Magical desert oases from around the world you should visit once in your lifetime!
Huacachina Oasis, Peru
In Peru’s Ica province, a landscape of dunes and palm trees, Huacachina is a charming village next to an oasis with a lagoon fed by groundwater from the surrounding aquifer. Located in the heart of the desert, the emerald-green lake is famous for the medicinal properties of its water. At the beginning of the 20th century, wealthy Peruvians travelled here to bathe and treat their ailments. It’s now a resort that draws people from all over the world and a convenient stop for curious adventurers on their way to see the mysterious and ancient Nazca Lines, immense and famous geoglyphs etched into the desert.
Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China
A veritable treasure trove of Buddhist art, the historic town of Dunhuang and its oasis are located in Gansu province. Together, they are a major attraction for travellers exploring the route of the ancient Silk Road. On the edge of the Kumtag Desert, the Mogao Caves—there are some 500 of them—are carved into cliffs and house sanctuaries, sculptures, and frescoes dating from the fourth century. Nicknamed “the source of the crescent moon,” the semi-circular lake next to Dunhuang is over 100 metres long and has a depth of five metres. Overlooking it are many ancient pagodas and pavilions.
Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
Located atop an outcropping known as Lion’s Rock, Sigiriya is an abandoned fortress that overlooks the plain below. This long-forgotten capital of Sri Lanka, or Ceylon as it was once known, reemerged from the jungle in 1831. The palatial complex once had landscaped gardens and ponds that have sadly long since vanished. Visitors today can wander among the labyrinthine ruins of the fortress, where marble structures and frescoes have survived the passage of time even if most of the ancient capital has been reclaimed by nature.
Bait Ali Camp, Jordan
Designed as a hotel, Bait Ali Camp can be found in Jordan’s Wadi Rum desert. The 200-room complex is laid out like a traditional Bedouin settlement but it offers all the features of a contemporary resort in the heart of the desert. At one of the most striking desert oases you can admire the rock formations of the surrounding landscape in this uniquely magical setting.
Dadès Gorges, Morocco
Off the beaten track, this village sits in one of the red Dadès Gorges of Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains. If you want to visit it, you’ll have to travel on rugged roads that wind their way through the arid undulating landscape of hills and mountain peaks. The village sits in a colourful setting of green trees and irrigated fields with the red canyon walls as a backdrop. Nicknamed the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs because of the fortified mud-brick fortifications that dot the landscape here, this part of Morocco and its ancient structures are silent witnesses to a long and often turbulent history.
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