2Namib Desert, Namibia
The Namib Desert, one of the oldest deserts in the world, stretches along the Atlantic coast of Namibia. This stark, arid landscape features some of the highest sand dunes on Earth, with colors ranging from pale gold to deep red. Sossusvlei, a clay pan surrounded by towering dunes, is particularly striking with its cracked, white earth and gnarled, dead trees. The contrast of vivid blue skies, red dunes, and white salt pans creates an otherworldly visual feast that looks more like Mars than Earth.