9 major deserts around the world and their most iconic attractions

The conventional image of deserts is that of an endless expanse of sand dunes with no signs of life, but the truth is that deserts are among the most breathtaking landscapes on the face of the Earth. These deserts, though receiving extremely low rainfall, have numerous geographical features, natural wonders, cultural importance, and exciting travel options. Here, we have identified nine of the most prominent deserts of the world, their location, as well as the most popular attractions that make them famous.

The Sahara Desert is the biggest hot desert in the world and spans across various nations, including Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, and Sudan. The Sahara Desert has numerous geographical features like sand, rocks, and dry valleys. Erg Chebbi Dunes, situated near Merzouga, is one of the most renowned geographical features in the Sahara Desert, with dunes rising to 150 metres and camel trekking being one of the major activities in this region. The otherworldly rock formations of the White Desert National Park in Egypt attract tourists who want to experience the surreal beauty of this hot desert.

Even though the Antarctic Desert has ice formations rather than sandy ones, it remains the biggest desert in the world owing to its extremely low precipitation. The Antarctic Desert covers the Antarctic continent in its entirety. The Antarctic Desert has one of the most incredible features in the world, the McMurdo Dry Valleys, which remains one of the driest areas in the world and has been referred to as the place on Earth that resembles Mars the most.

The Arabian Desert covers much of the Arabian Peninsula, stretching across Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Inside it is the legendary Rub' al Khali, or the Empty Quarter, one of the largest continuous sand deserts in the world. In the UAE, desert safaris around Dubai have become an iconic experience for tourists.

The Gobi Desert is located in northern China and southern Mongolia. This desert is characterized by its huge rocky plains. Its climate is extreme, with huge differences in temperature from summer to winter. The most famous places in the Gobi Desert include the flaming red cliffs of Bayanzag in Mongolia, where the first dinosaur eggs in the world were discovered. Another famous place in the Gobi Desert is the towering dunes of Khongoryn Els, or the “Singing Dunes” for the sound they make when the wind blows.

The Kalahari covers Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, and in contrast to other deserts, there are regions in the Kalahari that receive rainfall, hence the growth of grass and wildlife. The most famous tourist destination in the Kalahari is the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, famous for its red dunes and sightings of lions, cheetahs, and antelopes.

This is located in the southwestern part of Africa, and the Namib Desert runs along the Atlantic coast in Namibia, and it is considered the oldest desert in the world, dating back at least 55 million years. The most famous tourist destination in the Namib is Sossusvlei, where there are red dunes and white salt pans. Nearby lies Deadvlei, famous for its stark landscape of ancient, blackened trees standing against bright desert sand.

The famous Atacama Desert is located in northern Chile, and is often called the driest non-polar desert on Earth, the Atacama is known for landscapes that look almost extraterrestrial. One of its most famous attractions is the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon), which is particularly famous for its spectacular rock formations and salt-covered terrain. Another famous attraction is the El Tatio geysers located at a high altitude in the desert. They are a popular tourist attraction in the early hours of the day when steam rises dramatically from the desert floor.

The Great Victoria Desert is the largest desert in Australia. It is located in the states of Western Australia and South Australia. One of the most prominent features of the Great Victoria Desert is the remote Mamungari Conservation Park, which is declared a UNESCO World Wilderness. In this desert, one can find dramatic sand ridges and salt lakes that are characteristic of the Australian desert landscape

The Thar Desert is one of the most populated deserts in the world. It is located in northwestern India and southeastern Pakistan. In the Thar Desert, one can find the desert city of Jaisalmer, which is one of the most popular entry points of the Thar Desert. Jaisalmer is famous for the majestic Jaisalmer Fort. In the Thar Desert, one can also experience the thrill of the desert at the Sam Sand Dunes. The Jaisalmer Desert Festival is one of the most popular festivals celebrated in the Thar Desert.