These are the sand dunes of the southern gobi desert by the little oasis city of Dunhuang in China. Not my favourite part of the gobi. I was surprised to see I had to pay to walk the dunes and was amazed to find out how much just a few moments later. Unlike the large share of the rest of the gobi desert this particular area has been turned from the beautiful, demanding and uncompromising dunes into an overpriced tourist trap, a lazy man’s attraction with a road paved right to the base of the dunes. I may sound harsh and feel that it takes away from the experience but it still is a very beautiful place. And if there’s one touristy place where it’s easy to escape the crowds, this has got to be it.
