Do you think deserts are boring?  Think again.  Whether it’s exploring other-worldly landscapes, peacefully stargazing, or staying at a unique hotel carved out of the desert cliffs, there’s a lot you can do in the desert.  In fact, here are 12 desert trips you’ll love.

1.  Spa Treatment, Amangiri, USA

If you like hiking through apricot, ochre, and pink landscapes but also like washing the desert dust off of you, visit the Aman Spa in Amangiri, Utah.  Backdropped by a rock escarpment in popular Canyon Point, guests can enjoy the view of the wind-carved landscape right from the spa’s treatment rooms.  It’s reportedly like getting a facial, massage, or scrub in the great outdoors.

This spa specializes in treatments inspired by the four elements: earth, wind, fire and water.

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Stargazing, Atacama, Chile

The famous Atacama Desert is the world’s driest.  More importantly, it’s quite popular with stargazers.  Thanks to the right blend of atmosphere and little if any air pollution, Chile’s sky is cloudless over 200 nights each year.  Camp in the sand and stargaze from a swag.  Better yet, stay at the well-known Alto Atacama Desert Lodge and Spa, nestled at the foot of the Quechua Fortress.  The resort offers stargazing tours and other star-related experiences every night.

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Jeep and Hike Tour, Wadi Rum, Jordan

If you long to visit the planet Mars, the landscape here is perhaps an acceptable alternative for now.  Besides, Wadi Rum, by the border of Saudi Arabia, doesn’t have the intense dust storms or the -125C temperature.

This huge hotspot is said to offer everything from towering cliffs to narrow gorges.  If you’re a history buff, you will even find interesting archaeological remains here that provide evidence of over 12,000 years of actual human occupation.

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Sandboarding, Huacachina, Peru

Veteran visitors say  that there are very few experiences that are more exciting than “riding a 2,070 meter-high sand dune” using just your face for a brake.  Still, if you’d prefer to remain erect, stop at the wee village named Huacachina in the Ica Desert.

This village surrounded by tall dunes, is the dream destination for sandboarders.  If you are an amateur, no worries.  The staff at Sandboard Peru offers lessons in sandboarding, and sand skiing too.

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Jaisalmer Desert Festival, Rajasthan, India

This three-day festival is said to be a “desert experience you’ll never forget.”  This event incorporates such unique competitions as fire dancing, turban tying, and even a contest to find the longest moustache.  There are also beauty pageants and live dance and music performances.

Backdropped by Thar Desert’s Jaisalmer Fort, this event is said to showcase the very best of the local talent.  Everyone and everything is decked out in lively colors.  It makes the entire experience a true “kaleidoscope of color, scent, and sound.  You can cath the 2021 festival February 7th through the 9th.

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Camel Tour, Sinai, Egypt

Much like dating psycho women, living with camels can sometimes be confusing.  Yes, they are strangely attractive and yet how does one deal with the kicking, spitting, and getting dumped on?  Still, this experience can be both educational and unforgettable.

Desert Eco Tours offers customers several different camel tours through the central and eastern Sinai Desert.  Led by local camel handler, you eil travel ancient, historical camel routes, sleep in actual Bedouin camps and relax under the starry desert skies.

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Living Desert Tour, Swakopmund, Namibia

The desert may look barren, but it is by no means dead.  Take this tour with Tommy’s Tours & Safaris founder Tommy Collard and learn what lives in the desert.  His 4X4 adventure takes you through all the dunes found outside Swakopmund.  Take in the landscape and keep your eyes open for such local wildlife as the Namaqua chameleon, the Palmato gecko, and the sidewinder.

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Hot Air Ballooning, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Here in Dubai, you can enjoy a “full-service hot air ballooning desert experience.  The service includes not only hot air ballooning but a popular in-flight falconry show, transport via cool, vintage 1950s Land Rovers and even a memorable breakfast in a genuine heritage camp situated in a real royal desert retreat.  Every hot air balloon comes complete with both GoPro cameras and Wi-Fi.

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The Ghan, Outback Australia

There are 10 deserts in Australia.  If you’d rather not explore the Red Centre via car or camel, fret not.  Hop aboard The Ghan for a three-day and two-night adventure from Darwin to Adelaide.  This luxurious train is an all inclusive experience that features a number of different off-train excursions, and even offers passengers a selection of local wines and dishes.

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Underground Village, Matmata, Tunisia

This unique village ensconced in southeast Tunisia is so unusual that the dusty desert area was actually earmarked as a filming location.  It was used to represent the surface of another planet in Star Wars.  Believe it or not, numerous Berber natives still inhabit these unusual underground troglodyte structures.  Their homes consist of several pits joined by trench-like passages.

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Desert Safari, Doha, Qatar

Desert Safari Doha provides travelers with a half or even full-day tour complete with any and every sand-related experience you could imagine.  On these excursions you will go dune-bashing in a 4×4, ride a camel, splash around in the inland sea known as Khor Al Adaid, and even experience a sandboard session.  Finally, you’ll kick back with a tasty barbecue under the stars.

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Quad Biking, Stockton, New South Wales

If you’re in the mood for some gut-wrenching dune adventures, you will discover some of the Southern Hemisphere’s tallest sand dunes at stunning Stockton Beach.  Indeed, some of them are over 30 meters high and are only 32 kilometers from the mighty Hunter River in Newcastle.  Veteran visitors recommend booking one of the popular one-hour quad bike adventure tours offered by Sand Dune Adventures.

You’ll not only take in unforgettable views of the country’s coastline but tackle 60-degree slopes as well.  Indeed, the company’s expert staff will guide you from beach to bush.  Outings are tailored to the customer.

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