There’s something quite magical and mysterious about a desert and it’s a myth that all deserts are hot. Cold deserts also exist and are also called polar deserts. In fact deserts are defined as having less than 250mm (10 in) of precipitation in a year. Our top pick is as follows:
1. Antarctic Desert – Antarctica – The largest desert in the world at nearly 14 million km2, is also accessible for explorers and adventurers who want to take a wildlife cruise and go ice-diving and snow trekking.
2. Atacama Desert – Chile – Rising to almost 6,000 meters above sea level, Atacama is a great place for an adventure holiday and to explore the mysterious landscape.
3. Sahara Desert – Africa – The Sahara is the second largest desert in the world and covers most of North Africa and can be explored on a camel trek.
4. Kalahari Desert – Botswana – The Kalahari is the sixth biggest desert in the world and is home to a huge abundance of wildlife and birdlife, making it an ideal location for safaris.
5. Great Sandy Desert – Australia – This desert is too hot for humans but is home to red kangaroos and wild camels.
6. Arctic Desert – Greenland – The main attraction of the Arctic Desert has to be the Aurora Borealis, the spectacular northern lights, but the Arctic is also teeming with wildlife including polar bears and puffins.
7. Mojave Desert – USA – The Mojave is a pretty hot place to call home – literally, as temperatures reach up to 55 degrees C, although wildlife as well as small towns of people do live there.
8. The Hottest Place on Earth – Ethiopia – Too hot for humans and about all that happens in the Ethiopian desert is salt mining.
