Hot or cold, deserts encompass about one-third of the Earth’s surface area and may be either dry or wet. Despite this, many tourists have never visited or even heard of one, much alone know anything about it. There are vast deserts all across the world that are nothing short of breathtakingly gorgeous, dangerous, and infamous for claiming lives and causing death.
There are many significant and well-known deserts all throughout the globe. If you are fortunate enough to go to all of them, you will be exposed to the most diverse landscapes and their breathtaking beauty. These are some of the most gorgeous deserts in the planet, which you may visit when traveling across the globe.
Antarctic Desert
Antarctica is the world’s southernmost and fifth-largest continent, and it is also the world’s coldest. It is also the world’s tallest, driest, windiest, coldest, and iciest continent, among other characteristics. Antarctica has a land area of about 5,482,651 square miles (Square Kilometers: 14,200,000), with thick ice covering approximately 98 percent of the land surface.
The continent is split into two parts: East Antarctica (which is mostly made of a high ice-covered plateau) and West Antarctica (which is primarily composed of low ice-covered plateau) (which is largely an ice sheet covering an archipelago of mountainous islands).
Antarctica is a continent that does not have any nations. It is claimed by seven countries: New Zealand, Australia, France, Norway, the United Kingdom, Chile, and Argentina. The majority of the animals found in the Antarctic continent are penguins, whales, seals, albatrosses, and other seabirds.
Arctic Desert
This vast freezing desert encompasses portions of Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the United States. It is a part of three continents: North America, Europe, and Asia. It is renowned for its strong winds and sub-zero temperatures, and it is especially susceptible to climate change. It is one of the world’s biggest deserts, with a surface area of 13,900,020 square kilometres and is one of the world’s largest deserts by area. It includes glaciers, snow, and bare rock in a brutally cold climate.
Due to the fact that this area is classed as a vast tundra, even the hottest month of the year is often only warm enough to barely melt the ice. Norway’s Svalbard, which is geographically closer to the North Pole than any other site on the planet, is one of the most spectacular locations to see the arctic desert. Longyearbyen in Spitsbergen may be reached by plane through Oslo. A regular boat or ferry service to Svalbard is not available from any point on the continent.
The Ivory Gull, the Polar Bear, the Arctic Walrus, the Atlantic Walrus, the arctic wolf, and the whale are some of the animals that are unique to the Arctic Desert.
Sahara Desert
The Sahara desert, which stretches over a wide portion of Northern Africa, is the world’s biggest scorching desert, covering an area that is nearly as large as the United States. It encompasses 11 nations (Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Western Sahara, Sudan, and Tunisia) and is renowned for being very hot during the day and frigid at night, particularly in the Sahara Desert. A total area of 9,200,000 square kilometres is covered by this African desert.
From Marrakech, you may go to the Sahara desert by bus, helicopter, or automobile, depending on your preference. The most common mode of transportation to the Sahara desert is by vehicle with a private driver. In about 9 hours, the vehicle will have travelled 249 miles (561 kilometres).
Despite the severe circumstances, it is home to a diverse range of desert creatures, such as camels, lizards, and scorpions, among others. Despite the fact that water sources are few and far between, the Sahara does contain two rivers and twenty seasonal lakes.
The Sahara is home to a variety of animals, including gazelles, African wild dogs, camels, jackals, Algerian hedgehogs, the African wild ass, and hyenas, as well as endangered species such as the Saharan cheetah, leopard, and North African ostrich.
Arabian Desert
The Arabian desert, which is located in the western portion of Asia, extends over most of Saudi Arabia, as well as sections of six other nations. Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, and Yemen are among the countries involved.
The Rub ‘al-Khali, often known as the “Empty Quarter,” is located in the heart of the city and is the world’s longest continuous length of sand. With a total land area of 2,323,000 square kilometres, the Arabian desert is the biggest desert in Asia and is known as the “Great Desert.”
The Arabian Desert is one of the world’s most severe environments, with temperatures that may fluctuate between searing heat and freezing cold in a matter of hours. It is also one of the most dangerous locations on the planet. Camels are one of the most common and practical means of transportation in these dry regions, and you may experience one when travelling across Jordan.
A significant portion of the Arabian desert is located inside the borders of the current kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As a result, there are many international flights available to take you to the kingdom, particularly to Jeddah and Riyadh.
Among the animals that may be found in the Arabian desert are The oryx, gazelles, Arabian leopard, and resourceful sand cats are among the animals that inhabit the area. Surface water supplies are few and far between.
Gobi Desert
The Gobi Desert is located in north-western China and southern Mongolia, and it is characterised by its arid climate and rain shadow from the Himalayas. It is one of the biggest deserts in Asia and is home to a number of well-known towns along the ancient Silk Road, as well as many significant fossils. This east Asian desert spans a size of 1,295,000 square kilometres and is regarded as the world’s biggest dinosaur fossil repository due to the huge number of dinosaur fossils found there.
It may just be the sixth-largest desert on this list, but it is the fastest-growing desert on this list, which means it has a good chance of moving up the rankings within a few of centuries. It is located in northeastern China and is shared by the People’s Republic of China and Mongolia.
The quickest and most direct route to the desert is via Mongolia. From the United States, fly to the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar, and then take a local flight from there to Dalanzadgad. From the airport, you may arrange for a vehicle rental for the duration of your journey into the desert, if necessary.
The Gobi Desert, which is hot in the summer and very freezing in the winter, has everything from sand dunes to grasslands to steppes. Brown bears, the Asian wild ass, gazelles, wild Bactrian camels, and, in the highlands, rare snow leopards are among the animals that may be found here.
Kalahari Desert
The Kalahari Desert, which stretches over Botswana as well as portions of Namibia and South Africa, is the biggest desert in southern Africa.
It is well-known for its desert flora and scrub vegetation, as well as for the Okavango River, which is the only permanent river in the region. This enormous basin-like plain in the central plateau of Southern Africa stretches over 900,000 square kilometres and is the largest plain in the world.
The Hoodia cactus, which can survive in very high temperatures, and the camelthorn tree, an acacia that provides food and shade for animals, are two of the region’s endemic species. Because it includes a large portion of Bostwana, visitors may get a whole sense of what the Kalahari desert is like. There are no direct flights connecting the two cities, but you may drive to Gaborone International Airport and fly to Maun, from where you can then go to the Kalahari Desert.
Mojave Desert, USA
Mojave Desert is a desert in the United States that straddles the borders of three different states: California, Arizona, and Nevada. Among its many cities and villages is Death Valley, which is one of the world’s lowest and hottest locations on the planet.
The Mojave Desert, which covers an area of 47,877 square miles, is home to a small number of fascinating plant and animal species. Despite the fact that it is scorching in the summer and cold in the winter, the desert retains its name in the summer and winter. Coping with a variety of severe circumstances in the Mojave Desert is a given. Museums, a tree forest, a springs path, climbing peaks, a dome, and difficult dunes are just some of the attractions that will keep you entertained and engaged.
Thar Desert
Although the Thar Desert in northwestern India is not particularly dry or large in comparison to the other deserts on this list, it is famous for its vibrant cultures and colorful people. A sprawling complex of forts and palaces that stretches across the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, and Gujarat. This vast expanse of desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, spans 200,000 square kilometers in size.
In Rajasthan, the closest airport is located in Jaisalmer, and there are a few domestic flights that come daily from places like as Udaipur and New Delhi. Several trains run between the cities of Bikaner, Jaisalmer, and Barmer, which may be reached from various locations across India. A bus service from the cities of Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur may also be arranged.