Three very different ways to experience the desert

So often  we book holidays in search of sun, sea and sand, but if you centre your break around the final element of the holy ‘s’ trinity you can be rewarded with some truly breathtaking sights and never to be repeated experiences. Forget the packaged beach holiday this year and shelve your plans to laze by the beach and swap your sands for something altogether more vast and impressive.

Deserts are not the most welcoming or easy to access places and for this reason they aren’t on the majority of people’s holiday to-do lists. However, there are a number of dedicated specialists who offer tours of desert areas and these breaks make unique, once in a life time holidays. We’ve rounded up three potential desert trips that might just tempt you away from the water.

Oman

Take a trip through the Oman Mountains and into the desert and you may be surprised with just how accessible the terrain is. With the aid of a 4x4 you will find yourself in villages where rain is greeted like snow at Christmas and views of vast desert. There’s also the opportunity to work tracking leopards into your trip – though you are unfortunately unlikely to see any of the shy beasts. If all of this sounds a bit arid, try a twin destination trip and spend some time on the coast at Muscat – it’s less opulent than Dubai, but still exquisite and you’ll find plenty to do and see. There is some great shopping there as well, and if you find yourself short of cash, order more online as Travelex are now operating in the area and are ideal if you need to get your currency converted at the last minute.

Chile

The Atacama desert in the South American country of Chile is a 1000km strip of land on Pacific coast west of the Andes. It holds the title of the driest desert in the world, yet offers some of the most beautiful land and skyscapes to those who dare to visit. Thanks to the high altitude, dry air and clear skies, this is one of the best places in the world to see the stars. You probably won’t be able to arrange a visit to La Silla Observatory or Paranal observatory, but tour firm spaceobs.com do arrange trips to the region. Take a trip here and you should be treated to a good view of Mars and Saturn and be able to take in the sunset at Valle de la Luna.

Death Valley

Despite the eerie name the Death Valley is quite an established tourist destination with lodges, campgrounds and tours readily available. It’s a true land of extremes with snow-covered peaks, parks and plants interspersed with stretches of arid desert. A trip across this desert is a rite of passage for many and the area holds the world record for the hottest air temperature recorded. Those who pay a visit to the valley should plan ahead carefully as you don’t want to get caught out. Hundreds of miles pass between gas stations so running out of fuel and supplies can be critical. And, there’s no place you’ll appreciate a nice cold beer more than in the desert!