ACTIVE & ADVENTURE DESERTS DESTINATIONS
The vastness. The silence. The nothingness. There’s something about being in the desert that gets you, that makes you want to run wild over the tumbling dunes and towering rocks, to play like a child in the immense stretches of barren, lunar-like landscapes that make up about a third of the planet’s land mass. Fortunately, there are plenty of desert experiences that let you do just that, giving adventure- seekers a chance to explore these limitless, arid lands in just about every way imaginable – whether that’s from the back of a camel or the basket of a hot-air balloon, the luxury of a 4x4 or the lens of a telescope. To help inspire both them and
you, we’ve put together some of the very best from countries far and wide.
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STARGAZE IN THE ATACAMA DESERT, CHILE The driest non-polar
desert, Chile’s sprawling Atacama is Earth’s answer to Mars, with arid, reddish-brown rock formations rising and falling in ripples, dappled with turquoise lagoons and paper-flat salt plains. Erupting geysers spluttering out of the ground, steaming thermal hot springs and elegant flamingos hobbling along make it a hit for anyone after a proper adventure, but the crowning glory here has to be the stargazing. Minimal light pollution, high altitude and crystal-clear skies make it one of the most
renowned spots on the planet for astronomers and wannabes alike, and there’s a handful of spots where clients can explore its magnificent constellations for themselves. Among the best is the Ahlarkapin Observatory, where visitors get to view the universe through a high-powered telescope while learning more about its intricacies over a mug of hot chocolate. If that’s not special enough,
suggest coming in 2019, when a solar eclipse is set to turn the sky pitch-black. Operators such as Grand American Adventures are offering trips around the event, set to happen on July 2. Book it: Journey Latin America includes stargazing at the Ahlarkabin Observatory on its 13-day trip to Patagonia and the Atacama Desert, with prices from £3,968 per person. The price includes transfers, domestic flights, hotels, breakfast and excursions including the Moon Valley, Tatio geysers and a visit to the flamingos. International flights are extra.
journeylatinamerica.co.uk
Picture floating over the empty, reddish sands that surround Alice Springs as the sun rises over the mountains, glass of bubbly in hand, clusters of kangaroos bounding around below. Premier Holidays offers clients the chance to do just that on its Australia
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FLY OVER THE RED CENTRE IN A HOT-AIR BALLOON, AUSTRALIA
Experience trip, with a 30-minute hot-air balloon flight over Alice Springs alongside time to enjoy this iconic, culturally intriguing desert town. “Seeing the vast expanse of the
Australian outback from a bird’s- eye view is awe-inspiring,” says product manager John Parker. “It offers a great opportunity to spot wildlife as you fly over red kangaroos and plenty more.” Book it: Premier Holidays’ Unforgettable Australia Experience costs from £2,949, including visits to Melbourne, Alice Springs, Uluru, Cairns and Sydney, with accommodation, return flights and transfers. A 30-minute balloon flight can be added on from £157.
trade.premierholidays.co.uk
orange-red sand dunes that lace the Sahara is true bucket- list stuff – riding over them in a camel against the evening light of sunset takes that up a notch. It’s one of several iconic
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experiences greeting guests on Intrepid Travel’s Morocco Uncovered trip, which meanders its way from Casablanca to Marrakech via Chefchaouen, Fes and the Atlas Mountains. Others include camping out under the stars at Erg Chebbi – where dunes soar up to 150 metres high – visiting a Berber house in far-out, peaceful M’goun, and exploring Ait Benhaddou,
RIDE CAMELS IN THE SAHARA, MOROCCO
Glimpsing the tumbling,
a fortified red city that was the setting for Lawrence of Arabia, Game of Thrones and Gladiator. For younger clients, suggest
Geckos Adventures’ Epic Morocco. Activities such as camel trekking, hiking and sunrise yoga are on the agenda during this 13-day itinerary, which visits desert spots including Midelt, Merzouga and Todra Gorge. Book it: Intrepid Travel’s 13-day Morocco Uncovered trip starts at £1,020, including some meals, activities, transport and accommodation. Flights are extra.
intrepidtravel.com/uk
North America and reputedly the hottest place on Earth – temperatures reached 57C in 1913 – Death Valley is about as inhospitable as environments come. But the national park happens to be jaw-dropping with its red-orange, ridged rock formations, strangely patterned dunes, sprawling salt flats and remarkable ‘sailing stones’, where dolomite rocks are famed for moving along the desert ground, leaving mysterious trails behind. Once mined for gold, silver,
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copper and other materials, today it’s eerily silent and totally peaceful. Sandwiched between towering, marble-coloured mountains, it inspires a sense of awe – especially at sunrise, according to Malcolm Davies, product destination manager
17 May 2018
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WATCH THE SUN RISE OVER DEATH VALLEY, US The driest spot in
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