Visiting a desert is an experience that isn’t quite like any other. The expansive skies and ruggedness of the dunes create a feeling of being somewhere otherworldly.
Travellers are drawn in by the stark beauty of deserts, and the adventures they offer. For those with a sense of adventure, it’s a challenge to navigate the harsh environments. For others, the solitude offers a breakaway from the real world and an opportunity to reconnect with themselves.
Not to forget the glowing orange sunsets and nights filled with starry skies, a journey through the desert will certainly be one that will be remembered for a lifetime.
Popular Deserts To Visit
For the adventure-seekers, there are plenty of deserts around the world to visit. They each offer unique landscapes and a very different experience from one another. The most popular ones are:
- Sahara Desert in Northern Africa known for its ancient desert city, Timbuktu.
- Atacama Desert in Chile.
- Gobi Desert in China and Mongolia along the ancient Silk Road.
- Wadi Rum in Jordan.
- Sonoran Desert spanning across the USA and Mexico.
- Kalahari Desert across Botswana, Namibia and South Africa known for its red dunes and wildlife.
- Mojave Desert in the USA.
Tech And Startups Helping You Navigate Desert Terrain
Finding your way around a desert can be a daunting task, especially if it is your first time. These apps and startups have been designed to make navigation easier so that you can focus on enjoying the trip.
1. Tracks4Africa
Tracks4Africa is a navigation app for those planning to travel through Africa. In addition to maps to guide your trip, you can also use the trip planner feature to find accommodation along the way. The Garmin-compatible GPS map will show you available routes that you can take, and calculate how long it will take to reach your destination. Also, you can see where the nearest fuel stops and shops are.
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2. Compass App
The Compass app is available on both Apple and Google Play stores for iPhone and Android users. The digital compass features latitudinal, longitudinal and addresses with a full-screen map. With true and magnetic heading, it can guide you through your desert journey.
3. SkySafari
For iOS users, SkySafari is an app for stargazing. With no cities or pollution nearby, deserts have some of the most unspoilt starry skies. For astronomy enthusiasts, the app provides moon and sun information for a particular day as well as notifications for solar eclipses and lunar phases.
4. onX Maps
onX is an offline app that can be used for just about any outdoor adventure. For the thrill-seekers who enjoy mountain biking in the desert, the app provides detailed biking route paths through the diverse terrains. With its MTB Project Data, users can look at routes beforehand with reviews and photos to see which ones suit their experience level.
5. Gaia GPS
With Gaia GPS, you can create your own offline routes for your desert journey. The premium version offers weather and terrain features for safety while travelling, and access to live TV through Outside TV so you can still watch your favourite show under the starry desert sky.
6. Locus Map
The Locus Map route planner assist with off-road navigation, especially in difficult terrains like deserts. With the guide-on feature, you can receive detailed information about the route as you are driving it. It shows the entire route so you don’t need to move the map around to zoom in or out while trying to drive.
7. Cairn
Cairn is a real-time location tracking app for you to share your journey progress with. If you are overdue for your return, it automatically sends them a notification to be on alert. The app’s algorithms calculate how long the route should take you to give you an idea of how far you actually need to go for preparation purposes.
8. OsmAnd
With the OsmAnd app, you can see offline maps for any region around the world. It boasts plenty of features for off-road travel, including 3D displays of topography. Each offline map is highly detailed, which comes in handy when travelling through harsh desert environments.
