Unreal Places · Four countries · Series
4 places on Earth that look like another planet
These four places look like another planet and are all on Earth: Deadvlei's dead trees in Namibia, the red desert of Wadi Rum in Jordan, the white dunes and blue lagoons of Lençóis Maranhenses in Brazil, and the giant baobab trees of Madagascar. All four can be visited.
The places in this film
- 1
Deadvlei, Namibia
Deadvlei is a white clay pan near Sossusvlei, in the Namib Desert. The trees standing in it are dead camel thorns, thought to be many centuries old, preserved by the dry air. Around them rise some of the highest sand dunes in the world, which glow orange in the early light. The park gate opens around sunrise; staying inside or close to it lets you reach the pan before the heat and the crowds.
- 2
Wadi Rum, Jordan
Wadi Rum is a protected desert valley in southern Jordan, with red sand and sandstone and granite mountains. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has stood in for Mars in films, including The Martian. Bedouin guides run jeep tours, camel rides and climbs, and many visitors stay overnight in a desert camp to see the sunset and the stars. It combines easily with Petra, about two hours away by road.
- 3
Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, on Brazil's north-east coast in Maranhão, is a field of white sand dunes. After the rainy season, rainwater collects in the hollows between the dunes and forms clear blue and green lagoons, usually fullest from about June to September. The park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2024. Tours in four-wheel-drive vehicles leave from Barreirinhas, the main base.
- 4
Baobab trees, Madagascar
Madagascar is home to six of the world's eight baobab species, found nowhere else. In the west of the island, giant baobabs rise over flat fields and rice paddies. The most famous stand is the Avenue of the Baobabs, a dirt road lined with tall Grandidier's baobabs near Morondava. It is at its best at sunset, when the trees turn to silhouettes against an orange sky.
Tour links are partner links. They cost you nothing and help keep the guides free. How this works.
Plan it
- Best time
- May to October for Deadvlei and Madagascar's west; spring and autumn for Wadi Rum; June to September for full lagoons at Lençóis Maranhenses.
- How long
- Two days for Sossusvlei and Deadvlei, one or two nights in Wadi Rum, two days in Lençóis Maranhenses, and a day around Morondava for the baobabs.
- Getting around
- Self-drive or a tour from Windhoek for Deadvlei; a road trip from Amman or Aqaba for Wadi Rum; fly to São Luís then drive to Barreirinhas for Lençóis; fly or drive from Antananarivo to Morondava.
Good to know
- Be at Deadvlei early: the pan gets very hot by late morning.
- Spend a night in a Wadi Rum desert camp for the sky after dark.
- Visit Lençóis Maranhenses between June and September for full lagoons.
Frequently asked
Where was The Martian filmed? +
Many of the desert scenes set on Mars in the film The Martian were shot in Wadi Rum, a protected desert valley in southern Jordan. Other films have used it as an alien world too.
When do the lagoons fill at Lençóis Maranhenses? +
Rain falls mainly in the first half of the year, so the lagoons are usually fullest from about June to September and shrink later in the year.
How old are the trees in Deadvlei? +
The dead camel thorn trees in Deadvlei are thought to be many centuries old. The extremely dry climate means they have not decayed.
