Khor Al Adaid (Inland Sea)

Khor Al Adaid, Qatar — a rare inland sea where towering desert dunes meet the Persian Gulf directly, with no coastline in between, a UNESCO-recognized natural phenomenon found in only a few places on Earth.

Reach it by 4x4 dune-bashing tour from Doha across the sand seas of southern Qatar — most operators time the drive to arrive for sunset, when the dunes glow red-gold over the water. Overnight desert camps nearby offer stargazing far from the city's light pollution.