Desert & strong sun
Deserts, dunes, arid plains and anywhere with intense sun and heat.
Illustrative image.
What to pack
- Loose, light, long clothing - Covering up beats bare skin in the desert - and locals dress this way for a reason. Find on Amazon →
- A wide-brim hat + sunglasses - Shade for your face and eyes where there is none overhead. Find on Amazon →
- High-SPF sunscreen + lip balm - Reapply often; desert sun is relentless. Find on Amazon →
- Far more water than you think - Carry and sip constantly; dehydration creeps up in dry heat. Find on Amazon →
- A scarf or shemagh - Shields your face and neck from sun and blowing sand. Find on Amazon →
- Warm layer for the night - Deserts turn cold fast after dark - a fleece is not optional. Find on Amazon →
- Electrolytes - Plain water is not enough when you sweat heavily all day. Find on Amazon →
Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links - if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only list the kind of gear we would pack ourselves. Check the season and the official source for each place before you go.
🖨️ Printable checklist →Where this comes in handy 1458 places
ruins
Mbanza Kongo
church
Alto Vista Chapel
gallery
Aboriginal Art Centres of Central Australia
botanical garden
Australian National Botanic Gardens
beach
Bay of Fires
dish
Bush Tucker and Native Foods
national park
Cape Le Grand National Park
island
K'gari (Fraser Island)
old town
Kalgoorlie-Boulder
archaeological site
Lake Mungo and the Willandra Lakes
viewpoint
Ningaloo Reef
viewpoint
Uluru
museum
WA Museum Boola Bardip
archaeological site
Dilmun Burial Mounds
archaeological site
The Tsodilo Hills
beach
Jericoacoara
viewpoint
Lencois Maranhenses
ruins
The Ruins of Loropéni
viewpoint
The Athabasca Sand Dunes
island
The Magdalen Islands
winery region
The Okanagan Valley
old town
N'Djamena
fortress
Jiayuguan Fort
fortress
The Great Wall of China
archaeological site
The Mogao Caves, Dunhuang
viewpoint
Rabjerg Mile
viewpoint
Skagen and Grenen
archaeological site
Saqqara and Dahshur
viewpoint
Siwa Oasis
viewpoint
The Nile
archaeological site
The Pyramids of Giza
beach
The Red Sea Coast
archaeological site
The Valley of the Kings
national park
The White Desert
national park
Wadi El Hitan (Valley of the Whales)
lake
Lake Peipus
theme park
Lottemaa Theme Park
beach
Pärnu Beach
winery region
Bordeaux Wine Country
beach
Dune du Pilat
forest
The Landes Forest
island
Helgoland
island
Sylt
national park
The Darss and Zingst Peninsula
fortress
The Cape Coast and Elmina Castles
beach
Elafonissi Beach
beach
Voidokilia Beach
mountain
Askja
mountain
Vestrahorn and Stokksnes
lake
Great Rann of Kutch
old town
Jaisalmer and the Thar Desert
mountain
Ladakh
lake
Pangong Tso
mountain
Spiti Valley
festival
The Pushkar Camel Fair
botanical garden
The Botanical Garden of Padua
archaeological site
Valley of the Temples, Agrigento
beach
Tottori Sand Dunes
monument
The Great Mosque of Djenné
old town
Chinguetti
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