Kenya
ExtremeMaasai Mara to Lake Turkana — Northern Kenya Wilderness Corridor via Baringo and the Suguta Valley
Kenya's hardest wilderness corridor, no shortcuts.
Surface: Sand
Antofagasta Region
DifficultSalar de Atacama Desert Circuit — San Pedro de Atacama to Paso Sico via the Atacama Salt Flat and Puna Volcanoes
Salt, flamingos, and 6,000-metre volcanoes.
Namibia
EasyNamib Desert Welwitschia Drive — Swakopmund to Welwitschia Washplain via Moon Landscape and Swakop River Gorge
Alien terrain, ancient plants, zero crowds.
Namibia
DifficultSossusvlei to Bullsport via Naukluft Desert Spine — Solitaire and Tsaris Pass
Dunes to gorges. Full Namib. No safety net.
Northern Cape
ExpertRichtersveld Kuboes to Sendelingsdrift — Orange River Canyon Desert Rim
South Africa's harshest, prettiest dead end.
California
ModerateMojave Road — Afton Canyon to Piute Spring via Soda Lake and Government Holes (Classic Full Run)
America's oldest overland route. Still raw.
Australia
DifficultStrzelecki Track — Innamincka to Lyndhurst via the Cooper Creek Desert Corridor
Burke and Wills didn't make it. You might.
Northern Cape
ModerateNossob River Valley 4WD Track — Twee Rivieren to Nossob Camp via the Kgalagadi Fossil Riverbed
Fossil riverbed. Real lions. No fence.
Namibia
ModerateSossusvlei Desert Circuit — Sesriem to Deadvlei and Hidden Vlei via the Namib Dune Sea
900-year-old dead trees in the world's oldest desert.
Namibia
ModerateNamib Desert Sossusvlei to Sossus Dune Circuit — Sesriem to Sossus Vlei 4WD Track via Dead Vlei and Hidden Vlei
900-year-old ghosts in the world's oldest desert.