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The Gobi, Atacama, or Sahara are all renowned deserts, harsh yet still attracting visitors with their captivating scenery.
The allure of 8 desert landscapes
Most of us are familiar with deserts, or wastelands, as places with little rain, dry landscapes, lacking water, and devoid of greenery.
No one would think that a place of 'scorching sun overhead, hot sand underfoot' has any appeal for tourism.
Yet in reality, within that harsh environment, there are still unique and beautiful landscapes.
The unique beauty and allure of these landscapes make it impossible for travelers to leave.
Sonoran Desert, USA
The Sonoran Desert covers an area of 260,000 km². Part of it spans across Arizona, California, and Mexico.
This desert receives the highest amount of rainfall among all deserts on Earth, about 25 – 35 cm per year.
Perhaps due to this rainfall, the Sonoran isn't excessively dry, even known for its rich biodiversity. Sonoran is home to over 60 mammal species, 20 amphibian species, 100 reptile species, 20 fish species, 350 bird species, and 2000 plant species coexisting.
However, it's also the hottest desert in North America. During summer, temperatures in the Sonoran Desert can reach 40°C, with some areas nearing 50°C.
Moreover, the Sonoran is also home to many rare plant species. For example, the saguaro cactus, a type of cactus only found in the Sonoran Desert.
Simpson Desert, Australia
Simpson is the most beautiful desert in Australia, covering an area of 176,500 km².
The parallel sand dunes with waves are the most prominent attraction of this desert.
It's estimated that the Simpson Desert has over 1,100 parallel sand dunes. Interestingly and surprisingly, some sand dunes are over 200 km long.
In addition to the quantity and length of the sand dunes, the Simpson Desert is also famous for its vibrant colors such as red, orange, pink, and white.
However, this desert is extremely arid, receiving only 150 mm of rainfall each year. The average summer temperature ranges from 39 to 50°C.
Arabian Desert, Western Asia
The Arabian Desert is a vast wilderness in Western Asia, covering almost the entire Arabian Peninsula with an area of up to 2.33 million km².
Most of the desert area lies in Saudi Arabia, stretching from Yemen to the Gulf of Oman and from Oman to Jordan and Iraq.
The characteristic climate of the Arabian Desert is hot days and cold nights. In summer, temperatures can soar up to 55°C.
The largest part of the Arabian Desert is Rub’al Khali, the largest continuous desert in the world, also known as the 'Empty Quarter', covering an area of 650,000 km².
Despite the harsh climate, the Arabian Desert is rich in natural gas, oil, and sulfur.
Negev Desert, Southern Israel
The Negev Desert covers 12,000 km², occupying more than half of Israel's territory.
Instead of the familiar image of sand dunes, what travelers can see in the Negev Desert are canyons, deep valleys, and spectacular rock formations.
Inside the desert, there are also many ancient cultural sites.
Mojave Desert, USA
Mojave is the smallest desert in North America, covering an area of 124,000 km².
Mojave is also known as the 'high desert' due to its elevation of 1,500 m above sea level.
The highlight of Mojave is Kelso Dunes, where smooth sand dunes stretch up to nearly 200m high, displaying eye-catching pink and golden hues.
In addition, Mojave boasts unique desert landscapes with plant species found nowhere else. For example, the Joshua tree cactus can live up to 150 years.
Atacama Desert, Chile
Located in northern Chile, the Atacama Desert spans an area of approximately 105,000 km².
Atacama is the driest desert in the world, with almost no rainfall. The average rainfall measured is only 1 mm per year.
Due to its extreme aridity, not many plant species can survive here. The land also becomes barren and dry. The desert landscape becomes uniquely reminiscent of scenes on Mars.
Moreover, the silent expanse, dust-free sky of Atacama makes it one of the best places for stargazing.
Sahara Desert, Africa
The Sahara is the largest desert in the world, covering over 9,000,000 km², spanning most of North Africa. To the north, it borders the Mediterranean Sea, to the south, the Niger River valley, to the east, the Red Sea, and to the west, the Atlantic Ocean.
Even in the harsh environment with daytime temperatures exceeding 50°C, Sahara still possesses unparalleled beauty.
The arid valleys, rocky mountains, salt flats, sand dunes, plains, gravel, and oases of the desert are all extremely unique and stunning.
Many areas in the desert have been developed into camping sites and stargazing spots.
Gobi Desert, Central Asia
The Gobi is the largest desert in Asia.
The characteristic landscape of the Gobi consists of bare rock formations interspersed with small patches of grass. Unlike other deserts, the Gobi Desert doesn't have many sand dunes.
The Gobi Desert has 5 main ecological regions with different geographical features and landscapes such as rocky deserts, mountain plateaus, grasslands, steppe, caves, and arid plains.
The Gobi Desert also holds great historical significance as it was a part of the Silk Road.
Along this route are a series of ancient Buddhist caves dating back thousands of years, located on the southern edge of the Gobi Desert.
According to Minh Hai/Tuoi Tre
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Reference: Travel guide Mytour
MytourFebruary 2nd, 2018
