***Copyright: Please visit the photographer links for licensing conditions for each photo. Some are available through a Creative Commons license, but many are copyrighted against unauthorized use. We were granted special permission to feature them in this Matador photo essay. ***

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1

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

The largest salt flat in the world reflects the sky during the wet season... Photo: Luca Galuzzi

2

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

...and in the dry winter months, it becomes a mosaic of salt tiles. Photo: Sergio Pessolano

3

Antarctica

Icebergs drift in dark Antarctic waters. Photo: winkyintheuk

Intermission

Culture

7 things bartenders do that piss off their non-bartender friends

Melissa Allen
Nov 6, 2018
Culture

Mapped: The next 10 total solar eclipses around the world

Morgane Croissant
Sep 1, 2017
Outdoor

The 8 best national park webcams (and when to check in)

Mackenzie Russell
Nov 14, 2018
4

The Richat Structure, near Ouadane, Mauritania

A circular feature, 50km across, in the middle of the otherwise featureless Mauritanian Sahara. Picture courtesy of NASA. Photographer: trodel_wiki

5

Alvord Playa, southeastern Oregon, USA

You might not expect to find a desert in the Pacific Northwest, but this dry lake bed averages only 180mm of rain a year. Photo: rasone

6

Cappadocia, Turkey

Fairy chimneys dominate the landscape between Cavusin and Zelve. Photo: Timothy Neesam

7

Socotra Island, Yemen

Socotra's isolation in the Indian Ocean has given rise to plant life you won't see anywhere else. This is the dragon's blood tree. Photo: Sotti

8

Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA

Best known as the staging grounds for Burning Man, the Black Rock Desert is also home to alien features such as the Fly Geyser. Photo: Stephen Oachs

9

Black Desert, Egypt

Egypt's deserts come in many colors, including Black... Photo: Gekko82

Intermission

News

A rare white reindeer was spotted in Norway, and it’s the cutest thing ever

Eben Diskin
Dec 6, 2018
Travel

51 things to do in 51 African countries

Bernard Pollack
Jan 11, 2015
Travel

Hiking Hanging Lake, one of Colorado’s most stunning trails

Katie Botwin
Sep 6, 2018
10

White Desert, Egypt

...and White. Photo: tronics

11

Kauai, Hawaii

Seaside lava ledges make for otherworldly experiences on this often-overlooked Hawaiian island. Photo: PatrickSmithPhotography

12

Namib Desert, Namibia

Sand rarely gets as red as it does in the deserts of Namibia. Photo: Brian Preen

13

Torres del Paine, Chile

The most alien of the 8 Natural Wonders of Chile, Torres del Paine's mountain spires cut into the blue sky. Photo: winkyintheuk

14

Dead Sea, Israel/Jordan

Lowest point on Earth, deepest salt lake in the world, saltier than the ocean...the list of the Dead Sea's bizarreness is a long one. Photo: Pennina Neumann

15

Strokkur Geyser, southwestern Iceland

Visitors to the Strokkur Geyser are rewarded with this display every five minutes or so. Photo: exfordy

16

Lake Turkana, Kenya

Lake Turkana lies in Africa's Great Rift Valley. Its salty waters comprise the world's largest desert lake. Photo: Yannick Garcin

17

Four Corners region, USA

The Colorado Plateau gets funky at the Arizona-Utah border. That's where you'll find Vermilion Cliffs National Monument... Photo: gregmote

18

Four Corners region, USA

...and Monument Valley. Photo: Wolfgang Staudt

19

Chocolate Hills, Bohol, Philippines

Over 1,700 naturally formed mounds (covered with chocolate brown grass in the dry season) dot the center of the island of Bohol. Photo: Lemuel Montejo

20

The Sahara

The world's largest hot desert is as big as the entire U.S. Get stranded out here and you'll wish you really were on an alien world. Photo: Jay Brezinsky

21

The Sahara

"Tunisian Sahara: Desert Stop!" Photo: andzer

Posted In
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Destinations
Black Rock, NM, US Arizona Hawaii Nevada Oregon Utah Antarctica Bolivia Chile Egypt Israel Iceland Jordan Kenya Morocco Mauritania Namibia Philippines Tunisia Turkey Yemen