Nature and outdoors

Wild Place: White Desert, Egypt

Sand and strong winds have created a surreal landscape 600 kilometres southwest of Cairo

These iceberg sculptures marooned in an ocean of sand are from Egypt’s White Desert national park, or Sahara el Beyda.

Located 600 kilometres southwest of Cairo, the desert’s chalky waves – which soar dozens of metres high – were once a continuous plateau of calcite.

But over millennia, the steady influence of sand and strong wind sculpted them into dunes and intriguing shapes resembling camels, chickens and mushrooms. Temperatures top 47°C in summer.

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Discovery online brings together all the inspirational travel writing from our two inflight magazines, Discovery and Silkroad. Be sure to look out for the print editions when you next fly with Cathay Pacific or Cathay Dragon.
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