Deserts are rarely valuable plots of land. Barren and desolate, but also wonderful! Millions of years can turn sand into surreal shapes and textures. The presence of iron oxide produces also my favorite geological oddity: Moqui Marbles, dark iron-coated balls forged from the sandstone. They are also found on... Mars. Otherworldly. Like somebody stirred the primordial soup and Earth cooled down in hues of white, red and yellow.

Setting moon over desert plateau

By and large, it's at a the edge and in its extremes where photographing a country gets interesting. It's at the Western most tip of mainland Europe where you find rugged coast lines. It requires scrambling, wading and steady feet to reach the mossy rocks. These sandy bays feel a world away from Lisbon, which is just a stone throw away. 

For the best hike in the world, look no further. Head to The Needles in Canyonlands and find your way to Chesler Park. Throughout the hike you'll get rewarded with massive 360 views,  towering rock pinnacles - sharp like needles - and a canyon of mushroom rocks - resembling elephant feet. It's hilly, hot and exposed. A must for desert landscape lovers!

Panorama view over Elephant Canyon

What to do on Vanuatu? Spend an afternoon at the beach watching villagers pass by. People come to relax, swim or catch fish. Life in paradise. However, not without threat, many natural and culturally significant areas are protected under custom law, all to keep Vanuatu the happiest place on earth. 

Give a man a fish

Arguably the most authentic kind of safari is on foot. It also allows you to meet smaller wildlife, like in the Namib desert. The dune gecko developed its own technique to get water. It lets the cool morning mist condense on his lidless eyes and licks it off. Quite a feat, but hard to photograph. Luckily the Namaqua Chameleon was more eager to show off his tongue acrobatics. 

Dune critter

When it comes to casting amazing animals in amazing places, monkeys and temples are a killer combo. Monkeys add to the mystique and energy of the Buddhist and Hindu temples in Southeast Asia, where you can count on these cheecky primates to stir things up and add some extra cachet to the place with their tomfoolery. Their monkey business truly pays off. 

This monkey's gone to heaven