White Desert chalk pillars, sunset, White Desert National Park, Egypt

Stoic stones

Reminiscent of the American Southwest's red sandstone, but standing an ocean away and then some, these statuesque stones will appear several shades paler in the brightness of midday. We're seeing just three of the countless limestone pillars that burst through the sand—often in curious shapes—here in Egypt's White Desert. It takes hours to drive here from any major city in the country, but whether whitewashed by noonday sun or painted in ochres by a light-brushed horizon, it's worth a bit of an expedition.