","tag-sossusvlei","tag-swakopmund","tag-uae"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6357"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6357\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}